The Fantasy Hall of Fame

[gbgoodies]

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The Dark Crystal (1982)

The more I think about it, I'm a fan of the fact that The Dark Crystal can work with and without a plot. It can simply sweep us into a different world with different characters, and we can let visuals and music mix into this transcendent (in a way) experience. Funny, that also reminds me of what I love so much about my favorite film of all time...



And that favorite film would be? . . .

[Wyldesyde19]

And that favorite film would be? . . .
You’ll have to read his countdown for that 😉
No spoilers allowed

[gbgoodies]

You’ll have to read his countdown for that 😉
No spoilers allowed


But he's only up to #84. I want to know now! :scream:

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65884

DragonHeart (1996)
Directed By: Rob Cohen
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery, David Thewlis

DragonHeart is a film that is always a pleasure to watch because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It has plenty of action sequences, and I always appreciate the use of practical fire effects. On top of that, there are some genuinely charming and heart warming moments. It's everything I expect from this type of fantasy adventure film. While I had seen DragonHeart a number of times in the past, it was long overdue for a fresh viewing, and I was interested in seeing if my opinion would change after all these years.

While I'll forever mourn the version that was never filmed, where Draco would've been brought to life using animatronics from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the CG used in DragonHeart does not date the film as much as I expected it to. The effects were cutting edge at the time, and for a film that's nearly 25 years old now, it's impressive that it still looks as good as it does. I've honestly seen recent films with worse computer generated images. The small physical prop parts of Draco that were occasionally used still look the best to me, but I think it was ultimately the right decision to rely on the CGI.

Dennis Quaid's performance was not nearly as good as I remembered it being, but there was still something compelling about him nonetheless. The iconic voice provided by Sean Connery was always what stood out to me anyway, and I still enjoyed his contribution this time around. I was a little surprised by how perfect David Thewlis was as Einon, whose look and manner of speaking make his character easy to despise. The acting is occasionally a little over-the-top, but it suits the tone of the film just fine. It was nice to revisit this world again, but I'm happy to leave it at that, and not follow up with the four other films in this franchise.

[ahwell]

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Dragonslayer (1981)

In many ways, Dragonslayer feels like the type of film that I would point people to for an archetypal "fantasy" film. There is the middle age setting - the king and the queen, the evil dragon, the hero. It's a fairytale, a rather bland fairytale at times, but also delightful and fun at others. It takes itself more seriously than DragonHeart, which I actually... like more.

When I watch a movie, I don't want to be constantly reminded with little winks that I'm not ACTUALLY watching a far off fantasy kingdom. That's part of what bothered me about DragonHeart. And while Dragonslayer has noticeable flaws that detract from my overall enjoyment, I also really like that it totally believes in its subject matter, and seems to believe in the magic.

The acting at many times detracted from my enjoyment of the film, but that also may be me expecting too much from an 80s fantasy flick. Even though it's both a Paramount and Disney film, it feels like a really fun low budget movie, made by not filmmakers but wizarding geeks who wanted to try their hand at crafting a modern fairytale.

I also found myself impressed by the effects, and the dragon I found much better than DragonHeart, despite the fact that this was made 15 years earlier. I think a lot of the enjoyment this must bring to some may sprout from earlier childhood nostalgia, and I could definitely seeing this being a favorite had I seen it earlier in my life.

As it is, I'm not unhappy I watched it, but I also have little to no interest in seeing it again. Fantasy sure can be campy, huh? :)

1.5-

[ahwell]

I'm legit so so sorry that I'm giving all these low ratings, I've actually sort of enjoyed everything I've seen so far... I just like using the entire rating system haha

[Citizen Rules]

Cruel cruel man! And I bet you enjoyed it when it happened to the Pod People too?

:D:cool:

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5268615.1567524880!/fileImage/httpImage/essence.gif

[Citizen Rules]

I'm legit so so sorry that I'm giving all these low ratings, I've actually sort of enjoyed everything I've seen so far... I just like using the entire rating system hahaHa, yeah I noticed you've become hard core in your ratings...Well maybe some of these noms will fair better with you:p

[MovieGal]

https://filmsonthesilverscreen.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/tideland-3.jpg

Tideland
(2005)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
nominated by pahaK

This is a dark story of a little girl named Jeliza-rose lost within her own mind. Her parents are drug addicts who overdosed and left her by herself. She makes friends with the neighbors, Dell and her brother Dickens. It seems that Jeliza-Rose wasn't the only childlike character of the film. Jeliza-Rose becomes close playmates with Dickens, who is a handicap. They both live in a fantasy world together and separately. Any little girl with this type of parent is, of course, going to create her own little world because she doesn't know any better.

I found her parents to be selfish pieces of s**t. They used their own daughter to help complete their own pleasures. They, themselves, are lost in their own fantasy. No one here has a grip on reality. She had no guidance and not much of a chance at a real childhood. The relationship between Jeliza-Rose and Dickens seemed to be what children do. They don't know any better. Dell, who seemed to be the more adult, wasn't much better considering what she did to her mother and to Jeliza-Rose's father. Everyone lived in a fantasy here. Jeliza-Rose did reference Alice in Wonderland during the beginning of the movie and even talked to a firefly, calling it Titania, who is Queen of the Fairies.

There are parts that are fantasy in this film but I can see a person or persons really doing this in real life. There are many parents out there who are selfish and have little regard for their child(ren) or the world around them. They don't care what is right or wrong.

Actually, I tried watching this a second time, as my first viewing, I had mixed feelings. I just couldn't do it. My opinion of the film didn't change.

[MovieGal]

65887


Dragonslayer
(1981)
Directed by Matthew Robbins
Nominated by Wyldesyde19

Early civilizations used to believe that astrological events would bring certain doom. In this case, it was a solar eclipse and a mighty dragon. This is a quest for a hero, or "monomyth" in the words of Joseph Campbell. A hero is sent on a quest to save a kingdom from a terrible beast. This story is about a young magician who inherited his ability from his previous master who became deceased. He and his servant are called upon by a band of villagers to save the young maiden from a terrible dragon. The young maiden is selected via lottery to be sacrificed.

At first, the young magician thinks he has stopped the dragon but the king informs him that something similar has happened in the past and that the result infuriated the dragon, who became more destructive. The king places the young magician in the dungeon.

When the daughter of the king finds she's been withheld from this lottery, she makes odds in her favor. The king is about to lose his daughter, then he seeks help from the young magician. A metal staff is created with the help of magic and a shield from the scales of the dragon. Then he fights the beast but does not win. During the eclipse, he remembers what the old magician told him, in which he was able to bring him back from the dead. Our true hero is the older magician and with the help of his apprentice, the younger magician, to defeat the dragon.

At first, it reminded me a lot of Clash of the Titans, the same type of story. A hero saving a young maiden from a terrible beast. Then I remembered an article I read about Joseph Campbell and mythology (which could be similar to folklore and fairy tales) which he tells the process of the hero's journey. Yes our hero followed that path, he was called to an adventure with magical powers to save a village, along the way, he learned he was not the chosen one, but a conduit to bring about the chosen one.

I liked the story but did not love it. The film has aged and the fact that most of the time, you never see the dragon's face until the end. Its been a long time since I saw this film. Nice to revisit.

Oh and anyone who watched it.. did you notice

Ian McDiarmid is in the film. He is in another film of a hero's journey known as "Star Wars".

[gbgoodies]

https://filmsonthesilverscreen.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/tideland-3.jpg

Tideland
(2005)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
nominated by pahaK




I tried watching the Tideland, but I turned it off after about 10 minutes because the girl's parents were disgusting. Does it get any better as the movie goes on?

[gbgoodies]

I tried watching the first Lord of the Rings movie three times this weekend, but I keep getting interrupted. Is there something on the second disc that I'm not supposed to see? (I'm already past the scene with the spider, unless there's another spider later in the movie. :eek:)

[pahaK]

I tried watching the Tideland, but I turned it off after about 10 minutes because the girl's parents were disgusting. Does it get any better as the movie goes on?

Does the parents dying count?

Seriously, I don't know. I like the film from the beginning to the end.

[CosmicRunaway]

I tried watching the first Lord of the Rings movie three times this weekend, but I keep getting interrupted. Is there something on the second disc that I'm not supposed to see? (I'm already past the scene with the spider, unless there's another spider later in the movie. :eek:)
You should be good until Return of the King, where Shelob (the giant spider) makes a prominent appearance. It's fairly brief (for LotR at least haha) and averting your eyes while she's on screen will not cause you to miss anything since the sound will clue you in to what's happening. It'll be pretty clear when she's about to appear, and once the scene is over, she doesn't return.

[CosmicRunaway]

Just watched Dragonslayer, though I probably won't get anything written about it tonight. My room mate asked if this was some sort of "dragon week", and now I kind of want that to be a thing haha.

Falcor from The Neverending Story was a dragon right? Maybe I'll rewatch that this weekend too.

[rauldc14]

Tried to watch Fellowship but failed miserably. I really like the films though, it's just my back was killing me yesterday and today and couldn't focus

[MovieGal]

65914

Dragonheart
(1996)
Directed by Rob Cohen
nominated by edarsenal

I remember seeing this in the theatre and it's just as good now as it was then.

The story of a knight of the old code who was teacher to a young prince. The king died and the prince became injured during a war. The queen, being of the old code, came to the great dragon to save her son's life. Was that life worth saving? The young king was full of greed and wanted to make things better than his father's reign. The teacher became a dragonslayer as he felt that the great dragon corrupted the young king. He came upon a dragon who was the last of his kind and was the one who spared a part of himself to save the young king. The dragon and the dragonslayer with the help of a maiden and monk fight against the corrupt king until the king realizes that his life is linked to the dragon. The only way for the dragon to save the kingdom is to take his own life. The dragonslayer makes a hard choice to kill his friend, the dragon, and save the kingdom. The dragon fades into a star into the great constellation of Draco.

There are many things I really love about this movie - dragons, the myth of King Arthur and Avalon, and yes, astronomy. It was an enjoyable rewatch, for I haven't seen it in over a decade. The end is a heartfelt moment when the dragon fades and becomes part of the night sky. I have no clue why it took me this Hall of Fame to watch it again. I have to say though, I miss the great Pete Postlewaite who plays the monk.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/17/b5/7917b592c84caedd875466ac33a7bf5f.jpg

[edarsenal]

65914

Dragonheart
(1996)
Directed by Rob Cohen
nominated by edarsenal

I remember seeing this in the theatre and it's just as good now as it was then.

The story of a knight of the old code who was teacher to a young prince. The king died and the prince became injured during a war. The queen, being of the old code, came to the great dragon to save her son's life. Was that life worth saving? The young king was full of greed and wanted to make things better than his father's reign. The teacher became a dragonslayer as he felt that the great dragon corrupted the young king. He came upon a dragon who was the last of his kind and was the one who spared a part of himself to save the young king. The dragon and the dragonslayer with the help of a maiden and monk fight against the corrupt king until the king realizes that his life is linked to the dragon. The only way for the dragon to save the kingdom is to take his own life. The dragonslayer makes a hard choice to kill his friend, the dragon, and save the kingdom. The dragon fades into a star into the great constellation of Draco.

There are many things I really love about this movie - dragons, the myth of King Arthur and Avalon, and yes, astronomy. It was an enjoyable rewatch, for I haven't seen it in over a decade. The end is a heartfelt moment when the dragon fades and becomes part of the night sky. I have no clue why it took me this Hall of Fame to watch it again. I have to say though, I miss the great Pete Postlewaite who plays the monk.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/17/b5/7917b592c84caedd875466ac33a7bf5f.jpg

Awww, yay!!
Really looking forward to my own rewatch of this. I did like three sneak peeks when making my decision to run with it: The Great Battle between Draco and Bowen (Narrated in Verse by the Monk. When Thewliss' (The New King) is gifted by the Dragon Slayers by his mother and I can't remember the third, but it sealed the deal for my choice.

