The 13TH Hall of Fame [Archive] - Page 2

Jeff Costello

04-19-17, 07:19 AM

Nightmare Alley
(Spoilers)

I actually heard about this film and had it on my watchlist, so I was really glad to see that Citizen nominated it. And I must say I enjoyed it very much. At the very beggining ,we were introduced to a dark and atmospheric world of carnivals and I thought the way they presented us the insight in the acts and what happens behind the scenes during their occurrence, was very interesting. Eventough I was really into the film's gloomy and grotesque atmosphere, I kind of struggled to fully engage in it from the very beggining. But as the film's plot started to get thicker and suspense started to rise, my enjoyment got progressively higher.

The Power of Tyrone was on full display and this was honestly by far his best performance I witnessed so far. It was like he was made to play the role of Stan Carlisle. His character was dexterous, manipulative and deceitful and Power really played his role to perfection. I like how much his character changed throghout the film's course ; at the very beggining he was shown as a suspicious, but nonetheless charming and ambitious young man. But as the film proggresed, arrogance and willingness for power and emotional abuse got the best of him. Accompanying Power were; Ian Keith as the alcholic mentalist with tragic past, who had a rather short but memorable performance and Coleen Gray, who I've previously seen in Kiss of Death. Her role was actually rather similar as in Kiss of Death, but she played it well, despite having an occasional glimpses of over exaggerating with her expressions.

http://www.midnightonly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/nightmare-alley-7.jpg

I thought the film's script was very cleverly written and the dialogue was really convincing and realistic. Also I liked how certaing fragments of the plot were left ambiguous, as for instance ; was Stanton really hallucinating his meeting with Ritter or was he conned by a conman. I tend to subsribe to the latter theory, as his downward spiral started, when he fell victim to a con, when throughout his whole life he was the one who conned people. Altough if you look closely at "the meeting scene at the marina" you can hear how the ending of the conversation was interrupted by a motor engine, possibly symbolizing this was all a product of Stanton's imagination?

Another aspect of the film that ultimately won me over was its poetic and bittersweet ending. I really liked "the circle of life" element which was implemented in the story, as Stanton and Molly become new Pete and Zeena. Really nicely done!

I'd also like to mention rather short, but in my opinion very important scene in understanding Winston's character. After he just did his magic on the officer, he returns to the bar and mentions his miserable past. How his parents abandoned him, and how he was sent to orphanage, where he was regularly beaten up and afterwards being taught about Gospel. He then ironically remarks, how he found his salvation in Gospel. I thought this served as a subtle nod, to understanding why he constantly wanted to "play God" and was so prone to play with people's emotions and beliefs. Possibly enjoying his dominance and control over people, when in the past he was a passive and abandoned figure.

Lastly I'd like to notice, that cinematography and make-up were pretty good. They really made Power unrecognizable at the end and I sort of gotten "The Elephant Man" vibe, from his mannerism and groans in that scene.

Good nomination Citizen!

Camo

04-19-17, 09:13 AM

The Quiet Earth

https://s11.postimg.org/n868rh7g3/earth.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/8oz3q2eb3/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/)

I struggle with sci-fi generally and sadly i struggled with this. I do like the idea, not that it's original; the very first episode of The Twilight Zone: Where is Everybody? as well as one of its most popular episodes Time Enough At Last are about last men on earth. Then there's the show Last Man On Earth (started after this obviously but i saw that first) which is closer to this since there's a few other survivors, don't think that matters though since there's so many different ways you can explore the concept. Regrettably i was mostly bored, i thought Bruno Lawrence gave a good performance i just wasn't that entertained by his antics. Just like if you actually were the last man on earth doing random stuff that you couldn't do with others around would get tedious and depressing after a while so it probably was pretty fitting that i thought this got pretty tedious. By the time Joanne came into it i was pretty put off so i don't think it elicited the sort of reaction it should have, i also think it was too low-key; we had a jokey moment then a dramatic hug then they were just sitting down talking normally. Don't know what i'm asking for exactly so it's probably not fair that i'm complaining about it but i did find it a little underwhelming either way. I think Api eventually created the right sort of dynamic but it was only for the last half hour; a little too late for it to turn into anything i liked all that much.

I kept thinking of the aforementioned Twilight Zone episodes while watching this despite the numerous differences. Where Is Everybody? displays a whole host of emotions; confusion, paranoia, fear, loneliness, etc very well; and Time Enough At Last had it's humour and irony as well as the fact that it wasn't all a last man on earth episode. Most importantly both have the fact that they are 20-30 minutes long, while the concept is full of potential ideas stretching it out to 90 minutes of a mainly empty earth setting isn't the easiest thing to get right and i personally don't think it pulls anything off as well as say the general mood in Where Is Everybody? or the twisted sense of humour in Time Enough At Last. Maybe it's not fair to compare them but it was what was going through my mind alot and i can't really help that.

Not a bad nom by any means Clazor just not my thing. Sorry. The Three Musketeers next for me.

cricket

04-19-17, 09:58 AM

At first, I was disappointed when Nightmare Alley left the carnival setting as I just find that lifestyle fascinating. The movie ended up not missing a beat and it comes full circle with a brilliant ending.

Sarge

04-19-17, 09:59 AM

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/661046/13821076/1314155110270/209467.1020.A.jpg?token=2hYKEnlry1DFZ9k6wHIbOVLgzM4%3D

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

The only thing I knew about this film before watching, was that it was in German, and I assumed that it featured a lady called Maria Braun and that somewhere she gets married.

The opening scene is indeed the wedding of Maria Braun, who is marrying Hermann (a German soldier) before who goes off to war. They have one afternoon and evening together before he leaves.

When the war ends Maria is waiting for her husband to come home, before hearing from a source that he may be dead.

The film documents the journey of Maria through that time and beyond. I will leave it there, as I don't want to be the revealing spoilers.

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/592/image-w1280.jpg?1445915137

What I liked
Maria - The character of Maria is wonderfully complex, strong, focused, calculated and a little bit dangerous. She was acted superbly by Hanna Schygulla. It really was a great performance. I found her captivating in terms of her on screen presence but also the character.
The story - The story kept me engaged. The end game was revealed early on and although the journey twisted and changed throughout the film, I was always conscious of what Maria was striving for and was willing her to succeed in that.
Acting- I felt that the acting was largely strong over all. There were some performances that were more wooden than Pinocchio, but overall the acting was believable. It helped transmit the personalities and emotions of each character, which always helps when you are reading subtitles to obtain the dialogue.

https://alchetron.com/cdn/The-Marriage-of-Maria-Braun-images-7bd0e1e3-a576-4422-8d52-890c4df6be3.jpg

What could have been better
The film was maybe slightly too long for what was happening on screen.
There were a few things that had me scratching my head, in the case of character behaviour, but I assume that is the case for most films that I watch.
A couple of times some characters were doing something and having a good old chat, but there was little context as to why the characters were where they were, and why they were indded there together. Maybe some things were just lost in translation.

https://www.berlinale.de/media/filmstills/2016_2/hommage_13/201603863_3_IMG_FIX_700x700.jpg

Summary
I enjoyed this film for what it was. A story of love, yet a story of so much more. With that said, the title sums it up perfectly. It is indeed a film about Maria's marriage.
The main character and the actress that played her, commanded the screen from the start to the end. By the end of the film, I felt that I really knew Maria.
As I watched the film, it almost felt like reading a book. That was helped by the subtitles but also by the fact that you are watching a persons life, rather than it focusing on a snapshot or a single event within that life. You are viewing her Marriage to her husband and everything that happens within that and because of that.
And at the end it did feel like I had finished a good book.

So glad that it was nominated.

3.5

Sarge

04-19-17, 10:07 AM

My first HoF and I can see why they are so good already. I have already watched 4 films that I probably would never have watched otherwise.
I have enjoyed some more than others but have appreciated every single one of them and feel as though even if I stopped now (I won't :D ) that I have already benefited greatly from this experience.

Miss Vicky

04-19-17, 11:09 AM

I watched The Marriage of Maria Braun last night, but was too tired to write it up. I'll try to get a write-up done tonight and maybe also watch another movie.

Miss Vicky

04-19-17, 12:52 PM

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

The Marriage of Maria Braun (Die Ehe der Maria Braun) (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1978)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079095/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 04/18/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 13th HOF, Cricket's Nomination
Rewatch: No.

I really, really hated Maria Braun. She was ruthless, manipulative, remorseless, and cold. But watching her journey from being lost in a country torn apart by war to being strong and independent was a fascinating one and I did fee l a bit of respect along with my hatred. That's due in large part to Hanna Schygulla As Maria Braun, she was absolutely fantastic and my strong feelings about the character are a testament to the quality of the performance.

Unfortunately, however, there was little else that I liked about the film. I felt the other performances were largely forgettable, the cinematography was good but unremarkable, and I found the score to be rather intrusive at times. Still, the central performance was strong enough to maintain my interest throughout.

3.5-

Citizen Rules

04-19-17, 01:09 PM

Yahoo! Finally:p I've watched one of the noms...which I will review next. But first I wanted to say something about my review style:

I haven't read any of your guys reviews yet, but I will read them all, after I've seen the movie (I've only seen a few of these movies in the past). I'm glad Camo has links to all of our movie reviews on the second post of this thread. I figure if someone takes the time to write a review, the least I can do is read it! I know I appreciate any comments or feedback or any reviews that I will write.

I won't spoil the ending or any major plot elements in my reviews. So my reviews are safe to read even if you haven't seen the movie yet.

I will be forthright in my reviews and call it like I see it, so I hope no one gets upset by that. If I dislike a movie I will try and distinguish between a personal dislike of the subject matter (but still could be a well made movie)...and a movie that I think is flawed in how it was executed.

Everyone has nominated some very interesting films and I thank you for that!

Citizen Rules

04-19-17, 01:42 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29922&stc=1&d=1492618578
The Hunt (Thomas Vinterberg, 2012)

A rather nicely made film about a rather sticky subject...What I appreciated most about this film, is the restrained visual style, which suits the almost documentary feel of the movie. The cinematography is personal, with it's use of medium range shots and a hand held camera. This puts us literally in the shoes of a falsely accused child molester.

Keeping with the realistic feeling of the film, the movie's structure is in present tense and the story takes place chronologically as a rather innocent event turns into something ugly for the school teacher. The abscess of multiple time frames and flash backs makes The Hunt all the more potent, as it's happening now....so we feel like Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) does.

Staying within the realistic framework, the film makers wisely decided not to do grandiose camera shots, or uber dramatic music scores...as that would have drawn the viewer's attention away from the subject being explored. Simplistic cinematography can be beautiful as The Hunt proves.

Take a look at the photo I used above. That screen shot from the movie speaks volumes. It relays a feeling of peace and tranquility with the early morning sun shine, back lighting the actors, giving them a warm, halo rim light. That photo sets up an idyllic moment that once was...but is then ripped away as all hell breaks loose.

My hat is off to the actors, who all beautifully manage to play their characters in a subdued and there forth believable way. Which then dove tails perfectly with the realistic style of film making.

The Hunt explores a modern day witch hunt set in the innocents of Kindergarten. It's a powerful story, sadly it's happened many times over the course of human history that an unfounded accusation is taken as gospel, amplified and feed with the frighting power of self righteousness. Ignorance and hysteria go together like peanut butter and jelly, only as the film shows us those negative human traits leave a bitter taste in one's mouth.

Good nomination @neiba (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=85193)

Clazor

04-19-17, 03:16 PM

Manchester By The Sea

https://9xw0h49o7xv2hkoym1wqjuz6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/manchester-sea-700x395.jpg

First off, I get why this movie got as many oscar nods as it did. The story's well told, the performances from most actors are at least good, with special mention going to Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges and C.J. Wilson for their parts in creating these three aspects of loss and how such a situation can affect different people in a wide range of ways.

With Lee we have an utterly broken man, already tackling one disaster and now has to shoulder the responsebility of careing for a minor, something he didn't ask for and is sure he can't do. As a respons, he falls deeper into the already aloof-seeming, violence-prone shell of his former self.

Then there's Patrick. Losing his father, he tries to cope by seemingly trying to return to normal, going on with his life as fast as possible, but without actually trying to process his feelings. They instead build, untill they escape in bursts, sending him into anxiety-fueled panic attacks. Despite his uncles urging to go see a doctor, he never seems to want to talk about his father with anyone, aside from listening to his friends nostalgia-tinted memories of him. And note that he never tells such a tale himself, he only listens.

And finally, George. His coping is never really gone into in-depth, but we can see that of the three, he seems the most level headed and grounded. Much of this I accredit to the fact that he isn't alone. His best friend and buisness partner dies, yet he still has people he can talk to and be around. All Patrick and Lee has is each other (not actually true, but as they don't accept the help that is offered, they themselves choose to stay isolated), and as they can't or won't talk to each other beyond snarky remarks and the occational grunt and grumble, they don't give comfort or grieve together. This is where George's family can help him process his feelings and stay the emotionally balanced man he is, even trying to help the other two. As the credits starts to roll, it seems he will only get the chance to help one.

The scene where Lee gives his reasons as to why he can't be Patrick's guardian is played understated, but the impact is still felt. He's been crushed by what he went through, and he never expects to be able to move past that. He can't take this responsibility and risk something like this will occur again (at least that is how I red it). Despite his demeanor, he really cares for Patrick and seemingly wants the best for him. Which doesn't include Lee taking care of him, as far as he's concerned.

This is a heavy, somewhat melancholy movie (but not without it's glimpses of humour), that ends on a...not sour note, but maybe a feeling of not being truly done. Our characters move forward from this point, but we as an audience doesn't get to see what lies beyond. It gives the movie at the same time a feel of non-closure, yet realism.

This wasn't really my kind of movie. As I said, I get why the academy likes it, and after reading Scarlet's review I get why someone would like it very much. It just didn't grab me they way it did Scarlet. I can agree that the movie is well done...but it's not something I'd pick out for myself to watch.

I also agree with something Cosmic said. She mentioned feeling like this was more a experience to go through, rather than a movie to be watched. I totally second that, as well as her point that it's something I needn't see again.

A very good nom, Raul. Just not my style of movie.

Clazor

04-19-17, 03:34 PM

First time I had to go to a movie theater to catch a HoF nom. Had such a lucky break, as the movie's gone for so long here that it's just about out of circulation, but the home movie release isn't until after the HoF is over. Managed to get a ticket to the last showing (no kidding, asked the machinist and he told me this was the last run before they'd move on to other movies) at this smaller, four screen place that opened like nine months ago. They wanted to focus on more cultural stuff, movies that usually didn't screen at the bigger complexes (so of course they show oscar nominees?). The funny thing is, they opened shop less than 70 yards from another such place. This is a one screen place, has been there for nigh on 30 years and I love it. They too do the more niche stuff, more foreign films and lesser known stuff from around the world. But they also go in for the movie geeks. And that's why I love them. They host movie nights a couple times a year, mostly centered around a theme of some sort. Sometimes it's classic blockbusters (they did a double feature of Jaws and The Lost Arc), sometimes it's the classic midnight showings (Rocky Horror, The Room etc.) and this time they're doing 80's stuff. Which in this case means a double feature of The Breakfast Club and Ferris Beuler's Day Off. Haven't seen either, but I thought; when the opportunity presents itself to watch two movies like these on the big screen, why not?

CosmicRunaway

04-19-17, 07:06 PM

That's convenient timing, Clazor. Luckily you were able to just catch the film. :up:

SilentVamp

04-19-17, 07:10 PM

We're now a week in and Citizen is the 11th member to start, or at least the 11th to post a review. And 5/16 members have watched at least a quarter of the noms :cool:
I watched Manchester By the Sea last night, and I will make sure to get something written this weekend so I don't end up the last one to even begin writing anything. :)

edarsenal

04-19-17, 09:43 PM

Clazor ALWAYS a fun feeling when you slip right in under the wire on something. VERY cool!
Haven't seen Manchester so I'll be reading your review later (should be pretty cool) and did a sneak peek at the first couple of sentences of Camo's review of Quiet Earth for that initial reaction (the curiosity was TOO MUCH to just scan past lol)
and knowing Sarge's style I was able to read the opening of his and all of Miss Vicky's review of Maria.
Thank you Jeff Costello for the spoiler warning because I was SO tempted to sneak a few peeks into your review as well lol
Wrapping it up nicely with Citizen Rules' review of the visual/cinematic aspect of The Hunt. A movie I'm both excited for AND dreading simply for the emotional kick in the teeth only. BIG fan of Mads and can't wait to add this to the small list of his movies.

As stated before, SO MANY great movies and I haven't done SQUAT! I am SO ashamed!! :(:tsk: Bad Llama!

I did pick up The Intouchables and Wings of Desire from my library today, and I actually found an extended version of Dances With Wolves which I was PRETTY DAMN excited about since I never saw the extended version only get about 35 min into this 4 hr version and see there is no subtitles for the Native Americans - dammit dammit dammit:frustrated:

But that's alright, it will come and I'll keep popping into what discussions I can meanwhile :)

Miss Vicky

04-19-17, 10:26 PM

I started The Three Musketeers on my lunch break, but I've got a headache now so I don't know if I'll finish it tonight. I've got six other the nominations waiting for me at the library. I'll probably pick them up Friday.

Citizen Rules

04-19-17, 11:00 PM

The Hunt***Spoilers***

The character of Lucas is introduced as a good man who's down on his luck a little bit. He's a likable guy, and it's nice to see things start to turn around for him until his world gets rocked out of the blue. When Lucas first gets accused, I kind of wondered how realistic his reaction was. My thought was that he'd be flipping out right away. I wondered the same thing too. If I put myself in Mads shoes, I would be irate!...But later as the movie progressed, I could see that the director had purposely taken a more subdued look at child abuse, than Hollywood would have....I think it's a cultural thing as I've heard that Scandinavians tend to be more reserved in their behavior than say Americans or Italians. Think about the differences between a Bergman film and a Fellini film. But yeah I though the same as you.

I'm not exactly sure what the very last part with the shooter was meant to signify, or if it was real or imagined.This is only my opinion, but I took the last scenes where Mads son was presented a hunting rifle and the town folks were there, including the big guy that Mads head butted in the grocery store, to mean that the town had healed and that things were all right again.

Given the subject matter of the film, I was expecting something fairly heavy and difficult to sit through.
You and me both. I didn't know what to expect. I could have done without seeing the deer killed in the beginning of the movie.

The film shows us why there is a disproportionate amount of women involved in childcare compared to men. It's so easy to accuse a man of misconduct in situations like that, and the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” seems to be thrown out the window. For a long time in the film, I blamed the girl for the circumstances Lucas found himself in. [/quote] I thought the best element of the story was that a cute little girl, was at least in some ways the protagonist. The most powerful scene in the movie is when his son goes to confront the girls family, and in a rage, spits in her face. That was one helluva powerful scene, the best in the movie IMO.

But children say things without understanding the consequences all of the time, so the fault is really with all the adults in the film who jumped to conclusions and particularly with those who started treating Lucas poorly.
That's very true, and the film works like a cautionary tale when people let their fears run amok, the innocent get hurt. It reminded me of the Salem With trails which was sparked by two girls age 9 and 11 who acted bizarrely, causing the adults to blame demonic forces, which then resulted in people being falsely accused of witchcraft. The result was the executions of 20 people.

It's probably not a movie I'd revisit any time soon, but I'm glad I got the chance to experience it.Me too, I'm glad I watched it, but I doubt I would want to see it again.

Jeff Costello

04-19-17, 11:38 PM

Jagten spoilers

The Hunt***Spoilers***

This is only my opinion, but I took the last scenes where Mads son was presented a hunting rifle and the town folks were there, including the big guy that Mads head butted in the grocery store, to mean that the town had healed and that things were all right again.

Cosmic and I did a little analysis on what final scene was suppose to mean. If you'd like to read it, it's right below her review of Jagten.

I think it's a cultural thing as I've heard that Scandinavians tend to be more reserved in their behavior than say Americans or Italians. Think about the differences between a Bergman film and a Fellini film. But yeah I though the same as you.

Definitely a good point. I think the cultural aspect played a big part, in how Lucas handled the situation. IIRC his character at none point, decided to go against the child's integrity and openly call her a liar. Instead he chose to deal with the situation gracefully,hoping that the people will come to their senses, eventough the situation indeed demanded different approach.

The most powerful scene in the movie is when his son goes to confront the girls family, and in a rage, spits in her face. That was one helluva powerful scene, the best in the movie IMO.

