18th Mofo Hall of Fame [Archive] - Page 3

Nathaniel

03-03-19, 03:21 PM

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

http://66.media.tumblr.com/cd32a6970433629348ca3a8ea13b1f5a/tumblr_mjm8ayG24o1qa70eyo1_500.gif

The Pixar reveal influenced this today.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the ultimate "I admire this film a great deal but I'm not a fan" movie. I watched it for for the 30s Countdown last year and feel much the same way watching it again now. As a child I remember liking it but as an adult I can't draw anything from it that's intriguing bar the film's visuals. The characters are one dimensional and flat. Particularly this version of Snow White. The musical numbers seem to mesh unmemorably together in my head with the exception of 'Heigh Ho' (It is still stuck in my head as I'm typing this haha). And that second act really seems to drag.

However, its influence is unquestionable and some of those 2D animated sequences are still quality. The sequence in the forest is one that has stuck with me through the years and it is fantastic visually for this period. Overall, the film captures a very charming and colourful vibe which suits it to a tee. The next few films from Disney build upon that but this one set a high standard right off the bat. Thus begins a century of Disney dominance.

Siddon

03-03-19, 04:51 PM

https://comettv.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/08/bubba.jpg

Bubba Ho-Tep isn't a particularly good film but it is a fun well made one. This is the story of Elvis and JFK fighting a Mummy in a retirement home. The film takes this concept and plays with every sort of genre you can get out of it, moving from comedy to horror to what it is at it's essence a detective film.

The problem I had with the film was the padding it's a small movie that looks expensive but when you break it down it basically has a cast of 3 people. And a 3 person detective film doesn't really work. But the film is charming we get so many great montages and the story moves quickly attempting an epic plot on a shoe string budget.

I loved so many of the small parts of the film, the tiny anamatronic Scarab, the makeup design of Bubba, the great use of extras. Ossie Davis' JFK is a bit too undercooked for my liking I think if we had more balance to the two characters this could have been a four star film for me but for now I'm giving it 3 stars. Damn fine nomination @MissVicky

rating_3

Siddon

03-03-19, 05:31 PM

So we've got 52 reviews to go...you should expect an update after every 10-13 reviews from here on out.

Everybody has cleared the 4 review minimum except for @neiba (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=85193)

No film has been completely reviewed yet..

Abandon Ship 9/12
Brimstone 8/12
Bubba Ho-Tep 8/12
Extremely Loud and Incredible Close 5/12
The Florida Project 9/12
The King of Comedy 5/12
The Little Stranger 9/12
Perfect Blue 6/12
Road to Perdition 9/12
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 10/12
Split 8/12
The Square 8/12

rauldc14

03-03-19, 09:05 PM

The King of Comedy

https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/the-king-of-comedy-1983/hero_King-of-Comedy-image.jpg

I would call this a good film, but I'm a big Scorsese guy and I do like a good chunk of his other filmography better. I had been hanging onto this one for awhile and had pretty high hopes, which were sort of met.

Really liked De Niros performance. It's hard to see another actor be able to pull this off as well as he did. I wish a bit more of the humor hit with me, but that's ok because the screenplay and the story were intriguing enough that the comedy didn't have to be the central theme.

It's weird because there isn't really a whole lot else to say for this from me. A good film but yet I wouldn't place it amongst Scorsese favorites for me.

3.5

edarsenal

03-04-19, 12:07 AM

How is everybody looking? I know Citizen and Vicky are done, as am I.

The list on the first page hasn’t been updated so I was just wondering. :) even though I’m done I’ll happily join in on the discussion of course :up:

I'm actually at the halfway point. 6 out of 12

rauldc14

03-05-19, 01:15 PM

Bubba Ho-Tep

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/fan/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1428elm.com%2Ffiles%2F2017%2F06%2Fbubbahotep.jpg&c=sc&w=850&h=560

It just didn't work for me, mainly because it struggled with it's identify of what it was trying to do for it's audience (or at least me). A lot of people have shined praise on Campbell for his role here but he really didn't do it for me.

I think it's biggest miss is I felt it trying to be a funny comedy film at times and the jokes just didn't hit me. The big bug scene didn't do much for me either.

I did like the look of the film and appreciated most of the score, but the characters just felt a bit too wooden for me when in reality they should have been much more entertaining for a film with as strange of a plot as this one.

I also dug the horror elements of this film and I wish that could have been expanded upon. I think that would have got me to like it quite a bit more.

Usually a Miss Vicky nomination is either a straight on hit or a full out miss. This one will join the latter group.

2

neiba

03-06-19, 07:59 AM

The King of Comedy (1982)

Being this one of the best regarded Scorcese films, I was curious when I started watching it. It follows the story of a talentless mentally deranged stand up comedian obsessed with a famous comedian, Jerry Langford (played by a real famous comedian, Jerry Lewis).

I look at this as I did look to Ed Wood or The Disaster Artist. I have no sympathy whatsoever for these type of characters, which makes it hard for me to care about them, and that evenutally hurts my experience.

Apart from that, great perfomances by DeNiro and Lewis, who kept a feeling of honesty through out the whole film, showing you don't need epic monologues or moving scenes to show what great acting is about. Sandra Bernhard was also really good as Masha.

The directing by Scorcese is really tight, with a nice pace, beautiful cinematography (the relation between Pupkin suits and the set in particular is particularly well made) and the ending sounds more inevitable than predictable which is nice.

As I said, not caring about the characters ruins the whole experience for me, even if I see some value in the film as a whole.

3 -

pahaK

03-06-19, 01:36 PM

Just popping in to say that I'll watch my remaining three films after I finish my horror countdown list.

rauldc14

03-06-19, 01:42 PM

I'm at 8/12. I'll watch Snow White and Perfect Blue next week. Then I just got to find The Square and Brimstone.

edarsenal

03-06-19, 06:27 PM

3/4 through Bubba-Ho Tep. Should be knocking the final bit of it late tonight.

MovieMeditation

03-06-19, 06:42 PM

The King of Comedy (1982)

I have no sympathy whatsoever for these type of characters, which makes it hard for me to care about them, and that evenutally hurts my experience.
So for you sympathy is equal to a great character and no sympathy is the opposite? I’m totally putting it up black and white here I know, trying to force a discussion. :p

But it’s just that I always see it to be a shame when I see people not liking a film or a character because you don’t symphathize with it/them. I mean, do you have to care for a character to be interesting? I have no sympathy for Hitler, but he’s a great and deeply interesting character to study. You know what I mean?

neiba

03-06-19, 08:00 PM

So for you sympathy is equal to a great character and no sympathy is the opposite? I’m totally putting it up black and white here I know, trying to force a discussion. :p

But it’s just that I always see it to be a shame when I see people not liking a film or a character because you don’t symphathize with it/them. I mean, do you have to care for a character to be interesting? I have no sympathy for Hitler, but he’s a great and deeply interesting character to study. You know what I mean?

Oh, it is a good question indeed.

I wouldn't say I have to like every character, but there's always a emotional response that the director is wanting me to have in relation to the character. In this case I felt Scorcese was going for sympathy, as if somehow the perseverance of Pupkin excused him of being ultimately bad at what he does, and having no real will of getting better (which annoys me even more).

When someone plays Hitler, 90% of the times they will want you to hate him, so if you do it means it's working.

For me the emotional conection I feel to a film is through the characters psychology. If that fails I can't feel invested in it, you see?

MovieMeditation

03-06-19, 08:17 PM

Oh, it is a good question indeed.

I wouldn't say I have to like every character, but there's always a emotional response that the director is wanting me to have in relation to the character. In this case I felt Scorcese was going for sympathy, as if somehow the perseverance of Pupkin excused him of being ultimately bad at what he does, and having no real will of getting better (which annoys me even more).

When someone plays Hitler, 90% of the times they will want you to hate him, so if you do it means it's working.

For me the emotional conection I feel to a film is through the characters psychology. If that fails I can't feel invested in it, you see?
Yeah, I got you. Thanks for the explanation.

To me, I didn’t feel like Scorsese wanted me to sympathize with Pupkin, per say. But honestly, I would have a hard time saying exactly what kind of emotion Scorsese wants us to have, because I haven’t really seen many characters like that of Pupkin. For me, Pupkin evoked not one singular strong emotion, but a lot of fragmented ones, also coming off that way because he is a fragmented character overall. He is uncomfortable to look at, but admirably persistent and intelligent, yet also distancing despite drawing you in because of his off-beat way of acting. He is too pushy and too perculiar to be completely normal yet too normal to feel like a complete madman. This imbalance is very exciting to watch and thanks to De Niro it feels very real to me. This facade hiding a more twisted guy than what meets the eye at first.

To me Pupkin is a great character to study. I don’t know if you have read my review yet if not you can follow the link on the first page that Siddon provided. I became very happy with that write-up. :)

ahwell

03-09-19, 02:54 PM

Watched King of Comedy, write up soon.

ahwell

03-09-19, 10:31 PM

The King of Comedy

Very twisted, disturbing movie... and that's why I liked it. It has a spectacular performance from Robert DeNiro, and a great character study in Rupert Pupkin... one of the most fascinating of all the characters so far in this HoF. I wasn't a huge fan of the structure and the ending, but I think it was successful nontheless in portraying the shocking effects of the need for popularity on all of us. This will probably rank fairly high on my ballot, and I hope it does well in this HoF.

4

ahwell

03-09-19, 10:34 PM

Perfect Blue

Another very disturbing film, I would say not quite so disturbing as The King of Comedy, but definitely still messes with your mind. I also didn't like a lot of the techniques used over and over again in the movie, but other than that, it is a fascinating study on one character and the tricks her mind plays on her... and I actually found a lot of similarities between King of Comedy and Perfect Blue, although that might just be me making connections that don't exist since I watched them back to back. But each has a main character, one who rises to a fake comedic glory, and another who falls from their glory (if only in their mind) to a world of panic and hysteria. Deeply interesting film, really enjoyed it.

4

neiba

03-10-19, 09:19 PM

Just finished Bubba Ho Tep. Interesting watch. Will review it tomorrow :)

Citizen Rules

03-10-19, 10:12 PM

The King of Comedy
This will probably rank fairly high on my ballot,

I hope it does well in this HoF. I suspect it will do well.

rauldc14

03-11-19, 05:51 PM

Brimstone

https://flopmovies.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/4db8e526-ee7b-4253-870f-03d27fd61ad6.jpeg?w=1000

I'm surprised this has gotten as much backlash on here as it has. I thought it was very entertaining and maybe a more modern version of Night of the Hunter. Now obviously, Robert Mitchum was much better in his than Guy Pearce here, but overall I felt the story was pretty engaging here.

I liked 3 of the 4 parts. Part 1 was really really good for me. Part 2 was good as well. Part 3 seemed at times a bit useless to the overall impact of the film, and part 4 helped to bring it all together.

The cinematography was probably the best part as the film looked really really well.

But yes Guy Pearce wasn't all that great so it took it down a bit of a notch. Not a terrible performance but sometimes it felt over the top. I thought a good job was done with Fanning's character and having us empathize with her. And I liked seeing how the story played out with the name switcheroo.

Overall, a pretty fun ride certainly.

3.5

edarsenal

03-11-19, 07:46 PM

MovieMeditation

03-11-19, 08:03 PM

edarsenal

03-11-19, 08:17 PM

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54fc8146e4b02a22841f4df7/t/596c06b359cc68c91109a62d/1500251864002/

Perfect Blue

A mind teaser of a movie, this has been around the fourth or fifth time I have seen this movie and while I am not as utterly confused as I was on my very first watch I am, like Mima, unsure of what it is, and what is imagined; what is filmed on set, and what is real, or some relation thereof.
I was talking with my brother yesterday and found myself unable to explain this film beyond that it is a psychological thriller. Which, perhaps is the highest recommendation I can give for it.