[MovieGal]

Awww, yay!!
Really looking forward to my own rewatch of this. I did like three sneak peeks when making my decision to run with it: The Great Battle between Draco and Bowen (Narrated in Verse by the Monk. When Thewliss' (The New King) is gifted by the Dragon Slayers by his mother and I can't remember the third, but it sealed the deal for my choice.

So it is a rewatch for you?

I had seen this at the theatre and watched it many times on cable/satellite tv and regular tv... but again, its been a very long time.

[MovieGal]

65916
Hold her to you. She is part of you, as we all are part of each other.

The Dark Crystal
(1982)
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz
nominated by CosmicRunaway

Another world, another time, in the age of wonder. - This is exactly where Jim Henson and the creative art of Brian Froud took the audience back in 1982. I was 15 years old and I did not get to see this in the theatre. My first experience was when it was shown on cable tv.

its the story of two races, the gentle Mystics and the horrendous Skeksis, who were one creature, the UrSkek, before the Crystal of Truth was cracked. A prophecy was foretold of a gelfling who would bring the destruction of the Skeksis rule. As Aughra says "The end of the world or the beginning". Jen, a gelfling raised by the Mystics was sent on the quest to heal the crystal and along the way, he met Kira, another of his own race. Through troubles and turmoil, they make the way to the castle. They run from the Garthim, a spider/crab-like creature who killed their clansmen, SilSkek, the banished Chamberlain, who was greedy enough to try to rule the Skeksis. Jen and Kira learned a lot about themselves and about their almost extinct race. Jen learns that girl gelflings have wings: " Wings? I don’t have wings." - to Kira's "Of course not. You’re a boy!". Kira is captured by the Skeksis and drained of her essence but is saved and helped Jen fulfill his destiny. The prophecy is as told and the Skeksis and Mystics are one.

This film, what can I say, I have watched it dozens of times along with another film by Henson and Froud. I enjoy the storyline, the artwork, the animatronics of the muppets (yes, they are "muppets" like Sesame Street, not puppets). I can sit here and watch the film and quote lines (just like another film I enjoy watching). It was a nice rewatch and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/aliens/images/c/ce/UrSkeks.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140110162522

The voice of SilSkek, the Chamberlain, is the same voice as our friendly neighborhood Grover, Frank Oz.

[gbgoodies]

You should be good until Return of the King, where Shelob (the giant spider) makes a prominent appearance. It's fairly brief (for LotR at least haha) and averting your eyes while she's on screen will not cause you to miss anything since the sound will clue you in to what's happening. It'll be pretty clear when she's about to appear, and once the scene is over, she doesn't return.


Thanks for the warning. I'll have to remember to look away from that scene when I watch the movie. :eek:

[gbgoodies]

Tried to watch Fellowship but failed miserably. I really like the films though, it's just my back was killing me yesterday and today and couldn't focus


I'm sorry to heard about your back pain. Are you feeling any better now?

Hubby has back pain from time to time, and he usually finds that either Icy Hot or Salonpas pain relief patches work great for him.

[gbgoodies]

65916
Hold her to you. She is part of you, as we all are part of each other.

The Dark Crystal
(1982)
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz
nominated by CosmicRunaway

This film, what can I say, I have watched it dozens of times along with another film by Henson and Froud. I enjoy the storyline, the artwork, the animatronics of the muppets (yes, they are "muppets" like Sesame Street, not puppets). I can sit here and watch the film and quote lines (just like another film I enjoy watching). It was a nice rewatch and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

What's the other film by Henson and Froud, and it is the same film that you can quote lines from that you mentioned?


The voice of SilSkek, the Chamberlain, is the same voice as our friendly neighborhood Grover, Frank Oz.

I didn't know that Frank Oz did this movie, but I knew that he did the voice of several of the Sesame Street and Muppets characters, as well as Yoda in the Star Wars movies.

[CosmicRunaway]

What's the other film by Henson and Froud, and it is the same film that you can quote lines from that you mentioned?
I assume the other Henson and Froud film is Labyrinth. I don't know if they collaborated on anything else, but even if they did, my money's on David Bowie, especially since MG nominated a musical for this HoF.

[CosmicRunaway]

Tried to watch Fellowship but failed miserably. I really like the films though, it's just my back was killing me yesterday and today and couldn't focus
Hope you feel better soon!

[MovieGal]

What's the other film by Henson and Froud, and it is the same film that you can quote lines from that you mentioned?




I didn't know that Frank Oz did this movie, but I knew that he did the voice of several of the Sesame Street and Muppets characters, as well as Yoda in the Star Wars movies.

Yeah, I can quote lines from "The Dark Crystal", "Labyrinth", "Pretty in Pink" and "The Mummy" (1999). These are probably the 4 movies I watch the most. They aren't necessarily my favorite movies, but they are classics to me that I enjoy.

Henson and Froud worked on Labyrinth. Froud did the conceptual art for Henson. Even Brian's son, Toby, was in the movie. Toby, himself, is an artist and director. There is a short on Prime called "Lessons Learned". Henson's daughter and Toby worked on it together. Toby directed a music video of a german band called Qntal, the song is Von Den Elben. You can see a lot of his parents' influence on the music video.

Brian Froud's wife, Wendy, worked for Henson as well.

[ahwell]

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Excalibur (1981)

The legends of King Arthur have been around since perhaps the king's very own lifetime. His pulling of the sword from the stone; his quest for the holy grail; his final coalition against Mordred and Morgana. Stories that are more or less ingrained in the heads of many people living even today - as much as any "old tale" can be ingrained in the first place.

Excalibur remains to me, the saddest of the King Arthur movies. Of course much sadder than Monty Python's absolutely brilliant adaption, one of my favorite comedies. Sadder than most of the operas I'm aware of, or of book versions. I'm not quite sure I can put my finger on it, but it seemed to have a melancholy, a shroud of grief through all the blood and lust.

Perhaps the film acknowledges of the fading of the legend of King Arthur; and the fading of knowledge of the "old days". Even in this film, many knights and king admit that they can only hope their legacy will outlive their own deeds on Earth. They admit that every human is mortal, and only the evil seek eternal power.

King Arthur, rather than being a perfect, noble, knight, is instead a flawed and often fickle man. He still rules well, but he often mixes up his priorities, and through jealousy and anger he casts away many of his followers.

By the end, he is redeemed, but as he sails away into the sunset, we as the audience wonder whether the movie is really trying to tell us sailing away from our times; the stories and the details become fainter and fainter with each year. Even in Arthur's time his fame faded as he neared death.

Perhaps I felt this sadness in Excalibur because of the amazing choice of music. As I've mentioned before in other reviews, I am a huge fan of Wagner's music, and in particular his two masterpieces Der Ring des Nibelungen and Tristan und Isolde. Mixed together here they are used in the best possible places, and often cover up some of the cheesy scenes.

On that note... yes, despite being dark and sad, Excalibur is very unintentionally corny, with sappy dialogue, rushes of love and violence, and dated effects.

But nevertheless, I found myself enjoying quite a bit of the long running time, and was left pondering the old times, the hundreds of years past that we have forgotten - the old languages, and ruins, and legends. History is so so so long... we will never know it all. But movies like these make me curious to explore more, and delve into the hidden, and sometimes dark, chapters of history.

2.5-

[CosmicRunaway]

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Dragonslayer (1981)
Directed By: Matthew Robbins
Starring: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson

Though it's since become overshadowed by the many other beloved fantasy films that released in the 80s, Dragonslayer is a classic that's definitely still worth watching. What I appreciated the most was the film's treatment of its dragon. It builds tension by using techniques more typically found in the horror genre. Vermithrax is revealed slowly, starting with just its claw, then tail, and eventually the horns rising up behind its victim. Complimented by a menacing atmosphere, it's an effective approach that I wish more films followed.

The practical effects are fantastic, with amazing full-scale models used in many of the scenes featuring Vermithrax. Whenever the large flying puppet was used, the visuals are somewhat let down by the limits of chroma key technology at the time, but what they managed to accomplish is still incredibly impressive. While similar films often relied on traditional stop motion animation that produced awkward, stilted movements, the variation used by Industrial Light & Magic's in Dragonslayer is smooth and barely even noticeable.

The two leads give serviceable performances, though they are definitely outclassed by Sir Ralph Richardson, who deserved much more screen time than he received. John Hallam was also great in his role as the villainous Tyrian, and again was a little underutilized. I initially didn't care for Galen's brashness and overconfidence, but he did grow on me somewhat over the course of the film. My inability to remember much about Dragonslayer ultimately worked in the film's favour, since this almost felt like my first time watching it. I was able to be surprised by some of the small things the film did well, so I'm glad it was nominated.

[Siddon]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8ULkcu10pck/maxresdefault.jpg

DragonHeart (1996)


So how do I judge this film, do we mention the continuity issues of a cast with 90% 1 accent but the lead and Dragon have a different one. Or how Dennis Quad manages to raise a middleaged David Thewliss. The Should I be hard on the CGI...of a film made in 1996. Or should I be hard on a film that attempts to rip off Braveheart.


But at the end of the day it's a kids movie...made to sell toys and it has a lot of humor that is I believe unintentional. Then again it's got some great violence in it...so maybe it's not a kids movie.



Some of the stuff in this film I actually really liked, the score is really good and Connery is a charismatic lead as the Dragon. You've also got some solid propaganda as the film is focused on racial messaging through metaphor. This is the sort of stuff that I dig, but the bad just outweighed the good and I think I would give this film sub two stars.

[pahaK]

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

At the age of 13, witches traditionally spend a year away from their homes. Kiki, a young witch whose only magical ability is to fly on a broomstick, is eager to start her independent adventure. She dreams of a big city by the sea, and eventually finds one.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/8455a5d6206a3ae696c229611b02a61a/tenor.gif?itemid=5302372

Like all Miyazaki's films I've seen, Kiki's Delivery Service is charming and naive. It's a recipe that doesn't always work with me, but here it feels right. I like how Kiki's adventures are, for the most part, very mundane, and they don't involve monsters and mortal danger. It's just work, everyday life and trying to find one's place in a new city.

That cozy storytelling comes to an end towards the end, though. I hate the loss of powers twist in almost everything, and it certainly doesn't work this time. The same applies to the zeppelin accident and the whole hero's journey that's centered around the event. The film would have been better without that.

The characters are a little weird. I was never really annoyed by Kiki or Tombo, but they don't always come out as likable either. Kiki has her magical power, and at times I feel that her whole self-image is built around that superiority. Only becoming the hero of the city makes her able to fit in. Tombo is a bit cocky brat, and I can't help the feeling that he originally wanted Kiki as a trophy of a sort. Maybe they're a good fit for each other.

The first three-quarters of the film was good, but the final act did lots of things wrong for me. The animation is good, Japanese voice-acting is always top-notch, and supporting characters are rather fun, especially Jiji. I think this is my third Miyazaki, and it ranks in the middle of the pack. He certainly seems to have a strong vision, and I respect that even if it doesn't perfectly align with my tastes.

[Siddon]

I tried watching the Tideland, but I turned it off after about 10 minutes because the girl's parents were disgusting. Does it get any better as the movie goes on?


Nope....it gets worse like most Pahak nom's the question I often ask myself is this a watchable film.


https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YbAQv49Bm00/TCz7pYAPk9I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/lTpiZC_oZpk/s1600/tideland2.jpg

Tideland (2006)



So this film is the story of a little girl who is the daughter of a pair of junkies. She's been groomed to facilitate both of their needs, well after the mother OD's the father moves her to an isolated farm house where his mother used to live and surprise surprise he then OD's. Now we're told the rest of the story through the imagination of this little girls who's basically dissociated from reality.



Terry Gilliam attempts to make an Alice in Wonderland style horror film, but grounding it in the modern US west. So I suppose he tried to give it a Faulkner undertone. The films climax is a message to the audience a bad joke that is a poor reward for the 2 investment in the film.