Agreed. Definitely a powerful scene. Like someone else mentioned, I also blamed Clara for Lucas's misfortunes at first, but after further reflecting, it was quite obvious the culprits were incompetent adults, with the position of authority in child care. They never gave Lucas a fair trial and have basically decided his guilty, before he even got the chance to say anything. While simultaneously making zero effort, to properly examine the situation.

Me too, I'm glad I watched it, but I doubt I would want to see it again.

Yeah, like I already mentioned, I'm saving Jagten for last viewing. Exceptional film, but made me physically angry, the last time I saw it.

CosmicRunaway

04-20-17, 04:08 AM

Speaking of culture and The Hunt, did anyone else find it odd how people kept saying that children always tell the truth? Am I the only person who lives in a place where children tend to be devious little brats who lie all the time? :lol:

That's mostly a joke. I actually worked in a day care for a few years (kids ages 2-3 on certain days, and ages 3-4 on others). It certainly didn't make me think that children are little angels who have no reason to lie haha.

cricket

04-20-17, 05:46 AM

Camo

04-20-17, 08:00 AM

The Three Musketeers

https://s9.postimg.org/u36kov7b3/musko.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/d2nog6u9n/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/app.php)

I'm familiar with The Three Musketeers story of course, it's difficult not to be, i can't say i've watched any live action adaptations at least unless i'm forgetting so i was looking forward to this. There isn't a whole lot of interesting things i can say about this but i did really enjoy it, as a movie all it set out to be was fun and entertaining and it was exactly that for me. The epic opening got in me in the right kind of mood, great start. One thing i wasn't expecting at least not to this degree was the humour, it was really goofy but in a charming sort of way; i laughed a fair amount. All i could keep thinking of was Monty Python, not that the humour in both are the same, just that they are both pretty silly and i think the historical setting added to this. Michael York was great as d'Artagnan, i loved the set-up of him annoying all of the Musketeers into scheduling fights with him at different times, i also liked that they just accepted him right away as soon as he impressed them too. Way too many films in that situation throw in a half-hearted 'you can't join us' sort of plot that usually ends up with some contrived reason that the person has to temporarily come along until he proves himself and becomes one of them. Glad they sidestepped that and went straight to the rest of the story as it's pretty tired. Oliver Reed was good too, it's not easy making a character with that sort of over the top attire, facial hair, etc cool but he really was. Everyone else was good too but they were definitely the two standouts. The costumes and set designs were excellent too, great attention to detail. Overall a very fun time, really glad you nominated this Ed as these Hall of Fames too often end up full of heavy dramas, it's a nice change of pace. If i'm completely honest this was probably the one i was looking forward to least as i already knew the story but i liked it quite a bit and hope it does well, no complaints.

The Great Dictator next for me. That's me watched 10/16 (11 actually but i'm rewatching Dances With Wolves) though so i might take a break.

Citizen Rules

04-20-17, 06:11 PM

The Hunt...I just rewatched the last two scenes in the moive.The second to last scene, where there's a Christmas Party, followed by his son being presented with a hunting rifle...are healing scenes, where all is forgiven. But there's one man in the audience with dark hair and a beard, who directly looks at the camera in a odd way.

I initially thought that the look was unintentional, but on a second watch, I'm sure that shot was deliberately done by the director. I don't remember who the character was in the movie or if he was ever shown before? Anyone know? Any thoughts on this?

During the last hunting scene, someone takes a shot that hits the tree right next to Mads, he looks very concerned. I don't think that was a dream, as the director choose to tell the story in a very straight forward and simple yet effective manner. So I think the gun shot is real and is designed to make the viewer ponder it...I like what Cosmic wrote:I think that whether the attempted murder was real or imagined is sort of irrelevant, because what matters is how Lucas feels, and the reality is that that mistrust will follow him everywhere now.

cricket

04-20-17, 06:34 PM

The Hunt...I just rewatched the last two scenes in the moive.The second to last scene, where there's a Christmas Party, followed by his son being presented with a hunting rifle...are healing scenes, where all is forgiven. But there's one man in the audience with dark hair and a beard, who directly looks at the camera in a odd way.

I initially thought that the look was unintentional, but on a second watch, I'm sure that shot was deliberately done by the director. I don't remember who the character was in the movie or if he was ever shown before? Anyone know? Any thoughts on this?

During the last hunting scene, someone takes a shot that hits the tree right next to Mads, he looks very concerned. I don't think that was a dream, as the director choose to tell the story in a very straight forward and simple yet effective manner. So I think the gun shot is real and is designed to make the viewer ponder it...I like what Cosmic wrote:

I'm going to try and take another look at that first part.

Jeff Costello

04-21-17, 05:33 AM

I've meant to save "Jagten" for last, but since many of you have already watched it and commented on it, I'll try to do a rewatch this weekend.

Miss Vicky

04-21-17, 06:24 AM

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

The Three Musketeers (Richard Lester, 1973)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072281/?ref_=nv_sr_2)

Date Watched: 04/20/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 13th HOF, Edarsenal's Nomination
Rewatch: No.

I don't mind silliness in movies - hell, I've got Encino Man in my personal top 100 - but this often felt like I was watching a bad Mel Brooks knockoff (not that I'm a fan of Brooks, either). Upon doing a little research, I discovered that it was originally intended to star The Beatles, which I think explains at least some of the film's lunacy. Regardless, the humor just didn't work for me. This was due in large part to the fact that, with the exception of Oliver Reed's Athos, I found the characters incredibly irritating and none moreso than Michael York's D'Artagnan. I actually cringed whenever he was on the screen.

I do have to give some credit to the set and costume design though (and it is mostly for this that I give the movie its rating). The film looked great and I do appreciate a good period piece. I also liked the basic idea of the story, though how faithful it was to the source I don't know. I've never actually read Alexandre Dumas' book nor seen another film adaptation of it (unless you count The Man in the Iron Mask). Were this version to have taken the attempt at humor down a couple of notches and gone at least a slightly more serious route I might've actually enjoyed myself, but as it was I found it to be a bit of a chore to get through.

2.5-

CosmicRunaway

04-21-17, 06:56 AM

I might rewatch The Three Musketeers sooner than planned considering how many people have watched it lately.

I know the 1993 Disney version much better, and honestly I think I've even seen that terrible Musketeer film more times than the 1973 film. So it's something I probably should've rewatched awhile ago, instead of just repeatedly watching worse versions (though I do actually like the Disney film quite a bit).

CosmicRunaway

04-21-17, 08:37 AM

Out of the three I mentioned it's definitely considered the best one. I don't really know anything about the older films though, or what people tend to make of them.

CosmicRunaway

04-21-17, 10:58 AM

I just watched Captain Fantastic. Write-up coming later. I get the feeling that this is going to be one of those HoFs where I'm going to have a hard time deciding on an order for my ballot.

Sarge

04-21-17, 12:06 PM

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y4y0yI9SfoE/UakNilvRQ0I/AAAAAAAAIfA/ZAeArAHzfZw/s1600/nightmare+alley-1.jpg

Nightmare Alley (1947)

Another of the nominations that I had never heard of. I didn't know what on earth it was about and couldn't really obtain a lot from the title.

So I kept an open mind and jumped right in.
The film starts with a group of people that work on a travelling carnival, and there is one young ambitious employee Stanton Carlisle (Tyrone Power). Who is fairly new to the job but has desires to make it to the top.

I struggled to really engage with the film, whilst appreciating it's quality. I did find my thoughts wandering throughout and at times it took real effort to focus on the film.

http://www.midnightonly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/nightmare-alley-12.jpg

What I liked

Acting - For the most part the acting was good with me only having a few issues throughout. Power commanded the screen and gave a good performance and really led from the front in terms of performance.

Set - I think the set for the film was great. This was especially true of the scenes at the carnival. What I could see and hear, had me convinced that I was indeed looking in at a group of show people that worked at a travelling show.

Intrigue -- I felt that I was continually trying to guess what was going to happen next, and what certain characters agendas were etc. I didn't find it overly predictable and it maintained a level of uncertainty throughout.

Lessons - There are plenty of lessons to be learned from the story that is told in the film. There is a life lesson or two for all of us within it.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NeoFYPokDEA/USRieJjUUuI/AAAAAAAAGcw/8yL0a6I20gI/s1600/geek+show_opt.jpg

What I didn't like
There were parts of the film that had me shaking my head, One scene in particular involves 'Stan' and a Police officer/Marshall, and it had me laughing at how ridiculous I felt that it was.
I felt at times the pace was a bit slow and these were the times that I found my attention drifting.
Maybe, I wasn't in the right frame of mind (I feel ok) or something but it just seemed to lack any excitement.

http://crimsonkimono.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/3-nightmare-alley.jpgw500h177.jpeg

Summary
I just don't think that this film was my bag. It was ok and it did a lot of things well, but I can't think of anything that I would say that it did more than well. The acting was largely good, the film looked ok, the plot was good, if a bit far fetched. There was only one character that I felt any kind of warmth for.
It was good, but not great for me.

2.5

CosmicRunaway

04-21-17, 01:10 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29933

Captain Fantastic (2016)
Dir. Matt Ross
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Annalise Basso

Captain Fantastic features a lot of commentary on modern society, particularly on capitalism, education, organized religion, and parenting which could easily become overbearing if done wrong, but luckily it's presented in a very amusing and entertaining way...most of the time, at least. There are some moments that are quite cringe-worthy, and the whole last half of the film struggles to reach the bar set by the first, but as a whole I found the film to be incredibly charming, witty, and thoroughly engaging.

Viggo Mortensen is really the driving force behind this film, so your enjoyment of it will probably hinge on whether or not you feel compelled by his character. I personally thought his performance was outstanding, but I'm a fairly big fan of his so you can take that with a grain of salt. He clearly wants the best for his children, but his execution is inherently flawed, which is a lesson he learns the hard way over the course of the film. Ben's kids are highly educated in a variety of subjects, but lack the ability to socialize outside their small familial circle, or to integrate into the outside world at all. He has given his children important tools (such as knowledge and self-discipline), which with they can become successful adults, but not everything in life can be learned from the pages of a book.

This was a very beautiful looking film, and I like how it opens incredibly quietly, and then ends silently as well (before the music for the end credits starts to play that is). If you haven't seen the film, you should stop reading now because I'm briefly going to comment on the film's conclusion. To me, it didn't so much feel like a compromise, but rather a logical, and much healthier progression of how the family started. It's a far more balanced, less-radical situation, that's trying to blend the best aspects of their world with those of the more conventional. While it's nice to see that Ben learned from his mistakes and that his children are hopefully going to lead better lives now, it did seem overly sentimental, and like it was taking the easy route out instead of ending with a dramatic punch. I did still very much enjoy the film though, and its easily one of my favourites from 2016.

Citizen Rules

04-21-17, 02:30 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29936&stc=1&d=1492794087
The Quiet Earth (1985).....*SPOILERS*

Sorry @Clazor (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=92673) I just flat out disliked this one. I loved your last nom in the 12th, City of Lost Children...and I'm a huge sci fi fan, but didn't care for this one.I had seen it before too, about 25 ago, so at least I'm glad to have a chance to seen it again.

This was silly, the film had next to nothing to say. It's main claim to fame is that it shows us all the things a person could do if you were the last person in the world...such as: drive cars really fast, drive farm equipment through buildings, collect artwork, shoot at a statue of Jesus, wear a slip and blow up stuff. None of that was food for the brain. I like to be challenged by a movie or at least care about the characters. I didn't care about anyone in this, especially the lead guy who was like watching paint dry.

The scene where a person walks on the wall, was ridiculously tacked on for eye candy effect. It wasn't incorporated into the story, nor did it move the movie forward or contribute anything other than just being filler space. In fact that's what most of this movie is filler scenes.

The editing wasn't great, especially in the scene where he first has the girl back at his place. Watch that scene carefully, the edits between the camera shots are erratic.

The Quiet Earth reminded me of another sci fi film, The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053454/)though that one was not only much more cinematic, but much more thought provoking.

I love 80s sci fi, even B budget movies as long as they have something going on with them, there was nothing engaging in this one. The one cool thing about The Quiet Earth is the movie poster.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-21-17, 02:42 PM

Hi guys, i meant to watch these pictures in order of how Camo listed them on page 1 but i just can't get thru Manchester by the Sea. I mean I saw that but it is sooo depressing. I'm gonna try to watch something more cheerful for now like Three Musketeers or i'll see. Definitely this weekend i will watch another feature.

edarsenal

04-21-17, 03:57 PM

The Beatles? Damn, as much as i love them that would have been nuts and probably bad.

Is the 73 version generally thought of as the best? Just wondering as i said i don't think i've seen any other live action adaptations.

I'm not really sure if there is an official best of, though I have heard that 73's version and its sequel (The Four Musketeers which were all shot at once) is the closest to the Dumas' story.
As a kid I do remember how it was measured by 1948 Release with Gene Kelly, but then that is the course for remakes/retellings.

In regards to the comedy used, (this is purely a self-perception) that over the decades previously, there had been such a deluge of period, swashbuckling movies that there may have been that part of the cycle of appreciation that drifted toward viewing it in a more farcical light. Camo makes an excellent comparison to Monty Python.
Again, this is simply my own wild assumption; hell, it could be merely a marketing idea to bring in the crowds to the theater. The initial trailer did showcase both the pageantry AND the comedy when it came out.

edarsenal

04-21-17, 03:58 PM

I did wonder about that. I thought all little kids lie. I know I did.

they do. We ALL did. lol

Sarge

04-21-17, 08:22 PM

http://wrongreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ForbiddenGames.jpg

Forbidden Games (1952)

Yet another that I had never heard of or knew anything about before I watched it. I suspected it would be in French due to the poster being in French, but that was about it.

I have just finished watching this film and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings about it.
It was simple,complex, enchanting, weird, dark, funny, moving, happy, sad and so much more, in less than 90 minutes.
I am struggling to find what my over riding opinion is. The film has a real purity to it.
Whatever words I eventually get to, in order to sum up my thoughts on this film, they will be positive.

The film starts with a girl and her family trying to get out of Paris as it is under attack from the German bombers.

http://www.frontrowreviews.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/games_8.jpg
The two main characters in the film are children, Michel and Paulette.

What I particularly liked
The Characters - The characters were an absolute joy. The film is carried by the two main characters of Michel and Paulette. They are an absolute joy to behold. I found the relationship and dynamic between these two kids to be utterly charming. They are naive and don't fully realise how inappropriate some of their actions are, but they share a special friendship. Brigitte Fossey and Georges Poujouly who play the roles are excellent.

The story - Any good film rises and falls on the strength of it's story. This is a simple story with a great deal of complexity running through it. It is superbly told and from the first scene, I was transported into the story and it was almost tangible.

http://filmforum.org/do-not-enter-or-modify-or-erase/client-uploads/large/FORBID_UNDER-TEXT2050.jpg

What I didn't like
There is not a lot that I didn't like about this film at all. There were a couple of bits where I thought "That is not realistic", but unusually for me, I really didn't care about it. It was like they didn't matter as they were a side point anyway, that only existed to highlight the heart of the story.

http://i.imgur.com/NqBYRln.png

Summary
I have found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed and was affected by this film.
It has left me with many feelings and that is key for me, as I want films to make me feel.
I was genuinely sad when this film ended, as I had to leave the world that I had been enjoying for the previous 85 minutes or so.

I loved the experience of watching this film.

Thanks for nominating it Jeff

4

cricket

04-21-17, 09:04 PM

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

https://screengrabsaz.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/01-741.jpg

I'm glad this was nominated since it was already on my watchlist. I had high hopes with all the praise I've heard the over last few years. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

I liked how it was going for a while as it was great to get a look at the monk lifestyle. The old monk's manner of teaching was very interesting. It got even more interesting when the girl came into the picture. I hoped the love story versus the religious aspect would be a major part of the movie. It completely lost me upon the young monk's arrival back, as I actually thought it got silly in parts. Speaking of the young monk, he was a character I never liked or cared for. I did like the old monk, and I thought his last scene was the most powerful of the film. I thought they were father and son but I guess not?

As much as I loved the setting, I thought the look of the movie was surprisingly average. I expected beautiful cinematography and I honestly didn't see any. With the exception of the old monk, I didn't think there were any good performances. There's a lot of symbolism, but I didn't know what any of it meant without looking it up. I didn't think the movie was especially artistic or deep. The animal cruelty is certainly a turn off, although I'm not going to judge the movie based on that. There was enough I liked about the movie that kept me from disliking it, but that's about it.

2.5

Sarge

04-22-17, 02:20 PM

https://i.jeded.com/i/the-great-dictator.12778.jpg

The great dictator (1940)

I know that this film was one of my Grandfathers favourites and that my own Father also was also a fan.
I have never seen it before (apart from the speech) but realise that Charlie Chaplin is held in such high esteem by so many people. I cannot recall seeing much of his work before, whilst always being aware of it's status.

http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/cinema/1940/the-great-dictator/028-the-great-dictator-theredlist.jpg

I am so glad that this film was nominated and that I have now watched it.

What I appreciated
The Comedy - This film was funny in so many ways. It is however important to say at this point that I don't find anything about Hitler or the Nazi party funny at all, but this is more about the way that Chaplin set's about trying to undermine Hitler. The film was released in 1940 and Chaplin later said that if he had realised the full horrors of Hitler and the Nazis, he wouldn't have considered it funny, and that he wouldn't have made the film The slapstick, the dialogue and the situational comedy,was all very funny. It was subtle and times and blatant at others, sometimes it was simple and other times it was really quite intelligent. I really appreciated the humour within this film, it was really well done and was present throughout.

The message - This is a really ballsy film and had a huge impact in many ways upon it's release. Chaplin is openly mocking Hitler in this film, but it is worth acknowledging that when the film started filming in 1938, Hitler wasn't yet viewed by many as the ruthless, evil person that we now know him to be. Chaplin was onto him though and plenty of the things that the film focuses on indicate that Chaplin could already see what many more would come to know. The film was progressive and seems meant as a personal insult to Hitler himself. Chaplin didn't hold back and without giving too much away, the Character that Chaplin plays in this, is yet another act of insult and defiance towards Hitler.
In some countries the film was banned and even caused Chaplin issues within the United states, resulting in problems for him and many believe it contributed to his long exile.
I admire the blatant open, honest stand that Chaplin made with this film. And then there is THE speech... :up:

http://secure.traversecityfilmfest.org/images/user/tcff_2113/TCFF15%20Features/the_great_dictator_7.jpg

Summary
This is a powerful, funny film with great messages at it's core. Messages that run throughout the film, but also the sheer defiance in the making of the film and the courage of Chaplin to use his influence to openly insult the man and the regime that spread a message of hate and fear. I would recommend everyone to watch this film.

4

edarsenal

04-22-17, 06:27 PM

Truly enjoyed your review, Sarge! You really connected with the soul of the movie and what Chaplin was looking to do with it. BRAVO!

Sarge

04-22-17, 06:32 PM

Truly enjoyed your review, Sarge! You really connected with the soul of the movie and what Chaplin was looking to do with it. BRAVO!

Thanks. It really resonated with me and I was as impressed with the driving force behind the film as much as the film itself.

cricket

04-22-17, 07:34 PM

Dead Poet's Society

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6954197669_74b39e0257_b.jpg

I don't exactly remember when it was that I had previously seen this movie for the only time. It was somewhere between 20 and 25 years ago during my drinking days when I had different taste. I hardly remembered anything about the movie, except what I thought about it. I remember thinking it was ok but overrated. My opinion has changed.

I thought the movie started out well, but it got much better for me as the individual stories of a couple of the boys became more of a focus. This made the movie more personal for me, rather than the beginning when I had more of a nostalgic feeling. It's kind of dramatic how the movie shifts from feel good to upsetting, although I think there's plenty of merit to both halves. I don't think the movie is as profound as some of it's biggest supporters seem to think, but I do think there's still plenty of nobility and meaning to it's message.

I think Robin Williams was an amazing talent. I always found him to have a beautiful aura about him, and he was perfect for this role. Most of the boys also gave fantastic performances. The movie is beautifully filmed and has an appropriate musical score. It's a strong combination of good natured and tragic, and I think that's something that's hard to pull off. I didn't think it was quite brilliant, but I feel that it has this special quality about it that is hard to define. I'm very happy that I got the impetus to watch it again.

4

edarsenal

04-22-17, 07:38 PM

Thanks. It really resonated with me and I was as impressed with the driving force behind the film as much as the film itself.

been a fan of Chaplin since I was a tiny tot. Always loved the "magic" of performances and its actually been a while since I saw this.
If you're interested, there's 2 of his shorts in the Shorts HoF going on right now, should it have put you in the mood for a little more of him.