What happened?
No idea.
Cool!

We are not simply witnesses to our leading lady's mental spiral, but we plummet within the twirling Rabbit's Hole from behind her eyes and inside her unstable mind. Unable to decipher reality, imagination, or gauge our perceptions of . . . well, everything.

Which is Perfect Blue's both Strong point, and on varying levels, it's weakness.
Depending on your own personal appreciation/apprehension for riding full tilt sans seat belt, safety net, or pondering if even there is a vehicle of any kind propelling you, and if not, what or who.

Of course, the animation and imagery is beautiful and compelling and is a must when speaking of this film.

Will there be more revisits to this film?
Of course.
Whether they are imagined or not, I don't know, but there will be revisits to this film.

edarsenal

03-11-19, 08:40 PM

https://media.giphy.com/media/BgNtZkoe6wXmw/200.gif

Bubba Ho-Tep

As previously stated, this film didn't fare so well for me the first time I saw it. Which, at the time sort of pissed me off, enjoying Cambell as I do in the Evil Dead films and so forth.

So, how'd it go this time?

Actually, a lot better.
I didn't laugh out loud, but I did smirk, grin, and on occasion, chuckle at what occurred, and what was said.
While his Presley impersonation isn't great, I don't really think it's meant to. Being a more "real" persona and not the theatrical, stage persona of the King. He's old, he uses a walker and his pecker don't work. Of course he ain't himself. Or his imagined self.
The same goes for the paranoid ex-president John F, Kennedy with sand in his brain.
Together, they take on the mummy that's sucking out old folks' souls through whatever hole it wraps it's mouth around.

With the occasional deliberation regarding mortality and lifelong regrets, this low budget film does move along at a geriatric high speed and, at times, I found it entertaining. And, in the end, while I may not go searching it out to rewatch again, if I trip and stumble and come across it again, I will, most likely, sit back and watch it again.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

edarsenal

03-11-19, 08:43 PM

edarsenal, rauldc14 I mean, I gave it 3.5 same as you Raul and I definitely enjoyed it, but I could also see the problems it had and the critique it got did make sense to me. Y’all don’t see those things reflecting more negatively with some people?
I did see the reasons behind the negativity and understood them. I just thought them a bit harsh and saw the positives a little more strongly.

rauldc14

03-11-19, 08:56 PM

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

https://cdn.britannica.com/s:500x350/28/144428-004-A48B5604.jpg

I do know this was the first movie I ever saw in a movie theater.
What year it was I'm not sure but I was pretty darn young. And it was a fairly big favorite through my childhood. But I literally haven't seen this movie since the nineties.

Fast forward a good twenty years and I still highly appreciate the film. Obviously it set the standard at a tall distance for Disney and all animation. There's no denying the movie is completely gorgeous. All the animators and artists that worked on this movie should be applauded. In fact it may be Disney's most beautiful, though I do like a few others a tad better.

My favorite things about this film that struck me this time? I love the opening scene with the wicked stepmother and the mirror. Love how creepy it is that she is pretty much isolated at her palace other than with that Huntsman scene.

I really like the character of Grumpy too. Just reminds me of people I know. And I love how he isn't completely heartless and in the end still cares for Snow White.

Also love seeing lightning strike that cliff and seeing the wicked witch go down. Serves her right.

All in all, a film that is great and set the standard for those to come after it. Hard to keep it off of Disney's ten best. It would stay on mine (for the classic animations, not including Disney Pixar films)

3.5+

rauldc14

03-11-19, 10:55 PM

So just Perfect Blue and The Square for me to hunt down

neiba

03-12-19, 12:36 PM

Bubba Ho-tep

Didn't know anything about this when I started so things were getting weirder along the way, which is actually the reason why this is kind of funny. We have a washed up Elvis Presley and a black President Kennedy in a rest home fighting a egyptian mummy dressed like a cowboy who eats and ****s souls.
Unfortunately the randomness of the plot is pretty much the only fun thing about it. There's a couple of ncie oneliners but that's pretty much it.
While the acting is not amazing, I really enjoyed Elvis' voice. Seemed really him at times.
I was hoping in the end, he would die and somehow people would realize is the true Elvis.

3 -

Miss Vicky

03-12-19, 12:54 PM

Damn. I knew Bubba Ho-Tep wouldn't do well, but I was hoping for a better reaction than this. Oh well, at least I know for sure it won't come in last.

Citizen Rules

03-12-19, 12:57 PM

Damn. I knew Bubba Ho-Tep wouldn't do well, but I was hoping for a better reaction than this. Oh well, at least I know for sure it won't come in last. But surprise! I really liked it:p

Yam12

03-13-19, 10:34 AM

Damn. I knew Bubba Ho-Tep wouldn't do well, but I was hoping for a better reaction than this. Oh well, at least I know for sure it won't come in last.

I quite liked it :shrug:

ahwell

03-16-19, 12:20 AM

Finished Brimstone and will be watching The Square soon, so write ups close.

pahaK

03-16-19, 11:01 AM

Been busy playing the new Path of Exile league but watched The King of Comedy today. Review should be up tomorrow (for those who can't wait I didn't hate it but it's definitely not good either - hovering somewhere between 2 and 2.5).

Nathaniel

03-16-19, 12:08 PM

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOGM4ZGYyZjgtY2I0Ny00NjU0LTkwMWEtMDZjOWUxNTk0ZjBhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc@._V1_.jpg

Bubba Ho-Tep is about an Egyptian Mummy who terrorizes a retirement home in Texas that is inhabited by a not dead Elvis and a black man who insists he's JFK. Yep. Can I end my thoughts there? I have a strong feeling that multiple films in this Hall of Fame could be described as bonkers but yeah. One of my close friends loves this movie so I have seen it before but I'm not feeling it the same way.

The film turns out ok with the budget and script involved. The action sequences are bad but there's definitely comedic value to that. For the main, the humour and the mix of tone didn't work for me. You're hit with sexual comedy and goofiness then you get reminiscence style sequences with hokey emotional background music. They just don't mix well. It's a shame because there a few things I liked about Bubba Ho-Tep but I'd have liked it more if it swayed towards something rather than trying to encapsulate too much.

When it comes down to it, I probably would have enjoyed a gloomy depressing film that solely fixates on Elvis wasting away in a retirement home lamenting old age and the value of fame. Instead it's overridden by a concept that I didn't fully engage with.

Nathaniel

03-16-19, 12:13 PM

Finalised my horror list last night so I should pick up the pace this weekend.

pahaK

03-17-19, 07:15 AM

Hard hard time rating this. Ended up "rounding" up this time. Only two more to go.

The King of Comedy (1982) N

Mentally unstable man has dreams of greatness about being a famous comedian. When the world doesn't adhere to his fantasies he tries to force the matter.

52366

Why am I feeling like I've just watched a remake of Taxi Driver? Sure de Niro has slightly different neuroses in both films but they're still essentially about the same conflict of fantasy and reality (or of want vs. have). And it really doesn't help that de Niro plays both roles pretty much the same (I admit that I feel that way from majority of his roles). I honestly don't know why Scorsese felt this needed to be done.

In a way The King of Comedy feels plausible in its portrayal of obsession and escaping into fantasy (I mean I do dialogues like Pupkin in my head every now then and it's tempting to blame the world for your own shortcomings). While such fixation to public figure seems alien to me and Pupkin is very annoying (I generally hate people who have to talk all the time) he's still relatable. Maybe it would have been better with different actor though - de Niro feels too dangerous and threatening somehow.

There's quite a bit of drag in the film (while Pupkin doesn't mind waiting I'm not too enthusiastic about watching him do so). Masha doesn't feel necessary character at all and her only function is to make the actual kidnapping feel little more realistic. Scenes of Pupkin living his fantasies are pretty good (not sure the "Mom!" stuff was needed though) but the actual stalking is rather dull.

Not a bad film but somewhat pointless. I don't think it's too sharp in its satire either and much prefer something like Network.

2.5

Nathaniel

03-17-19, 04:53 PM

The Little Stranger (2018)

https://www.newstatesman.com/sites/default/files/styles/nodeimage/public/blogs_2018/09/2018_38_film.jpg?itok=HjTyQXQ9

Maybe the most marmite film of last year. Or just mostly hate and boredom. I enjoyed it. It's not as good as Frank or Room but it's another really solid film from Lenny Abrahamson. Atmospheric and chilling at times.

It was starting to feel like a typical British period drama series with a bit of mystery and a lame drawn out build. Which is beyond an overdone genre here at this stage but the way it develops pushes it ahead of those dramas. Domhnall Gleeson gives this moody and subtle performance that is very good. His reverence when discussing the house or any threat to it pushes him out of his relatively measured demeanour and it's completely on point. A bit surprised we didn't get more of Will Poulter but he also shines when on screen. The house itself feels like a character by the end. Credit goes to how they present it within the context of the story and the lighting of it in particular builds the atmosphere of the film nicely.

The public reception is disappointing but it's never a good sign when you're coming off your biggest success and your next project is marketed so horribly. It's unlikely that this sort of film would have pulled in a large audience anyway but I can't help but feel they definitely got this one wrong. Unfortunate for Lenny because he's one of the better Irish directors working today.

ahwell

03-17-19, 09:50 PM

Brimstone
For me, this movie felt a bit too much like a Quentin Tarantino movie with everything except the excessive violence missing - that "everything" being interesting characters, script, and storytelling. I just didn't understand what the movie was trying to say- was it a metaphor for modern day sexual abuse? Or perhaps a criticism of Christianity and Christians for taking the Bible too seriously? Either way, it was too vague of a movie that I didn't really like it very much. Also, I couldn't stand the ending. We have a huge epic journey, with the preacher at the center of it... and when she finally defeats him then she just dies because of some random thing that was mostly not even part of the story? Didn't make much sense to me, and it almost seemed like the filmmakers were trying for a reason to kill off Joanna/Liz. That said, there is some beautiful cinematography and technical aspects of the film, especially in Chapters 1 and 4. So, not a completely awful movie, but I didn't really like it.

2.5

ahwell

03-17-19, 10:01 PM

The Square

I didn't exactly enjoy watching The Square. It wasn't too interesting of a story, way too long, and there wasn't any satisfactory climax. But ever since I watched it (about a day ago), it has slowly been growing on me, as I replay it's events in my head. There are some beautifully haunting scenes, and the movie really makes you think, which is a good thing - a movie should do that. There are some ingenious movies in the film, for example the repetition of the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria with Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin was super effective in my opinion, and it added a depth to the film (Well, using Bach always adds emotional depth). I think it sums up the paradoxes the film poses, about human nature and art. There is something so serene yet fascinatingly strange in this version of the piece. I think some of the more abstract scenes in the film might have been cut to make it more enjoyable... but in the end, this is a film much along the lines of 2001: A Space Odyssey or Apocalypse Now... it's not necessarily fun to watch, but after it's over it haunts your dreams and really makes you think about the world... that's a very good thing for a film, and I applaud it for this.

4

MovieMeditation

03-17-19, 10:14 PM

Awesome you likes The Square, ahwell and also responded along the lines of how I hoped it would for people here. And seeing you, Citizen etc. respond exactly like that’s is so pleasing to me. Even if you had hated it, but that it makes you think about the movie itself, the world, maybe even yourself. It’s a stimulating and unique experience and I’m glad you got something out of it. :up:

rauldc14

03-18-19, 08:04 AM

I may need a link for The Square, if anybody has one.