If I'm judging this as an acid horror film that attempts to unsettle it achieved it's mission. Like most of Pahak's choices we've got that underaged sexuality which is always a big reason to put these films on the bottom. The great news is the underaged sexuality issues (which is the point Alice in Wonderland) is also undercut by sexual abuse of a mentally retarded young man in Dickens.



Most critics hated the film at the time but Rian Johnson and David Cronenberg both loved it which explains quite abit about what I just watched. I didn't hate the madness or the grossness or the big final joke which could be used for meta commentary of the film.

[gbgoodies]

Yeah, I can quote lines from "The Dark Crystal", "Labyrinth", "Pretty in Pink" and "The Mummy" (1999). These are probably the 4 movies I watch the most. They aren't necessarily my favorite movies, but they are classics to me that I enjoy.

Henson and Froud worked on Labyrinth. Froud did the conceptual art for Henson. Even Brian's son, Toby, was in the movie. Toby, himself, is an artist and director. There is a short on Prime called "Lessons Learned". Henson's daughter and Toby worked on it together. Toby directed a music video of a german band called Qntal, the song is Von Den Elben. You can see a lot of his parents' influence on the music video.

Brian Froud's wife, Wendy, worked for Henson as well.


I haven't seen Labyrinth yet. I think it's another one of those movies that I have the DVD sitting on a shelf, but I just haven't gotten around to watching it yet. (Maybe it will get nominated in a HoF someday, and I'll finally get around to watching it. :))

[gbgoodies]

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Excalibur (1981)


Excalibur was on one of the movie channels today, (I think it was on Starz), so I set my DVR to record it. It will probably be the next movie that I'll watch for this HoF, (mainly because Hubby gets crazy if I leave movies on the DVR for more than a few days. :lol:)

[gbgoodies]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8ULkcu10pck/maxresdefault.jpg

DragonHeart (1996)


So how do I judge this film, do we mention the continuity issues of a cast with 90% 1 accent but the lead and Dragon have a different one. Or how Dennis Quad manages to raise a middleaged David Thewliss. The Should I be hard on the CGI...of a film made in 1996. Or should I be hard on a film that attempts to rip off Braveheart.


But at the end of the day it's a kids movie...made to sell toys and it has a lot of humor that is I believe unintentional. Then again it's got some great violence in it...so maybe it's not a kids movie.



Some of the stuff in this film I actually really liked, the score is really good and Connery is a charismatic lead as the Dragon. You've also got some solid propaganda as the film is focused on racial messaging through metaphor. This is the sort of stuff that I dig, but the bad just outweighed the good and I think I would give this film sub two stars.


I watched DragonHeart today, and I wasn't bothered by any of the stuff that seemed to bother you about it. I didn't even notice the difference in the accents, and CGI never bothers me, unless it's so bad that it looks like a bad cartoon. (TBH, I never understand why CGI bothers people so much, especially in some of the newer movies.) And I've never seen Braveheart, so I didn't even know that there was any kind of connection between the two stories.

I didn't think of it as a kids movie, but maybe that's why the violence didn't bother me too much.

I agree with you about the music score. I rarely even notice the music in movies (that aren't musicals), but for some reason, I kept noticing it in this movie, and I thought it just made the movie even better.

I loved the relationship between Bowen and Draco the dragon. I thought that Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery were both perfectly cast. David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, and Dina Meyer were good, but none of them really stood out to me.

Overall, I thought it was a good movie, but there was just not enough character development to make me care for anyone except Bowen and Draco, and even those two characters were lacking a bit. The last scene with Bowen and Draco was hard to watch, but I'm almost always a crier at movies, and I never felt enough of a connection to Draco for it to make me cry.

However on the plus side, this movie reminded me why I love and collect dragon statues. These are just a few of my dragon statues. (And before someone asks, No, Garfield and Thumper are NOT dragons. :lol:)

65938
65941
65940

[gbgoodies]

I tried watching the Tideland, but I turned it off after about 10 minutes because the girl's parents were disgusting. Does it get any better as the movie goes on?
Nope....it gets worse like most Pahak nom's the question I often ask myself is this a watchable film.


It sounds like I made the right decision not to join this HoF, but I was hoping that I was wrong. TBH, I was still thinking about joining, but maybe this is just a sign that it's just not a good idea for me. :(

[CosmicRunaway]

It sounds like I made the right decision not to join this HoF, but I was hoping that I was wrong. TBH, I was still thinking about joining, but maybe this is just a sign that it's just not a good idea for me. :(
Even though today is the last day I said we'd accept late admissions, since you've already reviewed a couple of the nominations and thus wouldn't be behind if you did officially join, you can take a little longer to decide what you want to do. I do hope you stick around the thread regardless.

However on the plus side, this movie reminded me why I love and collect dragon statues.
I used to have a ton of dragon statues as well! My mom still has some of them in my old room. I had shelves full of them haha.

[gbgoodies]

Since you've already reviewed a couple of the nominations and thus wouldn't be behind if you did officially join, you can take a little longer to decide what you want to do.

Thanks for the extra time. Maybe I'll give Tideland another chance this weekend, and if I can make it through the whole movie this time, I'll take it as a sign that I should join.

BTW, I finished the first Lord of the Rings movie today too. I'll try to get my thoughts together about it this weekend and post a review of it soon. (Fortunately I have all three LotR movies on DVD, so I'll be able to watch the second movie without just going straight from the first to the third movie. :))


I used to have a ton of dragon statues as well! My mom still has some of them in my old room. I had shelves full of them haha.

Do you have any pictures of your dragon statues? There's just something so cool about dragon statues, (and some wizard statues too).

I have statues all over the house, but they're not all dragons. I spend a lot of time shopping at garage sales and flea markets, plus I sell stuff at collectibles shows, so I can usually get some great deals on stuff. Unlike most people, I don't limit what I collect. I just collect anything that catches my eye and I can get cheap, so I have A LOT of cool stuff. (You'd be surprised at some of the stuff that people sell for $1 or less at garage sales. :))

[pahaK]

Nope....it gets worse like most Pahak nom's the question I often ask myself is this a watchable film.

When I sent in my nomination, I also said to CR2 that...

This also has an added benefit of seeing the reactions by Siddon and Citizen Rules

At least you delivered :D

[CosmicRunaway]

Do you have any pictures of your dragon statues? There's just something so cool about dragon statues, (and some wizard statues too).
Oh, now there's a question. I probably don't have any pictures here of my shelves in all their glory (since it was so long ago), but I might have some pictures from my occasional visits home where you can see the remaining ones.

I have to head to work shortly, but I'll take a look later this afternoon.

I have statues all over the house, but they're not all dragons. I spend a lot of time shopping at garage sales and flea markets, plus I sell stuff at collectibles shows, so I can usually get some great deals on stuff. Unlike most people, I don't limit what I collect. I just collect anything that catches my eye and I can get cheap, so I have A LOT of cool stuff. (You'd be surprised at some of the stuff that people sell for $1 or less at garage sales. :))
The collectibles shows sound like they'd be really interesting! Over time I've really cut down on the amount of things I've purchased, since it's so hard keeping everything free of dust haha.

[gbgoodies]

Oh, now there's a question. I probably don't have any pictures here of my shelves in all their glory (since it was so long ago), but I might have some pictures from my occasional visits home where you can see the remaining ones.

I have to head to work shortly, but I'll take a look later this afternoon.

I love seeing pictures of other people's collections. Some of my regular customers at the shows know this, and they like to stop by our table before they leave the show so I can see what treasures they found. :)


The collectibles shows sound like they'd be really interesting! Over time I've really cut down on the amount of things I've purchased, since it's so hard keeping everything free of dust haha.

They're a lot of work, but it's fun talking to people who have similar interests. (Plus the dealers usually do some trades, so we get some great stuff that way too. :))

Yeah, dust is a big problem with this stuff, but it's worth it. I usually buy the canned air, and I spray the dust off a lot of the stuff. (Then, it's easier to clean the remaining dust and then just vacuum.)

[Siddon]

I watched DragonHeart today, and I wasn't bothered by any of the stuff that seemed to bother you about it. I didn't even notice the difference in the accents, and CGI never bothers me, unless it's so bad that it looks like a bad cartoon. (TBH, I never understand why CGI bothers people so much, especially in some of the newer movies.) And I've never seen Braveheart, so I didn't even know that there was any kind of connection between the two stories.



If it takes me out of the movie than it bothers me...and frankly I could forgive the CGI. The Goblin in Fellowship looks horribly dated based on today's standards. But when the physics are off that's when I have a reaction.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB4I57oWwfc


In one scene you can count at-least five horrible errors. If I judge the film as a kids adventure film it's less offensive to me. It's almost like something out of AIRPLANE...they should just say no trees were harmed as Dennis Quaid went through this zip line. Also how many tons do you think that horse was supposed to be to anchor a Dragon 10X it's size. Then you've got the stuntman switchouts that are very obvious. Also if the Dragon is flying above the forest canopy how can he see Dennis and heckle him.





At least you delivered 😁


Yeah I don't know about that one...I do think GBgoodies is going to likely be disgusted by some of those later "Jeff Bridges" scenes. As for the film...I'm somewhat okay with it but I'm very interested to see how the group finds Dickens and his effect on the film.

[gbgoodies]

If it takes me out of the movie than it bothers me...and frankly I could forgive the CGI. The Goblin in Fellowship looks horribly dated based on today's standards. But when the physics are off that's when I have a reaction.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB4I57oWwfc

I loved that scene! Dennis Quaid's facial expressions and Sean Connery's lines were so funny that I was laughing like crazy. Especially at the end of the scene. "Yikes!". :lol:


In one scene you can count at-least five horrible errors. If I judge the film as a kids adventure film it's less offensive to me. It's almost like something out of AIRPLANE...they should just say no trees were harmed as Dennis Quaid went through this zip line. Also how many tons do you think that horse was supposed to be to anchor a Dragon 10X it's size. Then you've got the stuntman switchouts that are very obvious. Also if the Dragon is flying above the forest canopy how can he see Dennis and heckle him.

Sometimes errors like that bother me, but only if they're so bad that I can't ignore them, but they didn't bother me at all in this movie. I read so many minor errors in IMDB's "Goofs" section that it makes me think that some people just think too much during movies. I like to just sit back and enjoy a movie, not study it looking for mistakes. And I grew up watching the original "Star Trek" TV show, so if I could get through some of the obvious stuntmen in that show, I'm sure the stuntmen in today's movies won't bother me even a little bit. :lol:


Yeah I don't know about that one...I do think GBgoodies is going to likely be disgusted by some of those later "Jeff Bridges" scenes.

Oh goodie! Something to look forward to when I attempt a rewatch. :rolleyes:


(BTW, It's 4AM here and I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. I guess we'll have to pick this up again tomorrow night. Good night. :))

[edarsenal]

So it is a rewatch for you?

I had seen this at the theatre and watched it many times on cable/satellite tv and regular tv... but again, its been a very long time.

saw it quite a number of times when it first came out and then on occasion. It has been a decade or two since my last viewing. Pretty hyped to see it again.

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65945

@ahwell (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=101613) @Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @HollowMan (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107655) @MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) @rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) @Wyldesyde19 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=104656)

Our journey has only just begun, so feel free to continue at your own pace. However a few of us have decided to venture forward, and scout out the roads that lie ahead. It's been just over a week since the quest started, and our adventurers already have 24 reviews posted, and additional material has been provided by our lovely companion @gbgoodies (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84622) as well.

ahwell - 6/10
Citizen Rules - 3/10
CosmicRunaway - 5/10
edarsenal - 0/10
HolowMan - 0/10
MovieGal - 4/10
pahaK - 3/10
rauldc14 - 0/10
Siddon - 3/10
Wyldesyde19 - 0/10

I recently dispatched ravens to everyone about a potential change to the Hall of Fame. Since I heard back from all but one of you, I'll go ahead and make it official. The path our quest will follow has been altered. The film Peau d'Âne (1970) is no longer part of this HoF. Instead, Christophe Gans' La Belle et la Bête (2014) will take its place. MovieGal has asked that all participants view this film in its original language with subtitles, instead of any dubbed versions that may be available.



https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65946
La Belle et la Bête (2014) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316801/)
Directed By: Christophe Gans
Nominated By: MovieGal

~*~

[Wyldesyde19]

Cassel is such a good actor. Most people know him for the Oceans series,
Where he played Toulour, but he’s had a great career in his native France.