Regardless, very happy to hear how much you enjoyed it.

edarsenal

04-22-17, 07:41 PM

Wow, cricket, I honestly didn't think you'd enjoy Dead Poet's, what a very cool surprise!

cricket

04-22-17, 07:43 PM

Wow, cricket, I honestly didn't think you'd enjoy Dead Poet's, what a very cool surprise!

I wasn't sure either

CosmicRunaway

04-22-17, 08:16 PM

I've nearly finished my write-up for Wings of Desire. I'm warning you guys in advance: it is less of a review and more of a thematic dissection of the slower first half of the film.

Since that's the part of the film most people tend to struggle with, I think it deserves the most attention. It's spoiler-free as far as plot goes (though it's hard to spoil plot that doesn't happen), but since it is my personal interpretation of the film, you may want to watch it first if you're worried that reading it may influence your viewing.

Citizen Rules

04-22-17, 08:21 PM

...Spring, Summer should be doing much better than it is, you people are killing me here :(I had that one ready to watch, as I had got the DVD from my library a few days ago. But I thought it was odd that there was no English on the DVD cover, or on the movie's menu. I got the Korean language only, version, ha...no English subtitles. It figures!

But no worries Netflix/DVD.com has it.

Dani8

04-22-17, 08:22 PM

I'm really enjoying reading the reviews of movies I've seen, even if I'm not involved in this HOF. :up: I feel like I'm lurking so had to post something.

Dani8

04-22-17, 08:32 PM

If you want to post a review of anything you have seen i'll keep it in the second post so the members can read it like i did with JayDee's just so you know.

Oh that's cool. Thanks. I might wait until the end when everyone else has finished so I dont feel like I'm taking up as an interloper. I get a tad paranoid when I feel like I'm doing that, like when I blurted in on one of Gideon's list threads when I was a newby.

Sarge

04-22-17, 08:35 PM

Are you talking about the cold reading scene? That scene was absolutely perfect, surprisingly so for a film from the 40's. If you are skeptical (like me) then it seems ridiculous and impossible to pull off but if you're susceptible to that sort of thing that's pretty much how it always plays out. My full second paragraph was about how it works, here:

That's exactly the one. I have read your explanation and that helped a bit, but I am still not having it. If a cop came to arrest you, there is not much chance of using your Jedi mind tricks and then ushering him out of your work place without him just coming back. :D

Sarge

04-22-17, 08:39 PM

He didn't come to arrest him though. He came to shut down the carnival.

The point remains,

I just rolled my eyes throughout the scene.

:rolleyes:

Sorry.

CosmicRunaway

04-22-17, 08:42 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29950

Wings of Desire / Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)
Dir. Wim Wenders
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Solveig Dommartin

Many, including director Win Wenders, believed Berlin to be the cultural centre of Germany before the wars. Potsdamer Platz, situated in the middle of Berlin where so many roads intersected, was arguably the heart of the city. While the area has since been rebuilt, at the time of the film's shooting and release it was still a ruined husk that had become a no man's land between East and West Berlin. It was a harsh reminder to everyone in the city about the possibly irreparable damage Germany sustained during the war, and the history that will be forever lost with it, buried under layers of broken steel and dirt.

Instead of showing a fractured city, the opening aerial shots of Wings of Desire unifies Berlin once more. To the angels who have been watching over the city since it was nothing more than a field of grass, the current division is only temporary, as they remember Berlin the way it was, and can see how it will be rebuilt in the future. The first act of the film focuses purely on the city and its inhabitants, as they go about their daily lives remarking on whatever enters their heads. The film is as much about the city and those people as it is about life, and Damiel's yearning for the mortal experience. Most of this section of the film had very little planning, with shots even being improvised while filming. This gives the film an unfocused and seemingly pointless start, which can easily put audiences off. But the idea is not to think about plot, but rather to experience the city and human beings through the eyes of the angels that guard it, and their differing views on humanity.

Throughout the film, Damiel wishes to distance himself from his role as observer and to experience what it is like to be mortal. He has grown tired of seeing things through the eternal eye, and wants to feel the weight of a limited perception of time. The simple pleasures in life appeal greatly to him, which act as a lure to this other world that becomes irresistible when love is thrown into the picture. In contrast, his close friend Cassiel tends to be drawn to the more destructive aspects of mankind. He observes those in despair, those who have lost hope, and is intrigued by people like the old man Homer, who is searching for the lost Postsdamer Platz and is afraid that humanity will forget the devastation of war. In my opinion, it is in those scenes with the old man, and the archival footage of post-war Berlin that accompany his reflections, that the film is at it's most powerful.

There are some truly beautiful visuals throughout the entire film. Besides the iconic shots of Damiel watching from atop die Gedächtniskirche, and any of the scenes with the angels on the shoulder of the Siegessäule, simple images like the lone standing station wall in Potsdamer Platz, or the shots of graffiti covering the Berlin Wall can each tell their own stories. The problem is that you have to be willing to sit back and listen like Damiel, Cassiel, or one of the other angels, which is not going to appeal to every viewer. In fact, I'd argue that it's going to appeal to very few of them, and will likely struggle to hold the interest of many. The last act of the film does have a more typical story that is easier to follow and engage with, but by that time it's likely too late for the film to grab you if you weren't invested in the first part.

cricket

04-22-17, 08:44 PM

I had that one ready to watch, as I had got the DVD from my library a few days ago. But I thought it was odd that there was no English on the DVD cover, or on the movie's menu. I got the Korean language only, version, ha...no English subtitles. It figures!

But no worries Netflix/DVD.com has it.

It's on Dailymotion in 2 parts

edarsenal

04-22-17, 08:59 PM

Oh that's cool. Thanks. I might wait until the end when everyone else has finished so I dont feel like I'm taking up as an interloper. I get a tad paranoid when I feel like I'm doing that, like when I blurted in on one of Gideon's list threads when I was a newby.
Like Camo stated in invite, come on in, Dani, the water's fine :)
It's all about the discussion, so join right in.

edarsenal

04-22-17, 09:06 PM

Okay, caught up.

12/16 have posted at least one review. 7/16 have watched at least a quarter. 2/16, nearly 3/16 have watched at least half.

Sarge is the Rookie of the HOF, he's killing it keep it up :up:

Didn't want to say this in the thread but i'd hold off on The Intouchables for now, i PM'd Titu about him being in this HOF the other day and he hasn't responded despite me seeing him on at least twice since then. He's also in the Short HOF which has 20 films some over 30 minutes in length which is why i was concerned. Not saying he's out as i don't know yet just letting everyone know.

Also Spring, Summer should be doing much better than it is, you people are killing me here :(

Thanks for the update, Camo. BANG UP job on hosting, btw!!!

pity about Intouchables, I'm actually in the middle of it, so I'll hold off posting any review and simply go with whatever I end up with after that. THANKS again.

CosmicRunaway thoroughly enjoyed the insight for Wings of Desire. Just picked that up from the library and should be delving in, some time this week.

Dani8

04-22-17, 09:18 PM

CosmicRunaway

04-22-17, 09:34 PM

@CosmicRunaway (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=90868) thoroughly enjoyed the insight for Wings of Desire. Just picked that up from the library and should be delving in, some time this week.
Glad you liked what I wrote! I thought it might have been an odd departure from how I normally write about HoF films, but come to think of it, my post about Murderers Among Us was pretty similar.

After spending years writing about German history and culture, it's hard not to mention those things when it comes to German film. But for certain films, I think it does help to have some knowledge going in, because they can otherwise be difficult to unpack. This is especially true if a scene relies on facts that foreign audiences may not be familiar with (for example, the significance of Potsdamer Platz in Wings of Desire).

Maybe in the future I should just pick easier, more approachable films. :lol:

(Or maybe you guys will become so familiar with German cinema through my nominations that they'll become more familiar and palpable. :cool:)

edarsenal

04-22-17, 09:40 PM

Glad you liked what I wrote! I thought it might have been an odd departure from how I normally write about HoF films, but come to think of it, my post about Murderers Among Us was pretty similar.

After spending years writing about German history and culture, it's hard not to mention those things when it comes to German film. But for certain films, I think it does help to have some knowledge going in, because they can otherwise be difficult to unpack. This is especially true if a scene relies on facts that foreign audiences may not be familiar with (for example, the significance of Potsdamer Platz in Wings of Desire).

Maybe in the future I should just pick easier, more approachable films. :lol:

(Or maybe you guys will become so familiar with German cinema through my nominations that they'll become more familiar and palpable. :cool:)

yeah, it'll probably be more the latter than the former lol

edarsenal

04-22-17, 09:44 PM

I'm not saying it's out. If you're in the middle of The Intouchables you may as well finish it and post your review, i'm not gonna take out your guys reviews in the second post even if the film is out. Maybe Titu is doing what Vamp usually does and is waiting to post about a bunch of them i dunno, i dunno coz he's not answered my PM. I wouldn't have brought it up if i hadn't saw him online a few times after i sent him that PM. I know a few like to leave the movies nominated by people who may not finish to last so i thought i should say.
Works for me, thanks -- AGAIN
you know me, more than happy to go with the flow ;)

edarsenal

04-22-17, 09:56 PM

OK. Thanks ed. Just up at the shops having a coffee but back soon.

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder133/59289133.jpg

Miss Vicky

04-23-17, 01:31 AM

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

Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits) (René Clément, 1952)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043686/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 04/22/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 13th HOF, Jeff Costello's Nomination
Rewatch: No.

When the nominations for the 13th Hall of Fame were announced, this was the movie I was most looking forward to. I had seen Clement's Plein Soleil for a previous HOF and had really enjoyed it. So I had hoped to have a similar experience with this. Sadly, that was not to be.

I thought the children - particularly Brigitte Fossey as Paulette - gave really excellent performances, but I found pretty much everything else about the movie to be rather underwhelming. The other performances just felt very flat and the characters were irritating (though, of course, I realize I'm not meant to like them). There was also nothing in the set design or cinematography that stood out as anything special either.

I also was very much bothered by some of the scenes involving the dog, particularly those in which the dog is shown laying limply while kicking its rear legs. I can only hope that this was the result of some sort of sedative, but I could not find any information on how it was accomplished. Some of the other scenes featured an obviously fake, stuffed dog but still others appeared to use an actual dead dog that was, in turns, very stiff or very limp. I found it both worrying and distracting.

But I think even without those bothersome scenes I would've found this film to be mostly a disappointment and I was rather bored with it overall.

2.5

Sarge

04-23-17, 05:12 AM

The point doesn't remain if he didn't come to arrest him. He came across someone who had presumably recently had a personal tragedy and was susceptible to that sort of thing, if he was going to arrest him then i'd agree but he didn't which gave him time to attempt it on him thanks to the aforementioned circumstances it worked. There was nothing at all wrong with that scene, it was actually scarily accurate if you know how these "psychic" charlatans operate even today.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I am sure that it is similar to how such people operate today but I am not convinced that he would get as much right straight away. There are not too many 'misses' that you speak of. "For your daughter" not a huge leap granted as a lot of people will have daughters. "You have a pocket piece" again not such a huge leap as many people of the mans age would. "You really value that piece but you don't know why" Hmmm, How many people place sentimental value on something and don't know why? If he had replied "I know exactly why, my daughter bought me it for my birthday" or "My father gave it to me" and then shut the whole carnival down I would have believed it more.
This is the first time Stanton was trying this, and to get so many things right without contest in a row is unlikely at best.

I understand the power of suggestion, and some of the techniques the 'psychics' use, and your explanation has given me a bit of balance to the scene, but ultimately I didn't like the scene and thought it was far fetched. Am sorry if you don't agree, but as I said we will have to agree to disagree.

cricket

04-23-17, 07:50 AM

Nestorio_Miklos

04-23-17, 09:12 AM

Manchester by the Sea
-there might be some spoilers below-

So I'm observing this guy Lee who barely smiles. He seems to patiently keep up to his daily routine. He works as a janitor and he looks he could do more but he's not able to structure his future. He's quite awkward in socializing with people not understanding the signals people pass onto him or not wanting to understand them. He apparently wants to be left alone that was clearly stated in the bar scene, a girl purposely spilling beer over him. Also his patience has its limits which was revealed in beating a crap of the random dudes in bar nicely supplemented by Ray Charles' Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'. Lee was obviously repressing all that anger and non-ability to move forward. He was simply in a deep depression not looking for a professional help. Here I must say, this was amazing performance by Casey Affleck, perfectly expressing the emotions. He truly makes me believe the character's state of mind. Affleck was so convincing and it was very overwhelming I felt it in my heart.

His depression is perfectly shown in contrast between the flashbacks and present. The difference in the way he talks, jokes, laughs, moves when he's happy back then with his family. I see this contrast as a very important part of the film. I mean all happy, let's say in the boat scene with Patty and then cut, to the depressed emotionless face and chorale score. It was great cinema and I felt like taking shower alternating from boiling hot to ice cold. Pure happiness with his family and pure depression without his family.

Then the reason of depression is revealed and the flashbacks and the story suddenly merge into this tremendous depression and sadness. No more cuts from happy to depressed, only depressed. This was the very moment when the film got very difficult for me to watch.
http://i.imgur.com/OnKL1Sx.jpg
Then the uncle-nephew relationship is slowly developing and it was really hard for both of them. Both not able to cope with the death of Joe, not able to fully express their grief. They are both just really angry and not able to open up. Many times Lee stipulates he doesn't want to talk about certain things and I can understand that as many times we don't even want to hear about difficult matters and much harder to speak of them. Relationship is getting better and they are able to get along and finally laugh and be happy, again nicely and conveniently supplemented by Ella Fitzgerald's I'm Beginning To See The Light.

Beautiful scene of forgiveness between Lee and Randy. She still loves him but Lee is empty and being close around the people and the places that remind him of the tragedy his anger and depression comes back. He cannot beat it up. He's again depressed. Moving back to Boston again. But there is a light of hope because he now wants a bigger apartment for Patty's visits and for his shite. So here I believe in a good hidden ending.

I loved the film because everything was there, great and strong story, amazing performance, cinematography, score, simply great however this is for me one time movie and I don't believe I will revisit. Great nom Raul!

Citizen Rules

04-23-17, 03:40 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29978&stc=1&d=1492973420
Nightmare Alley (1947)

*Spoilers*

I'm glad I nominated this, as it's an underseen film that deals with a very unique subject. I could see this being a difficult film for some to get into, as much of what happens is subtle and not readily shown on the screen. Modern movie making in some ways has spoiled us, as we've learned to be 'clued in' by the visual and aurally content of modern movies.

Nightmare Alley certainly has more going on than meets the eye, reading between the lines helps.

Stanton (Tyrone Power) literately commands the film with his presences. Stan, could have been portrayed as some two dimensional bad guy and if that had been the case the film wouldn't be all that special.

But Stan is very human, very three dimensional. Like us, Stan has self doubts and carries baggage from his past that makes his journey all the harder for him. And like us, Stan has potential, that potential is the power of belief in himself, which then causes others to believe in him... and their utter belief makes his words true to them. And that's what the film is about, the power of belief...and self confidence.

Stan is not really motivated by the need for fame or money or even power....even though that's what he aims for and what we are shown...but what he's really seeking is the need to be believed in by others. And that's something most of us can relate to.

It's only when he runs up against a cold hearted, greedy woman psychologist Lilith (Helen Walker),that he begins to question that belief in himself.

"It takes one to catch one"...that's his line to Lilith. He recognizes what she is, but still is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. It's not love or even sex that he's after, it's her knowledge of the human mind.

Stan's utter belief in himself makes him literally invincible...not even Zeena's (Joan Blondell) Tarot cards can break his self confidence....But Lilith can!...and does with her reverse quilt trip that she lays on him, during his one moment of self doubt. She finds the center within him, his Achilles heel, and lays the groundwork to destroy his ego, via Stan's guilt over the accidental poisoning of Pete.

That's when Stan falters, that's when he stops believing in himself. That lack of belief leads him to the bottle and ultimately to the literally bottom of his world.

I call that a powerful film.

Dani8

04-23-17, 03:51 PM

Captain Fantastic

http://images.fandango.com/r103.4/ImageRenderer/1040/650/redesign/areas/movie/moviesubpages/img/noimage_900x900.jpg/190420/images/masterrepository/fandango/190420/captainfantasticfeaturephoto.jpg

I didn't know anything about this going in except that it was highly acclaimed and starred Viggo Mortensen. I figured from the poster that it was a bit quirky.

I thought the movie started out fine, yet I had the concern that it would become a snoozefest if the whole thing was about the family living in the woods. After an effective emotional scene, I was very happy to see the family head out onto the road. From there, it becomes what is essentially a fish out of water story while we watch the family interact with outsiders from the real world, and vice versa. This is the most simple and cliched part of the movie, yet it's when we get the most humor, and it's the part I enjoyed the most. It wraps up nicely as the father seems to have a bit of an awakening.

In general, I can't stand people like the father. As soon as I hear the term "home schooled", my freak radar goes bananas. The dad was nothing more than a tree hugging, freeloading, beatnik fool. Stick it to the man, oh ok, that's usually a clear indication of a person who contributes nothing to society. Beyond that, he seemed to be a good person, and Mortensen has enough charisma to make the character likable enough. I think the father-in-law called him misguided at one point, and I think that was the perfect word to describe him. He had really good kids, and I thought all the young actors were terrific with the exception of the one young boy who went against his father. It was how good the kids were that made me believe the movie was part fantasy, but that's ok. I'm not sure if the movie meant to show their lifestyle as admirable and desirable, if the message at the end was that it's not the way to go, or if there was no message at all. Either way, I thought the movie was well done in every regard and I fully enjoyed it.

3.5

Great review. I think the end could have gone either wy - whether real or fantasy. I've watched it from both standpoints and prefer to think that

the kids escaping, stealing the body and burning her were fantasy, but then the very end I think the grandfather returned the kids to him because he woke up to the fact he had to integrate them back onto the grid somewhat. They still had somewhat of a hippy lifestyle but he had to bring them up to be functioning members of society. The eldest kid who goes to Namibia was given the money by the grandfather, and boy oh boy did I love the acting from Langella. I went from thinking he was loathsome to totally empathising with him.

It just worked better for me that way.

One of my faves of the year. I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would, and thought all the acting was outstanding.

I love how outraged some viewers were at the nudist scene. Holy hell it;s a blink and you miss it shot but OMG full frontal nudity; wont you think of the children ...and old people.

Dani8

04-23-17, 03:56 PM

I loved the film because everything was there, great and strong story, amazing performance, cinematography, score, simply great however this is for me one time movie and I don't believe I will revisit. Great nom Raul![/CENTER]

At the time of viewing I didnt know if I liked this or not. Same as you, I thought it was a really well made and acted movie but it was just too sad for me, especially the reveal, and the appalling women who were hitting on him. I didnt understand his temper outbursts but I like your explanation, Nesto, and that makes sense to me. This movie just gets better and better for me in retrospect. It really stayed with me, and I feel the ending was uplifting rather than depressing. He really deserved that oscar and I'm happy I finally nudged myself to watch it. I will see this again but need some space for a bit.

cricket

04-23-17, 05:31 PM

I love how outraged some viewers were at the nudist scene. Holy hell it;s a blink and you miss it shot but OMG full frontal nudity; wont you think of the children ...and old people.

I actually thought Viggo's nude scene was hilarious, but I did not like the child's nude scenes, even if they were from behind and not done in a distasteful manner.

Dani8

04-23-17, 05:35 PM

I actually thought Viggo's nude scene was hilarious, but I did not like the child's nude scenes, even if they were from behind and not done in a distasteful manner.

I thought so as well. Just the look on his face as the oldies walked by trying not to gawk.

I'm with you on the nude kid as well. The way it was shot was fine but yeah no, I'm very conscious of not photographing nude kids these days when I travel. It's just become a social taboo because of a certain element around the world..

cricket

04-23-17, 05:39 PM

I'm very conscious of not photographing nude kids these days when I travel.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/sauYjWmJJ18xW/200w.gif

Dani8

04-23-17, 05:41 PM

https://media0.giphy.com/media/sauYjWmJJ18xW/200w.gif

You know, when you see little kids having fun jumping in the river nude. Not sure what else I might have implied. I see people photographing them and I dont think it's acceptable. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Swan

04-23-17, 05:56 PM

There was a time... when clothes had not been invented yet.