Citizen Rules

03-18-19, 12:55 PM

I may need a link for The Square, if anybody has one. I think I can help:)

Siddon

03-19-19, 01:10 PM

https://filmfork-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/content/kingofcomedy_de-niro.jpg

The King of Comedy is another great film from 1982...speaking of 1982 how difficult it must be to be Gandhi when you look back at all the classics that came out that year and the big winner was Gandhi. I think I can say for certainty that the worst thing that happened to Gandhi was winning Best Picture in 1982 and looking like such a minor work 40 years later. Though...perhaps it was actually released in 1983 so never-mind Gandhi.

Anyways The King of Comedy is a very good film, it's basically a character study of Richard Pupkin a perfectly polite wannabe comic who lives in this fantasy world where he's a big shot comic. Jerry Lewis plays Jerry Langford a humorless Johnny Carson stand-in who spends an evening with Pupkin and makes him some false promises. Sandra Bernard plays a psychologically unstable bourgeoisie woman who wants Jerry to love her and Diahnne Abbottplays a bartender that Pupkin was obsessed with in High School and is now trying to woo.

You've got a number of quirks that I enjoyed in this film, the biggest one is that in this dark comedy most of the actual humor comes from the background characters and extras who are all old men. You've also got these surrealist moments like when we here about Pupkins mother in the background and then during his set he reveals that she's dead. I love how you've got all these weird tragic back stories of the four main characters that is simply hinted at. If this movie was made today you would see Jerry act like a dick to everyone around him (we don't it's only implied), we would see how Rita's life fell off the rails, we would see the results of Masha's madness on the rest of her family but in this film Scorsese exercises restraint.

When I first watched the film I didn't get the ending all the things Scorsese does and the powerful imagery he uses I get that now. We keep thinking that Pupkin's act isn't going to be funny, until we actually see the act and realize oh...he is funny once again great use of restraint.
rating_4

Siddon

03-19-19, 01:33 PM

Well we've got our first completely reviewed film...Bubba Ho-Tep

Abandon Ship 9/12
Brimstone 10/12
Bubba Ho-Tep 12/12
Extremely Loud and Incredible Close 5/12
The Florida Project 9/12
The King of Comedy 10/12
The Little Stranger 10/12
Perfect Blue 8/12
Road to Perdition 9/12
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 11/12
Split 8/12
The Square 9/12

110 reviews are in with 34 left to go with 20% of those being Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close reviews

MovieMeditation

03-19-19, 01:33 PM

Good write-up, Siddon. :up:

rauldc14

03-21-19, 06:37 AM

I did watch Perfect Blue Tuesday. Review coming soon.

rauldc14

03-22-19, 09:53 PM

Perfect Blue

My third Satoshi Kon film. Strangely his films don't do much for me so far. I can appreciate the artistic work of this one but it's a story that I really don't get glued to, which I would say is it's biggest downfall for me. I also could never attach myself to the characters and it's hard to care for them much. Am I the only one who thinks the beginning of the film is rather strange? I also think the "rape scene"seemed a bit too much. Perhaps I'm being too negative about the film, it seems like it's pretty well liked, but it's not my type of film. I don't have a whole lot much else to say. I think it will be a pretty forgettable film, much like how I barely remember anything about Paprika although I just saw it a few years back.

2.5

pahaK

03-24-19, 01:23 PM

So I promised to write some sort of a reply to common criticisms for my nomination Brimstone. I quickly read all of the reviews for this to refresh my memory. I also like to emphasize that this is not me telling that you're wrong but me explaining why I didn't consider these things as faults and how I felt that they're actually an integral part of the film.

So the common complaints are about wallowing in violence, characters serving no other purpose than allowing Joanna/Liz to suffer more, having a weak story that's only an excuse for the violent scenes and having unbelievably exaggerated antagonist. First thing I need to say is that all of these are correct... in a way, anyways. To me it seems just odd that people don't draw the obvious connection here.

Brimstone is about religion, about everything bad and dirty and stupid thing that's done in the name of one god or another. Being a Western film it obviously deals this through Christianity. And what does this (obvious) fact has to do with the complaints? Well, in my opinion Brimstone takes its structure and form directly from the Bible.

Just like in Book of Job only the antagonist matters while everyone else only exists to increase protagonist's suffering. Stories wallow in their despair, pain and loss (only in Brimstone Joanna/Liz doesn't submit to her tormentor like Job or Abraham do in the Bible). Violence needs to be harsh to hammer down the message of unfair oppression and Reverend isn't any more absurd villain than God or Satan in the Book of Job.

So yes, I kinda understand the complaints but I see them being a part of the chosen structure or form. Brimstone sacrifices some nuances to look more like the thing it criticizes. I though it was a working "style over substance" choice but then I'm a religion hating atheist myself. I loved the way it told its story in such a biblical manner.

ahwell

03-24-19, 02:08 PM

ahwell

03-24-19, 11:02 PM

The Little Stranger

This was better than I expected it to be, but still not one of my favorites in this HoF. I thought the visuals, characters, and acting were fantastic, but the screenplay, originality, rewatchability, and pacing were marginal. I thought the movie could have cut out a lot of unnecessary details to enhance the cohesiveness. I also really disliked the main character, I thought he was a creep and that didn't really help my enjoyment too much. That said, there are some fantastic moments and much of the structural and technical elements are really good, so it has a generally positive response from me.

3.5

rauldc14

03-26-19, 12:56 PM

The Square

http://images-cf.localist.com/photos/593549/original/8630a9c1523876b1a2ed6c1779a08eaf49d379f1.jpg

I admittedly didn't get into this at all. Not only were the characters uninteresting to me but the story was just too bland for my tastes as well. I can honestly say sometimes I can get lost in the cultural barriers of films and perhaps this is what happened again, but that's just how it goes for me. The time seemed to drag on for eternity, honestly the film was just too long for the story it was telling. There were some cool scenes, I like d how that stairwell scene was shot for example. My least favorite scene was the guy acting like a monkey, annoying and just seemed to go on forever. Sorry but this certainly wasn't for me.

1.5

ahwell

03-26-19, 01:42 PM

Just a question for the next hall of fame: Are we allowed to nominate movies nominated in previous specialty hall of fames? Say Up for instance, nominated for Pixar... can I also nominate that for this?

Yam12

03-26-19, 01:45 PM

Citizen Rules

03-26-19, 01:50 PM

I really liked the monkey man scene in The Square and that's because I took it that he was an improvisational actor hired to do exactly what he did....but he took his performance to the extreme. He was damn good at portraying a cave man, I believed it! I'd give the actor an Oscar for that role. It couldn't have been easy pulling that off without making it look comical...but he played it deadpan serious. I thought the reaction by those at the dinner was very believable and more importantly interesting too. Their reactions piqued my interest. But I understand the film is not going to work for everyone and I thought it was a bit long. Still an interesting nom.

MovieMeditation

03-26-19, 01:50 PM

A shame, rauldc14. Definitely sounds like it wasn’t for you. The apeman scene was one of my favorite scenes from that year, so yeah... we are in opposite directions on that. :D

But I definitely expected a lot to hate this, so it’s all good. It’s a polarizing film and was doomed to split viewers. I’m just glad that I do got people on different ends of the spectrum. And hey... what’s a HoF nom if it’s just a safe bet? You win and you lose. :up:

Thanks for your comments, Raul!

Citizen Rules

03-26-19, 01:53 PM

rauldc14

03-26-19, 02:56 PM

ahwell

03-26-19, 03:54 PM

Joel

03-26-19, 04:15 PM

I swore the apeman was Jim Carrey before he showed up at the dining room. The projections of him were uncanny.

pahaK

03-26-19, 06:47 PM

Watched Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close today. Write-up comes (hopefully) tomorrow. Like most others I didn't really enjoy this. Will likely rate it 1.5 or 2 popcorn.

pahaK

03-27-19, 03:18 PM

Had a bad feeling about this and sadly it pretty much lived up to those expectations. Only one more to go.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) N

A boy with Asperger's loses his father in 9/11 and goes on a quest to find where the mysterious key he found fits.

52696

I don't think the film is supposed to be a satire but the boy reminds me of a modern snowflake and a future professional offendee. Just like our society his family chooses not to intervene with his mania but instead plays along to help him feel special. This goes to such lengths that I started to consider it funny.

Other than that it's pretty hollow drama that uses the recent tragedy as a background for its generic story. For the film it wouldn't matter if 9/11 was changed to any other real or fictional tragedy. It tip toes around the subject so carefully that it never even mentions who flew those planes or why - it's like a mystery that just happened and has no connection to anything (and drawing conclusions or expecting something to happen again is as crazy as the boy's fears).

Nothing in the film feels real (family dynamics, grief, the way strangers respond, etc.). I'm not sure if it tries to be like a fairy tale but the result is just fake. It made me feel nothing. Even the sympathy for the boy was dulled by him being so annoying and unlikable. At least the acting was good and I generally like this type of films (though I prefer more fantasy elements like I Kill Giants or Tideland).

Not the worst of the worst but quite bad. Amazed to see that this was best picture nominee.

1.5

rauldc14

03-28-19, 08:51 PM

Forgot to say I am done just need to send my list in.

ahwell

03-28-19, 09:09 PM

I’m done as well, list sent.

MovieMeditation

03-28-19, 09:10 PM

I’m excited for the results!

ahwell

03-28-19, 09:14 PM

Me, too. Pretty sure my nomination won’t do well, but that’s not why I entered anyways.

Citizen Rules

03-28-19, 09:14 PM

I can't wait for the reveal:p....Siddon is Neiba still in this?

MovieMeditation

03-28-19, 09:22 PM

I can't wait for the reveal:p....Siddon is Neiba still in this?
Siddon dropped out.

We will never actually get to see the results.

Citizen Rules

03-28-19, 09:23 PM

Siddon dropped out.

We will never actually get to see the results.:eek:

Joel

03-28-19, 09:26 PM

"you serious, Clark?"

Joel

03-28-19, 09:27 PM

I have 3 more to do and need to hammer them done. Damn...i have to seriously not join these anymore until I am retired or rich, or both haha

MovieMeditation

03-28-19, 09:32 PM

"you serious, Clark?"
I am serious. And don’t call me Clark.

Joel

03-28-19, 10:03 PM

alright so this tournament is a wash then, yes?

Pity, I was really looking forward to winning with my nom. ;)

Citizen Rules

03-28-19, 10:05 PM

alright so this tournament is a wash then, yes?

Pity, I was really looking forward to winning with my nom. ;) I think MM is joking. Pretty sure Siddon is still onboard. Siddon your guidance is required.

Siddon

03-28-19, 10:19 PM

Siddon dropped out.

We will never actually get to see the results.

alright so this tournament is a wash then, yes?

Pity, I was really looking forward to winning with my nom. ;)

I think MM is joking. Pretty sure Siddon is still onboard. @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) your guidance is required.

Basically I don't want the thread to become neglected so I will be slowing down my pace to match the stragglers.

So we've got 52 reviews to go...you should expect an update after every 10-13 reviews from here on out

I've received 4 reviews and 1 list, it would be nice if I didn't have to repeat myself but apparently I feel like I'm going to have to do this every week.

MovieMeditation

03-29-19, 06:08 AM

I think MM is joking.
He is.

Joel

03-29-19, 03:41 PM

Well I'm not. See ya! I am OUTTA here!!!

Nathaniel

03-29-19, 04:02 PM

Split had the win in the bag too.

edarsenal

03-29-19, 04:03 PM

https://media.giphy.com/media/fUfjF9feeKwU0/giphy.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/CanineUglyKissingbug-small.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/l378uiyYmadRKNifu/giphy.gif

Citizen Rules

03-29-19, 04:10 PM

Well I'm not. See ya! I am OUTTA here!!!Why?

MovieMeditation

03-29-19, 04:24 PM

Well I'm not. See ya! I am OUTTA here!!!
Well, well, well. It sure looks to me like Joel he...