[MovieGal]

Cassel is such a good actor. Most people know him for the Oceans series,
Where he played Toulour, but he’s had a great career in his native France.

My first film of his was Irreversible...such a brutal movie.

[Wyldesyde19]

My first film of his was Irreversible...such a brutal movie.
I think mine was Brotherhood of the Wolf.
And now that I’m reminded of that film I should have nominated that!
😑😑😑

[MovieGal]

I think mine was Brotherhood of the Wolf.
And now that I’m reminded of that film I should have nominated that!
😑😑😑

I have seen that years ago but don't remember him in it. I read last night, his first notable film was La Haine. I would watch that as its a troubled teen film.

[Wyldesyde19]

I have seen that years ago but don't remember him in it. I read last night, his first notable film was La Haine. I would watch that as its a troubled teen film.
La Haine has been on my “watch list” for a short time now.

[MovieGal]

La Haine has been on my “watch list” for a short time now.

I have a list of troubled teen movies. I watched one from Switzerland recently.

[MovieGal]

Wyldesyde19

You should watch Ondskan..it has Stellan's second son in it.

[Wyldesyde19]

Wyldesyde19

You should watch Ondskan..it has Stellan's second son in it.

I had to look it up as I wasn’t familiar with that title. Turns out I had, but by its English title “Evil”.
This is another that’s on my evergrowing “watch list”.
*sigh*
Too many films.....not enough time 😩

[CosmicRunaway]

I love seeing pictures of other people's collections. Some of my regular customers at the shows know this, and they like to stop by our table before they leave the show so I can see what treasures they found. :)
I don't have any pictures of what my collection looked like before I moved out. I couldn't take the statues with me, and my mom only kept the ones she liked the most on display. The ones that were boxed up were eventually sold at a flea market. Hopefully someone enjoyed that find!

I do however have some 10 year old photos where what she kept is visible in the background haha. These are primarily cat pictures though. If you squint, maybe you can make out the ones on the far side haha. The slightly larger blue one on the left was my favourite.


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65955

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65956

[edarsenal]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65945

@ahwell (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=101613) @Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @HollowMan (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107655) @MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) @rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) @Wyldesyde19 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=104656)

Our journey has only just begun, so feel free to continue at your own pace. However a few of us have decided to venture forward, and scout out the roads that lie ahead. It's been just over a week since the quest started, and our adventurers already have 24 reviews posted, and additional material has been provided by our lovely companion @gbgoodies (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84622) as well.

ahwell - 6/10
Citizen Rules - 3/10
CosmicRunaway - 5/10
edarsenal - 0/10
HolowMan - 0/10
MovieGal - 4/10
pahaK - 3/10
rauldc14 - 0/10
Siddon - 3/10
Wyldesyde19 - 0/10

I recently dispatched ravens to everyone about a potential change to the Hall of Fame. Since I heard back from all but one of you, I'll go ahead and make it official. The path our quest will follow has been altered. The film Peau d'Âne (1970) is no longer part of this HoF. Instead, Christophe Gans' La Belle et la Bête (2014) will take its place. MovieGal has asked that all participants view this film in its original language with subtitles, instead of any dubbed versions that may be available.



https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65946
La Belle et la Bête (2014) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316801/)
Directed By: Christophe Gans
Nominated By: MovieGal

~*~


oh F@CK yes!!
Not sure if I was speaking with someone recently at the start of this HoF but I was thinking back on the version Cosmic nominated for the 40s HoF when I saw this on IMDb and remembered being VERY curious about it with the added bonus of Vincent Cassel playing la Bête -- so, I am f@ckin geeked about this being the replacement nomination!!!

[edarsenal]

I watched DragonHeart today, and I wasn't bothered by any of the stuff that seemed to bother you about it. I didn't even notice the difference in the accents, and CGI never bothers me, unless it's so bad that it looks like a bad cartoon. (TBH, I never understand why CGI bothers people so much, especially in some of the newer movies.) And I've never seen Braveheart, so I didn't even know that there was any kind of connection between the two stories.

I didn't think of it as a kids movie, but maybe that's why the violence didn't bother me too much.

I agree with you about the music score. I rarely even notice the music in movies (that aren't musicals), but for some reason, I kept noticing it in this movie, and I thought it just made the movie even better.

I loved the relationship between Bowen and Draco the dragon. I thought that Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery were both perfectly cast. David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, and Dina Meyer were good, but none of them really stood out to me.

Overall, I thought it was a good movie, but there was just not enough character development to make me care for anyone except Bowen and Draco, and even those two characters were lacking a bit. The last scene with Bowen and Draco was hard to watch, but I'm almost always a crier at movies, and I never felt enough of a connection to Draco for it to make me cry.

However on the plus side, this movie reminded me why I love and collect dragon statues. These are just a few of my dragon statues. (And before someone asks, No, Garfield and Thumper are NOT dragons. :lol:)

65938
65941
65940

VERY cool dragons!
That second, purple one looks familiar to one we have at the house. I'll have to double check (at work presently).

[edarsenal]

Cassel is such a good actor. Most people know him for the Oceans series,
Where he played Toulour, but he’s had a great career in his native France.
seen a number of his films, including La Haine, Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Crimson Rivers where he also starred with Jean Reno whom I love as well, The Messenger; The Story of Joan of Arc, and the VERY intense Mesrine pt 1 & 2.
BIG fan of Cassel.

[MovieGal]

seen a number of his films, including La Haine, Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Crimson Rivers where he also starred with Jean Reno whom I love as well, The Messenger; The Story of Joan of Arc, and the VERY intense Mesrine pt 1 & 2.
BIG fan of Cassel.

You haven't seen Irreversible ?

[Wyldesyde19]

You haven't seen Irreversible ?
I’ve seen it. That scene with Monica Belluci is brutal.

[MovieGal]

I’ve seen it. That scene with Monica Belluci is brutal.

I own the DVD. I like brutal and extreme cinema.

[Wyldesyde19]

I own the DVD. I like brutal and extreme cinema.
Normally I’m fine with it, but I have a soft spot for women abused and such and that scene was rough to watch.
Poor Monica. And she thought her scene in Malena was brutal....

[ahwell]

I will likely never see Irreversible for the reasons wyldesyde mentioned.

[MovieGal]

I will likely never see Irreversible for the reasons wyldesyde mentioned.

Not all films are for everyone. I think of them for what they are, to tell a story. Documentaries are real stories told on celluloid.

[Wyldesyde19]

Full disclosure. I stopped watching after that scene. I plan on rewatching it at some point. But I didn’t really care for it to begin with and that scene pretty much made me quit.

[Kakarot89]

This list has only proven to me that I don't watch any fantasy movies.

Then I see MovieGal talking about Irreversible and I'm like "yeah, that convo sounds interesting." Ha ha.

[MovieGal]

This list has only proven to me that I don't watch any fantasy movies.

Then I see MovieGal talking about Irreversible and I'm like "yeah, that convo sounds interesting." Ha ha.

So no interest in my nom? For shame!

[pahaK]

Full disclosure. I stopped watching after that scene. I plan on rewatching it at some point. But I didn’t really care for it to begin with and that scene pretty much made me quit.

Irreversible is one of the few (maybe even only) film that actually gave me a headache with all of its spinning cameras and flashing lights. I can only imagine what it would do to an epileptic.

[Kakarot89]

So no interest in my nom? For shame!

The only nominated films I've seen are the LOTR films and I only saw those because I read the books. Like I said previously, I don't watch a lot of fantasy films.

[Citizen Rules]

Irreversible is one of the few (maybe even only) film that actually gave me a headache with all of its spinning cameras and flashing lights. I can only imagine what it would do to an epileptic.I hate spinning cameras. Seen that done in a movie just the other night and it made me feel queasy. I don't even remember the movie just that it made me feel like I was going to puke...and puking wasn't what the scene was about.

[Citizen Rules]

The only nominated films I've seen are the LOTR films and I only saw those because I read the books. Like I said previously, I don't watch a lot of fantasy films. The 23rd general HoF will be starting soon, you should join!

[MovieGal]

Citizen Rules you definitely would not like Irreversible...

[Citizen Rules]

@Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637) you definitely would not like Irreversible...
I'm sure of that!

[MovieGal]

I'm sure of that!

I know what type you will or will not watch.

That HOF we talked about? I have the perfect film for you.

[Citizen Rules]

I know what type you will or will not watch.

That HOF we talked about? I have the perfect film for you.Cool! I haven't thought about my nom but I could come up with some really good ones.

[MovieGal]

Cool! I haven't thought about my nom but I could come up with some really good ones.

I know many i could nom.

[Citizen Rules]

I know many i could nom.Yup! there's a lot of good ones.

[MovieGal]

Yup! there's a lot of good ones.

Of course, its one of my favorite subjects.

[Citizen Rules]

Of course, its one of my favorite subjects.Mine too, but you knew that.:p

[gbgoodies]

I don't have any pictures of what my collection looked like before I moved out. I couldn't take the statues with me, and my mom only kept the ones she liked the most on display. The ones that were boxed up were eventually sold at a flea market. Hopefully someone enjoyed that find!

I do however have some 10 year old photos where what she kept is visible in the background haha. These are primarily cat pictures though. If you squint, maybe you can make out the ones on the far side haha. The slightly larger blue one on the left was my favourite.


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65955

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65956


You have some nice statues. It's hard to see some of them in the pictures, but I like the one with the castle in the clouds behind that cat, (it's visible in the second picture). I have a small framed picture that's similar to that, with a dragon lying completely around the castle in the clouds, protecting the castle.

I also have a small figurine similar to the one with the dragon hatching out of the egg.

[gbgoodies]

VERY cool dragons!
That second, purple one looks familiar to one we have at the house. I'll have to double check (at work presently).


Thanks.

I have a few purple dragon statues that are similar to that one. (That one was the easiest to get to for pictures. :))

[gbgoodies]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
I thought that I watched this movie back when I bought the DVDs, but if I did, I didn't remember much about it. There were some scenes that looked familiar, but that could just be from seeing clips of the movie over the years.

Even though the extended version of this movie is almost 4 hours long, it didn't feel that long. It never dragged on, and it never got boring. However I'm not sure that I understood everything that was going on, but hopefully some of it will make more sense after seeing the rest of the trilogy. For example, I saw that the ring can make whoever has it disappear and reappear, but I don't quite understand what kind of actual power the ring has, or why everyone seems to want it. I'm also not sure that I fully understand the difference between a hobbit, an elf, and a dwarf, but I liked the friendship between them, and the way they protected each other on their quest.

Having heard about these movies, but not read the books, or knowing much about the stories, there were some surprises in the first movie that will probably be cleared up in the sequels. I was surprised to see Gandalf killed off in the first movie, but I'm sure that they'll find a way to bring him back in the next movie. (Maybe he comes back to guide them like Yoda did for Luke in the Star Wars movies.) I was also surprised that Gollum wasn't in this movie much, other than a brief appearance at the beginning. But on the flip side, the casting of Sean Bean as Boromir was a major spoiler because his character pretty much gets killed off in almost every movie that he's in, so it was no surprise when his character was killed.

I enjoyed the movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequels. And on the plus side, I finally understand some of the LotR references on "The Big Bang Theory". :)

And for anyone who's curious, this is the DVD set that I'm watching:

65966

[CosmicRunaway]

But on the flip side, the casting of Sean Bean as Boromir was a major spoiler because his character pretty much gets killed off in almost every movie that he's in, so it was no surprise when his character was killed.