Just think.

Naked people everywhere.

cricket

04-23-17, 05:59 PM

You know, when you see little kids having fun jumping in the river nude. Not sure what else I might have implied. I see people photographing them and I dont think it's acceptable. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't think I've seen anything like that for a long time.

MovieMeditation

04-23-17, 06:32 PM

I mean, I'm from Europe. Here we don't care who or what is naked, basically.

It's kinda just like,
http://www.okmoviequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/101-Reservoir-Dogs-quotes.gif

Walking on the street like...
http://www.okmoviequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/101-Reservoir-Dogs-quotes.gif

Buying groceries like,
http://www.okmoviequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/101-Reservoir-Dogs-quotes.gif

It's just like ALL OVER!

and I love it...

Dani8

04-23-17, 06:39 PM

Adults, especially men, cant even photograph clothed kids here without someone screaming. It's just the climate these days. Still, I had no problem with Viggo being in the buff. He does it frequently, and has a rocking physique for a man his age. It's just a body. I just thought the reaction from the oldies and him staring at them without a care in the world as they walked by was really funny.

CosmicRunaway

04-23-17, 06:41 PM

Earlier this evening my room mate stops as he walks by to look over my shoulder at what I'm watching, as he so often does.

Roomie: Which version of The Three Musketeers is that?
Me: The 1973 one with Oliver Reed.
Roomie: Okay, I was just checking to make sure it wasn't the Paul W.S. Anderson one.
Me: ...does this seriously look like it was made in like...2012, or whatever year that came out in?
Roomie: Well, Paul W.S. Anderson does make some terrible* looking movies.
*-that's not the word he used

After finishing the film, I decide to look up the other version in question to see what year it did come out (it was 2011, so I wasn't far off). My room mate coincidentally is walking by again.

Me: I made the mistake of looking up the Paul W.S. Anderson Musketeers film. Both Christoph Waltz and Mads Mikkelsen are in it!
Roomie: No! Nooooo.
Me: Don't worry, I'm not going to watch it.
Roomie: Yes, you will.
Me: :suspicious:

And that's my review for The Three Musketeers (1973). Hope it helps! :cool:

(I will post something for real, though maybe not tonight.)

SilentVamp

04-23-17, 07:57 PM

Manchester By the Sea

I had a few days to think about this one. I almost wasn’t going to write anything right now, but I said I would, and so I am. My reason for wanting to hold off is because I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to say, and I wanted to say the right thing.

As I have previously said before in this thread, I was going to watch this, anyway. It was just convenient that it was nominated in this HoF while I was expecting it from the library. I very rarely go to the movie theater anymore. This has been the way of things for the past 10 years or so. And if I do go, it has to be for a film that I think would be best seen on the big screen, or it is to see something at the budget theater. I am finding it harder and harder to spend that kind of money on a movie ticket (the prices are absurd). A few years ago it suddenly hit me that I should just borrow the movies from the library for FREE rather than pay the price of a ticket. And as tempting as it might be, I don’t even bother to see the big films that get nominated for Best Picture like I used to. I just wait until all is said and done, borrow them from the library and then complain to everyone I know if I feel that the Academy got it wrong.

Now, I don’t know, as of yet (I still have a few more that I am waiting to see), if the Academy actually did, in fact, get it wrong by not giving the Oscar to this film for Best Picture, but I think it deserved it SO MUCH MORE than Moonlight. I watch something like Manchester By the Sea, and then I wonder if there was something else behind the Academy ignoring a film like this and giving their top prize to something like that. It confuses me.

Anyway, I am always glad to see that Matthew Broderick has a job. :) Even if it was a small, nothing special sort of role.

Truthfully, I wasn’t 100% sure where this film was going to go. I wasn’t even sure if we were ever going to find out – even with the flashbacks that we’d already seen – what the backstory was to Lee. That was OK. I was alright with the way he was, actually. I just figured he was an unhappy man. It never dawned on me that there was going to be such a situation that would let us know the root of his unhappiness. And what a situation it was! I have been finding myself yelling, or just speaking very loudly, with my reaction to what I am seeing on the screen in front of me lately. And the reaction that THAT scene got was probably my most vocal. It was a pretty upsetting scene for me to watch.

Is it a depressing story for me? No. Lee is a depressed man, but I didn’t really find it to be depressing. It definitely wasn’t uplifting. It was just, I guess, what I would call real. And, unfortunately, sometimes real life is incredibly somber, which may come across as being depressing. The worst part was the situation I was talking about in the above paragraph. Other than that, nothing bothered me much in this film.

I didn’t care for his nephew, though. I understood his behavior in the morgue, and when he had his “breakdown”, but other than that, I kind of just wanted to slap him so hard across his face. I just really wanted to give him a good whack. And, to be honest, I was tired of his girlfriend situation. I really had no interest in that aspect of the story. Now, I am not saying the actor wasn’t good. He was really good at playing this punk, but I really disliked the character itself.

As for the girlfriends, I also wanted to slap one of them, too. That was just ridiculous that she said it was an inappropriate time to talk about Star Trek, but it wasn’t inappropriate to spend the night? I just don’t get it (which, by the way, I wouldn’t have allowed – at least not that first night for sure).

I have an immense dislike (maybe even borderline hatred) for Michelle Williams. I just don’t like the sight of her. I don’t get her. I don’t understand why she is ever given any roles. But she is and then I am allowed to complain about her. :) I don’t think her performance was worthy of any acknowledgement. Why? Because of that scene with her and Casey Affleck? :rolleyes: Just the idea that she said all of that to him irritated me. I know why she did, but come on! Just leave the guy alone. And you know what?
I kind of blame her a little for the death of the children, too. Sure, with what he and his friends were doing beforehand, and what he did after they left, which created the fire, could look very bad for him in that situation, I kind of blame her a little, too. I wouldn’t have done what she did. I wouldn’t have told them to go home like that. Maybe to be quiet. And if they started being loud again, I would’ve spoken to him privately to get rid of them. But I wouldn’t have done what she did. And if they weren’t made to leave like that, he never would’ve done anything he did that eventually led to the fire. Maybe I shouldn’t blame her. Maybe it is just my utter dislike for Michelle Williams that makes me feel this way, but I can’t help it.
Also, what is it with her bringing her new husband to the funeral? I wouldn’t say if Lee had kept up with her and he somehow knew the man. Otherwise, I found that to be completely inappropriate, too.
Like I said, maybe I just dislike Michelle Williams so much that it is affecting my feelings towards her character. Who knows?

Anyway, despite some minor issues, I really liked this film. To be completely honest, the person who made the entire film for me, the only one that I honestly cared about from the very beginning, was Casey Affleck. And I mean from the VERY beginning. Even though he was quiet, kept to himself and could easily hit a guy in a bar without a second thought, I liked him. And as the film went on, I felt sorry for him. Casey Affleck did a fantastic job. He completely deserved an Oscar for his performance. Thus far, from what I have seen, he was the most deserving. And I highly doubt anyone else is going to come close to his performance. He is just another one of those actors that I think deserves more credit for his acting talent than he receives. I have been wanting him to get an Oscar since The Assassination of Jesse James (I could go on that rant but I don’t feel like receiving any sort of backlash from the No Country for Old Men lovers :D). This movie was all his in my opinion. His story, his character and his performance. And I was very satisfied by the entire film (with the exception of Michelle Williams :)).

As for the ending
I like to think that he and his nephew will end up together in some sort of way. I don’t think there was a definite ending to that part, and I think one could safely assume that at some point in time he will end up with his uncle. I do understand Lee’s feelings towards having that responsibility thrust upon him when I consider what happened to him before. But I think by the end he started to change a little and I think he and the boy will be together. At least that is what I want to happen. :) And I think, by the end, that is what his nephew wanted, too.

So I thought this was an excellent film and a very good nomination.

4.5

By the way, I am thinking Casey is looking less like Ben, but he is starting to sound more like him. Just a silly observation of mine that I wanted to mention. :)

CosmicRunaway

04-24-17, 04:10 AM

Like I said, maybe I just dislike Michelle Williams so much that it is affecting my feelings towards her character. Who knows?
I didn't like her character at all, and I have no feelings one way or the other for the actress, so it might not just be because of how much you dislike her.

I don't think I mentioned it in my write-up, but I really didn't like that apology scene with Williams and Affleck that most people seem to love. I didn't like her, and didn't think that it was appropriate for her to corner him on the street like that, so her performance meant nothing to me and had no impact whatsoever.

Though it's possible that I'm just heartless instead haha.

ScarletLion

04-24-17, 05:04 AM

I didn't like her character at all, and I have no feelings one way or the other for the actress, so it might not just be because of how much you dislike her.

I don't think I mentioned it in my write-up, but I really didn't like that apology scene with Williams and Affleck that most people seem to love. I didn't like her, and didn't think that it was appropriate for her to corner him on the street like that, so her performance meant nothing to me and had no impact whatsoever.

Though it's possible that I'm just heartless instead haha.

They are in love. But they can't be together because it's too painful. It's an incredible scene. Michelle Williams is an incredible actress.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-24-17, 01:16 PM

What part of Manchester By The Sea did you get to out of interest? Personally, i find it sombre throughout for the most part but there's only two or three parts i found actually depressing. As much as i loved it i didn't get as much of a this film is difficult to watch because it is so sad feeling, i'll happily rewatch it soon. I dunno, starting to feel like my experience with this film was way different than everyone else as it's not even something that would come to mind as a sad film. The first half an hour of Margaret and scattered parts after are much more devastating to me and sounds similar to everyone elses experience with Manchester.
It was just very difficult for me to watch after one hour when the tragedy with kids was revealed. The movie is great but this is kind of movie I simply avoid to see again.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-24-17, 01:43 PM

Manchester By the Sea

I have an immense dislike (maybe even borderline hatred) for Michelle Williams. I just don’t like the sight of her. I don’t get her. I don’t understand why she is ever given any roles. But she is and then I am allowed to complain about her. :) I don’t think her performance was worthy of any acknowledgement. Why? Because of that scene with her and Casey Affleck? :rolleyes: Just the idea that she said all of that to him irritated me. I know why she did, but come on! Just leave the guy alone.
Very nice review Silent! I wonder who would you cast to Randy Chandler character? I think Williams is the right choice for this character because audience supposed to direct all their sympathy towards Lee. And I think she did just that :D

CosmicRunaway

04-24-17, 05:39 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=29999

The Three Musketeers (1973)
Dir. Richard Lester
Starring: Michael York, Oliver Reed, Charlton Heston

Upon rewatching this film, I didn't find it quite as charming as I did previously, and I think I might actually like the Disney film quite a bit more now. The Three Musketeers (1973) takes itself a little too seriously sometimes, which puts it at odds with the comedic elements of the film and leads to a strange overall tone. At least with the 1993 version, if you're not laughing with the film, you're at least laughing at it. Michael York is a significantly better d'Artagnan than Chris O'Donnell could ever dream to be though, and the all-star cast of the 1973 film are excellent, and very entertaining to watch.

For me, the most disappointing aspect of the film was that the action sequences are much clumsier than I remembered. None of the fight scenes are particularly graceful, and they don't flow the way I expected them to. The choreography makes the musketeers seem partly inept, as though they're just fumbling their way through every encounter. Perhaps that's supposed to be the joke, and I just never picked up on it? It does certainly make the fight scenes appear more realistic and like the characters were improvising, though that's not the kind of fighting I want to see in this type of film.

I think The Three Musketeers is much more successful with its comedy. The tavern scene where the group attempts to get a free meal is still just as fun as I thought it was before, as are the interactions between the main characters. I also particularly like the running joke that everyone is incredibly bad at jumping down onto someone who is passing below. But the best part of the film were the costumes and sets. They were all incredibly well done, and very pleasing to the eye.

The creative visual style and the superb acting really hold this film up despite the flaws. Was the film as good as I remembered it being? No, but it's still fairly entertaining and definitely worth watching. I know I said that I enjoy the 1993 film more, but that is based purely on entertainment purposes, and this is by far the superior film. I actually haven't seen either of the sequels, and am particularly interested in seeing The Four Musketeers sometime in the near future.

Camo

04-24-17, 06:40 PM

The Great Dictator

https://s4.postimg.org/4i64kic2l/dictatorrrr.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/57owwvcm1/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/)

This was my third Chaplin Feature (City Lights and The Kid) and i've also seen one of his Shorts (A Dog's Life), it was my first sound film of his. I've heard Chaplin speak before but only in interviews where he looks unrecognizable to his usual look in films so it was pretty jarring hearing him talk here. Half expected him to have a horribly grating squeaky voice like whatever the characters name was in Singin' In The Rain haha. Nah, he sounded like a normal dude, pretty quiet and soft spoken but that was clearly a character thing. So many things about Chaplin being in the war at the start were wrong that even not including any of the jokes that scene was hilarious. I mean he's clearly English from his voice no attempt at an accent while all of the others have American accents (other than Schultz), he's what 4foot2, Charlie was in his 50's at the time and the makeup doesn't do a great job of covering this up so it's so odd seeing him as a low down 50 year old soldier; not impossible of course especially during a World War but it is weird and lastly his usual Hitler Tache that Hitler obviously ruined for him haha, again i know it was set in WW1 and plenty would have had this type of facial hair but it was so weird to see. Then couple that with his hopelessness and that whole opening scene was really funny to me even outside the more blatant jokes, i also laughed at the missile scene where it follows him around before it goes off and him swirling around on the machine gun turret or whatever it was , this scene really got me in the mood.

Don't have a problem with Chaplin playing both the barber and the dictator obviously the film wouldn't be the same without that but i would have preferred the barber character to have been clean shaven, just how Chaplin looked in real life or whatever as long as he was a bit different, with only their clothes being diifferent it took me out of the film a bit. I understand it's an iconic look but it still would have been on display if only one character looked like that and him changing his appearance would have been perfect here since it was his transition into sound films. Of course this was done so he could impersonate Hynckel later and i knew that was going to happen as soon as i saw both of them but that makes it even more jarring for me since no one (unless i'm forgetting, i'm not right?) acknowledged their similarities before this. He could have even been the same without the moustache and it would have annoyed me less, then all he'd need was a fake moustache which would have taken 30 seconds to fit in. This is not really a problem of the films as it had a logical purpose but it did bother me somewhat. I liked the barber, he was basically just the tramp to me. After finishing this i looked up the wiki page for Paulette Goddards name and i saw a part of the article devoted to the debate on whether the barber and the tramp where the same. I really dunno i'm probably wrong but that's how i thought of him throughout the film, he was similar anyway. Think jokewise i probably preferred the dictator, only because a few of the barbers didn't work; the coin in the cake one for instance that went on too long and wasn't really funny to begin with for instance. He had good chemistry with Goddard, i'm happy that didn't really turn into a romance as i thought it was headed in that direction and as i noted earlier Chaplin looked really old here so it wouldn't have felt right. His speech at the end was outstanding it really opened my eyes even more to Chaplin's qualities as a dramatic actor and writer if he wrote the speech. I've always been impressed with Chaplin as a dramatic actor but it's always been variations on the down on the luck tramp finds happiness theme so it was good to see something different. I spoke to my mum about that and she said the part where he addresses Hannah made her cry haha. Well it didn't make me cry but it was a powerful scene.

I think seeing so many parodies of Hitler over the years Hynkel's speeches or the other times he ranted and raved didn't work as well as they could have for me, there was at least one funny part in each though i really can't point any of them out as they are difficult to describe i'm sure people will know what ones though; just about anytime he deviated from straightforward serious impression basically, and alot of his silly facial expressions. It was a really well done comedic performance on Chaplin's part i just think it will be ruined for anyone at least a little now because we've all most likely seen multiple both good and bad Hitler impressions. Outside of the speeches when he wasn't shouting in what i'm guessing was gibberish that sounded vaguely similar to German he was excellent though. It was really ripe for parody and mocking as dictators of course control the information and image they project to the world which is often mighty, strong, brave, etc; so a look behind the scenes during the powerful dictators goofy moments was very well done.

Humour-wise it was really no different to any other Chaplin film for me, some miss some hit, there's always at least a few big hits that i find hilarious as well as a few jokes i find overly silly. One extremely random throwaway joke that completely cracked me up was when Hynckel had been pacing about doing various things then he walked into some room and stood posing for a portrait and sculpture for about 5 seconds before he had to leave. It was how out of the blue it was and after he left the painter threw his brush away and the sculpter started pulling his hair out implying that they've been standing in that room for a very long time waiting to make the slightest bit of progress :laugh:. Quite a few throwaway jokes like that worked for me, in the same scene actually where Hynckel is walking across the corridor and he clumsily almost trips up. Another standard tramp (barber) clumsily hurts himself gag that worked was after he tossed the stormtrooper who was going to attack Hannah out the stormtrooper turns to look at him and the barber has this stern face after acting all brave he then goes to lean on something and falls haha. It was his failure to not look silly after a brave moment that made that joke. Anyway no point in going through every joke i found funny. Good film, i still prefer City Lights but i may have this above The Kid not sure. I've not mentioned any of the films commentary because if i'm honest i can't think of anything to say that isn't really obvious, needless to say i find it very impressive that this was made one year into the war; before America entered the war even, i think as well as being funny and entertaining it is an important film especially for its time. Thanks for nominating Vamp.

Wings of Desire next for me.

CosmicRunaway

04-24-17, 06:50 PM

Outside of the speeches when he wasn't shouting in what i'm guessing was gibberish that sounded vaguely similar to German he was excellent though.
It was indeed gibberish, with the occasional real but irrelevant words thrown in, as well as a few nonsense (yet plausible) German-sounding words that are mostly English. It's pretty hilarious.

cricket

04-24-17, 08:40 PM

I've got Dancing with Wolves coming from Netflix for Saturday, and I'll probably rewatch Forbidden Games during the week. I think I might have Intouchables coming for the weekend as well. I know we haven't heard from tutu but I want to see it anyway.

Miss Vicky

04-25-17, 04:15 AM

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

The Hunt (Jagten) (Thomas Vinterberg, 2012)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106476/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 04/24/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 13th HOF, Neiba's Nomination
Rewatch: No.

This is the tenth nominated film - out of fifteen, not including my own - that I have watched for this Hall of Fame. While there were some nominated films that I respected, I was really starting to lose hope that I would find at least one that I genuinely enjoyed.

It finally happened. Like the other Vinterberg film I've seen - Festen, which I also watched for a HOF - Jagten tells a story that deals with deeply disturbing and damaging accusations and it is brought to heartwrenching life through stellar performances and very unsettling scenes. But where Festen examined the long lasting damage caused when those accusations are true, Jagten takes the opposite approach - showcasing the destruction that results from false accusations.

Ultimately, I found this film to be both challenging and frustrating - but in a very good way. It was very frustrating to know the truth behind the lies and to have to watch as a man's life was ruined. And yet I had to ask myself how I would react if such accusations were made against someone I knew. Who would I believe? If that person was shown to be innocent, would I still have doubt? And all I can say is I don't know. But I love that this film had me asking these questions. I love that it did more than just entertain, it really made me think. Still, having seen it only once I won't call it a favorite and I'm hesitant to rate it any higher than this but it will take something extraordinary for Jagten to not take second place on my HOF ballot.

4+

ScarletLion

04-25-17, 05:24 AM

'Nightmare Alley' (1947)

https://crackedrearviewer.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/nightmare2.jpg

This was probably quite a strange film to make and watch in the late 1940s. I wonder how it was received by audiences? I enjoyed the performances, especially of Tyrone Power as the lead and Helen Walker as the psychiatrist.

I think it has 2 flaws, namely that some scenes had dialogue that felt too long and stretched out (the scene when Stanton convinces the policeman to leave the carnival etc) and also it's a little predictable. You can sense that there is a long game at play and that the two new lovers are going to end up just like the 2 old lovers.

But other than that i enjoyed it. The film had a haunting, cautionary tale vibe about it and the carnival scenes evoked memories of "freaks" albeit not as shocking. The set design and use of lighting was also a joy to watch. One scene which featured a fountain will stick in the memory for a while,

Recommended 7.5/10

Jeff Costello

04-25-17, 09:35 AM

Updated the second post.

I think you accidentally misplaced Cosmic's review of "Wings of Desire" under my column.

MovieMeditation

04-25-17, 12:50 PM

So glad you liked Jagten, Miss Vicky! Back when I nominated Festen I also considered Jagten, but since the other was more low budget, overseen and really different with all the dogme stuff and all, I went with that because it felt right...