... split the scene.

ahwell

03-29-19, 04:42 PM

Well, darn. I was banking on split ensuring my nom wouldn’t get last.

Joel

03-30-19, 12:08 AM

ohhh you guysss...you know you missed the boat on Split but that's OK. OK, (rubs hands together)..three more to go! Let's get it ON!!! (jogs aggressively in place while exhaling like a caffeinated athlete)

Joel

03-30-19, 12:09 AM

Well, darn. I was banking on split ensuring my nom wouldn’t get last.

Ah well!:shrug:

Joel

03-30-19, 12:10 AM

Well, well, well. It sure looks to me like Joel he...

... split the scene.

Le hee hee HEE!

I'm back...

didn't wanna be a SQUARE about it!

pahaK

03-30-19, 12:41 AM

Le hee hee HEE!

I'm back...

didn't wanna be a SQUARE about it!

Good to have you back. Would have been all fire and BRIMSTONE if you'd really left.

neiba

04-01-19, 09:00 AM

Sorry I've been away for so long everybody. But I've been watching films and only have 3 left. Will post my reviews during the next few days!

rauldc14

04-01-19, 09:36 AM

Look forward to your last 8 reviews!

edarsenal

04-01-19, 03:00 PM

need to wrap this up as well. Got the final four to go.

MovieMeditation

04-01-19, 03:25 PM

Sorry I've been away for so long everybody. But I've been watching films and only have 3 left. Will post my reviews during the next few days!
Look forward to your last 8 reviews!
The Waitful Eight.

Yam12

04-01-19, 04:35 PM

The Square (Ruben Ostlund; 2017)

https://i2.wp.com/www.culledculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screen-Shot-2017-11-28-at-11.02.00-PM.png?resize=1144%2C656&ssl=1

Been interested in this for a while. Overall I'd say the experience was mixed. The performances were great but I did not care for the plot and that it honestly could've been about half an hour shorter or so. I did like a number of scenes though, particularly the monkey scene which I did feel was quite funny. Overall I did feel that the film that the film had some interesting themes and an interesting story but it wasn't something I was able to connect to. Good film nonetheless but not one for me.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Brimstone (Martin Koolhoven; 2016)

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/brimstone-venice-3.jpg?w=1000

Didn't know much about this before watching but overall wasn't a fan of this. The first chapter was quite promising but the second chapter is when the film started to go off the rails for me and it never recovered after that. Also did feel that the majority of the acting was nothing special. Also felt this went on for way too long and the conclusion of the film was pretty unsatisfying. Overall I could see why someone might like this but it just wasn't for me.

pahaK

04-02-19, 04:16 PM

Watched Snow White yesterday. Will try to have review up today and most likely will vote tonight as well as that was my last film.

Nathaniel

04-02-19, 04:58 PM

Road to Perdition (2002)

https://66.media.tumblr.com/d3ffe7cb629ae3d97cb90f1f00a4a379/tumblr_nzb58f1Gem1qetb0ho1_1280.jpg

The first thing that hit me is how good this film looks and just how good it looks had slipped my mind. Much of that is down to how its visuals are consistently great and I don't think anything else in this Hall of Fame matches up in that area (Unless Split pulls several rabbits out of the hat). Standout is the scene where Jude Law's character Harlen enters the crime scene with his camera. There's not much drama or suspense built into this sequence initially but the way Conrad Hall puts it together with a shaded quality is amazing. I think all of the scenes are well structured because of this and that also gives the more notable story moments a lift. There's clear thought and ingenuity being put into the cinematography and production design of this.

I liked Hanks here and it's got a great supporting cast too (Newman, Leigh, Law, Tucci, Craig, Hinds et. al.). I'm still not a fan of the ending or the last 15 to 20 minutes in general where the corniness is dialled up to a level that was difficult to hack, but that's the only real qualm I have with it.

I remember this as being a decent follow up to American Beauty from Sam Mendes. Without a doubt, Road to Perdition is the film I prefer on rewatch. Great pick @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536).

Nathaniel

04-02-19, 05:20 PM

Watched Snow White yesterday. Will try to have review up today and most likely will vote tonight as well as that was my last film.

5 incoming.

:D

pahaK

04-02-19, 05:25 PM

5 incoming.

:D

https://media3.giphy.com/media/l2JhOCnZs0iIww5c4/giphy.gif

Nathaniel

04-02-19, 05:37 PM

https://media3.giphy.com/media/l2JhOCnZs0iIww5c4/giphy.gif

https://i.gifer.com/2rFr.gif

pahaK

04-02-19, 09:12 PM

Sadly Nathaniel was wrong and I didn't enjoy classical Disney.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) N

A Disney classic about a pretty princess with one bitch of a stepmother.

52935

It's not my movie. Besides animation looking really good there's very little to stir my interest. The story is so minimal that even at only 83 minutes there's time for multiple (rather awful in my opinion) musical numbers. And yes, I know it's from an old fairy tale by the Grimm brothers but the queen's actions to get rid off Snow White are rather pathetic.

The characters are extremely thin. Snow White feels like a simpleton whose only purpose is to find herself a husband. She doesn't exaggerate when she sings that she only knows one song. The dwarfs have their whole character profile in their respective names. It's kinda sad that all the random bunnies and birds feel as deep (or actually shallow) as the titular characters.

A princess fantasy for little girls that doesn't seem very relevant today (whether that's a good or a bad thing is not an easy question to answer). I can't say that I enjoyed this but I can kinda see why people in the 30s did.

1.5

ahwell

04-02-19, 09:20 PM

Surprise, surprise. I’d like to at least defend it and say that there’s one thing that can make a movie in my opinion without a great plot... and that’s beauty. I think a film with great beauty is just awesome to watch. So now that everyone’s watched it (and few have liked it) I still think it’s important to not just look at the characters and plot but the amazing beauty (and I know a lot of you did point it out).

MovieMeditation

04-02-19, 09:46 PM

Haha wow.

I think I better shut up or this will get bad.

Siddon

04-03-19, 07:48 AM

https://www.updown.org.uk/outofcos/oc_sevenwaves.jpg

Abandon Ship! is a film that is of it's essence about dogma. This is a film in which the narrator tells you what to think and every character is lined up for a specific purpose. Had this been a Twilight Zone episode or a Playhouse 90 TV movie it might have worked but stretched to feature length the characterizations are also problematic.

I can understand why Citizen Rules nominated this film, the first act is great and the film has enough plot points that you can maintain a degree of enjoyment from it. Those that died are shown to be heroic those that live...not so much. Also you have bit of a racism problem with the film as several characters are just flimsy and cartoonish stereotypes (black guy, irish guy, Italian guy, promiscuous female and male) are all portrayed terribly. You also have this undercurrent where only the people who served were "heroes" they were not given the same harsh treatment as the civilians.

What is sad about this is the actual story is much more compelling. The actual story took place 100 years early, the ship was filled with many children and the crew killed all the men and two of the women. I would have loved to see that story, about the sort of men that take control in a situation like that, about the boat filled with multiple children not just the one and how the next day the ones that hid were sent to their death. This was just Darwinism which is sad because it could have been more.

As for the film, the low budget works well Tyrone Power takes a commanding lead none of the other characters are given much more to do. The climax I felt would have worked better on a second setting...perhaps on trial or on the rescue ship doing it on the boat seemed a touch too melodramaticrating_3

Siddon

04-03-19, 08:32 AM

Well we've got our second completely reviewed film...Snow White

Abandon Ship 10/12
Brimstone 11/12
Bubba Ho-Tep 12/12
Extremely Loud and Incredible Close 6/12
The Florida Project 9/12
The King of Comedy 10/12
The Little Stranger 11/12
Perfect Blue 9/12
Road to Perdition 10/12
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 12/12
Split 8/12
The Square 11/12

119 reviews are in with 25 left to go with 24% of those being Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close reviews

Here's a preview for the scoring

1st Place - 58 pts
2nd Place - 52 pts
3rd Place - 51 pts
4th Place - 49 pts
5th Place - 45 pts
6th Place - 44 pts
7th Place - 39 pts
8th Place -37 pts
9th Place - 30 pts
10th Place - 29 pts
11th Place - 25 pts
12th Place - 9 pts

neiba

04-03-19, 11:45 AM

Reviewing these 2 together cause I felt they had some similarities in terms of atmosphere:

Brimstone

I knew nothing about this, the poster suggested a western so I was quite curious to watch it.
While I didn't love this there were some things nice about it: I liked that it was divided into several non chronological chapters cause it showed the character's actions before showing their motivations. With such a straight forward story line that was a good way to keep things interesting and give it some depth. I liked the first two chapters, while the other two felt a bit underwhelming, especially the last one.
The acting is solid though I wouldn't highlight noone, I felt all the characters lacked some depth but maybe that's because of the script,not sure.
I also had some issues with its running time, it maybe could lose 30 minutes though I'm not sure what would I cut.

It's overall a decent film that I don't regret watching but it's not likely I'll revisit it ever again.

3 -

Road to Perdition

The first thing I need to say about this is: stunning cinematography! There are really amazing shots here and how everything was kept so dark through out the whole film did wonders for its atmosphere.
Tom Hanks lends a friendly face to a film that could easily be a western vendetta film, creating quite an interesting mixture.
The acting is quite good by everyone involved, with a rich cast full of well known faces, but I did think the first climax of this felt a bit empty, too stylized and not enough powerful. Had no problem with the second climax though it was quite obvious it was bound to happen.

A good film, surprisingly easy to watch. Nice nom!

3.5 -

neiba

04-03-19, 11:55 AM

Split

I don't usually do drugs so I can't see how could I enjoy this or even understand it. It took me 2 days to complete, which is insane considering it's less than 1 hour and a half.
Maybe it's supposed to induce the sence of being drugged or it just makes sense if you are actually on drugs, but everything from the editing and soundtrack to the acting just annoys me.
Sorry Joel, it might have been the worst watch I ever had to go through on a HoF! :/

0.5

Citizen Rules

04-03-19, 12:00 PM

Abandon Ship!...I can understand why Citizen Rules nominated this film, the first act is great and the film has enough plot points that you can maintain a degree of enjoyment from it. Those that died are shown to be heroic those that live...not so much. Wow, if that's what you think then you totally don't know why I nominated Abandon Ship...It's not the first act that I really love, and it's not because those who 'died are shown to be heroic those that live...not so much'. In fact the film doesn't make those who are jettisoned into the water into 'brave heroes', nor are the survivors all cowards, (at least during the ordeal at sea.) Instead they are all very human...and in the end decide to turn their back's on the Captain, so they can bury the guilt they feel for their part in choosing who lives and who died. They choose to believe a falsehood so to save their own necks, which is also very human...

The reason I nominated Abandon Ship: is for the one unique emotion that comes out of putting one's self into the Captain's shoes and dealing with one helluva a hard decision: Would the viewer throw people overboard to a certain death so as to save an overloaded ship? Would they have the courage to make such a decision? If so would you send the sick and weak over board first? And what would it be like to be in that situation with that huge burden of command weighing on you...could you do it? Was the Captain's decision moral and those who objected cowards as the rich lady suggested?...And the film delivers that virtual emotional experience, even though it had a lower budget and had some script problems, but what it offers is a unique journey into a situation that luckily we'll most likely never encounter.

That's why I nominated it. And that's why I nominated Passengers in the 14th HoF.

rauldc14

04-03-19, 12:09 PM

I like Passengers, didn't care for Abandon Ship

My list is in and count me in for the 19th. I hate to say it but the 18th was one of the weaker HOFs in recent memory

Citizen Rules

04-03-19, 12:26 PM

...My list is in and count me in for the 19th. I hate to say it but the 18th was one of the weaker HOFs in recent memoryI'm joining the 19th HoF, of course:p and I'm bringing my 'A game' this time around. It's called a Hall of Fame for a reason...and I've done little known movies before, this time it's for real!