It's honestly more surprising when his character doesn't die in a film haha.
And for anyone who's curious, this is the DVD set that I'm watching:
That's the exact same set I have! I like that they look like books on the shelf.

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65968

Tideland (2005)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jodelle Ferland, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer

Tideland is likely going to be a very difficult film for many viewers, either due to its subject matter, or the manner in which Gilliam presents it to the audience. It's a serious story told through an incredibly absurd filter in an attempt to emulate the coping mechanisms of a young girl forced to live through traumatic circumstances. It rides a thin line that often borders on parody, intentionally creating an awkward and unsettling tone that's likely to be polarizing even among fans of Gilliam's other work.

As is typical with many of Gilliam's films, the camera often plays with perspective using high and low angle shots. There's also an abundant use of dutch angles, and subtle changes in colour palette that attempt to enhance the mood of each scene. Its presentation of escapist fantasies manages to be both highly imaginative, while also staying grounded in reality. It's a strange mix that showcases Gilliam's talent as a filmmaker, though it highlights elements that viewers will either appreciate, or thoroughly despise.

For a child actor, Jodelle Ferland gives a surprisingly good performance. The entire story is centred around her character, so the audience's ability (or inability) to connect with her will have a major impact on their enjoyment of the film. Brendan Fletcher is fantastic, providing a realistic portrayal of an abused young man with an intellectual disability. I would've like to see some more of Jeff Bridges, as he's not in the film for very long. I'm ultimately left undecided on how I feel about Tideland. It's an odd film that is definitely going to take some time to digest properly.

[MovieGal]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65968

Tideland (2005)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jodelle Ferland, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer

For a child actor, Jodelle Ferland gives a surprisingly good performance



She does a very good job in Silent Hill.

[CosmicRunaway]

She does a very good job in Silent Hill.
I thought she looked really familiar, but couldn't put my finger on it. I meant to look it up after, but forgot.

Which reminds me about that Sean Bean comment from earlier...

Those adaptations are an example of Sean Bean surprisingly surviving films, where his character was originally supposed to die.

[MovieGal]

I thought she looked really familiar, but couldn't put my finger on it. I meant to look it up after, but forgot.

Which reminds me about that Sean Bean comment from earlier...

Those adaptations are an example of Sean Bean surprisingly surviving films, where his character was originally supposed to die.

When I saw her, I knew immediately she was the little girl in Silent Hill. Christophe Gans directed it as well.

I like Sean Bean as an actor. I enjoy everything he has done, even "The Frankenstein Chronicles".

Dangerous thing, I found a tv series I am enjoying, Empire Games. So far, today, I watched "Egypt" and now "China". But I will finish the HOF probably soon.

[ahwell]

https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcf9w5foVF1rw6lx6o1_r3_500.gif
Kwaidan (1964)

As an anthology film, Kwaidan is probably by definition hard to "rate". There is a segment I would give a 10/10 and a segment I would give a 5/10. But what's very wonderful about this particular anthology film, is that there is ghostly, sad vibe given off through each of the stories. At three hours, it was slow moving, but it also never dragged.

I've never thought I could call a horror movie one of the most truly beautiful films I've seen - but here it is. Every story has a different color scheme to it, and Good Lord does it look absolutely amazing. Kobayashi goes all out with the folk horror style, and not only do we get authentic looking temples, settings, and designs, but amazing costumes, and slow, pandering dialogue. It's... magnificent.

The Black Hair begins as more of a tragedy; a man leaves his faithful wife to live rich. From the very beginning, while nothing truly bad happens at first, there are eery vibes. The house he lives in is like a character itself, which I absolutely love. One of my favorite parts about this segment was the camera movements. We get off-putting angles that would then shift back to "normal" in the same shot. So without blood and screams, Kobayashi effectively terrifies the audience.

The Woman of the Snow, while being the story I was least impressed with, has a beautiful, snowy setting (obviously). It is also probably the most simple story, and one that I could most imagine being told at bedtime, or over a fire at night.

Hoichi the Earless absolutely blew me away, beginning with a story inside the story. A giant battle is staged, and it's only part of the epic that Hoichi recites!! The real story is where Hoichi goes every night... Like with the other shorts, it begins as creepy and slowly turns into madness. This is the closest to body horror Kwaidan gets, lets just say :). Nevertheless, my favorite segment, the type of thing I would watch with or without context of the film itself.

In a Cup of Tea is an odd one, but it's by no means bad. I found that it was the most bland looking of the four segments, but the story quickly became wild and the ending was absolutely terrifying. Strangely, it's also the story that has completely left me.

I watched the film over a course of a couple days, not out of boredom, but because I felt that I would enjoy it more as four separate segments... indeed, I believe I did. Each day/segment was a new treat, and I can wholeheartedly recommend this to even non-horror fans... if you are a fan of beautiful visuals and a slow, dark, tone, check this one out!!

On a final note, I would like to point out the insanely amazing film score and sound effects by the legendary Toru Takemitsu. He also did the film scores for Ran, Harakiri, and Woman in the Dunes among many others, and is a huge figure in classical music as well. His music here was hypnotizing, and I could not think of a better score possible.

Kwaidan is an epic, but it is also astoundingly intimate, intricate, and beautiful.

3.5-

[ahwell]

If I could get a link to Beauty and the Beast that would be great.

[CosmicRunaway]

I watched the film over a course of a couple days, not out of boredom, but because I felt that I would enjoy it more as four separate segments... indeed, I believe I did. Each day/segment was a new treat, and I can wholeheartedly recommend this to even non-horror fans... if you are a fan of beautiful visuals and a slow, dark, tone, check this one out!!
This kind of anthology lends itself well to breaking it up over multiple viewings like that. When I watched this just before the Japanese Hall of Fame started, I also watched it over the course of a few days, though I watched "Hoichi the Earless" and "In a Cup of Tea" back-to-back. Maybe that's part of the reason why I had mostly forgotten about the final segment. This time I just watched the entire thing at once though.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[ahwell]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ComplexBoringAoudad-size_restricted.gif
Tideland (2005)

Tideland probably technically isn't one of the worst movies I've seen, but it's probably one of my least favorite viewing experiences. There is not a second of this film, from the very first obnoxious narration to the last, bizarre, scenes, that I didn't hate. Every character was not only unlikable, but worse - unrealistic.

This is my second Terry Gilliam film, after Monty Python and the Holy Grail - one of my favorite comedies. As is expected, Tideland is nothing like that film, in either tone or thematic material. Instead, it reduces itself to revolting people doing revolting things. The story is not much more than a little girl running around, having increasingly darker and darker fantasies, while her father - dead from an overdose - rots in their "house". Not my idea of a great time.

To her credit, Jodelle Ferland makes an admirable effort and almost succeeds in making Jeliza-Rose likable or interesting. However, she doesn't feel real to me. I just rewatched The Florida Project yesterday, and that's a movie that understands its children. There are ****ty people in the movie, but they feel like they could exist in real life. As a fantasy, Tideland isn't supposed to feel "normal" by any means, but it's wayyy too far off the deep end.

The scenes and moments blended together so much that I forget really what "happened". Did anything happen? The "monster shark" died for one. Congrats. Jeliza-Rose finally finds a legitimately responsible adult by the end, but every. damn. character. makes me want to scream.

I get that this is about the innocence of children in the face of real trauma. I get that it's about maturity and adulthood. I get that it's about the cycle of parent-child. I get that it's about the creativity, and sometimes darkness, of the child mind. But I don't get why this movie has to be presented in such an off-putting way. I've rarely every said "**** this" about a movie, but - **** this.

0.5+

[MovieGal]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ComplexBoringAoudad-size_restricted.gif
Tideland (2005)

Tideland probably technically isn't one of the worst movies I've seen, but it's probably one of my least favorite viewing experiences. There is not a second of this film, from the very first obnoxious narration to the last, bizarre, scenes, that I didn't hate. Every character was not only unlikable, but worse - unrealistic.

This is my second Terry Gilliam film, after Monty Python and the Holy Grail - one of my favorite comedies. As is expected, Tideland is nothing like that film, in either tone or thematic material. Instead, it reduces itself to revolting people doing revolting things. The story is not much more than a little girl running around, having increasingly darker and darker fantasies, while her father - dead from an overdose - rots in their "house". Not my idea of a great time.

To her credit, Jodelle Ferland makes an admirable effort and almost succeeds in making Jeliza-Rose likable or interesting. However, she doesn't feel real to me. I just rewatched The Florida Project yesterday, and that's a movie that understands its children. There are ****ty people in the movie, but they feel like they could exist in real life. As a fantasy, Tideland isn't supposed to feel "normal" by any means, but it's wayyy too far off the deep end.

The scenes and moments blended together so much that I forget really what "happened". Did anything happen? The "monster shark" died for one. Congrats. Jeliza-Rose finally finds a legitimately responsible adult by the end, but every. damn. character. makes me want to scream.

I get that this is about the innocence of children in the face of real trauma. I get that it's about maturity and adulthood. I get that it's about the cycle of parent-child. I get that it's about the creativity, and sometimes darkness, of the child mind. But I don't get why this movie has to be presented in such an off-putting way. I've rarely every said "**** this" about a movie, but - **** this.

0.5+

Hey, I feel about the same as you after the first viewing and I thought I would wait a few days and give it a second one. Nope, 30 minutes into the film, I didn't feel any different.

[ahwell]

Hey, I feel about the same as you after the first viewing and I thought I would wait a few days and give it a second one. Nope, 30 minutes into the film, I didn't feel any different.

Yeah, in many ways I thought it might just be a personal thing, but I don't know... this just was not for me in any way. I'm glad other people enjoy it though!

[MovieGal]

Yeah, in many ways I thought it might just be a personal thing, but I don't know... this just was not for me in any way. I'm glad other people enjoy it though!

I like the shocking and degrading films but there were several things that I just couldn't wrap my thoughts around. There were some things I enjoyed but there was a lot I could think less of or had thoughts, "What pieces of **** these characters are!!"

[CosmicRunaway]

This is my second Terry Gilliam film, after Monty Python and the Holy Grail - one of my favorite comedies.
Coincidentally, I just rewatched Excalibur, and above all else it made me really want to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail again haha.

I've seen the majority of Gilliam's filmography. Of the 10 I've seen (and an 11th I couldn't sit through) Brazil is easily my favourite. The Holy Grail is probably second. I'm not entirely sure that a week goes by where I don't quote something from The Holy Grail, either at home or at work haha.

[Wyldesyde19]

I think 12 Monkeys is my favorite followed by Holy Grail.
It’s been awhile, but I remember liking Brazil but not loving it. Maybe should rewatch it sometime.

[CosmicRunaway]

I think 12 Monkeys is my favorite followed by Holy Grail.
I'd probably put 12 Monkeys at #3, but I haven't seen it in so long that I'd definitely need to rewatch it to be confident in that statement.

I think I've now added more films to my rewatch list than nominations I have left in this HoF haha.

[edarsenal]

I've always enjoyed Terry Gilliam films. One that hasn't been mentioned that I thought was quite poetic in its emotional capacity was The Fisher King (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101889/). Truly need to see that one again. It's been at least two decades since I last saw it.

[CosmicRunaway]

The Fisher King is one of the few I haven't seen. The other being Jabberwocky.

The one I bailed out of watching was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I didn't even make it that far in. I just wasn't in the mood.

[Wyldesyde19]

The Fisher King is one of the few I haven't seen. The other being Jabberwocky.

The one I bailed out of watching was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I didn't even make it that far in. I just wasn't in the mood.
Definitely give Parnassus another try. It isn’t top Gilliam, but it’s decent.
Of his films o have not seen Baron Munchausen, Tideland (remedying shortly) Zero Theorem, Fisher King, Time Bandits or Don Quixote.
That’s actually too many for my tastes.