So I'm glad to see Jagten get nominated in a HoF as well - and not by myself. :p

Miss Vicky

04-25-17, 12:52 PM

I'm glad to see Jagten get nominated in a HoF as well - and not by myself. :p

Both movies are excellent. I'm really glad they were nominated. I don't think I would've watched them otherwise.

rauldc14

04-25-17, 01:05 PM

Hopefully I can get back to it soon. I'm back from Vegas now.

Swan

04-25-17, 01:05 PM

How many times have you been to Vegas now, raul?

Dani8

04-25-17, 01:38 PM

And yet I had to ask myself how I would react if such accusations were made against someone I knew. Who would I believe? If that person was shown to be innocent, would I still have doubt? And all I can say is I don't know.

I just had a shocking realisation about why this film traumatised me so much. This exact incident happened to someone I know very well and I have never doubted him or his wife. Watching his life and career get destroyed by the way his organisation dealt with it was one of the worst things I've ever seen happen to a friend. I'm amazed I forgot that.

OK now I have to watch MM's nomination. Very uncomfortable topic so I have to ask if that's a difficult watch.

rauldc14

04-25-17, 01:52 PM

How many times have you been to Vegas now, raul?

I believe that was my 8th time. 9th time coming up in August.

Sarge

04-25-17, 01:54 PM

Been a bit busy over the last couple of days. Started 'Wings of desire' today but only 15 mins in. Will get it finished tonight or tomorrow.

Citizen Rules

04-25-17, 02:35 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=30014&stc=1&d=1493141901
The Three Musketeers (Richard Lester, 1973)

Great fun! I'm glad this was nominated. It's easy to go with a really heavy drama, as they often get the best response in an Hof....But seeing how it's all about the movies we love and want to share with others, I'm glad Ed shared this with us.

I had seen this before, but it was a real treat to watch it again. This time around I noticed how much meticulous attention went into the sets. There were so many neat set pieces that were used, and they really added a lot to the specialness of the movie. Just a few of the neat things were:

The detailed laundry scene with the big dyeing vat. I've never seen that done in a period piece movie before...And you know a big castle or manor would need a crew of launders to do the laundry. It was a neat looking set too.

So was the waterwheel, especially the pond and rocks in the background, very cool to see. And how about the 'magic lantern' that the Cardinal used to project drawings onto the wall. Loved that and the detail of the candle smoke coming out of the top of the apparatus.

Did I mention the medieval 'pinball machine' game in the tavern. A lot of directors would not have spent the money on it, but it adds uniqueness.

Tennis anyone? I could go on! I hope they won an Oscar for production/art design.

Holy smokes what a cast! Michael York was great as the wide eyed, naive country bumpkin who wants to become a Musketeer. I swear at times when he did the wide eyed thing, he reminded me of Claire Danes, odd I know!

Oliver Reed, was a flat out powerhouse. I read that he fought so fearlessly and with so much zeal that no one wanted to fence with him for fear of being impaled. As it turns out during the sword fight at the windmill, Oliver himself was cut badly in the neck. All the sword fighting was well done and from what I read several injuries resulted from it.

I really liked Chuck Heston as the Cardinal, he played that role so well and I would have liked to seen his role expanded. The actors who played the King and Queen were good too, I liked their costumes at the big ball.

Raquel Welch is of course an eye full, but I liked the evil Faye Dunaway character better. I was actually rooting for her to win!

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=30015&stc=1&d=1493141909

My plumed hat is off to you Ed:p great nomination and now I know where your avatar came from!

Jeff Costello

04-25-17, 03:08 PM

The Three Musketeers were great. I definitely plan to watch the sequel.

Also I've watched quite a few Oliver Reed's interviews on YouTube, as I read he was a quite a character in real life. He was definitely very charismatic , well spoken and hilarious person.

Here's the time, Shelley Winters poured a glass of whiskey over his head on Johnny Carson's show ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyV3DlvKYmA

Citizen Rules

04-25-17, 03:11 PM

The Three Musketeers were great. I definitely plan to watch the sequel...Me too. I read that the film's producers shot the film and then divided it into two parts (making more money that way).

As a result of the producers splitting the film into two parts, Screen Actors' Guild contracts now often feature what is called a "Salkind Clause," which requires producers to state up front how many films are being shot, and that the actors involved must be paid for each. The latter clause applies even, or even especially, when producers make that decision during or after production. The DVD has both on it, so I'll be watching the sequel soon.

ScarletLion

04-25-17, 03:47 PM

Dani8

04-25-17, 03:49 PM

LOL. I love that guy.

Jeff Costello

04-25-17, 03:55 PM

My favourite ever Ollie Reed interview:

https://twitter.com/Smallclone/status/856942137543462912

Haha, this is great !

Citizen Rules

04-25-17, 04:55 PM

I just watched that video, all three of them were hilarious! Good stuff;)(maybe Ed will get that)

Camo

04-25-17, 05:33 PM

Wings of Desire

https://s29.postimg.org/vp2nr90dz/wingsof.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5404voy0j/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/)

My second Wim Wenders film after Paris, Texas which i love. Didn't have a clue going in that this was about angels, felt like a bit of an idiot that i hadn't considered it could be or at least considered that the wings in the title were literal. I thought it was probably metaphorical, it made a nice surprise in the first shot with the little girl spotting one on top of a building at least. Odd start to this, i was half expecting there to be a scattered pieced together plot from the angel listening to peoples thoughts that it would take you 12 watches to figure out haha. Honestly would be interested in seeing that. One thing i was wondering is do people really think like this? Some of them were pretty spot on but others i thought were thinking a little too much, by that i mean if you could read my thoughts at a random time of the day i'm sure it wouldn't make much sense because there'd be no context; it's not as if i need to remind myself of what the exact event i'm thinking about is or who the characters are or exactly why they did something. It would be more like me saying "i wonder what made him do that", "that was hilarious", etc; while having a mental picture of whatever was hilarious. This is me rambling nonsense haha, i kinda know what i mean at least and i'm not saying this was a problem i'm just saying it made me think about how i think which is pretty mindblowing :laugh:

Loved the dialogue, i could see it annoying people but all it reminded me of was the same mood the film George Washington put me in except this actually had some substance/purpose for the most part. One thing i thought which i never think about foreign language films is that i'd really love to know and watch this in German. Don't think it would improve my experience i just think it is the perfect sort of film to watch when you are tired though, it's really calm and meditative and alot of it is soft-spoken lying back and half watching/half listening to this would be so relaxing i feel. Love these types of films. No doubt it had a creepy vibe too, certain parts of the score the first time i thought that was in the scene in the library; it's pretty surreal he's walking around while loads of people are thinking at once and the music for the first time was intense instead of calm. Then there's just the idea of him listening to peoples thoughts in the first place especially Marions. Observing peoples deepest thoughts, their worries and troubles without any intention of interfering is such a dark concept. There was a 10 minute or so stretch in particular that got right under my skin, Cassiel following the old guy about listening to him then stopping for a moment while passing by to listen to a clearly distressed girl; don't think it was explicitly said but i took it that she was supposed to be a prostitute, either way it was so chilling, such a cold scene especially thanks to Otto Sanders emotionless expression. Think cold is a good description of the tone here except not normally the way i use it, there was plenty of emotion on display here but the Angels purpose and the voiceover never allowed the film to stray too far from this feeling. This is not a complaint, cold as i normally use it is usually but i don't mean the same thing i just can't think of the right word. Of course this was largely Cassiel's part with Damiel observing the happier parts of life, it was a nice contrast seeing both explored. My only complaint really is i'm not so sure about Damiel and Marion meeting, not really anything specific about it but it didn't sit that well with me. Oh well we got Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds during the 1980's even out of that at least. :cool:

Not sure what to say about the visuals; it was beautifully photographed and the camera movement was outstanding. Loved the shots from above and how it followed people at varying speeds. My biggest surprise was definitely the switches to colour though, jesus, the first thing i thought of was that it had a similar effect on me as seeing Ida's hair in er...Ida. Getting a response from something completely mundane mostly because it has been kept from us, the combination of how beautiful it had looked in black in white and the scene choice with Marion slowly standing up and colour being restored to her beautiful hair, surroundings, etc made it work. Think it would be fair to call it a bit gimmicky but i don't care i liked it. Even though it was probably obvious to everyone else i'm also proud of myself for figuring out its signifigance the moment it happened haha, as it happens the moment Damiel left the room. All good performances, don't think the acting is all that important to this film as long as it isn't bad but everyone did their job. And special shoutout to Columbo, almost dies when i saw "special appearence by Peter Falk" haha. It took me longer than it should've to figure out that he was an ex-angel.

Anyway i liked this alot and will need to think quite hard about where to place it when we're finished as it's not like anything else. It's not an easy watch i don't think, there's so much meandering and quiet, contemplative scenes that even if you're into it like i was it can be a bit of a struggle. Really glad you went with this Cosmic as i don't think i'd have liked the other one you were thinking about nominating as much.

The Hunt next for me probably tomorrow since it looks like Titu is out.

SilentVamp

04-25-17, 06:00 PM

I don't think I mentioned it in my write-up, but I really didn't like that apology scene with Williams and Affleck that most people seem to love. I didn't like her, and didn't think that it was appropriate for her to corner him on the street like that, so her performance meant nothing to me and had no impact whatsoever.
No, I didn't like that scene either. I thought it was completely inappropriate of her. I really thought it was kind of an unnecessary scene, in a way. Clearly the guy just wanted to be left alone and she has her new life now. I don't see her need for doing what she did.

Though it's possible that I'm just heartless instead haha
I find myself saying that more and more lately when I watch movies/TV shows where a particular scene/character has made people feel sympathy towards it all, and I am as cold as cold can be. :D

They are in love. But they can't be together because it's too painful. It's an incredible scene. Michelle Williams is an incredible actress.
If she is SO in love with him (which is something that I thought while watching that scene), why did she ever marry anyone else? And not only that but have a baby with this person? Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I wouldn't have been able to do those two things after what had happened. I just wouldn't have done it.

He had good chemistry with Goddard, i'm happy that didn't really turn into a romance as i thought it was headed in that direction and as i noted earlier Chaplin looked really old here so it wouldn't have felt right.
I think that I never really thought about it before until you said it here about the non-romance in the film. Honestly. Well, I wouldn't really have been too bothered with them as a couple in this, but that may be because I knew they were married to each other in real life when this was filmed.

Good film, i still prefer City Lights but i may have this above The Kid not sure.
I still prefer City Lights, too. But this is a close second for me. I am glad that you did enjoy it. I know the first time I heard him speak it was funny to me because I always dread to hear their voices, but it almost feels like I experience a sigh of relief when they just sound like regular, ordinary guys. :)

I plan on watching The Marriage of Maria Braun next. That should be happening in the next few days.

CosmicRunaway

04-25-17, 06:04 PM

Great write-up Camo. :up:

Really glad you went with this Cosmic as i don't think i'd have liked the other one you were thinking about nominating as much.
Even if a lot of people don't take to Wings of Desire and its slow pace, I'm also glad that I went with it over Nowhere in Africa. I think people might appreciate Wings of Desire a lot more, even if it's not to their taste. It's certainly the movie that more people have heard of before. :lol:

Dani8

04-25-17, 06:12 PM

If she is SO in love with him (which is something that I thought while watching that scene), why did she ever marry anyone else? And not only that but have a baby with this person? Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I wouldn't have been able to do those two things after what had happened. I just wouldn't have done it.

Why wouldnt she marry someone else after divorcing him? Some people are simply not built to be single. And as for having another baby, same thing - why not? A lot of women crave a baby after losing one to miscarriage or other tragedies. It's a biological urge in a lot of people. I found absolutely nothing about either of those experiences out of the ordinary.

rauldc14

04-25-17, 06:15 PM

I'll for sure watch something tomorrow, but I got to do some link research. Seems like there's a few tough finds for me.

SilentVamp

04-25-17, 06:20 PM

Why wouldnt she marry someone else after divorcing him? Some people are simply not built to be single. And as for having another baby, same thing - why not? A lot of women crave a baby after losing one to miscarriage or other tragedies. It's a biological urge in a lot of people. I found absolutely nothing about either of those experiences out of the ordinary.
I just said this:
Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I wouldn't have been able to do those two things after what had happened. I just wouldn't have done it.
I just said how I personally wouldn't have been able to do it. So I can't imagine how others would be able to do it. That is how I personally feel about it. This character can do whatever she wants to do. In the end, I really don't care. The same goes for anyone in real life who may have ended up in a situation like that. People can do whatever they want. But
If I had a situation where my kids burned to death, I don't know if I could honestly want to have anymore children. I completely understand the desire of wanting another - believe me - I know what it is to want a kid, but I can't see wanting to do it with that fear of having another possible tragedy looming over me. I know that might be a little irrational, but I can't see myself being able to do it
As for being single, it isn't that important in my world that I must have a man. But if others want to do it, I really don't care.

Dani8

04-25-17, 06:22 PM

My god, i didn't know they were married in real life until right now :facepalm::laugh:

.

I didnt know they were married either. I couldnt do that, not that I'm a very good actress anyway.

Dani8

04-25-17, 06:27 PM

You seen The Great Dictator, Dani?

No, cam. I still have to finish the long shorts so not seeing too many movies at the mo (plus Better Call Saul is taking up most of my screen entertainment time). I;m just commenting on movies I've previously watched when a mofo reviews it in here.

Dani8

04-25-17, 06:33 PM

Cool. Just asking because i thought you might have or you maybe wouldn't have known who Paulette Goddard was. I didn't until i watched it.

Oh hang on, my mistake. I thought you were talking about Affleck and Michelle. Derpy moi.

SilentVamp

04-25-17, 06:37 PM

Cool. Just asking because i thought you might have or you maybe wouldn't have known who Paulette Goddard was. I didn't until i watched it.
You never saw Paulette Goddard before? She was in Modern Times with Chaplin, too. I know she was one of the ones that was seriously considered to play Scarlett in Gone With The Wind. I think she was their top choice until Vivien Leigh came about. There are screen tests with Goddard as Scarlett.

I've seen a few films with her.

Dani8

04-25-17, 06:38 PM

Yup, was 90% sure there was some mix up there haha.

Goldfish brain, I tell ya. I also OD'd on caffeine.

edarsenal

04-25-17, 09:15 PM

edarsenal

04-25-17, 09:26 PM

the cage and ryan wouldn't happen to be City of Angels, would it?

Dani8

04-25-17, 09:26 PM

Dani8

04-25-17, 09:31 PM

It's pretty saccharine.

The sequel or the American remake? Have you seen Wings of Desire?

Edit: Yeah Ed. Didn't see your post there.
American remake. Yeah I saw wenders. I thought it was beautiful.

edarsenal

04-25-17, 09:40 PM

had no idea CoA was a remake. I do have Wings of Desire from the library so I can't make comparisons. Though I do have the feeling that the American remake simply took the idea and went off in a completely different direction. Since the Cage and Ryan movie is more of a RomCom, from what I remember of it. (saw it about 10 or more years ago)

edarsenal

04-25-17, 10:33 PM

CRAP! Just wrote a review for Nightmare Alley and lost it! :furious::furious:

I'll go and stew and come back later to rewrite it. Spoiler Alert! Frickin LOVED it!

Edit: YAY i found it!!:scream:

edarsenal

04-25-17, 10:34 PM

Sounds like a remake of the last ten minutes then haha.

very possibly. I'll be thinking about that when I watch it

edarsenal

04-25-17, 10:39 PM

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sKfV03q9Jw/U2cC3I3ZEtI/AAAAAAAAmH4/zVdMVaU0olI/s1600/alley10.jpg

Nightmare Alley

For my first review we bolt out of the gate with a strong one.

This is the very first time I have watched Tyrone Power where he wasn't in a swashbuckling role besides his role in Jesse James and, like already stated in nearly every review; Power does a truly amazing job in this movie of cons and carnies. The charisma, confidence, smoothness that is the top layer of Stan and, as the movie proceeds, the more darker, insecure, broken aspect beneath are equally played brilliantly. His rise and eventual fall are all quite spectacular and he does a sterling job of it throughout.

The same can be said about everyone else. Everyone has that multi-layered aspect and its done with subtle brilliance. From Pete, the alcoholic, to Zeena and the face she shows and, if you watch closely, the multiple emotions that play in her eyes as she plots her next move, to even the naive Molly who seems like she knows better but wishes NOT to play the game that everyone else is so adept at. To Lilith, who not only plays Stan at his own game but trumps him at it with scarcely breaking a sweat.

Like mentioned in other reviews, there are a number of great life lessons and, I believe it was Jeff Costello who remarked on the Cirlce of Life that was played out very, very well. There were enough hints thrown into the beginning to let you know where it would end, but it was the road taken to it that was such a highlight.

This is, and has been, a VERY SOLID 40's movie and one that SHOULD be seen for the coming 40's Countdown for d@mn good reason.

Now, wait, there is something in the crystal. . . it's growing more distinct. . . yes, yes. . . . Ah! It's me saying what a really great nomination, Citizen Rules!! This WILL be going on my Countdown list. BRAVO

Citizen Rules

04-26-17, 12:32 AM

Glad you liked Nightmare Alley Ed. I like that photo you used too. Who knows one of these days Tyrone Power might be making another appearance in an Hof.

edarsenal

04-26-17, 01:03 AM

ya never know lol

CosmicRunaway

04-26-17, 04:54 AM

Wait, i just read there's a sequel to Wings of Desire called Faraway, So Close also directed by Wenders. Has anyone seen it? I know Cosmic hasn't as she said the only other Wenders she has seen was The Million Dollar Hotel. i checked because i remembered that conversation but couldn't remember if that's the one she'd seen haha

There's also an American remake with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan that looks terrible.
Yeah, I've known about the sequel but haven't had the desire to really look into it. I think Wings of Desire works well enough on its own and doesn't need a follow-up. But similar to my rewatch of The Three Musketeers making me want to finally check out The Four Musketeers, I think I might watch it.

When trying to decide whether or not to nominate Wings of Desire, I noticed that the Nic Cage film was listed as a remake, which was puzzling to me. I haven't seen the film, just trailers, but the only thing that seems similar between the two is the very basic aspects of the plot. The tone and purpose of the film seems far divorced from those in Wings of Desire.

ScarletLion

04-26-17, 05:40 AM

edarsenal

04-26-17, 01:19 PM

Yeah, I've known about the sequel but haven't had the desire to really look into it. I think Wings of Desire works well enough on its own and doesn't need a follow-up. But similar to my rewatch of The Three Musketeers making me want to finally check out The Four Musketeers, I think I might watch it.

When trying to decide whether or not to nominate Wings of Desire, I noticed that the Nic Cage film was listed as a remake, which was puzzling to me. I haven't seen the film, just trailers, but the only thing that seems similar between the two is the very basic aspects of the plot. The tone and purpose of the film seems far divorced from those in Wings of Desire.
That was my assumption, as well.

Miss Vicky

04-26-17, 01:30 PM

It's been a very long time since I watched City of Angels, but I do remember it some. It has a very similar premise to Wings of Desire, but is definitely not a true remake. I wouldn't call it a Rom Com though. It's more of a tragic romance.

Anyway, I plan to watch The Broken Circle Breakdown today. It doesn't look like anybody else has watched and written it up yet and I have no idea what it's about. Should be interesting.

rauldc14

04-26-17, 01:31 PM

I'm going to rewatch Maria Braun today. Look forward to it.

edarsenal

04-26-17, 01:37 PM

Nestorio_Miklos

04-26-17, 02:38 PM

Dances with Wolves

Spoilers throughout my review below!!!

Not much to say or analyze about this film. I pretty much believe all depicted might happened. I believe Lieutenant Dunbar, after surviving his own death, experienced a conversion and might seem naive to take a post "in the end of the world" from insane general. And yes he would be the type to keep a thorough journal (except, of course, it was for him mandatory to keep a journal as the only officer in charge) that reminded me of Jesuit Missionary Journals, all nice with pictures and detailed ethnological description of Sioux tribe. Well, maybe except he didn't pray but that could be off the camera:)
Also, being all alone, sooner later, he would be trying to make a contact with the people around. And he used a good method there approaching them, slowly learning the language, eating and drinking with them, dressing like them, participating events etc. That is what you call Inculturation.
I am not a zoologist but I believe that wolf might come close to Dunbar and eventually take meat from his hand under the circumstances.
I am also pretty sure there were all kinds of idiots and cruel people among soldiers in Civil War and however the contrast between saint Dunbar and those orangutans in blue uniforms may seem biased, it is possible.