Oh, we need a host, @MijaFrost (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100042) would be cool! She's been a good HoF member but has never hosted. No pressure on her if she doesn't want to do it. I want to wait and host the 20th, as I've hosted the 5th, 10th and 15th HoFs in the past.

MovieMeditation

04-03-19, 12:45 PM

I like Passengers, didn't care for Abandon Ship

My list is in and count me in for the 19th. I hate to say it but the 18th was one of the weaker HOFs in recent memory
And then I came back for one of the weaker ones!?!? Dammit.

I’ll skip the 19th. But might come back for the big 20. I’m so busy right now and also doing the director’s dissection with Raul and Sean (which I’m slacking on :p) and I rarely do two HoFs in a row (don’t think I ever have). I got so much on my mind right now; moving, education etc. so I better wait out. :) If I had all the time in the world I would gladly join the 19th!

Yam12

04-03-19, 03:56 PM

Any idea on who's gonna be hosting the 19th HoF?

edarsenal

04-03-19, 07:05 PM

I've done a few of the secondary HoFs and haven't gotten a Numbered Main HoF under my belt so I would be willing to, should Mija decide not to or no one else cares to. . .

edarsenal

04-03-19, 11:08 PM

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lqew6ulya_g/hqdefault.jpg

The King of Comedy

Much like Scorcese's After Hours, I had a very rough time the first time I saw it, and while the second viewing was a little better for After Hours, to say the same for KoC is a bit of stretch.
Which is a crying shame since I am a fanboy of Scorcese and truly do love and enjoy a very large portion of his films and I do respect his work, talent, and ability to pull something like this off. The same goes for DeNiro who truly nails the part of the delusional wannabe that takes the everyday fantasizing we all do and decides to kidnap his idol to get a spot on his show.
In fact, he did such an excellent job I had, and contained, a very high degree of disgust and distaste for the character and could only see the dangers of a - sadly - not all that unusual type of fan that has no idea the harm they cause simply because they're a fan and thereby, they think they have a right to commit such acts as we see by both DeNiro and Sandra Berhhart. Whom also does her psycho that she does so very well. Bouncing from lucid to insane like a prima ballerina.

This praise of the actors can go on and on, they all did their roles very, very well.
Across the board, this a very good film and deserves the praise it gets.

I think it is the character of Rupert Pupkin that just irritates me so much, that, well, I can't say I am unable to get past it to appreciate the film and all that makes it a solid film. I do see it, I do appreciate it. I just hate Pupkin, he's a terrible lounge act of a comedian and I have not the patience, and therefore, the desire to endure him for the sake of the film.

Which is on me.

A good film by a great Director with a solid and strong cast.
But one I just do not like or see myself changing that opinion or wanting future viewings to change it.
So, my deepest apologies to Yam, who's movies I normally do enjoy.

MijaFrost

04-03-19, 11:27 PM

I'm joining the 19th HoF, of course:p and I'm bringing my 'A game' this time around. It's called a Hall of Fame for a reason...and I've done little known movies before, this time it's for real!

Oh, we need a host, @MijaFrost (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100042) would be cool! She's been a good HoF member but has never hosted. No pressure on her if she doesn't want to do it. I want to wait and host the 20th, as I've hosted the 5th, 10th and 15th HoFs in the past.

Thanks so much for suggesting me, I really appreciate the thought.

If I had more time I'd be down, but I'm currently swamped with work and other ongoing projects. :(

So if edarsenal wants to host this one, you should go for it. :p

edarsenal

04-03-19, 11:40 PM

Thanks so much for suggesting me, I really appreciate the thought.

If I had more time I'd be down, but I'm currently swamped with work and other ongoing projects. :(

So if edarsenal wants to host this one, you should go for it. :p

Pity, I would have loved to see you host, I'm sure you'd be wonderful at it.
And thank you, if no one else wants, I most likely will.

Citizen Rules

04-04-19, 02:11 AM

#Edforthe19th :up:

Siddon

04-04-19, 03:28 AM

Wow, if that's what you think then you totally don't know why I nominated Abandon Ship...It's not the first act that I really love, and it's not because those who 'died are shown to be heroic those that live...not so much'. In fact the film doesn't make those who are jettisoned into the water into 'brave heroes', nor are the survivors all cowards, (at least during the ordeal at sea.) Instead they are all very human...and in the end decide to turn their back's on the Captain, so they can bury the guilt they feel for their part in choosing who lives and who died. They choose to believe a falsehood so to save their own necks, which is also very human...

The reason I nominated Abandon Ship: is for the one unique emotion that comes out of putting one's self into the Captain's shoes and dealing with one helluva a hard decision: Would the viewer throw people overboard to a certain death so as to save an overloaded ship? Would they have the courage to make such a decision? If so would you send the sick and weak over board first? And what would it be like to be in that situation with that huge burden of command weighing on you...could you do it? Was the Captain's decision moral and those who objected cowards as the rich lady suggested?...And the film delivers that virtual emotional experience, even though it had a lower budget and had some script problems, but what it offers is a unique journey into a situation that luckily we'll most likely never encounter.

That's why I nominated it. And that's why I nominated Passengers in the 14th HoF.
dog·ma-a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
All the shipsmen in a position of authority were given heroic scenes

You had the Captain, XO (Powers), Nurse, Deck Officer (Kelly) and junior XO. I believe they all tried to sacrifice themselves at one point or the other. Because the individuals in authority were not given the human frailty elements others would have for me that was a debit on the film.

Citizen Rules

04-04-19, 12:03 PM

All the shipsmen in a position of authority were given heroic scenes

You had the Captain, XO (Powers), Nurse, Deck Officer (Kelly) and junior XO. I believe they all tried to sacrifice themselves at one point or the other. Because the individuals in authority were not given the human frailty elements others would have for me that was a debit on the film. I disagree, I think most of the people crew or non crew acted within reason for the movie's situation...and the crew by training are suppose to be able to handle tough situations by following protocol.

neiba

04-04-19, 03:10 PM

neiba

04-04-19, 03:11 PM

Will try to tackle Abandon Ship tonight.

MovieMeditation

04-04-19, 03:30 PM

The Little Stranger

Not quite sure what to think of this. It managed to keep me interested but not fully invested.
I liked that the supernatural elements were kept at a minimum and left space to other possible explanations. I prefer to think that Faraday murdered all these people because they all were obstacles to him keeping that house which he was obsessed about. Don't know how he would have done it, maybe through the power of suggestion, at least with the first 2, but it's a far more interesting explanation than ghosts.
The cinematography is quite nice, dark and dusty, and the pacing is appropriate to what it is trying to portray.

3+

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

This is one of the few oscar-baits I actually like! Don't really know why cause I agree with pretty much everyone here talking it down but to me it just is powerfully emotive, when it really shouldn't be cause it gathers all the elements I usually hate on a Hollywood flick.
I was hoping someone else would feel the same but I admit this is probably the worst film I ever nominated on a HoF even if a couple got even more backlash.

3.5
neiba's on a roll!

I love what you have to say about both of these. I felt pretty much the same about Little Stranger too.

And while I did dislike your nomination, I can relate to the thing you say about sometimes just connecting with sentimental and perhaps award-baity movies, because they simply speak to you and you accept the manipulation and freedom it sometimes takes to reach that level of emotion. Now, I haven't seen the mentioned film in a long time, but Seven Pounds with Will Smith was at least once such movie for me. It was torn apart by critics but I liked the way it built its story even if it pulled on the heartstrings like it was a god damn tug of war... I liked what Ebert said about it in his positive review: "some people don't like to be emotionally manipulated. I do, when it's done well..."

Some times it just works for you and doesn't for others. :up:

Nathaniel

04-04-19, 04:36 PM

The Florida Project (2017)

https://www.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2018/03/29/Pictures/_4c4a1bd4-333e-11e8-9916-7e63ef9446cf.jpg

How Sean Baker looks at this motel situated so close to Walt Disney World is fascinating. The kind of rut that people find themselves is prevalent worldwide but there's an American feel to this that I liked. The colour scheme gives it a nice concrete wonderland tone. There's some hamming going on which is annoying but sadly I've seen kids and adults that act out much worse.

The issue is that it doesn't say anything all that revelatory to me. Which is disappointing because this kind of film would normally be right up my alley (And it was hyped as one of the best films of 2017!). I just feel it's a topic that's been approached a lot better by other directors. Kore-eda and Loach for example. It seems to meander for just under two hours, repeating itself but not in a way where I thought it was adding impetus. It just stretches things out. Early on you realise exactly what the characters living in The Magic Castle are like and then it hammers those traits into your skull for the duration.

I did love Bobby though. Dafoe is great. Though even if he didn't have the role I still think that his character is very well written. Start a series centred around Bobby running a motel please.

So yeah, this was a solid nomination that should do well but it's not that memorable for me.

edarsenal

04-06-19, 05:17 PM

should be checking out Split this evening.

MovieMeditation

04-06-19, 05:40 PM

should be checking out Split this evening.
Good luck. :p

edarsenal

04-06-19, 08:06 PM

http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/split2-480x300.jpg

Split

And then . . .
the drugs kicked in

The viewer has to look past the budgetary limitations and surrender to the complete weirdness. If one does this as they should, one will be rewarded with a thought provoking comedy.

While I didn't necessarily discover a thought provoking comedy I think I did get a rousing flashback and a touch of nostalgia for a number of sci-fi films my younger brother enjoyed back during the late eighties that had a similar Orwellian synopsis with acid trip effects.
Which, for me, kicked in with the version I watched on youtube that included a trailer for another low budget flick, making me think of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse movie with the Drive In Movie Trailers.

So, with a memory of similar films that were made back then, my past enjoyments of hallucinogenics and being a kid in the early seventies when kid shows included acid trip like effects (particularly during a rock song aka The Hot Fudge Show, The Groovy Ghoulies and others) this was kinda fun to watch; should I be completely honest.
Not one I imagine I'd revisit (unless very VERY high lol) but on the list of The Strange Oddball Films I Wouldn't Have Seen Otherwise and therefore, not such a bad thing.

neiba

04-07-19, 11:09 AM

The Florida Project (2017)

A really beautiful and honest take on poverty. It doesn't have a traditional narrative, we're just shown some days into the life of people who live on a basic income or social welfare, as if it was a documentary.
I could talk about the colours of this film, which are stunning, or the great acintg by everyone envolved (my respect for Dufoe has been growing and growing these past couple of years), or even the cool soundtrack, but I think that would be missing the point, because this film has such a strong message that anything that gets in the way of fullying absorbing it is not really important to talk about.
I absolutely love the way how Hailey and Moonee stories are conected. As hard as it is to feel sorry for Hailey we can totally see Moonee becoming just like her and there's not really much she can do about it. It's like seeing the past, the present and the future at the same time and coming to the conclusion that free will might not exist after all, and that's what I think is the main message of this film.
Beautiful nom, and one of the favourites to the top of my list for sure!

4 +

rauldc14

04-07-19, 11:18 AM

Ah so glad you liked it Neiba!

MovieMeditation

04-07-19, 12:52 PM

Good write-up, neiba! The underlying grimness of this otherwise colorful looking film is definitely one of the strong points of the film. :up:

Citizen Rules

04-07-19, 01:33 PM

The Florida Project (2017)

A really beautiful and honest take on poverty.

It doesn't have a traditional narrative, we're just shown some days into the life of people who live on a basic income or social welfare, as if it was a documentary.