[CosmicRunaway]

Definitely give Parnassus another try. It isn’t top Gilliam, but it’s decent.
Of his films o have not seen Baron Munchausen, Tideland (remedying shortly) Zero Theorem, Fisher King, Time Bandits or Don Quixote.
That’s actually too many for my tastes.
I only just watched The Man Who Killed Don Quixote while trying to decide on a nomination for this Hall of Fame. It's far more dramatic, but still interesting enough.

I've seen Zero Theorem twice, but still don't know how I feel about it. It's more similar to Brazil than films like Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen are. While I used to like those two when I was younger, I'd really need to be in the right mood to watch them now. If you want something more comedic, they're the ones to go with though.

[MovieGal]

I'd probably put 12 Monkeys at #3, but I haven't seen it in so long that I'd definitely need to rewatch it to be confident in that statement.

I think I've now added more films to my rewatch list than nominations I have left in this HoF haha.

I have seen 12 Monkeys and liked it. I have seen pieces of Gillam's other films.

Not quite sure if he's my style.

Wyldesyde19 12 Monkeys is based off short film, that's actually released as Criterion....La Jetee.

[Wyldesyde19]

I have seen 12 Monkeys and liked it. I have seen pieces of Gillam's other films.

Not quite sure if he's my style.

Wyldesyde19 12 Monkeys is based off short film, that's actually released as Criterion....La Jetee.
I’ve heard of that. Haven’t been able to watch it yet, sadly. I don’t watch many short films, to be honest.

[Wyldesyde19]

Just discovered Beauty and The Beast is available on Amazon Prime for streaming. For those who have it.

[MovieGal]

Just discovered Beauty and The Beast is available on Amazon Prime for streaming. For those who have it.

Its English dubbed. You need the original French with English subs

[Citizen Rules]

Just discovered Beauty and The Beast is available on Amazon Prime for streaming. For those who have it.I don't have Amazon Prime, but I found a nice HD link for it in French with English subs.

[Wyldesyde19]

Its English dubbed. You need the original French with English subs
If I can’t, it will have to suffice.
May I ask what difference it might make?

[MovieGal]

If I can’t, it will have to suffice.
May I ask what difference it might make?

Loses meaning in translation. English subs are slightly different from English dub.

[Wyldesyde19]

Loses meaning in translation. English subs are slightly different from English dub.
I get that, and if the option was readily available I would watch it in its native language. I usually do after all, but I may choose to watch this version in the meantime.

[Citizen Rules]

I get that, and if the option was readily available I would watch it in its native language. I usually do after all, but I may choose to watch this version in the meantime.I'll PM you a HD link for it in French with English subs.

[edarsenal]

I don't have Amazon Prime, but I found a nice HD link for it in French with English subs.

If you'd be so kind, could you send it my way? THANKS!
Original Language with subtitles works great for me. Always prefer hearing the actors' inflection as opposed to the voice work of dubbing.

[MovieGal]

I could have nominated "Аленький цветочек". Mr Minio mentioned this to me a few years ago. I watched it and it's just as enjoyable

[gbgoodies]

Tideland (2005)
To be honest, my first thought after watching this movie was to just use this for my review . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYngTUZeUQ
and then just leave it at that, but I decided to elaborate a little bit.


The first 30 seconds of the movie weren't too bad, and then the train went past, and the movie just went downhill from there. I hated everyone in the movie, including Jeliza-Rose. In fact, I thought the best character in the movie was the squirrel.

It was bad enough that the girl's parents were disgusting people, but even Jeliza-Rose was creepy and disgusting too. She showed absolutely no emotion when her mother died, and then, after her father died, the movie just replaced her parents with two different disgusting people.

I hated the relationship between Jeliza-Rose and Dickens. It was creepy and disgusting.
I hated the weird voices she used for the dolls heads. I found the weird camera angles dizzying at times. There was even something weird and kind of creepy about the lady who found Jeliza-Rose at the end of the movie.

[pahaK]

When I saw her, I knew immediately she was the little girl in Silent Hill. Christophe Gans directed it as well.

She was also in the SyFy channel series called Dark Matter. She's a young adult there already but still very recognizable.

[CosmicRunaway]

She was also in the SyFy channel series called Dark Matter. She's a young adult there already but still very recognizable.
Wow, I didn't recognize her from that either. I wonder what else I've seen her in that I haven't realized yet. Should probably check out her IMDB profile haha.

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65980

Excalibur (1981)
Directed By: John Boorman
Starring: Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren

Most films based on Arthurian legend focus on a smaller part of Arthur's tale - typically either his journey to become king, or the quest for the grail afterward. Excalibur instead expands its scope to include Arthur's entire life, from the circumstances surrounding his birth, to the moment he's carried off to the Isle of Avalon. Despite having a runtime that's nearly two and half hours long, this commitment to the whole story makes the film occasionally feel a little rushed. However being the retelling of a classic myth, it wouldn't have been necessary to expand on the little details anyway.

The beginning of the film, set during Uther's reign, is dreary, chaotic, and violent. This is both a visual and symbolic choice to set his era apart from the kingdom his son would one day lead out of darkness. With its impractically shining armour and bright castles, Arthur's world is instead weaved from dreams. The aesthetic works incredibly well because Excalibur is, after all, a film about legends. There is no attempt to portray the Middle Ages in a realistic manner, as that would defeat the purpose of the story and the hope it is meant to instill.

The film features fantastic costumes and elaborate sets. The performances are a little uneven at times, but overall they're quite enjoyable. Nicol Williamson's Merlin was quite impressive, as he managed to balance the character's wisdom and eccentricity quite well. While Carl Orff's “O Fortuna” was originally a suitably epic choice of music, watching it now, I couldn't help but laugh at its use because it has since become such a cliché. But that's a minor complaint for a film that was just as engaging to watch this time as it was when it first enchanted me many years ago.

[Wyldesyde19]

Hit up my local rental store to see what they have available. Found Kiki’s and Beauty and The Beast in the foreign section so will just rent it from there. Most movie are accounted for. Once I start this up next week, I should be able to burn through it easily.

[CosmicRunaway]

Speaking of burning through the HoF, I've been going through the nominations a little more quickly than I thought I would. But I've had a bit of free time, mostly only doing half shifts at work, and since I was already familiar with the majority of these films, watching them just felt nice and comfortable, if that makes sense.

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65945

@ahwell @Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @gbgoodies (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84622) @HollowMan (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107655) @MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) @rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) @Wyldesyde19 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=104656)

As our adventure continues to unfold, a new path has been laid before us! Our companion gbg, who had been journeying with us in good faith without having sworn an oath to the fellowship, has now joined our quest in earnest. In order to accommodate the new addition, the deadline has been moved to Saturday, September 19th.

So what new wonders lie in wait? Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) may be a controversial pick, as many would consider this film to be squarely in the realm of science fiction. But sci-fi and fantasy are woven from the same cloth, and there is often a lot of overlap among the two genres. Just because a film features an alien, doesn't mean that it's automatically ineligible.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=65983

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/)
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Nominated By: gbgoodies

~*~

[CosmicRunaway]

Not sure why the mention for ahwell doesn't seem to be going through there. I'll send him a PM just in case.

[Wyldesyde19]

I love this film and it gets me in the feels...

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen E.T. and know it well enough that I might not watch it again.

[Wyldesyde19]

I've seen E.T. and know it well enough that I might not watch it again.
I’ve seen it so many times I don’t need to either....but I will anyways 😀

[CosmicRunaway]

It's been ages since I've seen E.T. so I definitely need to watch it again. I never really cared one way another about it when I was younger, so it'll be interesting to see if I like it more now.

I had just finished watching La Belle et la Bête when I saw gbg's PM, so now I just have her nomination and the LotR films left.

[gbgoodies]

I've seen E.T. and know it well enough that I might not watch it again.


I hope you know it well enough because you love it, and you've seen it many, many times. (Like me! :D)

I know it well enough that I just rewatched it recently, and I'm going to watch it again anyway. :D

[Citizen Rules]

I just asked my wife if she wanted to rewatch E.T. and she said yes, so we will. She also said and I quote, "they're still nominating films in the fantasy hof?":p

[Wyldesyde19]

Also, this was a film I planned on nominating for a future HOF for either Sci Fi or General or any that may have been applicable.
Pretty sure this may become the front runner now here 🙂

[gbgoodies]

I just asked my wife if she wanted to rewatch E.T. and she said yes, so we will. She also said and I quote, "they're still nominating films in the fantasy hof?":p


Sorry I was late to join, but I finally realized that I was likely to watch all the noms anyway, so I might as well join. :)

[gbgoodies]

Also, this was a film I planned on nominating for a future HOF for either Sci Fi or General or any that may have been applicable.
Pretty sure this may become the front runner now here 🙂


I don't expect it to beat the Lord of the Rings movies, but it's a personal favorite since it was in the theaters, and I don't hear about it on MoFo very often. I thought it needed a bit of a bump. :)

[Citizen Rules]

Sorry I was late to join, but I finally realized that I was likely to watch all the noms anyway, so I might as well join. :)I'm glad you joined:)

It was funny as I had just posted and said I wouldn't rewatch, then immediately asked my wife is she wanted to see it again, then she wondered why noms were still being done🙂

I reviewed E.T. here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1662599#post1662599)

[MovieGal]

Also, this was a film I planned on nominating for a future HOF for either Sci Fi or General or any that may have been applicable.
Pretty sure this may become the front runner now here 🙂

Citizen Rules and I were discussing a "History" HOF. The film has to be an event that took place or a story of a specific person. You cant just pick one because its a WW2 or whatever type film. The main event or character has to be real. Oh yeah, no fantasy film based around a historical person either. Caligula with Malcolm McDowell would be out. I enjoy the film. I love reading about Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus Germanicus but no, sorry that film doesn't qualify.

[ahwell]

Very excited for this new nom!!! I love Spielberg but this is one I somehow haven’t seen!

[Wyldesyde19]

Citizen Rules and I were discussing a "History" HOF. The film has to be an event that took place or a story of a specific person. You cant just pick one because its a WW2 or whatever type film. The main event or character has to be real. Oh yeah, no fantasy film based around a historical person either. Caligula with Malcolm McDowell would be out. I enjoy the film. I love reading about Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus Germanicus but no, sorry that film doesn't qualify.
Yeah, I remember we discussed it as well. It’s definitely one I’d be interested in joining.

[gbgoodies]

I'm glad you joined:)

It was funny as I had just posted and said I wouldn't rewatch, then immediately asked my wife is she wanted to see it again, then she wondered why noms were still being done🙂

I reviewed E.T. here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1662599#post1662599)


It's been 3 years since you reviewed it. It's time for a rewatch. :D

[MovieGal]

Yeah, I remember we discussed it as well. It’s definitely one I’d be interested in joining.

Yeah, I talked to you about it after Citizen Rules and I discussed it. I discuss most of my ideas with CR about HOFs. He and I enjoy a lot of the same movies. He watches some things that I won't, like 50's films and old westerns, and I watch things he won't, but the general consensus is the same.

[gbgoodies]

Citizen Rules and I were discussing a "History" HOF. The film has to be an event that took place or a story of a specific person. You cant just pick one because its a WW2 or whatever type film. The main event or character has to be real. Oh yeah, no fantasy film based around a historical person either. Caligula with Malcolm McDowell would be out. I enjoy the film. I love reading about Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus Germanicus but no, sorry that film doesn't qualify.


I was wondering what HoF idea you two were discussing, but I didn't ask because I figured that you would tell the rest of us about it when you were ready.

I'm not much of a history buff, but I would at least follow along with this. It sounds interesting.

[gbgoodies]

Very excited for this new nom!!! I love Spielberg but this is one I somehow haven’t seen!


I'm looking forward to your review. I was hoping to find at least a few people who might have somehow missed this movie over the years, and would see it for the first time.

[MovieGal]

I was wondering what HoF idea you two were discussing, but I didn't ask because I figured that you would tell the rest of us about it when you were ready.