Anyway this was magnificent picture and I enjoyed every minute of 20th Anniversary Extended Edition. There are only two minor things I didn't like: firstly, I would cast someone else to Stands With A Fist character, somehow she didn't fit there, secondly I didn't like Dunbar's total lost of identity assuming completely Sioux culture and believes and not preserving anything from his.

Other than that, this was an excellent nom Miss Vicky!

Nestorio_Miklos

04-26-17, 02:40 PM

I'm gonna skip my nom for time being :) and watch The Marriage of Maria Braun next

rauldc14

04-26-17, 03:13 PM

The Marriage of Maria Braun

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/66/wd/0k/l9/the-marriage-of-maria-braun-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg?k=81fd6bc142

I found the movie to be pretty decent the first time I watched it, and I think my opinion basically stays the same while watching it again for this HOF.

I think the film centers around a great performance by Hanna Shygulla as Maria Braun. It's one of those performances where you see her character grow as a person as the film moves along. It feels as if her emotion gets stronger as the film moves along. I don't think I necessarily appreciated her performance as much the first go around, but I can certainly see how strong it is now. Her character makes you feel sympathetic to her at times, while at times also feeling a bit uneasy.

The story is well done too. It's simple enough yet throws enough at you to get you thinking about how you feel towards the main character. Fassbinder certainly has a talent and he is someone who I will have to see more from.

The film has a strong beginning and a strong ending. That's something that is rare in more classic style films and it's something I appreciated.

Overall, I'm glad to see others have gotten a lot out of this. It isn't necessarily a deep film but it is still a solid albeit not great film.

3.5-

Sarge

04-26-17, 04:00 PM

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/31/53/ed/3153ede0313ecd6c86435aac00eeb347.jpg

Wings of desire (1987)

The last of the nominations that I knew nothing about before watching.
First 5 minutes I had no idea what was going on.
About 10 minutes in, I thought 'This is very similar to City of Angels'. I notice that plenty of others got that too.

I am afraid to say that I didn't like City of Angels and I didn't like this much more either.

I like the idea, but as with City of Angels, I was left really underwhelmed, but for different reasons.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/wings-of-desire-1987-004-bruno-ganz-angel-statue-head.jpg?itok=Wwz8CJjc

What I liked
I did like some things about this film. The concept is a great one. The untouchable and unreachable, becoming touchable and reachable. The mystery of the spiritual realm and the exploration of an unseen world.
I love Berlin :D It is one of my favourite cities, and it is always good to see it in film.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/2fe73d1bef1889753143d671ce56566c/tumblr_mvf2puPwTg1qaezrlo1_500.png

What I didn't like
So slow - I know that it is probably intentional and reflective of the existence of Damiel and Cassiel but everything was so drawn out. I just found it easy to get bored and wanted to reach for my phone on more than one occasion.

The language - I was reading subtitles and some things may have been lost in translation but I found the language a bit pretentious. It was like everyone's thoughts were like a chanel advert. It was all like: "I am a fish or am I a duck? I don't know because I cannot see the colour. I am drowning in cream, or is it butter? I don't know, I feel him, she surrounds me, I exist because I see love". I just didn't find it reflective of the thought life of most people,.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/54/68/fc/5468fca25b6a7aa6aa3f044c3c0cc4b1.jpg

Summary
It just wasn't for me. Maybe I am just not cultured or intelligent enough but at no point did the film grip me, never mind capture my imagination.
Sorry CosmicRunaway it's not personal, it's simply a preference thing.

2

edarsenal

04-26-17, 04:34 PM

Intriguing review @Nestorio_Milklos, going with a scientific analysis of the film regarding Inculturation. Rather liked that.
You mentioned that: "secondly I didn't like Dunbar's total lost of identity assuming completely Sioux culture and believes and not preserving anything from his."
I actually find it quite easy. When I was a child we'd visit family in Canada for a month during the summer. When I'd get back, I'd have a french canadian accent. And I've seen it done with people in different areas of the U.S with the changing of accents. While I do know, including my mother who has been a U.S. citizen since around 1958 still has her french canadian accent.

On this much smaller scale, we can consider Personal Choice, in regards to abandoning one life and immersing one's self in another since this is the situation at hand.

Dunbar easily fits that. It is expressed when he is asked why, and he responds "I want to see the frontier. Before it's gone."
We're given examples of the kinds of people he wishes to leave behind and in the Sioux he sees the frontier and discards his former life for this new one. Which the film shows us.

Retaining their previous life, for me, was the character of Stands With Fist. She was raised by them, but is NOT one of them. There was all kinds of inner conflicts and I found McDowell doing a splendid job of trying to conceal them, while letting us in on what was beneath the surface.

Miss Vicky

04-26-17, 05:48 PM

Glad to see you really liked Dances With Wolves overall, Nestorio.

I can understand your issues with Dunbar abandoning the white culture entirely, but at the same time I find it very believable given the circumstances. Except for Stands With A Fist (who I like and thought the actress did a good job with), he was totally isolated from his own people. Plus having seen the kind of thoughtless destruction the white people had shown (like the scene with all the dead buffalo and what happened to the wolf), he was pretty disgusted by them.

rauldc14

04-26-17, 07:13 PM

There's a chance I get to Forbidden Games tonight, if not tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to that.

Sarge

04-26-17, 07:58 PM

Am currently watching 'Broken circle breakdown'

JayDee

04-26-17, 09:16 PM

rauldc14

04-26-17, 10:14 PM

I can't understand why people can't get into old films. I used to completely avoid them, but that's because I was blind to them.

Swan

04-26-17, 10:25 PM

I can't understand why people can't get into old films. I used to completely avoid them, but that's because I was blind to them.

It's equally odd (and as someone who loves my generation, frustrating) how there are actually people who think art has somehow gotten worse over time. Which makes no sense to me. There are always going to be great artists around, it's ignorant to suggest otherwise.

Swan

04-26-17, 10:35 PM

Yeh nothing wrong with JayDee not being able to get into old films IMO.

Miss Vicky

04-26-17, 11:12 PM

I often struggle to get into older films too, but not because they're black and white, but rather because often the acting style is quite different than what I'm used to and prefer. I feel like the acting in modern films is much more natural and believable, while often the performances in older films feel very artificial, at least to me.

Citizen Rules

04-26-17, 11:15 PM

rauldc14

04-26-17, 11:33 PM

Forbidden Games

http://trailersfromhell.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/forbidden-games.jpg

Starts off with a real emotional scene that was real well done. I really felt for the young girl and kept thinking back to this scene throughout the film. I thought she was great in the role she had, as well as Michel.

I wish the film would have stayed as strong as it was as the beginning. It started to fall off a bit and get a bit tedious. I think the story could have been stronger, especially given how much of an emotional impact it had on its audience. Even the death of the dog could have been even more emotional as well.

Overall, it was a pretty decent film but it certainly had a chance to be great, as I thought it would be after the first twenty minutes. I probably still prefer it over Plein Soleil though.

3+

Miss Vicky

04-26-17, 11:52 PM

It's not artificial, it's based on theater, it's more theatrical. But I see your point.

I know it's based on theater, but that is exactly the issue - theatrical performances don't feel natural and therefore feel artificial to me. Those kind of performances really take me out of a movie. Which is not to say that I don't like any older movies, but I do think the acting style is a big reason why I have liked so few of the older movies I've watched and why most of those I have liked I haven't loved.

Miss Vicky

04-27-17, 02:11 AM

I don't think a performance being theatrical makes it any more artificial than anything else. I get why you don't like theaatrical performances but i mean you love Joaquin in U-Turn and wouldn't you say that performance is artificial? To me at least it's completely obvious that he is doing a bit throughout and his character doesn't feel like he could be a real person ever, i love him in it too but i don't see how that's any less artificial than any theatrical performances.

But Phoenix's character in U-Turn is meant to be comic relief. Comedic performances usually involve exaggerated mannerisms and behaviors. It's a role that demands a different kind of acting - and a role where I expect a different kind of acting - so I really don't see the comparison there.

When I refer to artificial performances, I'm talking about characters in serious dramatic roles where I would expect to have some kind of emotional investment in them. If characters in serious roles don't behave like real people, I find it very difficult to care what happens to them and if I don't care then I don't enjoy the film.

Miss Vicky

04-27-17, 03:03 AM

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

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Felix van Groeningen, 2012)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024519/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 04/26/17
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 13th HOF, ScarlettLion's Nomination
Rewatch: No.

I had no idea what to expect going into this film, but what I found was a really beautiful and intimate look at the relationship between two people with little in common but their love for each other and for the child they have together. And it's the relationship as a whole, from their instant attraction to each other to the tragedies that tear them apart.

I really liked the way this film was structured. It's not an entirely linear story - we see the relationship as it begins while also seeing it as it begins to unravel and the film cuts between scenes of the two, with some great bluegrass performances interspersed throughout. One moment we see a joyous scene and the next a heartbreaking one.

The central performances were really strong, too. Johan Heldenbergh as Didier and Veerle Baetens as Elise both fully embodied their characters. They both felt very human and very real. Making their performances even more impressive is the fact that both did their own singing. They sounded wonderful and the music is definitely one of the film's highlights.

While I can't say that I absolutely loved The Broken Circle Breakdown on this initial viewing, I definitely see a lot of potential for my appreciation of this highly emotional and well crafted film to grow if I were to watch it again.

4+

ScarletLion

04-27-17, 05:25 AM

Sarge

04-27-17, 08:12 AM

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hiNjfI_DR1w/maxresdefault.jpg

The broken circle breakdown (2013)

Had heard of this film, and it had been recommended to me previously, but didn't know much of the plot before watching, and assumed that it was about a breakdown recovery company.

The film grabbed me from the opening scenes and it grabbed hold of me by the emotions and simply didn't let go.

What impressed me?
The film was a work of quality, and that quality flowed through the acting, the writing, the music and the cinematography.
The acting was strong and believable. It was one of those rare films where I actually forgot that I was watching a film at all, and it rather seemed like I was recalling memories, or that I was indeed a player in this story.
The music was superb throughout, although it was incorporated into the film, it was the subtlety of the background music too. I will certainly be looking to get this soundtrack.
The biggest thing that impressed me, was the ability of the film to make me feel. It was a whirlwind of emotions that has continued beyond the end of the running time. It really was an emotive story, that was superbly brought to life on the screen.

http://thescienceandentertainmentlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/broken-circle-breakdown06.jpg

Room for improvement
It's hard to find anything really. At times I had to concentrate a little on working out where each scene fit into the order of the story. It jumps backwards and forwards quite a bit, but overall I think it helped the film, more than hindered it.

https://tedhicksfilmetc.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/broken-circle-breakdown-still.jpg

Summary
This film was pure, beautiful, touching, brutal and relentless. It felt so real, which is an absolute credit to all that were involved in the making of it. The emotions of the characters are tangible, every single feeling was transmitted powerfully from the screen.
If I had known what it was about beforehand, I think that I would not have enjoyed it as much as I would have made my mind up before watching it.
A really good nomination Scarlett

4

Sarge

04-27-17, 08:26 AM

Well there's why I've not joined a Hall of Fame before and and why I'm not sure I ever could. A week ago I started watching The Hunt, getting about 30 minutes into it before I had to stop. My plan was then to finish it off later on that evening. However in the intervening hours I found my mood had completely crashed. Crashed to the point where I didn't really feel like watching anything at all, and certainly not something as serious and grim as The Hunt. It's a week later and I've still not finished it, or felt like watching anything else from the list really.

Also there's another problem that would be a real issue with these Hall of Fames - I can't do old films!!! Ok so that's a little bit of an exaggeration. There are some old films I like. However in the very, very large majority of occasions I just really struggle to watch old films, even if I'm not exactly sure why. The night before starting The Hunt I tried to watch Nightmare Alley but had to give up after about 25 minutes. I just couldn't get into it in any way whatsoever and found trying to watch it to be a real chore. And that's how I often feel with old black & white films. Why that's the case I don't know. Maybe it's because I wasn't raised on old films whatsoever. Aside from Ed Wood and Young Frankenstein I don't think I even saw a black & white film until I was well into my twenties. Or maybe it's just some kind of subconscious mental block I have; my mind has convinced me I won't/can't like it. It's not like I'm saying they're necessarily bad films. It's just that no matter what I do I can't engage with them.

So yeah I don't know it's for me. However I may still try and take part in this Hall of Fame to some extent depending on how my mood goes

I was the same, well I thought I was. Since joining this forum I saw that some people had a huge appreciation of older films. I thought 'Sarge my boy, it's time to broaden your horizons'.
I watched 12 Angry men first of all and really appreciated it. But like with modern films there were some that I haven't liked as much.
That was another reason for me doing the HOF. I didn't realise how narrow my viewing taste was until I joined this forum and realised I hadn't seen half of the films people were chatting about.
I like a wide variety of genres but they are mostly made after 1980 and in English.
The HOF was a way of letting someone else choose films for me to watch to broaden my horizons.
I started with the film that least appealed to me and would work my way up to my own nom :D

So far, I have got through the films I had not heard of. I have watched some excellent films that I never would have watched otherwise. There are some that I haven't enjoyed but that is true of many films.

I am loving it so far.

ScarletLion

04-27-17, 09:02 AM

The broken circle breakdown (2013)

Had heard of this film, and it had been recommended to me previously, but didn't know much of the plot before watching, and assumed that it was about a breakdown recovery company.

The film grabbed me from the opening scenes and it grabbed hold of me by the emotions and simply didn't let go.

What impressed me?
The film was a work of quality, and that quality flowed through the acting, the writing, the music and the cinematography.
The acting was strong and believable. It was one of those rare films where I actually forgot that I was watching a film at all, and it rather seemed like I was recalling memories, or that I was indeed a player in this story.
The music was superb throughout, although it was incorporated into the film, it was the subtlety of the background music too. I will certainly be looking to get this soundtrack.
The biggest thing that impressed me, was the ability of the film to make me feel. It was a whirlwind of emotions that has continued beyond the end of the running time. It really was an emotive story, that was superbly brought to life on the screen.

Room for improvement
It's hard to find anything really. At times I had to concentrate a little on working out where each scene fit into the order of the story. It jumps backwards and forwards quite a bit, but overall I think it helped the film, more than hindered it.

Summary
This film was pure, beautiful, touching, brutal and relentless. It felt so real, which is an absolute credit to all that were involved in the making of it. The emotions of the characters are tangible, every single feeling was transmitted powerfully from the screen.
If I had known what it was about beforehand, I think that I would not have enjoyed it as much as I would have made my mind up before watching it.
A really good nomination Scarlett

4

Really glad you liked it. You seem to have got the same sort of reactions as I did on my first watch. It's just a whirlwind of emotion.

ScarletLion

04-27-17, 09:20 AM

'Dead Poet's Society'

http://schmoesknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dps-pic.jpg

I first watched this (about 20) years ago and have since seen it numerous times. It's one of those films that I would probably give a 7/10 to now at the most, but at the time it was "brilliant" and "life affirming". That either means one of 2 things: a) My tastes have changed or b) The movie has dated. Maybe it's a bit of both. It's probably a movie I will heartily recommend to my kids when they are teenagers, because it does have a very important message. Everybody has to "seize the day" at some point in their young lives.

There's a fair bit of sentimentality in this movie, and if we're being honest, the movie would not work if there wasn't. Robin Williams' wry smiles amount to the anguishing climax that makes the film what it is. Ethan Hawke and the rest of the young students are well cast in their preppy, privileged roles and I do think this film is an extremely enjoyable watch. I just think that these days I need something far more enchanting, captivating, original or gut-wrenching to really leave it's mark on me. The simplistic and slightly saccahrine third act is just a bit too maudlin and 'uplifting for uplifting's sake' for me. So I'll stick with that 7/10 grade.

Sarge

04-27-17, 10:34 AM

[QUOTE=Camo;1686250]CosmicRunaway Citizen Rules cricket Miss Vicky ScarletLion neiba Jeff Costello rauldc14 SilentVamp edarsenal Nestorio_Miklos Sarge Clazor Pussy Galore

Mentioning you all so no one misses this and goes off and watches it. Titu and The Intouchables are out. Sent him a message 10 days ago and another 3 days ago and he ignored both despite being on multiple times. Would rather remove it early than allow everyone to watch it when they may not have wanted to. Edited the second post to out of 15 now the only person that effects is Jeff who was the only one that watched it.

Pity. Although I have seen it before, I loved it. It could have been a contender. Not like you didn't give him a chance though.

JayDee

04-27-17, 10:43 AM

As I was trying to make clear I'm not saying I'm in the right about being unable to get into the majority of old films. I'm not saying it's because they're poor films or anything. There's just this block I have for whatever reason that I can't even explain. Maybe it's just some kind of subconscious block that convinces me before I even start that I won't like the film, even when I feel like I'm going into it completely open to it and ready to enjoy it. And as I said there are some old films I like and admire; 12 Angry Men and Sunset Boulevard for example. But for the most part I find it a huge struggle. So yes I won't lie. In general I prefer new films to old, and colour films to black and white.

I do have to agree with MV about the acting style in older films however. I really struggle to connect with it, frequently finding them very stiff and stilted or alternatively really melodramatic. Though it can work depending on the situation. For example I think Gloria Swanson's histrionic, larger-than-life performance as Norma Desmond is rather glorious

Sarge

04-27-17, 10:48 AM

Just about to send him a PM and tell him his nom is out, his profile says last activity was 5 Hours Ago :shrug: That's at least four times he's been on.

Can't say fairer than that :up:

edarsenal

04-27-17, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the heads up@Camo, and like@Sarge says, you can't be more fair.

And JayDee, I'm forever saying, not everything is for everyone, so no worries. But, by all means, join in the discussions and post reviews if you wish.
Though I have heard that the guy who runs this HoF IS a bit of a tyrant. ;)

rauldc14

04-27-17, 11:44 AM

I knew he wasn't going to finish much less attempt to partake, so I just assumed I never had to watch his nomination. Seems like everyone else should be ok, though it's always hard to get a read on a couple others.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-27-17, 12:44 PM

[quote=Camo;1693711]

Pity. Although I have seen it before, I loved it. It could have been a contender. Not like you didn't give him a chance though.

yes, it is pity. That was a great nom. I'm gonna rewatch it anyway:D

Citizen Rules

04-27-17, 01:33 PM

....Mentioning you all so no one misses this and goes off and watches it. Titu and The Intouchables are out...Would rather remove it early than allow everyone to watch it when they may not have wanted to...:up: thanks for being pro active. I'm glad you were on top of it. I wish all the Hof host would post who's out, as soon as they know. It's good to give a person a benefit of the doubt, on the other hand it's not real hard to guess who's not going to finish. So good hosting! Camo

Nestorio_Miklos

04-27-17, 01:47 PM

There was all kinds of inner conflicts and I found McDowell doing a splendid job of trying to conceal them, while letting us in on what was beneath the surface.

very nice comment here ed. I was actually reflecting and couldn't figure out how i would recast. It pretty much means she simply belongs there. :)

Citizen Rules

04-27-17, 01:59 PM

....Since joining this forum I saw that some people had a huge appreciation of older films. I thought 'Sarge my boy, it's time to broaden your horizons'.
I watched 12 Angry men first of all and really appreciated it. But like with modern films there were some that I haven't liked as much.
That was another reason for me doing the HOF. I didn't realise how narrow my viewing taste was until I joined this forum and realised I hadn't seen half of the films people were chatting about.
I like a wide variety of genres but they are mostly made after 1980 and in English.
The HOF was a way of letting someone else chose films for me to watch to broaden my horizons... Good for you Sarge! Always glad to have new members in the Hof:) Think of a Hof like this: Hof=osmosis.

I was 40 before I would even watch an old black and white movie. I thought they were all outdated. Now I love them! way more than I do most modern movies. I've learned a lot from Hofs too. They're a great way to grow in one's movie watching experience. Hopefully you'll join more, and there's always another Hof on the horizon. When I get around to running the 1940's Hof I hope you'll join.

neiba

04-27-17, 02:08 PM

Just to tell everyone I'm still alive! I already watched The Marriage of Maria Braun, will post my thoughts here later!

CosmicRunaway

04-27-17, 02:17 PM

Doubt he'll finish the Shorts either, i've already watched both of his noms in that anyway though.
I've already watched his shorts as well, but luckily they weren't either of the longer films nominated, so I'm not too concerned.

Sarge

04-27-17, 02:25 PM

Good for you Sarge! Always glad to have new members in the Hof:) Think of a Hof like this: Hof=osmosis.