...this film has such a strong message that anything that gets in the way of fullying absorbing it is not really important to talk about... I liked it, but I wouldn't call it a honest take on poverty, myself. More like a TV reality show's take on poverty. Which is OK, as it's a fictional movie and movies don't have to be real as life to be good. I think the film succeeded in doing what the film intended to do. I enjoyed the vibrant colors and interesting style of open narrative/you are there...type of film making. But I sure didn't see this as some ultimate truth. No offense, but since joining MoFo I've realized people, including myself, make our own truths out of the films we see.

MovieMeditation

04-07-19, 02:02 PM

I liked it, but I wouldn't call it a honest take on poverty, myself. More like a TV reality show's take on poverty. Which is OK, as it's a fictional movie and movies don't have to be real as life to be good. I think the film succeeded in doing what the film intended to do. I enjoyed the vibrant colors and interesting style of open narrative/you are there...type of film making. But I sure didn't see this as some ultimate truth. No offense, but since joining MoFo I've realized people, including myself, make our own truths out of the films we see.
I don't see neiba as trying to somehow lay out the only truth about this movie or try to state the one and only definitive answer on it.

He did say "I think" more than one time and when he didn't it sounded more like him trying to make sense of what he saw and what he thought it all meant.

Writing reviews is kind of like seeking the truth and meaning in films and no matter how objective you try to be it will always be a subjective thing in the end and sharing one view is part of a multi-view discussion to possibly follow and that is part of the forum formula.

Citizen Rules

04-07-19, 02:22 PM

...Writing reviews is kind of like seeking the truth and meaning in films and no matter how objective you try to be it will always be a subjective thing in the end and sharing one view is part of a multi-view discussion to possibly follow and that is part of the forum formula. Agreed...that's why I included myself as having my own reality/personal truth from my own viewing experience. So personally I seen Florida Project as more of an insight into the director's mindset with his choice of colorful shooting locations and even more colorful people. My only complaint about the movie was the Disney ending.

MovieMeditation

04-07-19, 02:47 PM

Agreed...that's why I included myself as having my own reality/personal truth from my own viewing experience. So personally I seen Florida Project as more of an insight into the director's mindset with his choice of colorful shooting locations and even more colorful people. My only complaint about the movie was the Disney ending.
Ah, okay. It just sounded like you replied to neiba as somehow being wrong or at least wrongly writing out what is essentially just an opinion. So I got a bit confused is all. ;)

Now on the topic of discussion,, I personally see both of your perspectives in the movie. I do think the movie is like a glimpse into the life of these people and right in the moment. We really do drop in on this reality for these people, which has the fun contrast of the colors making it seem wonderful on the outside while showing us the cold hard truth on the inside. I may not have felt the “reality tv” kind of feel you did CR, but I did feel like it was a bit “off” sometimes. I didn’t buy into it all as 100% honest life and documentary-like: even for the “filmed in moments” type stylistic choice, it still felt too set-up either story-wise or (moslty) thematically for what it wanted to say and put forward.

Siddon

04-08-19, 08:26 AM

Well we've got four completely reviewed films...as Brimstone, The Florida Project, The Little Stranger and Road to Perdition has now been completed

Abandon Ship 10/12
Brimstone 12/12
Bubba Ho-Tep 12/12
Extremely Loud and Incredible Close 7/12
The Florida Project 12/12
The King of Comedy 11/12
The Little Stranger 12/12
Perfect Blue 9/12
Road to Perdition 12/12
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 12/12
Split 11/12
The Square 11/12

we now just have 12 reviews left to go with about 40% of those being Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close reviews

Siddon

04-08-19, 08:43 AM

https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/perd1-700x368.png

Road to Perdition is a five star movie to me, it's a film with a textual richness while also being visually stunning. I watched this along with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close but what is interesting is the dichotomy of the two films and where they stray away from each other. In Perdition the son is very much a normal boy and he's given the character of a strong protagonist. While he is the impetus for the plot he never really changes (which I appreciate).

Mendes does incredible things with color where you start off at different stages of darkness until you get the build to ultimate bleakness but yet the ending is one of complete light...which is then dramatically undercut. It's the little things like that which I really value in a film like this.

You also have a collection of small scenes that are just so vivid and well made where you have scenes of powerful tension, action, and sentimentality. It is evocative of Spielberg's early work where everything is just so well polished and thought through. Finally one of the things I noticed about this film (and really my top three) is how well the filmmaker illustrates the passing of time. This is a road trip film where you aren't constantly being confronted with obstacles that would keep the narrator from their final destinations. This is a film that could have been told in 30 minutes or 12 hours and to me that is the sign of a well paced film this could have been edited or expanded and it still would have been great.

rating_5

Siddon

04-08-19, 08:59 AM

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Florida Project

Abandon Ship!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Perfect Blue

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Perfect Blue

Split
The Square

Abandon Ship!

Perfect Blue

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The King of Comedy

So I need those reviews, all should be doable the deadline is Friday if any of you need an extra week just let me know

edarsenal

04-08-19, 07:14 PM

I'm good. They'll be in by then

Joel

04-08-19, 08:50 PM

Perfect Blue - I'm going to make this quic because I am way behind. I thought it was interesting. I usually don;t like animated but this was at least challenging because while it was annoying and loud and screechy in areas, it also had mood and intrigue. There's a blu ray coming out of it and I may just hop on it to so I can see it again with a better presentation, but yeah, man - not too shabby.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - I love Hnks but this is just another one of his squishy and naggymovies where I'm supposed to be moved. I couldn't be moved because the main character was bereft of anything I could latch onto. I found myself squirming a lot because I was underwhelmed and kept thinking that I'd rather be watching Lone Wold McQuade or soemthing. No offense, but wasn't my cup of tea. Sidenote - I remember when 911 happened. I was at work, and the manager put a tv set out in the warehouse for us all to watch and keep up. That moved me.

Abandon Ship is left, and I will try to have it done by Friday!

neiba

04-09-19, 08:27 AM

Siddon

I just realized I forgot my PC charger at home and I will be traveling till Saturday. Would it be ok to ask for a extra day or 2? I am almost finishing Abandon Ship (dead battery interrupted it) and then only Perfect Blue left.

Citizen Rules

04-09-19, 01:23 PM

...Abandon Ship is left, and I will try to have it done by Friday!Saving the best for last:p

Nathaniel

04-09-19, 06:10 PM

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gSZ_H3FnSPo/maxresdefault.jpg

Man, this film throws everything at you with an appalling lack of subtlety. Supported by a score which may as well be generic emotional music #2. A desperate cry on cue mantra. Please cry here. Please cry there. Holding a message from a dying man at the heart of 9/11 over the head of the audience like some emotional pull just made me cringe when that moment is meant to hit the hardest. And that's how I found myself reacting to each clunky emotional moment.

You get quirky precocious obnoxious Oskar who I am meant to have such sympathy for despite him feeling like an alien robot or flips to characters who wouldn't you know it have such heart-breaking stories of their own to tell. I get the sense that Stephen Daldry sees poignancy in how this is directed but I thought it was awkward more than anything. I didn't buy into the overdone sentiment or melodramatics being presented here. Considering that's the main pull of this movie as there's nothing else that's noteworthy about it, the experience fell flat. The bait concept, Hanks, Von Sydow and Bullock coming off her Oscar win yells awards contender. I'm not surprised by its buzz on that basis but I feel the cast is dragged down by the material.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is one of the worst best picture nominees I've seen. I'd have to actually check every best picture nominee to confirm if it is my least favourite but it's right up there.

Nathaniel

04-09-19, 06:12 PM

Split (1989)

53158

Split is a film that if you take some of its visuals out of context I would be impressed but they're strung together in a complete mess of crap. Filled with some of the goofiest bizarre plotting, acting and dialogue that you will see. The main cast are all painful to listen to and make little to no sense. So many bizarre random ass camera angles are thrown at you throughout the film that are clearly meant to be somewhat disorienting but I just thought they were incredibly irritating instead. The last five minutes did make me laugh a couple of times for the sheer WTF IS GOING ON.

Other people are right in that it feels like a hallucinogenic experience and I suspect that I would only like this in those circumstances. There's an utter lack of investment there for me and I couldn't even invest myself in what I was watching to revel in how silly it is.

No reprieve for Split from me I'm afraid.

Nathaniel

04-09-19, 06:14 PM

What a double bill that was.

MovieMeditation

04-09-19, 08:03 PM

What a double bill that was.
Hope you didn’t pay a single pill for it though! :p

Joel

04-09-19, 08:08 PM

What a double bill that was.

oh man, don't even..extremely loud wasn't even in the same universe as split lol..oh wait..you mean you hated both. Gotcha ;)

Nathaniel

04-09-19, 08:26 PM

What a double bill that was.
Hope you didn’t pay a single pill for it though! :p

Unfortunately, no pills were taken. Those three and a half hours are cemented in the memory. Never to be forgotten.

MovieMeditation

04-09-19, 08:34 PM

What a double bill that was.
Hope you didn’t pay a single pill for it though! :p
So...... this was supposed to say bill, not pill. :modest:

Because I definitely would recommend a special pill for the full Split experience! :dizzy: But I hear it’s too late for you now, Nathaniel :( I’m sorry for your loss... of cinephile dignity

Joel

04-10-19, 09:32 AM

Maaaan, you guys wouldnt know a good movie if it staarted twerking on your pill collection.;)
Knocking shlt over on the dresser...

Twerk! Twerk!

edarsenal

04-11-19, 11:53 PM

https://i.gifer.com/2bsK.gif

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I'm kinda on the fence on this one.
Like others, this had all the makings of being a really great, emotionally impacting film. And yet, it seemed to miss the mark.
Not entirely though, by the time Sydow started getting screen time, I did find myself invested. Though not as much as I truly should have. This movie should have had me bawling quite often and the best that I got was a little choked up on a few scenes and some lovely heart warming bits at the very end.

I could simply blame it on the child character. NOT The actor, he did what was needed of him for the character, in spades.
But I think the director took the Asperger aspect into the filming as well so that a large portion of it seemed sort of off kilter or incorrectly paced. I'm not sure how to explain that.
Though I do imagine, should it ever occur, a secondary watch may smooth out those quirks and a better enjoyment of this film may come to play.

edarsenal

04-11-19, 11:55 PM

I will have the final film The Florida Project completed tomorrow along with a review and vote sent in by late in the evening.

edarsenal

04-12-19, 09:44 PM

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/screen-shot-2017-12-14-at-4-38-36-pm.png?w=780

The Florida Project

I am in bit of a dilemma.

I don't have much to say about this film.

I will state that everyone did a very good job at portraying their characters. The little girl playing Moonie was phenomenal. And of course Dafoe, for me, can do no wrong.

As for the characters within this film. . . it was like having to sit through a youtube reality video montage clips. Which is something I avoid and having lived in some dire areas in my lifetime, these were all folks I did my very best to steer clear of simply because of the constant drama. Which may be amusing watching from a safe distance on a screen, it it the worst kind of stress to be in the same neighborhood. And these were in an apartment complex. And that's a place where it is nearly impossible NOT to get dragged into the drama.

So. Hence the dilemma.

Do I go into a rant, or do I simply end this abruptly, much like they did with the two children disappearing at Walt Disney?
And how the hell did they get IN such a mega amusement park in the first place??? That's some SERIOUS ninja sh#t right there.

Joel

04-12-19, 10:54 PM

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/screen-shot-2017-12-14-at-4-38-36-pm.png?w=780

The Florida Project

these were all folks I did my very best to steer clear of simply because of the constant drama. Which may be amusing watching from a safe distance on a screen, it it the worst kind of stress to be in the same neighborhood. And these were in an apartment complex. And that's a place where it is nearly impossible NOT to get dragged into the drama.