I'm not much of a history buff, but I would at least follow along with this. It sounds interesting.

I think you would enjoy some of the nominations. I already have mine picked out. I wont give out what the film is but the movie is about 26 to 28 years old and very good. Great actors.

[Wyldesyde19]

Yeah, I talked to you about it after Citizen Rules and I discussed it. I discuss most of my ideas with CR about HOFs. He and I enjoy a lot of the same movies. He watches some things that I won't, like 50's films and old westerns, and I watch things he won't, but the general consensus is the same.
Yeah, mentioned to me is more accurate.

[MovieGal]

Yeah, mentioned to me is more accurate.

And I would have to say "religious" movies are out. Everyone has different beliefs so you can consider "religion" a type of "mythology".

[Wyldesyde19]

And I would have to say "religious" movies are out. Everyone has different beliefs so you can consider "religion" a type of "mythology".
I hadn’t even considered religious films anyways, but that’s good to know.

[MovieGal]

I hadn’t even considered religious films anyways, but that’s good to know.

No documentaries either .. of course, we will set the rules when we create it.

[MovieGal]

ahwell would you be up for that type of HOF?

[Wyldesyde19]

No documentaries either .. of course, we will set the rules when we create it.
I’m curious....
Why wouldn’t docs be allowed? For example, Genocide covers the Holocaust and it seems to fit the historical theme.

[ahwell]

ahwell would you be up for that type of HOF?
Yes, I would join that for sure!!

[MovieGal]

I’m curious....
Why wouldn’t docs be allowed? For example, Genocide covers the Holocaust and it seems to fit the historical theme. *

there are documentaries and there are films.

You can find many movies about the Holocaust.. example Schindler's List. Oskar Schindler helped the jews escape the concentration camps.

And this reminds me, there is a new film out that I want to see... dang it!

[Wyldesyde19]

there are documentaries and there are films.

You can find many movies about the Holocaust.. example Schindler's List. Oskar Schindler helped the jews escape the concentration camps.

And this reminds me, there is a new film out that I want to see... dang it!
I’m aware of the amount of Holocaust films that I could nominate.
I don’t see how documentaries aren’t films, but I’m not going to derail This thread over discussing it.
I hadn’t planned on nominating one anyways, so it’s not a big deal.

[CosmicRunaway]

Back on topic:

A lot of people are planning to watch the entire LotR trilogy despite The Two Towers not being nominated, so I was wondering if anyone was intending to review the second film here as well. I'll link them in the second post if anyone does. Obviously it's not necessary to do any extra work, so don't feel compelled to write something about The Two Towers out of obligation.

[Wyldesyde19]

Back on topic:

A lot of people are planning to watch the entire LotR trilogy despite The Two Towers not being nominated, so I was wondering if anyone was intending to review the second film here as well. I'll link them in the second post if anyone does. Obviously it's not necessary to do any extra work, so don't feel compelled to write something about The Two Towers out of obligation.
I feel compelled now. I blame you.

[gbgoodies]

Back on topic:

A lot of people are planning to watch the entire LotR trilogy despite The Two Towers not being nominated, so I was wondering if anyone was intending to review the second film here as well. I'll link them in the second post if anyone does. Obviously it's not necessary to do any extra work, so don't feel compelled to write something about The Two Towers out of obligation.


I'm planning to watch it, but I'm not sure if I'll review it or not.

[MovieGal]

I'm planning to watch it, but I'm not sure if I'll review it or not.

I feel the same. I may watch it. I watched the trilogy a few weeks ago. I guess I can just watch the two and base my review off of them singly.

[CosmicRunaway]

I feel compelled now. I blame you.
I'll make it mandatory that everyone has to say at least one nice thing about it as well.

https://www.hexbug.com/news//app/uploads/2016/12/Dr-Evil-GIF-source.gif

[gbgoodies]

I'll make it mandatory that everyone has to say at least one nice thing about it as well.

https://www.hexbug.com/news//app/uploads/2016/12/Dr-Evil-GIF-source.gif


Would "I liked it more than Tideland" count? :lol:

[CosmicRunaway]

I'm planning to watch it, but I'm not sure if I'll review it or not.
For me it's going to depend on whether or not I have enough to say to warrant making a whole post about it, and how easy it is to write. If it's going to be a struggle to get my thoughts out, then I might not bother.

Well I say that, but The Two Towers is my favourite of the trilogy so I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about haha.

Would "I liked it more than Tideland" count? :laugh:
It's still technically positive, so I'll take it. :cool:

[Siddon]

Why don't we give @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) a second nom with The Two Towers cause Tideland ain't rising above last(which is a shame because for a film that is a train wreck it has it's charms)

[Citizen Rules]

Back on topic:

A lot of people are planning to watch the entire LotR trilogy despite The Two Towers not being nominated, so I was wondering if anyone was intending to review the second film here as well. I'll link them in the second post if anyone does. Obviously it's not necessary to do any extra work, so don't feel compelled to write something about The Two Towers out of obligation.I'm not planning on watching it. In fact I'm saving The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) until last, as I'm going to wait for HollowMan to complete the HoF. Hope he does, but not holding my breath either.

[Wyldesyde19]

[/I]I'm not planning on watching it. In fact I'm saving The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) until last, as I'm going to wait for HollowMan to complete the HoF. Hope he does, but not holding my breath either.
I was thinking the same thing haha.
I was saving it for last regardless, but there is a chance he may not even finish this.

[ahwell]

I’ve been needing to watch the last two LOTRs for years, so I wouldn’t mind watching them even if HollowMan dropped out.

Now if he had nominated Tideland, that would be a different story...

I will post my Two Towers review here once I watch it, which will be quite soon!!

[Citizen Rules]

ack, back to work for me, bye

[pahaK]

Why don't we give @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614) a second nom with The Two Towers cause Tideland ain't rising above last(which is a shame because for a film that is a train wreck it has it's charms)

Don't worry. I'm used to my nominations being at or near the bottom. I must admit, though, that I'm somewhat surprised by the severity of reactions for Tideland. Maybe I'm just too detached from normal people, but I don't see it especially offending film and it wasn't in any way a trollish choice like Child Bride may have been.

And regarding The Two Towers, I'm definitely watching it and I'll probably write a review too (maybe I don't spend as much time polishing it as with the real nominations but still). I already watched The Fellowship of the Ring and will try to finish my review soonish.

[MovieGal]

Don't worry. I'm used to my nominations being at or near the bottom. I must admit, though, that I'm somewhat surprised by the severity of reactions for Tideland. Maybe I'm just too detached from normal people, but I don't see it especially offending film and it wasn't in any way a trollish choice like Child Bride may have been.

And regarding The Two Towers, I'm definitely watching it and I'll probably write a review too (maybe I don't spend as much time polishing it as with the real nominations but still). I already watched The Fellowship of the Ring and will try to finish my review soonish.

My nominations get that feel in some past things. I am the same way, a bit detached when it comes to what I like. Most ppl give off dislike of my movies and myself, I learned not to care. There are a handful here who have gotten to know me privately and accept me for who I am.

[Siddon]

https://t4z5n2e5.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/et-1.jpg




On a side note I watched this on The Ovation channel which ran ads throughout the entire film including popup messages from Martin Luther King and other historical African American figures. I can't think of anything that ruins a film experience more than a popup political messaging.


E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)


Been a while since I watched this film, it's basically a parrell story of a pair of little boys, one that had been abandoned physically (ET) and the other one who was abandoned emotionally by his parents divorce. I like that this is very much a story of a middle child, one of the things I like about Speilberg is he allows for you to feel for a specific type of child.



The story plays in really two acts...ET with the family and ET home sick. I don't think I really understand why ET got sick stuck on Earth and by not giving us those answers I think it enhances the film a bit. But the question is, is this film on theme because it does feel grounded in science fiction. We don't get the evil government as a matter of fact the government is treated humanely which is interesting to say the least. Henry Thomas nails Elliott pity he didn't make the Best Actor cut because this is as much his film as it's ET. Dee Wallace is also very good her reactions are very different than what you would expect from a typical mom in these films. ET ended up winning four Oscars and it's definitely better than Gandhi in pretty much every way. This might also be the best score John Williams ever did.


Great nom happy I watched it...just wish it wasn't on Cable

[Citizen Rules]

Don't worry. I'm used to my nominations being at or near the bottom. I must admit, though, that I'm somewhat surprised by the severity of reactions for Tideland. Maybe I'm just too detached from normal people, but I don't see it especially offending film and it wasn't in any way a trollish choice like Child Bride may have been...If you really like Tideland or believe it's a good film, then that's all that matters. I might end up hating your nom, but I support your freedom of decision. Hmm, sounds like I'm running for some political office:p

[MovieGal]

If you really like Tideland or believe it's a good film, then that's all that matters. I might end up hating your nom, but I support your freedom of decision. Hmm, sounds like I'm running for some political office:p

You should... You do for me!

[Wyldesyde19]

also, and this bears a reminder, a negative review of your film is not meant as a slight against you.
It’s never to be taken personally.
I mean, most people didn’t care for my current nomination in the 22nd, Waco, which is a documentary. These people are clearly wrong, But I know it’s not personal. 😜

[Citizen Rules]

also, and this bears a reminder, a negative review of your film is not meant as a slight against you.
It’s never to be taken personally.
I mean, most people didn’t care for my current nomination in the 22nd, Waco, which is a documentary. These people are clearly wrong, But I know it’s not personal. 😜So true, and it's coming in last:p

But you know what? I'm glad to have seen it.

[ahwell]

Agreed, I hold nothing against anyone for the films they nominate! I’m glad to have branched out with Tideland, even if it wasn’t for me.

[Wyldesyde19]

Agreed, I hold nothing against anyone for the films they nominate! I’m glad to have branched out with Tideland, even if it wasn’t for me.
And here’s another thing about the noms, even if I don’t enjoy them, I’m still happy to have seen a film I hadn’t before.

Except Ahwell’s films.....
😜

[MovieGal]

Agreed, I hold nothing against anyone for the films they nominate! I’m glad to have branched out with Tideland, even if it wasn’t for me.

Ahwell, I think I know your type of films.. I wont suggest anything odd or extreme with you in mind.. and Citizen Rules and gbgoodies.

[Citizen Rules]

I watched the first half of the LOTR (2001). Hopefully I can finish it tonight. Now every time I saw I'm going to watch something, I never do!

[MovieGal]

I watched the first half of the LOTR (2001). Hopefully I can finish it tonight. Now every time I saw I'm going to watch something, I never do!

Im watching Kiki and hope I can finish it before bed.

[Citizen Rules]

Im watching Kiki and hope I can finish it before bed.It's not a long movie, not LOTR long🙂

[MovieGal]

https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/kikis-2-1280x720.jpg

Kiki's Delivery Service
(1989)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
nominated by ahwell

A coming of age story for a young witch, Kiki, and the mishaps that come with becoming an adult. Kiki leaves home at the age of 13 to spend one year away to learn more about being a witch. Kiki befriends a woman named Osono, an artist named Ursula, and a young boy named Tombo. Kiki looks for occupation and decides to be a delivery person. Her second delivery has a few hiccups but she overcomes them. Things don't always seem sunnier on the other side of the lake and Kiki learns this. She loses her best friend, a black cat named Jiji, to a white cat he meets. At this point of the story, Kiki can no longer understand Jiji, who she would have conversations with. Each witch must have their own familiar, a black cat. Other bumps come along and Kiki learns sometimes you need to stop and focus in another direction to move forward in life. .

It was a good movie. I asked my daughter, who has seen most of Miyazaki's films if I would enjoy it and she said "yes'". Well, yeah I did enjoy but I wouldn't say it's my favorite. That belongs to another fantasy film, "Spirited Away". Would I watch again, I'm not sure, perhaps but it would not be the first choice over his films.

Barsa reminds me of Grandma Sophie from "Howl's Moving Castle".