I was 40 before I would even watch an old black and white movie. I thought they were all outdated. Now I love them! way more than I do most modern movies. I've learned a lot from Hofs too. They're a great way to grow in one's movie watching experience. Hopefully you'll join more, and there's always another Hof on the horizon. When I get around to running the 1940's Hof I hope you'll join.

Will definitely do that.

mark f

04-27-17, 03:53 PM

I do have to agree with MV about the acting style in older films however. I really struggle to connect with it, frequently finding them very stiff and stilted or alternatively really melodramatic.
Hollywood's "old movies" were never meant to be realistic; they were larger than life. Nowadays when you watch "old movies" on small screens by yourself you miss out on this communal, larger-than-life aspect. That doesn't mean that some actors didn't give "awkward" performances, but those movies in general were looked upon differently than some people (especially people who prefer more realistic movies now) look at them today. Films in the past were more concerned with the plot or story. The characters (and actors) tried to move that plot along. Nowadays it seems that people are more concerned with characters than plot. Then there are some modern viewers who are so concerned with real time and "real everything" that the characters are subordinate to everything that the director wants to show us. I'm not doing my best to explain myself here but maybe that's because I'm trying to leave my meaning ambiguous like many modern filmmakers. :cool: I just think that the world is large enough for all the types of movies that have been made from every culture and age, to be appreciated for what they are. I feel a little better now, so you guys can go back to not liking all the actors I love.

Citizen Rules

04-27-17, 04:02 PM

Acting!
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/master-thespian/2868075

Nestorio_Miklos

04-27-17, 04:11 PM

Acting!
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/master-thespian/2868075
pity, not available in EU:(

Citizen Rules

04-27-17, 04:18 PM

pity, not available in EU:( That video clip was from the old Saturday Night Live TV show and was an example of extreme theatrical acting by Jon Lovitz as the Master Thespian. Taken to the extreme of course, for comic purposes, but still it did demonstrate the style of acting.

rauldc14

04-27-17, 06:05 PM

The Quiet Earth

https://trailersfromhell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/5277b.jpg

Was really left underwhelmed with this. It's not the concept that had me not liking it though. I am Legend free from this film but IAL was also much more entertaining for me. I think it has a lot to do with the charisma of the characters. I didn't care for the main guy at all, and the other two weren't much better. Still I was glad we weren't left with the main character flying solo as that could have been brutal.

I'm sorry that I don't have much to say, but it just wasn't for me and I was rather bored by it. It had a chance to be something pretty original but it's execution didn't do anything for me.

2

cricket

04-27-17, 08:04 PM

Too bad Intouchables is out, but I wanted to see it anyway so I've got the DVD for this weekend.

edarsenal

04-27-17, 08:08 PM

I'm actually half way through Intouchables; been wanting to see it for some time, so. . .

Miss Vicky

04-27-17, 08:44 PM

I might watch The Intouchables anyway too. I already picked it up from the library and it's not due back for a couple of weeks.

Camo

04-27-17, 08:54 PM

The Hunt

https://s29.postimg.org/j6clm2gk7/huntttt.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/wai5yr8lv/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/)

I was aware what this was about going in, paedophillia is something i don't handle well and while i knew it was about a false accusation it would still be about it so i never went through and watched it.

It was interesting and well thought out how they established how this young girl would even know of such things, her brother showing her the porn pictures; i'm guessing that wasn't an isolated incident and she has maybe even looked at those pictures alone when her brother wasn't around out of curiousity. I do wonder how she would make the connection that this is something she could hurt Lucas with at that age but then this clearly happens in real life so it's just something i'll never understand i guess. Maybe her parents had spoke to her about adults acting inappropriately, definitely think that contributes to stuff like this at least some of the time, it's a double edged sword: you want your kids to know that adults (or anyone) shouldn't be doing stuff like this to them but in some sense you've given them a weapon, don't really want to call it that but i think people will know what i mean. Man i hate talking about stuff like this, it's a fine line between condemning the false accusation and outright blaming the young kid who didn't know any better. In any case it wasn't said in the film that her parents had spoke to her about this sort of stuff. I'm not even sure if she was setting out to get him in trouble or not, she was clearly angry at him which would tell you she was but she quickly changes the subject which indicates that it was more of a momentary lashing out thing. That's always the sad thing in these cases she is a really young girl who doesn't understand the gravity of her accusations and once they've been planted she feels she has to stick to them.

I thought the shape of Lucas life at the start was nice and subtly crafted. The scene when he finds out his son wants to live with him is pretty quietly devastating as it's also the same scene that the accusation has been planted, he literally waves her out the door while on the phone in what turns out to be very positive news. By that point we don't know him that well but we do know that his life isn't the best and in this scene everything comes together; his son is coming to live with him and he is flirting with who will become his girlfriend seeing him now finally move on with his life, and only we know that something has happened in this short happy period of time for him that could threaten all of this. There's something really dark about that. My only problem with that part was i felt it was a little over the top having Klara sitting in the dark talking like a serial killer hahah.

The actual part where Klara goes ahead with the accusations to Ole is tough. It's difficult to say what should have been done, us knowing that Lucas didn't do it don't want Ole to further press the issue after she denies it but then there's several reasons he has to. The accusations are very serious and there's every chance that Lucas has told her not to say anything, an adult giving you instructions of that type could make the child believe she is going to get in trouble for not obeying them and even if not that her meeting a new adult about this makes it clear to her that this is now getting serious which again could see her clam up. It is an unfortunate situation; in her mind she has got two choices admit to lying and get in trouble or follow through with her first lie and not get in trouble. Not quite understanding what will happen if you stick to your first lie that's a very easy decision as a kid; i'm sure we all broke something in the house at that age or whatever and continuosly denied it was us. I remember falling outside and scraping my arm when i was very young and for some unknown reason i blamed my older cousin saying he pushed me, he got in trouble and i really regretted it but no way was i going to admit that and get myself in trouble, it's the same albeit much more serious situation and has very sound logic so i think it was well done. Completely felt the teacher vomiting as well, the whole situation was gross and she has to think that she may have employed and been friendly with a paedophile.

Another really tough situation is telling the parents. There's so many things both ways that i don't even know. One of the big things that kicked off the McMartin Sexual Abuse Accusations and by extension the Satanic Panic was parents being informed before there was any investigation. One woman who turned out to be mentally ill accused the McMartin people of sexually abusing her child and forcing him to take part in satanic cult activities. Without investigating further the police decided to send letters out to parents of current and former pupils asking if their child was abused and detailing all of the accusations brought against the McMartin people. Some parents would have handled it better than others but some understandably would be going nuts believing their child had been abused and they'd grill their children believing that they had been told not to say anything until the point that the kids just started agreeing that this stuff happened to them. While not the exact same situation it is similar and as a parent the moment you hear there's a possibility that your child has been abused it will be there forever, children of this age are very easily lead in alot of cases so these matters should be handled with care by trained professionals; but if you are going home with your kid that night it's difficult to not ask them yourself. So while i do think the other parents had a right to know i don't think it was handled well at all, i don't even remember Ole saying she should notify the other parents, seems like she just took it upon herself and while she meant well it wasn't great how she went about it.

One thing this film did was portray everyone fairly. There was so many people to feel sorry for here, Lukas above them all but pretty much everyone else including Klara too. One of the most powerful scenes to me was Theo breaking down; that scene doesn't actually ring true to me because there's no way i'd be able to sit there in my home with the guy who was accused of this no matter if it was my best friend but everyone is different and you can see how much it is tearing him up. Your default position is always going to be believing your kid and either way your life is going to take a serious knock from this because either your daughter was abused or your daughter lied about it ruining your friends life and most likely your relationship, that will most likely lead to some trauma anyway for your daughter and she will likely not be treated the best if that comes out despite her age as you know how people are. Worst situation for him and his wife that you'd never wish on anyone. I can't even blame his wife for confusing Klara after she confesses to it being a lie because it's went far enough that she has become convinced it is reality. Still though the mums logic is screwed to say the least, maybe you don't want to remember what happened: how does that work if she did and she made the accusation twice, did she instantly forget after the second time? Not thinking straight in this situation is probably the most understandable thing in the film though so i find it tough to blame her.

Mads was great. Not that familiar with him, watched the first four or five episodes of Hannibal and thought he was great but i didn't like the show. He was very likeable here which made the crumbling of his life that much harder to watch. Some things he doesn't handle that well but then who would? Nobody expects something like this to happen and nobody is equipped to deal with it. The idea of people not trusting you, people honestly believing you are capable of doing this must be soulcrushing. It has to be taken seriously it can't just be dismissed on your good character but that's not something you can take knowing yourself that you have never and would never do something of this nature. Think Mads brought all of these things to life and he deserves the acclaim he has gotten for this performance. Another very good performance was from the kid who played Marcus. Was a bit confused about him being allowed to see Lukas as his relationship with his mother didn't sound great on the phone but then i think she probably thought that despite our differences i know he wouldn't have done this. Think my automatic expectation is for the mother he's seperated from to be a bad person because they so often are in movies. Anyway he did a great job putting across what this all did to him with him being another innocent victim of this horrible situation and his relationship with Mads felt very authentic.

The period after he was realeased was really horrible, dunno what to say about it. I mean the dead dog man damn. How did they even get it? Does he let his dog run about outside like a cat? Whatever it was awful anyway and was really obvious the moment you saw the bag. The beating by the employees, dang the way he is treated in that part is awful. Overall i'm not sure how i feel about how it was resolved, i get that the dad hearing Klara say he didn't do it was what turned things but then would the mother really accept it when she had heard her say so before? I dunno, things just kind of go back to normal, the church and the scene that Theo accepts he didn't do nothing were very well acted but i kind of hoped for something different what i don't know. Anyway very good film, probably won't ever watch it again because it's about a very grim subject and i feel i got most of what i can out of it. Glad it was nominated.

matt72582

04-27-17, 09:17 PM

edarsenal

04-28-17, 01:09 AM

http://media.salon.com/2014/02/dead_poets_society2.jpg

Dead Poets Society

O Captain, My Captain

A little backstory, if you will.
I was around 25 when this came out. I had been married for a couple of years and within a few more I'd be divorced, leave a good paying middle class, factory job that I hated, moved to the east side of the city of Detroit and become a bartender, in a number of different bars, for the next five, six years.

Not BECAUSE of this movie.

The young man I was, the trouble-making smart ass, artist who had already rose above the shenanigans I had seen as a preteen in such movies as Animal House through my teen years, had already embraced the ideology of this flick, long ago, without having a literary name to it.

It was that Poet Idealism that I scarcely paid attention to in school; illuminated beautifully from the first time Robin Williams character walked out into the classroom, out the door, popped in and told his class, "C'mon."
We have our first introduction to Whitman as Keating lets them know, IF they are daring, they may call him: O Captain, My Captain. And the first bit of poetry is deciphered: Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may, and the ideology of carpe deim is introduced.

I was enamored.

Sound my barbaric yawp from the rooftops of the world?? HELL YEAH, MUTHAF8CKA! I've been doin that for years!

When Keating explains: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

What WILL your verse be?. . .

I was inspired.

When Neil felt alive, for the first time in his life when he was on the stage - I cheered.

When the tragedy occurred - I wept.
Every time I watched this movie.
And I gotta tell ya, I'm rather pleased with myself, as a man over 50, I cried on this re-watch. YAY

Like anyone who has sucked the marrow out of life, at some point I did choke on the bone. It happens. Much like in the third act of this movie and sh#t hits the fan and Puck MUST make amends.

I still re-watched this movie through those times. And I understood the more harsher circumstances, having experienced them myself.

And now?

Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."

My friends, f@ck that.

ScarletLion

04-28-17, 05:39 AM

Dead Poets Society
O Captain, My Captain

A little backstory, if you will.
I was around 25 when this came out. I had been married for a couple of years and within a few more I'd be divorced, leave a good paying middle class, factory job that I hated, moved to the east side of the city of Detroit and become a bartender, in a number of different bars, for the next five, six years.

Not BECAUSE of this movie.

The young man I was, the trouble-making smart ass, artist who had already rose above the shenanigans I had seen as a preteen in such movies as Animal House through my teen years, had already embraced the ideology of this flick, long ago, without having a literary name to it.

It was that Poet Idealism that I scarcely paid attention to in school; illuminated beautifully from the first time Robin Williams character walked out into the classroom, out the door, popped in and told his class, "C'mon."
We have our first introduction to Whitman as Keating lets them know, IF they are daring, they may call him: O Captain, My Captain. And the first bit of poetry is deciphered: Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may, and the ideology of carpe deim is introduced.

I was enamored.

Sound my barbaric yawp from the rooftops of the world?? HELL YEAH, MUTHAF8CKA! I've been doin that years!

When Keating explains: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

What WILL your verse be?. . .

I was inspired.

When Neil felt alive, for the first time in his life when he was on the stage - I cheered.

When the tragedy occurred - I wept.
Every time I watched this movie.
And I gotta tell ya, I'm rather pleased with myself, as a man over 50, I cried on this re-watch. YAY

Like anyone who has sucked the marrow out of life, at some point I did choke on the bone. It happens. Much like in the third act of this movie and ***** hits the fan and Puck MUST make amends.

I still re-watched this movie through those times. And I understood the more harsher circumstances, having experienced them myself.

And now?

Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."

My friends, f@ck that.

Loved that review. Cheers.

cricket

04-28-17, 10:05 AM

Forbidden Games

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8NmGNK0Lja0/U8tCbFy8LUI/AAAAAAAAAlk/ENGjiWs7qTI/s1600/Paulette+Michel+Jeux+Interdits.jpg

3.5

I watched this movie last year for the 50's countdown and my feelings haven't changed. There are a lot of movies that have a powerful ending. This movie is unusual in that it has a powerful beginning, and I find it to be extremely upsetting. It's not just the result, but the action that leads to that result. Seeing those poor people running for their lives from the bombs and gunfire is incredibly saddening. The danger in starting the movie in that way is the rest of the movie being a letdown. That risk is lessened with a short runtime of about 85 minutes, but the rest of the movie has several powerful moments anyway. There are solid performances and a perfectly subtle musical score. There is also a certain authenticity to the whole thing as it just looks and feels right. I don't know if that's a credit to the filmmaker, or just a product of when and where it was made. Either way, it's an enormous asset. I don't think it's an amazing movie or anything like that, but I think it's very effective and I like it alot.

matt72582

04-28-17, 10:45 AM

I think I'm going to watch "Captain Fantastic" -- I've watched nothing but German the past week, which means I can't even leave my seat for 2 seconds.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-28-17, 12:36 PM

http://media.salon.com/2014/02/dead_poets_society2.jpg

Dead Poets Society

O Captain, My Captain

A little backstory, if you will.
I was around 25 when this came out. I had been married for a couple of years and within a few more I'd be divorced, leave a good paying middle class, factory job that I hated, moved to the east side of the city of Detroit and become a bartender, in a number of different bars, for the next five, six years.

Not BECAUSE of this movie.

The young man I was, the trouble-making smart ass, artist who had already rose above the shenanigans I had seen as a preteen in such movies as Animal House through my teen years, had already embraced the ideology of this flick, long ago, without having a literary name to it.

It was that Poet Idealism that I scarcely paid attention to in school; illuminated beautifully from the first time Robin Williams character walked out into the classroom, out the door, popped in and told his class, "C'mon."
We have our first introduction to Whitman as Keating lets them know, IF they are daring, they may call him: O Captain, My Captain. And the first bit of poetry is deciphered: Gather ye rosebuds, while ye may, and the ideology of carpe deim is introduced.

I was enamored.

Sound my barbaric yawp from the rooftops of the world?? HELL YEAH, MUTHAF8CKA! I've been doin that years!

When Keating explains: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

What WILL your verse be?. . .

I was inspired.

When Neil felt alive, for the first time in his life when he was on the stage - I cheered.

When the tragedy occurred - I wept.
Every time I watched this movie.
And I gotta tell ya, I'm rather pleased with myself, as a man over 50, I cried on this re-watch. YAY

Like anyone who has sucked the marrow out of life, at some point I did choke on the bone. It happens. Much like in the third act of this movie and ***** hits the fan and Puck MUST make amends.

I still re-watched this movie through those times. And I understood the more harsher circumstances, having experienced them myself.

And now?

Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."

My friends, f@ck that.
amazing genuine review Ed! :):):):up::up::up:

CosmicRunaway

04-28-17, 06:03 PM

There's an annual sci-fi convention taking place this weekend that I'm attending, so I might not have much time to watch anything. I do plan to try and squeeze Quite Earth in if possible though.

Citizen Rules

04-28-17, 07:38 PM

I'm totally cool with Blix joining! I suggest that he can choose his own nomination and Blix, make it a good movie!:p

Glad to have you aboard:)

Dani8

04-28-17, 07:51 PM

You outed yourself there right and you know i never would have. Think we need to point this out so people aren't scared to PM me haha.

Well I;m glad you said that because I was suddenly backing out the door and about to run down the hall, Cam.

Citizen Rules

04-28-17, 07:58 PM

You outed yourself there right and you know i never would have. Think we need to point this out so people aren't scared to PM me haha. What Camo means is:

In the 11th Hof a number of members thought another member, Guap was not watching the movies, but stringing us along. So Camo asked for people's opinions on what should be done, and promised to keep the messages private, he did do that.

I choose to say on the board, that I thought Guap was 'cheating' as I had no problem letting it be known that I didn't trust Guap.

Camo is just trying to say he's trustworthy, and he is.

Dani8

04-28-17, 07:59 PM

? Do you think i share your PM's about or something?

Think there's only a few people here who actually know me but whatever.

Hey what? Lost in translation moment...

Dani8

04-28-17, 08:00 PM

What Camo means is:
in the 11th Hof a number of members thought another member, Guap was not watching the movies, but stringing us along. So Camo asked for people's opinion on what should be done, and promised to keep the messages private, he did do that.

I choose to say that I thought Guap was 'cheating' publicly as I have no problem letting it be known that I didn't trust Guap.

Camo is just trying to say he's trustworthy, and he is.

I was making fun of myself joining in when I'm not an active Hof. Joke fail.

Citizen Rules

04-28-17, 08:02 PM

My post wasn't directed at you Dani, it was a general statement as the way Camo wrote his post were confusing (unless a person was there and remembers the Guap stuff). It's all good.

Citizen Rules

04-28-17, 08:04 PM

You contacted me privately at first though and i made a comment about you (you as in a third person i obviously didn't say Citizen) being the third person to contact me about him. Citizen, decided to say later on that it was him it absolutely had nothing to do with me and i would never do that. Yes, several of us sent you PMs (including me) about our thoughts on Guap not watching the noms, then I posted what I though of Guap's actions. You didn't post any of the PMs, I said you were trustworthy in my last post.

I'm not sure what I have to do with you and Blix?

Citizen Rules

04-28-17, 08:07 PM

Also i didn't ask for anyone's opinion: i got two messages right away from different members saying they don't think he watches the films, including the threat to drop out. That's right. I PMed you and said I didn't think Guap was watching the films either. Latter I posted that I had said that I didn't think Guap was watching the films, confirming I was one of the people who didn't trust Guap.

But what does any of this have do with Blix joining?

cricket

04-28-17, 08:17 PM

I'm cool with Blix in

Dani8

04-28-17, 08:21 PM

Great reviews of The Hunt and Dead Poets', Cam and Edar.

Dani8

04-28-17, 08:24 PM

Dani8

04-28-17, 08:27 PM

The comment was about me absolutely not ever divulging details of PM's i recieve so your comment was pretty jarring, whatever tho, i just misunderstood.

It's no problem. I was having a go at myself for being paranoid the other day about being an interloper in the thread and thinking I would upset people if I gave reviews of movies I've seen. I was just mucking about because my initial reaction to your post was that maybe the complaints were about me. All is good. Let's hug it out and carry on.

cricket

04-28-17, 08:28 PM

CosmicRunaway

04-28-17, 08:39 PM

Welcome, Blix!

I haven't seen Flesh and Blood in ages. Thanks for the excuse to watch it again. :up:

Blix the Goblin

04-28-17, 08:40 PM

Verhoeven!I was going to go with Ken Russell's The Devils, but it's not an easy film to find in its uncensored form.

As my first hall of fame pick, I wanted to go with something delightfully repugnant

edarsenal

04-28-17, 08:47 PM

amazing genuine review Ed! :):):):up::up::up:

Loved that review. Cheers.

Great reviews of The Hunt and Dead Poets', Cam and Edar.