I know the feeling. People like that are all about themselves. Very entitled and basically clueless on how to conduct themselves civilly. Totally understand not wanting to be in that world, especially when it's time to escape the stress you already may have in the civil world, haha.

Nathaniel

04-13-19, 12:14 AM

The Square (2017)

https://frieze.com/sites/default/files/editorial/the-square-szenenbild-aus-dem-kinofilm-von-ruben-oestland-100_1920x1080.jpg

I liked this quite a bit. Ambitious artistic satire that connected. I will admit that it is too long and packs too much for my liking but it's not totally off-putting. I thought it was going off the rails towards the end but there's more than enough there to carry it through. The cleverness of the script and the sharpness of the dialogue more than helps with that. An understated quality to it that suits the prod into the contemporary art patronage. I dug the humour and the opening discussion with Christian and Anne drew me into its comedic strengths right off the bat.

Its focus on contemporary thought certainly doesn't wane in the latter stages. That's kind of the one big takeaway because it does focus on so many different aspects of our society which is a big reason why you get many varying interpretations of this film. The press conference which dissolves into a question of free speech, poverty and ideals. The off centre way that Christian is filmed. You can see him visibly squirm his way through the entirety of it but it maintains its sense of satire as there's no winning with the press regardless of the decision he takes. You could perceive that scene differently than I have. Whether that's in the questions being posed or how Christian is being presented in that scene. Food for thought throughout.

edarsenal

04-13-19, 12:15 AM

I know the feeling. People like that are all about themselves. Very entitled and basically clueless on how to conduct themselves civilly. Totally understand not wanting to be in that world, especially when it's time to escape the stress you already may have in the civil world, haha.

oh so very true

Nathaniel

04-13-19, 12:44 AM

Perfect Blue (1997)

http://66.media.tumblr.com/385a78bc49dff8bd954e04c93c93e161/tumblr_mk3jk8yTi91r6ptt3o1_500.gif

Perfect Blue is a horror thriller that captures a wide range of topics in 80 minutes. Foremost it's cynically judging the Japanese ideal of fandom. When you think about it that can applied in a global context as well. It's one big dreamlike façade with certain obsessed people feeling like they own idols. These idols restricted and almost imprisoned by what a fanbase expects of them. Mima's supposed innocence is something that is believed and then the rage comes from the obsessed when she steps outside of that innocence. It's ahead of its time too for its look at how the internet can be used to tarnish someone or heighten the sense of obsession and judgement.

I love the animation of this film. It's creative when you consider that they had far from a Ghibli budget to work with. The hallucinations and frantic editing are past the point where Mima has given into the mental stress that she is under. I thought it worked well in putting the viewer in her shoes. Her past haunting her and stuck in her head like a parasite. I understand that it comes across as confusing but that adds to the experience for me rather than detriments it. Mima is portrayed as someone who is manipulated and influenced by the events and people around her. It's like she's entering the real world for the first time when she moves away from the J-Pop group. That makes me buy into her stressful descent all the more.

edarsenal

04-13-19, 01:28 PM

Nicely written reviews Nate!!

Yam12

04-13-19, 10:15 PM

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTExNTIwNTU2MTZeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDE1MjQ0MTc@._V1_SX1500_CR0,0,1500,999_AL_.jpg

To be honest, I didn't particularly like this. I think my biggest issue was the fact that the main protagonist was just an incredibly insufferable and poorly-written and acted character to the point that it made the film quite difficult to watch. I also found the film to be just bland to the point where I didn't feel any emotional investment to the characters or the plot. The film was also trying way too hard to be sentimental to the point where just comes of as being ridiculous. I will say however I did think the acting from Hanks, Bullock and von Sydow was decent but they've delivered better performances elsewhere. Overall not a pleasent experience for me and will probably rank on the bottom end of my ballot.

______________________________________________________________________
The King of Comedy (1982)

http://images.amcnetworks.com/ifccenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/thekingofcomedy_1280.png

For me one of Scorsese's most underrated movies. An extremely dark satire of celebrity culture, Robert De Niro gives one of his best ever performances as the mentally unstable Rupert Pupkin. Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard are also terrific in their respective roles. Rupert in general is such an interesting character to watch and I often found myself cringing at his actions but at the same time I wanted him to suceed. My favourite part of the film by far is the ending in which Rupert suceeds in his goal and the audience is then left to decide whether or not the final scene is reality. Overall an extremely dark and disturbing satire that still feels oddly relevant, and an underrated work from one of the one of teh best actor-director teamups.

Yam12

04-13-19, 10:15 PM

I'm done. Just need to finalise my list.

edarsenal

04-14-19, 02:55 PM

I think that about does all of us. I do believe neiba needed an extra day or two. Hope the traveling went well and was very enjoyable :)

neiba

04-15-19, 06:15 AM

Just finished both movies I had left, I sent Siddon my list, will post the reviews in a few hours. Sorry for the extra days!

Siddon

04-15-19, 10:23 AM

Cool so we are just waiting on Joel and his review of Abandon Ship!

edarsenal

04-15-19, 01:34 PM

Just finished both movies I had left, I sent Siddon my list, will post the reviews in a few hours. Sorry for the extra days!

No worries whatsoever!!! :)

Miss Vicky

04-15-19, 01:43 PM

Is Joel still in this or what? I'll be pissed if I suffered through Split for nothing.

Siddon

04-15-19, 02:35 PM

Is @Joel (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96380) still in this or what? I'll be pissed if I suffered through Split for nothing.

He's only got one review left to go

Joel

04-15-19, 08:02 PM

I'm still in this. When is the deadline? It's been a rough week. I apologize, I'm usually on time

Joel

04-15-19, 08:10 PM

I'm submitting this review a little prematurely as I havent completely gotten to the end of Abandon Ship. That's a disclaimer, but I dont want to hold up this HoF, and I already know that this film will be solid on my list, unless the ending features a hermaphrodite dancing to gypsy music, which I doubt will happen, so - consider this my review.

Abandon Ship somehow, miraculously, fit perfectly into my nighttime routine of watching a film not too intense but still having enough adherent to keep my interest up, at least enough to fall asleep to without being offended or frustrated by complete and tedious boredom.

This is unique for its time I think in that it's kind of like Survivor. The morality on display seems minor by today's over dramatized standards as most modern films use a sick minded and meditative technique to disturb the viewer. This film doesn't have the capacity for that, so I was thankful on that.

Although the characters were kind of forgettable for the most part, I did find myself chuckling a few times, just in the way some of them talked and reacted. It wasn't a b movie badness, it was more of a naive way of carrying on. Yes, the high sea.

There have been some stinkers in this HoF, as well as real surprises. I file this under pleasant surprise. It agreed with me. Hey, CR - it's about time! ;)

Miss Vicky

04-15-19, 08:11 PM

I'm still in this. When is the deadline? It's been a rough week. I apologize, I'm usually on time

The original deadline was April 12. I'm not sure what it is now.

Joel

04-15-19, 08:21 PM

List is in, sorry for the hold up.

should be a HoF for a single film and see which half wins. 1st half of 2nd half.

M. Night AShamalamadingdong could win maybe, with his own film. But still lose. Makes sense to me.

Siddon

04-15-19, 08:59 PM

Okay let me know when you wish for the reveal...Tuesday's, Thursday's and Saturday's are no good for me

Wednesday 8 EST
Friday 3 EST
Sunday 8 EST

Or I can partition it out over the week

Miss Vicky

04-15-19, 09:05 PM

Of those, Friday would work best for me. Sunday is Easter so I suspect people may have other things going on.

edarsenal

04-15-19, 09:17 PM

Wednesday is good, though if need be I come in after the party if more folks go for Friday afternoon.

Yam12

04-15-19, 09:19 PM

Friday would work best for me there.

rauldc14

04-15-19, 09:21 PM

I won't make it for any of those times but I'll chime in afterwards to congratulate King of Comedy.

ahwell

04-15-19, 09:26 PM

I'm good with any of those, Wednesday and Sunday would probably work best though.

Siddon

04-15-19, 09:30 PM

https://d2zkrhcchwordv.cloudfront.net/images/extremely-loud-incredibly-close-1011495-p.jpg

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a paradox of a film, can a movie that is about grief be emotionally manipulative. The film is the story of Oskar a young boy with some sort of mental issue (we're guessing Asperger's) who upon losing his father during the 9/11 terrorist attacks goes on a journey to find a missing key and how it relates to his father.

Often times the story is incredibly difficult to tell and you can see all the literary devices that translate to the film. This is both a good and bad thing and well it's sort what I loved about this movie. It's got a degree of schlock but underneath the emotions are messy and difficult to deal with. And once again it's befitting the subject matter but what makes this a great film to me is that it's not just merely an exercise in grief and mental issues but it's told with a gloss that pushes you into this world.

You don't need the score, the shot on location and the massive cast of big name supporting figures but it works really well here. As someone who was in New York on 9/11 I felt like the film did an excellent job capturing the psychology of the people post 9/11. So while the lead character is deeply flawed I can understand the why so much so I'm going to go ahead and go against the group and give this

4

Citizen Rules

04-15-19, 10:38 PM

Any day for the reveal is good for me. So just whenever...though Wednesday would be:up:

Siddon

04-17-19, 05:56 AM

edarsenal, Joel, pahaK, Citizen Rules, neiba, Miss Vicky, ahwell, rauldc14, Nathaniel, Yam12, MovieMeditation

Well first and foremost congrats everyone finished this Hall, the reveal will come tonight at 8 PM eastern time. The results were shall we say very interesting. So feel free to guess what the order is..here's four questions to leave you pondering.

While 6 of the films were between 2 points one film ended up edging over another by a single point.
Only four films received last Place votes..guess which four films.
Four other films ended up receiving multiple 1st place votes guess which ones those were.
What do you think the order is.

Yam12

04-17-19, 08:47 AM

Split is definitely coming last

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 12:10 PM

I'm excited to see the results:) I'll try and be here for the reveal it's always fun!

Only four films received last Place votes..guess which four films.
Split, Abandon Ship, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Brimstone

Four other films ended up receiving multiple 1st place votes guess which ones those were.
The King of Comedy, Road to Perdition, Perfect Blue, The Florida Project

What do you think the order is. I suck at guessing the order, so I'll just say:
1The King of Comedy
2 Road to Perdition
3 The Florida Project

ahwell

04-17-19, 01:28 PM

Only four films received last Place votes..guess which four films.
Split
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Brimstone
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (unfortunately, although I'm hoping otherwise)

Four other films ended up receiving multiple 1st place votes guess which ones those were.
King of Comedy
The Florida Project
Road to Perdition
Perfect Blue

What do you think the order is.
1. The King of Comedy
2. Road to Perdition
3. The Florida Project
4. Perfect Blue
5. Bubba Ho-Tep
6. The Little Stranger
7. Brimstone
8. Abandon Ship
9. The Square
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
12. Split

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 01:40 PM

What do you think the order is.
1. The King of Comedy
2. Road to Perdition
3. The Florida Project
4. Perfect Blue
5. Bubba Ho-Tep
6. The Little Stranger
7. Brimstone
8. Abandon Ship
9. The Square
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
12. Split That's a strong guess, and I bet you're very close. I'd guess the same, but I think Snow White will be a bit higher and Bubba Ho-Tep lower.

ahwell

04-17-19, 01:42 PM

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 01:55 PM

This is a tough HOF to predict. There's a clear loser among the bunch but I'm not so sure about the winner. Random guess:

1. The King of Comedy
2. Road to Perdition
3. Perfect Blue
4. Snow White
5. The Little Stranger
6. The Florida Project
7. Abandon Ship
8. Bubba Ho-Tep
9. The Square
10. Brimstone
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
12. Split

rauldc14

04-17-19, 02:13 PM

I think King of Comedy is clear number one and Split is certainly last, after that who knows. Maybe Brimstone second to last.