THANKS ALL!!!
Need to watch some of these so I can catch up on a number of reviews lol

and Blix joining sounds like a great idea. Been AGES (when it first came out) since I saw Flesh and Blood, should be fun!!! Thanks, Camo!!

cricket

04-28-17, 08:47 PM

I was going to go with Ken Russell's The Devils, but it's not an easy film to find in its uncensored form.

As my first hall of fame pick, I wanted to go with something delightfully repugnant

I've seen The Devils, very unique and very good.

I have Flesh & Blood on my watchlist already, but was planning on seeing Turkish Delight first, which I'm having trouble finding.

Blix the Goblin

04-28-17, 08:52 PM

I've seen The Devils, very unique and very good.

I have Flesh & Blood on my watchlist already, but was planning on seeing Turkish Delight first, which I'm having trouble finding.Turkish Delight has been sitting in my queue for a while now. I've already "found it" if you want me to PM you.

Miss Vicky

04-28-17, 08:58 PM

I don't think I've ever even heard of Flesh and Blood. I hope it's good.

cricket

04-28-17, 09:13 PM

Turkish Delight has been sitting in my queue for a while now. I've already "found it" if you want me to PM you.

Sure that would be great!

Dani8

04-28-17, 10:43 PM

I don't think I've ever even heard of Flesh and Blood. I hope it's good.

I really liked it but going to have a rewatch to join in real time with the HOF and revisit this.

rauldc14

04-28-17, 11:05 PM

I probably won't get to another nom for possibly 2 weeks.

ScarletLion

04-29-17, 03:13 AM

I'm fine with everything. On this thread and generally in life. I've wanted to extend my Verhoeven collection so I'm happy with this nomination.

Blix the Goblin

04-29-17, 03:44 AM

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q104/midvalley9/buffalovc66_0.jpg

Buffalo '66

I went into it completely blind and was quite taken with it. A darkly comic "romance" between a self-loathing, despairing dreamer and an enigmatic but obviously strange girl. I found it funny, surprising and even touching at times. The part where he talks about the girl he was obsessed with actually made me a little emotional. I know what it's like to get stuck in your head, lost in your own fantasies while shut off from and even fearful of real human interaction, so I'm not lying when I say that some aspects of the film hit close to home. Also, I love Christina Ricci and she looked HOT in this movie. I mean, you certainly can't fault his taste in kidnap victims.

8.5/10

ScarletLion

04-29-17, 03:47 AM

Your avatar is perfect for your general indifference.

😆 "I understand human emotions, although I do not feel them myself"

Pussy Galore

04-29-17, 09:01 AM

All good for me, never heard of the film.

Sarge

04-29-17, 12:18 PM

I don't think I've ever even heard of Flesh and Blood. I hope it's good.

Me too or I will be PM ing Camo saying that I have a problem with @Blix :D

edarsenal

04-29-17, 02:29 PM

great start, Blix the Goblin. I remember when this came out and Ricci was looking to break out of kid roles and did so with very impressive, over the edge roles. Gotta respect that.

Jeff Costello

04-29-17, 05:05 PM

I will probably see either Wings of Desire or Jagten this weekend. Didn't actually know that City of Angels was a remake of WoD. I only vaguely remember it through flashes, but I don't think I thought too much of it, when I watched it few years ago.

Also, welcome Blix !

Clazor

04-29-17, 05:42 PM

Flesh and Blood

https://s29.postimg.org/79z7q6zpz/blood.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/imbt7z8er/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/app.php)

Blix the Goblin nomination.

My reaction to seeing the nom, play-by-play, as I just did it 30 seconds ago:

Sees the poster

- That looks familiar...

Stares at it some more

- But where could I have seen it before?

Stares at it for another ten seconds, then turns to the pile where the unwatched movies are...and on the very top sits Flesh + Blood.

- ....huh...I guess fate/Blix has decided what the next new film will be.

edarsenal

04-29-17, 07:53 PM

Serendipity be your buddy, Clazor!!

cricket

04-29-17, 08:20 PM

Dances with Wolves

http://www.oscarchamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/1990-Dances-With-Wolves-03.jpg

This was my first time seeing this movie, along with Schindler's List, probably the biggest movie I hadn't seen up to this point. I was never that interested in it before, even though I really knew nothing about it. I was just going by the impression that I had of what it might be. I don't know how much I would have enjoyed it 27 years ago, but my taste has definitely expanded since then. Just in the last couple years I have become much more fond of Westerns. I was always curious of it since it beat my beloved Goodfellas for the best picture Oscar. I still don't think this should have won, but in another year, sure.

It started out a little shaky for me. Even though I didn't exactly dislike what I was seeing, I thought the beginning went a little overboard trying to be dramatic. In fact, I think much of the movie was sappy and cliched. In that way, it somewhat reminded me of Hacksaw Ridge, which I recently saw. Those are words that most people probably use in a negative fashion, but they're characteristics that I usually don't mind at all. I always thought that this movie would perhaps be dull, but I was never once bored despite it's substantial runtime.

Portraying the white man as bad and the Indians as good is nothing new. I'd say that a lot of 50's Westerns started going that route after it being the other way around for the vast majority of movies beforehand. I believe there was good and bad on both sides, although portraying the Indians as good feels more just to me. Most of this movie is sweet and good natured, and I think the viewer gets lulled into a certain comfort before some of the major conflict comes, making it all the more effective. I checked afterward to see if this was on the top 100 cheers list, and sure enough it is. It's just that kind of movie.

Kevin Costner is perfect in the lead role. I've never thought of him as a great actor, but I've always thought he was one of the most likable actors I have ever watched. His likability transfers to the character seamlessly. I don't know what happened to him. He seemed to go from A list to B list overnight. His direction is spectacular, with beautiful scenery and camerawork throughout. There is very little humor, but it works when it comes. The musical score is an asset. In the end, I think it's a very well made and rousingly entertaining film. I'm so glad it was nominated, or else who knows when I would have finally seen it.

4.5-

CosmicRunaway

04-29-17, 08:30 PM

Good review, Cricket. I'm looking forward to rewatching that one more now. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and remember very little about it.

Kevin Costner is perfect in the lead role. I've never thought of him as a great actor, but I've always thought he was one of the most likable actors I have ever watched. His likability transfers to the character seamlessly. I don't know what happened to him. He seemed to go from A list to B list overnight.
I've always just blamed Waterworld. :shrug:

Dani8

04-29-17, 08:32 PM

Good review, Cricket. I'm looking forward to rewatching that one more now. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and remember very little about it.

I've always just blamed Waterworld. :shrug:

Me too. This actually came up shortly after I joined Mofo.

Blix the Goblin

04-29-17, 08:35 PM

I've always just blamed Waterworld. :shrug:The Postman is what sealed his fate, which he also directed.

CosmicRunaway

04-29-17, 09:10 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=30071

The Quiet Earth (1985)
Dir. Goeff Murphy
Starring: Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith

I didn't get very far into the Last Man on Earth tv series. I'm not entirely sure I finished the second episode. I didn't like the main characters, with Kristen Schaal being particularly insufferable. Being inspired by similar films and novels, it's understandable that this film and that tv series would be eerily similar, but I wasn't expecting so many events in the first act to be near copies of each other. As such, I began to dread the inevitable female characters' appearance. Luckily, Joanne is nowhere near as grating as Carol was. Similarly, The Quiet Earth as a whole was definitely more suited to my tastes than The Last Man on Earth.

At the beginning of the film, it seemed like Zac started to unravel unusually quickly. I thought that perhaps more time was elapsing between scenes than what appeared, but discovered that wasn't the case whenever time was mentioned in the film. I guess also trying to cope with guilt didn't help matters, but it still seemed very odd to me. The film was certainly engaging enough despite that, and it's nice to see a character in one of these films actually have a theory as to what happened from the very start.

Except for the ending, I think the visuals in the first part of the film are much stronger than the ones that follow. It sets a tone and builds intrigue early on, but then the second and third acts don't quite meet those raised expectations. The powerful ending does make up for that somewhat, and is easily my favourite part of the film. So while The Quiet Earth is a little uneven, it is still rather enjoyable the entire way through. Considering how often we see films with a similar premise to this, it's nice to find one that still holds up.

CosmicRunaway

04-29-17, 09:19 PM

But Hitler?!!! Where the hell do you get a Hitler cutout?! :lol:
Wait, you mean you guys don't have Hitler cut-outs at home? :shifty:

Citizen Rules

04-29-17, 09:41 PM

Wait, you mean you guys don't have Hitler cut-outs at home? :shifty:Ha😁:D (I'm using two emoticons, because I see two!) I swear Hitler has made more appearances in Hof movies than any other historical figure:eek:😲

Miss Vicky

04-30-17, 02:12 AM

I've always just blamed Waterworld. :shrug:The Postman is what sealed his fate, which he also directed.
I love both of those movies.

Miss Vicky

04-30-17, 02:15 AM

Anyway thrilled to see you enjoyed Dances With Wolves so much, Cricket. It's been a favorite of mine since I was like ten years old, back when Costner was my favorite actor.

Blix the Goblin

04-30-17, 03:21 AM

I love both of those movies.Waterworld is great fun, I also saw a live version at Sea World as a kid that I will never forget. The Postman I think I enjoyed, but I don't remember it too well.

Regardless, they both bombed. Once you're seen as a box office jinx it's hard to shake it.

CosmicRunaway

04-30-17, 06:14 AM

I love both of those movies.
I don't mind Waterworld at all. I even have it on DVD haha. I don't remember much about The Postman though. Maybe I should rewatch it at some point.

Citizen Rules

04-30-17, 01:32 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=30077&stc=1&d=1493565799

The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940)

I'm glad this was nominated. I had been wanting to see it for a long while. It was worth the wait! I knew that Chaplin often took on social issues in the films he wrote, directed and starred in. But I had no idea that this film was so potent....all while being humorous.

The opening act, set in WWI was fun in a comical way. At that point I thought the movie would be just, fun prat falls, but then the film takes a serious turn after Hynkel rises to power as dictator of Tomania.

Chaplin the writer/director puts the viewer at ease with the simple WW1 scene. Then when we are off guard and expecting a fun little movie, Chaplin throws the seriousness of Nazism squarely in our faces. And that is something that was needed in America in 1939, as it was all too common to turn a blind eye to what Hitler was doing in Europe at the time.

Hollywood itself at the time refused to make films that took a stand against the rising threat of fascism. In the years before WWII Louis B. Mayer head of MGM studios actually conferred with the Nazi Consulate, showing them films and agreeing to remove scenes that the Nazi's found objectionable....all so MGM could sell the movie rights to Germany. I mention that to show what kind of personal courage Charlie Chaplin had to make The Great Dictator, a film he paid himself to have made, as no studio would finance him.

I wasn't prepared myself for how serious the film is. Amid the antics of Chaplin, we see the fate of the German Jews who are being targeted by the Storm Troopers. Even more ominous than the action scenes are the 'quieter' speeches, that speak volumes of the real horrors to come:

I was chilled to the bone when Henry Daniell as Garbitsch (based on Joseph Goebbels) tells the Dictator...."We've just discovered
the most wonderful poison gas. It will kill everybody..."

I mean wow, talk about a prophetic script. The movie pulls no punches, it clearly lays out Hynkel/Hitlers evil plans:

We'll invade Osterlich(Austria) first.
After that we can bluff.
The nations will capitulate.
The world will be under your thumb

Chaplin tried to warn the world of the threat at hand, but America was complacent until after Pearl Harbor. Chaplin's effort alone makes this the most important movie in this Hof and one, if not the most important movie I've seen.

What touched me most was the speech at the end of the film given by the Jewish Barber, who's been mistaken for Hynkel the Dictator. As I looked at Chaplin's face and listened to the words he had wrote, I realized I wasn't watching a character in the movie anymore...I was hearing Charles Chaplin's own plead to the world to stop the madness and embrace humanity and kindness.

mark f

04-30-17, 02:01 PM

Before The Great Dictator was released, M-G-M put out The Mortal Storm, and about the same time they also released Escape, both showing fully the horrors of Nazi Germany. That's not to take away from what Chaplin did, but it puts it in context.

Citizen Rules

04-30-17, 02:23 PM

I don't know the production start dates of those two films, but Chaplin took something like 600 days to make The Great Dictator which I believe makes his movie the first to start production of such a story. It can even be argued that those other two movies were made, in part, thanks to Chaplin's courage.

edarsenal

04-30-17, 02:35 PM

very poignant review for a poignant movie, Citizen Rules!!

And glad to hear you enjoyed, Dances With Wolves, cricket. Since you've enjoyed westerns recently, have you, by any chance, seen Costner in Open Range. Can't really rave enough about that movie.

cricket

04-30-17, 02:36 PM

edarsenal

04-30-17, 02:37 PM

well, if you're ever in a mood for a western and it catches your eye. . .

cricket

04-30-17, 02:40 PM

I've heard of it before but I think I confused it with At Close Range. It's got a pretty nice cast even besides Costner I see.

edarsenal

04-30-17, 02:43 PM

solid cast and the storyline and feel is reminiscent of old time westerns

Dani8

04-30-17, 02:48 PM

Flesh and Blood

https://s29.postimg.org/79z7q6zpz/blood.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/imbt7z8er/)[/url][url=https://certificity.com] (https://postimage.io/app.php)

Blix the Goblin nomination.

That's like an 80s version of a 50s medieval epic. Terrible, especially with that dirge of a score and the over acting by the prostitutes - I loved it. Rutger sure was lookin' hot.
Nice pic, Blix!

Miss Vicky

04-30-17, 03:51 PM

I second the recommendation for Open Range. I also really like Silverado.

Nestorio_Miklos

04-30-17, 04:50 PM

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Spoilers below!

I've seen this picture before and beside it I saw also Veronika Voss, Lola, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. I've never revisited none of these except today, The Marriage of Maria Braun. Hmm, I was not sure what this film wants to be? A moral tale, an allegory on German Economic Miracle or a plain post-war drama or all of that? I chose it to be a post-war drama. We see this Registry Office where a young German soldier Hermann is getting married with a pretty blondie Maria under the quite comic and dramatic circumstances at the same time. After the war is over and Third Reich seized to exist we see Maria waiting for her husband to return with Hermann's picture and name on her back eventually throwing the poster away people more and more expressing their Nazi hate plus to simply move forward. Here at that very moment when she throws Hermann's picture on the railway track a new Maria is born: strong, manipulative, cold and proud woman in contrast with all those weak, insecure, undecided men around her. Here I liked that smile of hers, always saying: “I know exactly what to do, I have a solution, I have the situation under control”. She prefers to make miracles rather than wait for them to happen. This all is also a great example of difference between people that takes tragedies as something that put them down not able to move forward and people for whom a tragedy is a spin to make it big in their lives. Here I think Fassbinder manages to transcend the characters making them as epitomes of weak and strong after the war. I must say the end of the film was quite unsatisfactory for me. What was the meaning of that? There was a sign of Maria wanting to commit a suicide and at the same time she carelessly left propane to leak until it blows the whole building killing her perhaps not able to do it herself. It looks to me like she couldn't play that strong woman role any more. Or another my theory is Fassbinder's judgement was deteriorating doing too many drugs that was well known about him.

http://i.imgur.com/XkdMzXB.png
World War II and post-war years brought so many sad, tragic, comic, dramatic, motivational etc stories that none of us can ever imagine. Consequently there are so many films, TV films, series, mini series, plays, novels all over the Europe depicting the life after the war. Some of them are not so good and are long forgotten and some of them are great and memorable. The Marriage of Maria Braun is one of those great and memorable however it doesn't stand alone as a masterpiece for me. Other than that it was a great and enjoyable nom Cricket !
:):):):):):):)

Nestorio_Miklos

04-30-17, 04:52 PM

The Three Musketeers next :):):)

SilentVamp

04-30-17, 06:46 PM

Since you've enjoyed westerns recently, have you, by any chance, seen Costner in Open Range. Can't really rave enough about that movie.
I second the recommendation for Open Range.

I was going to nominate this movie for THIS HoF, to be honest. But I decided not to and nominate a 40's film instead. So, you can take a guess as to what would've been my next nomination. Now I don't know if I want to nominate it because I kind of feel like it would look like I would only be nominating it because of the recommendations in here. Kind of like I couldn't think for myself. :)

Anyway, I was planning on getting the Maria Braun review written and posted yesterday, but a migraine took over again. I will get that done by mid-week.

Also, does anyone know of a way I can watch Flesh and Blood? If not, then I will just pay the $2.99 to watch it.

Finally, I have gotten around to requesting all of the other films that I needed to. They will be coming in soon and I will be getting to some serious film watching for this HoF then. The only one that will not be available for awhile will be The Quiet Earth. Only one copy in the entire city and it is checked out and there is another hold placed on it before mine. It will be a little while before I see that one.

CosmicRunaway

04-30-17, 07:24 PM

Sent Vamp Flesh and Blood
I think I'm probably just exhausted from the convention this weekend, but I thought this was pretty funny. I know it means you sent a link to the film, but it's amusing me because without context it could mean that you mailed Vamp some body parts or something. :lol:

...yeah, I think I'm really tired and am just getting giddy now. Luckily I was heading to bed in a few minutes anyway.

edarsenal

04-30-17, 07:51 PM

I was going to nominate this movie for THIS HoF, to be honest. But I decided not to and nominate a 40's film instead. So, you can take a guess as to what would've been my next nomination. Now I don't know if I want to nominate it because I kind of feel like it would look like I would only be nominating it because of the recommendations in here. Kind of like I couldn't think for myself. :)
That's kinda funny, because at some point I would have nominated it for anything close to a western HoF and was unsure to nominate since a lot of folks are so-so with westerns.
It WOULD be pretty awesome if you still did.
Anyway, I was planning on getting the Maria Braun review written and posted yesterday, but a migraine took over again. I will get that done by mid-week..
I've gotten those on occasion -- horrible things. Hope you're feeling better, take sweet care

Dani8

04-30-17, 07:52 PM

Sent her flesh and blood. I GAVE HER MY SOUL!!

LOL. I dont think she'll give it back after seeing that movie. One for the lads. Jennifer Jason Leigh gets newd a lot. She has a lovely figure.

edarsenal

04-30-17, 08:19 PM

had to go look and see what ya nominated; that's a hard one to beat and there was some serious competition in that one too.

And I remember the animated short one; the piggy bank GREAT short! Got me to re-appreciate Bob Clampett's work

edarsenal

04-30-17, 08:41 PM

feeling the same way. Give these other HoF's a chance and we can open up that thread you started and everyone can brainstorm about what kind of animated short HoF would be fun to do next.

I also remember you having a great western; Pursued, for the 40's HoF which was pretty d@mn good. A lot more complex of a movie that I initially expected it to be. Can't remember but I think I watched Yellow Sky after seeing a post by you regarding that and a couple of other movies you were considering.

edarsenal

04-30-17, 09:10 PM

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RNTEJMhjfo/VsaaPqvvjwI/AAAAAAAAc44/EqeRLrJMT1E/s1600/Wings%2Bof%2BDesire%2B7e.jpg

Wings of Desire

An amusing observation: The same actor who played Damiel, an angel, would later play Hitler in Downfall. . . funny how things come around.

With past noms by Cosmic I have found a more richer experience after learning a little about the movie before delving in and Wings is a wonderful example of such. Much like the contemplative pulse of There Are Murderers Among Us I was very much ready and therefore, able to simply take flight instead of that initial confusion of why is my feet no longer on the ground!?

Much like the angels, I was able to observe, from the very first moments and assess without judgement as I saw Damiel, above, looking down. The children who could see him. Then all the thoughts. And, on occasion, the gentle hand that eased. Without actually interfering. Rather liked that aspect.

I also enjoyed how there were so many of them instead of simply the one or two. And the fact that they sort of perched nearby. Also, since they listened to thoughts, that you would find them mostly at a library than anywhere else.
It was those nuances that really kept my attention while the movie quietly ambled away.

A favorite of mine was how Peter Falk was an ex-angel and when he first "feels" Damiel nearby he tells him about sensations. About rubbing hands together when its cold and such. Then when they meet and he lets him in on the fact. Really enjoyed that.

Along with the moments of color. Expressing the FULL effect of being human instead of the minimal sensation of listening in. It really brought it home, going from one to the other.

I understand how such a movie can be slow for many; at times it did a little for me, but still, overall, there was a contemplative and serene feel to this fantastical forage.

My #3 movie continues a bee-utiful beginning to a very intriguing HoF. Thank you, CosmicRunaway.