Yam12

04-17-19, 02:54 PM

I think it'll look something like this

1. The King of Comedy
2. The Florida Project
3. Road to Perdition
4. Perfect Blue
5. The Little Stranger
6. Snow White
7. Bubba Ho-Tep
8. The Square
9. Abandon Ship
10. Brimstone
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
12. Split

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 06:21 PM

OK, why not:p take a guess.

1. The King of Comedy
2. Road to Perdition
3. The Florida Project
4. Perfect Blue
5. The Little Stranger
6. Abandon Ship
7. Bubba Ho-Tep
8. Brimstone
9. Snow White
10. The Square
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
12. Split

Those in green are hard to say.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 07:46 PM

What I'm curious to see if first and second place are very close or a distinct spread.

Siddon

04-17-19, 08:44 PM

Well let's get the first one out of the way...in 12th place

SPLIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVVU8cA7YIg

12th Place

Split - 26 points

(12,12,12,12,12,12,12,12,11,11,10,2)

Well the group definitely wasn't split on Joel's choice, Joel's pick ended up with 8 last place finishes which was the most common selected position of any ballot. 1 ballot managed to count for 42% of Split's points

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 08:52 PM

No surprise there. I was one of the eight people who had it in 12th place.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 08:52 PM

I think if we had a better copy of the movie Split might have done better. The copy on youtube was hard for me to even make out what was going on.

ahwell

04-17-19, 08:57 PM

I think if we had a better copy of the movie Split might have done better. The copy on youtube was hard for me to even make out what was going on.

Me too, it was annoying to even watch the bad quality... but I don't think that would have changed my opinion of it too much.

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:00 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgp8rR2fykU

11th Place

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - 53 points
(12,12,11,11,10,9,9,8,8,7,3,3)

The 11th place scorer actually managed to score twice as much as the 12th place finisher. ELAIC averaged in the 9th place range yet because so many picks were polarizing it ended up at 11th.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:00 PM

Well that was obvious. Can see why someone would like it though. I personally had it at 11.

EL&IC was my number 12. Did not like it at all.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:01 PM

I didn't despise Extremely Loud... but didn't love it either, had it at #9.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:01 PM

I voted for Extremely Loud at #11.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:03 PM

Geez, I forgot Tom Hanks was even in ELAIC, and I'm a big fan of Hanks. I did like parts of it pretty well. I had it at #8 and Split at #10

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:11 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFk32lA8eqs

10th Place

Brimstone - 66 points

(12,10,10,10,10,9,8,6,6,5,3,1)

Well the mode tended to tell the story of Brimstone as it registered 4 10th place finishes and that's where it ended up. Brimstone was actually doing well until a late push from our 9th place finisher bumped it down.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:12 PM

Brimstone wasn't terrible, but not great either. Had it at #8.

My prediction has been correct so far.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:12 PM

Was one of the four that had Brimstone at #10. Thinking about it, I probably liked it more than Extremely Loud, my #9, but it wouldn't have made a difference anyways.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:13 PM

Guess where I had Brimstone at on my list?

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:13 PM

First?:D

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:14 PM

I had Split at #11 and Extremely at #9

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:14 PM

annd Brimstone at #6. Wasn't a half bad flick to me

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:15 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inb5GRFoTck

9th Place
Abandon Ship! - 70 points

(11,10,10,10,9,9,8,7,6,3,2,1)

47% of Abandon Ship! points came from 3 ballots. So even though it shared the same median as Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Brimstone it was able to beat those titles due to that strong minority support.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:16 PM

First?:D Ha:p

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:17 PM

I was the #2 spot. Really enjoyed that movie.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:17 PM

Abandon Ship was my #11, I didn't really enjoy it.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:18 PM

Had Brimstone at 10. Not a fan of it.

Abandon Ship quite solid and I had it at 6.

My predictions are still accurate.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:19 PM

I didn't care for Abandon Ship. Had it at #10.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:20 PM

I often don't vote my own movie nom #1 but I did this time as I thought Abandon Ship presented a compelling moral dilemma...Do you kill people in a crisis so that other's can live? Not many movies have the guts to examine that issue. I'll be the first to admit that it was not a well polished film, but the heart of it was intriguing to me.

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:20 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzRjRv0Ib0

8th Place
The Square - 73 Points
(11,11,10,9,9,8,7,6,4,4,2,2)

The Square could have really been renamed the curve because it scored in almost an exact bell curve.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:21 PM

I liked the Square more than I expected, had it at #6.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:21 PM

that is a wide spectrum of reactions.
I had it at #8.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:21 PM

I had The Square at 9. Didn't like it at all but at least appreciated what it was attempting to do.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:21 PM

I was the #2 spot. Really enjoyed that movie.Anytime someone connects with my nom, it's a bright spot. Glad you got something out of Abandon Ship.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:22 PM

The Square was my #7. Just didn't engage me like I thought it would.
Also still correct when it comes to predictions.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:23 PM

The more I think of The Square, the more I like it...but it was a hard watch as it was so long that I got real frustrated with it and my #9th place vote reflects that. Had I waited to send in my voting list I might have moved it up a notch or two.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:23 PM

Anytime someone connects with my nom, it's a bright spot. Glad you got something out of Abandon Ship.
like you, I liked the synopsis of it and there were some shining moments and, can't remember the character's name, but she was a socialite who made some great life comments.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:24 PM

The Square was my #7. Just didn't engage me like I thought it would.
Also still correct when it comes to predictions.

that's pretty d@mn impressive

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:25 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa9331xmvhg

7th Place
Bubba Ho-Tep - 74 Points

(11,11,10,8,8,7,7,7,6,5,1,1)

While it wasn't as bad as Abandon Ship or Split, 33% of Bubba's points came from 2 ballots and yet it still ended up finishing at it's rough median point in 7th place.

Joel

04-17-19, 09:25 PM

If King of Comedy wins, that'll be good news. My nom was personal. A toothbrush freshens the surface enamel, but no on e wants to suck on it.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:25 PM

like you, I liked the synopsis of it and there were some shining moments and, can't remember the character's name, but she was a socialite who made some great life comments. Yeah, it was the woman socialite that helped make the film special for me too.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:25 PM

Bubba Ho-Tep was good fun. Had it at 5.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:26 PM

Well 7th is higher than I was anticipating.

Obviously this was my #1.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:26 PM

I thought Bubba Ho-Tep was okay, had it at #8.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:27 PM

Bubba was in the mid pack at #7. Like I said in my review, I did enjoy it more this second time around.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:28 PM

Bubba Ho-Tep, I liked it and I thought I would even before I watched it. It was my #4 movie.

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:30 PM

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

6th Place

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 83 points
(11,9,8,8,7,7,7,7,3,3,2,1)

Another film that was somewhat polarizing, Snow White had similar support at the top and bottom of 2/3rds of the ballots. It's important to note what a large jump in scoring from 7th to 6th this ended up being This also had the reverse of the next film with 8 ballots having it on the lower half and 4 on the higher half.

And Yam's run of predictions keeps on keeping on

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:31 PM

All right, honestly better than I thought it would do. I had it at #1 of course.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:32 PM

I had Snow White at 8. Maybe if I had already seen it before I could've gotten some nostalgic value out of it but that was not the case.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:33 PM

Snow White was my #7. It's pretty but singing princesses just aren't my thing.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:34 PM

not too shabby a spot for Snow White, I was on the positive end of the polarizing spectrum at #3.
I've wondered if nostalgia plays a really hefty sway or would I have easily enjoyed this if it was a recent view for me.
I think nostalgia has a rather fair amount but not an over abundance. Because it IS an enjoyable flick for me and the artwork (hand painted cells) is a beauty to behold.

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:34 PM

I was very glad to see Snow White as a nom. Anytime we get a wide array of films from different eras that's a plus for me...and it's a classic Disney that believe it or not I had never seen:cool: But I have now and I liked it enough to give it a #7 on my voting list.

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:35 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEsxjN3nk9A

5th Place

The Little Stranger - 87 points
(11,9,8,7,6,5,5,5,5,4,3,2)

The Little Stranger was rock solid in fifth place, with the vast majority of the ballots either having it in fifth or close to it. What's really interesting is that while it didn't receive a single first place vote and only 1 second place vote all of those fifth place finishes added up and pushed it ahead of films that were certainly more polarizing. 8 ballots had this on the upper half with 4 on the lower half.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:36 PM

Snow White was my #7. It's pretty but singing princesses just aren't my thing.

you say that, but. . . I don't know. . .

deep down beneath that rugged exterior --
AFTER beating up the princess and a few drinks in. . .

maybe, just maybe

if no one's looking

a chorus or two may slip out from you

;)

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:37 PM

I was one of those that gave a 5th place to The Little Stranger. Looks like there were 4 of us.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:37 PM

I had the Little Stranger at #7... or at least I thought I did.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:38 PM

Didn't think much of the Little Stranger. Had it at 9.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:38 PM

enjoyed The Little Stranger. Good gothic (almost) ghost story.
I was one of the many #5's.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:40 PM

The Little Stranger was my #6. It had its problems but I liked it well enough.

you say that, but. . . I don't know. . .

deep down beneath that rugged exterior --
AFTER beating up the princess and a few drinks in. . .

maybe, just maybe

if no one's looking

a chorus or two may slip out from you

;)

Not a chance. Singing rats, on the other hand...

https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/Temp%202_zpspzbi17rt.gif

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:40 PM

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

4th Place

Perfect Blue - 93 points

(11,8,8,8,4,4,4,4,4,3,2,1)

Log this one into another case of the ballots telling the story, five people had Perfect Blue in fourth place and that's where it ended up in. Perfect Blue is the start of the winners group for me as all four of the top four could have won had it not been for some minority voting blocks.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:41 PM

Perfect Blue was great. Had it at 3.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:41 PM

I was one of those who had Perfect Blue in fourth.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:42 PM

The Little Stranger was my #6. It had it's problems but I liked it well enough.

Not a chance. Singing rats, on the other hand...

https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/Temp%202_zpspzbi17rt.gif

well, that goes without saying

https://media1.tenor.com/images/e62cd645aaf243ee4f27fca00a8d0347/tenor.gif?itemid=4882771

Citizen Rules

04-17-19, 09:42 PM

I didn't like Perfect Blue, it's not a case of not liking anime as there are several animes that I consider to be master pieces. But just didn't like the confusing way the story was put together. I had it at #11

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:42 PM

Perfect Blue was my #2. Satoshi Kon is amazing.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:43 PM

looks like I'm two for two in grouped voting. Perfect Blue was #4.

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:45 PM

Top 3 is left and I'm still at 100% on predictions.

Siddon

04-17-19, 09:46 PM

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:47 PM

Top 3 is left and I'm still at 100% on predictions.

OK that sh#t's just getting scary lol

Yam12

04-17-19, 09:48 PM

So much for all correct predictions.

Anyway The Florida Project was my #2.

ahwell

04-17-19, 09:48 PM

I had Florida Project at #3, really liked it.

Miss Vicky

04-17-19, 09:48 PM

Florida Project was my #4.

edarsenal

04-17-19, 09:48 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQ-NH1rRT4

In 3rd Place

The Florida Project - 99 Points

(12,7,6,6,6,5,4,4,3,2,1,1)

Had it not been for a single ballot The Florida Project might have been in the mix to win. 10 of the 12 ballots had The Florida Project in the upper half with half in the top quarter.

put the blame on me, I was #12. Just an aggravating watch for me. Downright despised the characters in this.

AND my apologies to Yam, I screwed up his amazing run. Sorry :(