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/studio-ghibli/images/c/c7/Barsa.png/revision/latest?cb=20180920185606https://plentyofpopcorn.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/howls-moving-castle-grandma-sophie-e1554309576310.jpg

[CosmicRunaway]

I'm not planning on watching it. In fact I'm saving The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) until last, as I'm going to wait for HollowMan to complete the HoF. Hope he does, but not holding my breath either.
While he hasn't posted in the thread since the reveal, he did respond to the PM I spent on Friday asking if he had seen MG's original nomination. If he doesn't make an appearance by the end of the week I'll send him a message to make sure he's still in.

I'm saving the LotR films for last, primarily due to their length, but also because I think they'll make a nice, epic finale to the Hall of Fame. As soon as Raul nominated Fellowship, I knew I was probably going to end up watching the entire trilogy regardless haha.

Maybe I'm just too detached from normal people, but I don't see it especially offending film and it wasn't in any way a trollish choice like Child Bride may have been.
I think it's worth noting that Tideland is by a well-known and beloved fantasy director. It's not some random D-list direct-to-video film someone found in a bargain bin. It's not a questionable nomination in any way.

Obviously not everyone is going to enjoy it, but I think the problem is that even Gilliam's most popular work can be quite divisive. Tideland in particular is not a film that's going to appeal to a large audience, and Gilliam himself admitted that many people will likely hate the film.

[Siddon]

https://66.media.tumblr.com/f441856d60016ba77ef29954d71bcd30/tumblr_olylvl7Ej81u3vseto1_500.jpg


Dragonslayer (1981)

Well this was a nice little surprise, Dragonslayer tells the story of an apprentice wizard who upon the death of his Wizard mentor goes on a quest to kill a dragon. Well it basically did everything right that DragonHeart did wrong...the lead actually bothered to match his accent with the rest of the cast. The set pieces still felt like they followed basic laws of physics, and the tone was consistent throughout the film. I number of the magic tricks done during the film are very basic but it doesn't matter because it feels real for the story. The puppets looked great, the film goes with a less is more approach and I prefer that in my films.

But it's not a perfect film, the pacing is a little clunky it feels like we get extra acts that stall the flow of the film, we don't get a good climax so we end up with two average ones to pad out the run time. I also liked the actors but we were missing stars the two leads weren't really leading actors in my eyes. I also wish that the side dialogue had a bit more to offer from a philosophical point of view. This is a film which should be a morality tale at it's heart but I don't think it really has a solid one. The script was a little weaker than the production, I don't see this as a winner but I didn't feel like it wasted my time.

[gbgoodies]

https://t4z5n2e5.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/et-1.jpg




On a side note I watched this on The Ovation channel which ran ads throughout the entire film including popup messages from Martin Luther King and other historical African American figures. I can't think of anything that ruins a film experience more than a popup political messaging.


E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)


Been a while since I watched this film, it's basically a parrell story of a pair of little boys, one that had been abandoned physically (ET) and the other one who was abandoned emotionally by his parents divorce. I like that this is very much a story of a middle child, one of the things I like about Speilberg is he allows for you to feel for a specific type of child.



The story plays in really two acts...ET with the family and ET home sick. I don't think I really understand why ET got sick stuck on Earth and by not giving us those answers I think it enhances the film a bit. But the question is, is this film on theme because it does feel grounded in science fiction. We don't get the evil government as a matter of fact the government is treated humanely which is interesting to say the least. Henry Thomas nails Elliott pity he didn't make the Best Actor cut because this is as much his film as it's ET. Dee Wallace is also very good her reactions are very different than what you would expect from a typical mom in these films. ET ended up winning four Oscars and it's definitely better than Gandhi in pretty much every way. This might also be the best score John Williams ever did.


Great nom happy I watched it...just wish it wasn't on Cable


I'm glad you loved E.T. I've always thought of E.T. as a fantasy movie, and as I pointed out to CR (our host), there are reviews all over the internet that clearly call this movie a fantasy. It's not about the allien coming from outer space. It's about the friendship, and the bond formed between Elliot and E.T., and that (IMO) makes it more fantasy than sci-fi.

[gbgoodies]

Ahwell, I think I know your type of films.. I wont suggest anything odd or extreme with you in mind.. and Citizen Rules and gbgoodies.

And we appreciate it. Thank you! :)

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66040
The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring
(Peter Jackson 2001)

That big guy was my favorite creature and my favorite scene. I almost hated to see him get killed. He reminded me of a Ray Harryhausen creation. Harryhausen knew how to take his stop-motion creatures and give them a personality of their own...I didn't feel a lot of personality coming from the creatures here.

The movie is made perfect for those who are already familiar with the story. It functions like a beautiful illustration to the Lord of the Rings novel...effectively providing a visual & auditory journey to the beloved story by J. R. R. Tolkien.

But I've never read Lord of the Rings...and after spending 3 hours with the movie I still didn't feel any magic. I wanted more of the personal tale, more about their hopes & fears and more character interactions. The movie functions as an abridged version of the novel where all the scenes are pared down to the briefest moments and relies on visuals to do the storytelling. I get that it's necessary for a director to do that when bringing a long and popular novel to the screen. The same thing happened with David Lynch's Dune (1984). The Dune novel is long and intricately involved, so that when made as a movie it had to quickly tell each scene with visuals, without spending much time on exposition or side stories. To Peter Jackson's credit he was apparently true to LotR novel, where as Lynch altered the Dune novel for film and thus pissed off the fans.

Objectively: The Fellowship of the Rings is near perfect as it delivers what it intended to do and fans of the novel seem to love it.

Subjectively: I was bored with the lack of exposition and felt I never was invested enough to care about what was happening on the screen. It didn't help that I couldn't make out 1/3rd of the dialogue, thanks to the sound mix being extremely heavy on the score. The endless creepy creatures and sword fighting did little for me. While I was amazed at the sheer spectacularness of it all, I struggled to have any connection to the actual story.


.

[CosmicRunaway]

I was bored with the lack of exposition
It's so strange to read this line, because most people I know hate large amounts of exposition, and vastly prefer the "show, don't tell" approach.

[MovieGal]

Citizen Rules

read through the body of your post.

Peter Jackson? He's the director. You put Peter Finch.

The Lord of the Rings movies, like the Hobbit movies are epic movies. Sometimes after watching it 5 or 6 times, they do become a bit boring. I recently watched them but I haven't seen them in many many years. That's how anyone should.

[Wyldesyde19]

Gotta agree with Moviegal here. It’s like any epic film approaching 3 hours, you can’t watch it Every year. Seven Samurai, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler’s List. I watch those every handful of years.

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66054

La Belle et la Bête (2014)
Directed By: Christophe Gans
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, André Dussollier

Though there are many adaptations of de Beaumont's classic tale, each one I've seen offers something different that distinguishes it from the others. While they share the same basic elements, the filmmakers approach the story from different angles, or choose to focus on certain aspects, and those decisions ultimately make for unique experiences. So my disinterest in Disney's animated classic, and my appreciation for the aesthetic of Jean Cocteau's 1946 film didn't ultimately have any impact on my enjoyment of Christophe Gans' La Belle et la Bête.

In this adaptation, attention is shifted away from Belle's relationship with the Beast, and we instead spend additional time with her family. It was refreshing to see more about her father's situation and what lead him to the abandoned castle in the first place, and the visions of the Prince's former life and the circumstances surrounding his curse were also a welcome addition. My only problem was that devoting so little of the film to Belle's time with the Beast makes her eventual declaration of love seem ridiculous and completely unwarranted.

Where La Belle et la Bête really succeeds is in its visuals. Viewers are treated to fantastic landscapes, with contrasting imagery that really makes the village and castle grounds feel like they're from two separate worlds. The difference between the father's experience of the forest at night and how Belle sees it upon her arrival alters the tone in a wonderful manner. Some of the CG work is distracting at times, but it didn't prove to be much of an issue as overall it was fairly impressive. It was an interesting film with solid performances that I was happy to have experienced.

[Citizen Rules]

It's so strange to read this line, because most people I know hate large amounts of exposition, and vastly prefer the "show, don't tell" approach.Maybe I'm not using the word exposition correctly? What I meant was, it needed more 'middle parts' of the scenes, that would explain the why and hows. An example is the confrontation between Gandalf and the other wizard (I didn't catch his name but he was played by Christopher Lee)...they met in a cool set piece, there's a brief dialogue between them about evil, they fight, then next we see that Gandalf is apparently imprisoned on top of a tower (another cool set piece)..then a big bird comes and he's free. The scene is like an outline. I want to know more about these people and what drives them. That's what I meant by exposition.

@Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637)

read through the body of your post.

Peter Jackson? He's the director. You put Peter Finch. I had Peter Jackson under the movie title but as I was typing my brain told me Peter Finch. I made the change to the review, thanks.

[Citizen Rules]

If someone has watched a movie 5 or 6 times, then they really like it and have thought about it in detail between viewings. And while thinking about the movie, they can create their own internal narrative for the movie. Which adds much depth to the story.

I've done that with Star Trek. I just rewatched ST Voyager and swear that there was missing scenes in some of my favorite episodes. Only I realized I had created in my head additional scenes that were never there. My version was better too! Does anyone ever do that?

[edarsenal]

Some great reviews over the weekend and VERY HAPPY to see GBG make it official with her nomination; ET vs Ma Bell ;)
Haven't seen this since the late 80s, early 90s so it'll be a very welcomed revisit. I did originally see this in the movie theater which was an ideal way to see it and will be intrigued to see how it feels or if I get teary along with the very young Drew Barrymore does in the film.

[ahwell]

https://66.media.tumblr.com/ca3b60e95c13ffc829a3fad13d3277ab/tumblr_o0ggj9PJHq1rbud4zo1_500.gifv
Beauty and the Beast (2014)

1946. 1962. 1976. 1978. 1987. 1991. 1992. 2005. 2009. 2017.

What do all these years have in common? An adaptation of Beauty and the Beast was released in each of them... which leads me to wonder why on earth we need yet another retelling of the classic tale.

I actually quite like the 1991 Disney Beauty and the Beast. The animation is beautiful, and the voice acting is fantastic. The music is absolutely wonderful, and while it's not my favorite Disney movie, it's a truly magical adaptation.

I'm left wondering, after seeing the 2014 Beauty and the Beast, if anything new was brought to the table. Of course, there is the argument that new doesn't inherently equal good. And trite doesn't necessarily equal bad. However, in this case I can't cite the 2014 adaptation as an example. It's not only cliche, but it's not as purely well made as the 1991 version, animated or not.

And the most bizarre thing to me is why both Belle's and the Beast's characters are made utterly unlikeable. Belle seems moodier and more prone to anger than in the 1991. The Beast is somehow even more of an *******, and it makes me cheer for Belle's siblings at the end :/

The music is also a HUGE step down. I mean, that's not too much of a criticism, but the most stereotypical and cliche musical score was used, and for a magical story like this, I think it deserves a bit better.

It's the type of the movie that is colorful and often beautiful looking, but also fake looking and in many ways extremely bland. I appreciate fantasy movies that can go out on a limb and try something new - explore the genre of fantasy. This 2014 Beauty and the Beast doesn't seem to qualify, unfortunately. But I'm still I glad I watched it!

1.5-

[MovieGal]

You are comparing an English Disney version to a more adult French version. You know Disney does soften the blow on their fairytales to films. Come on, the Little Mermaid never wins the prince in Hand Christian Andersen's version. She dues a agonizing death. I would never compare a French or any other language fairytale to anything Disney does. With Disney, its all about the money - merchandising, large audiences with children, etc.

I love the 1946 French version as Cocteau's directing is uncompareable to any. This is very close in my opinion. I love the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. Have seen almost every film and read several versions of the story., even the one that takes place in Saxon England.

In this version compared to the others, the prince is changed for a different reason but his motives were similar. A greedy prince who wants what he should never have.

[CosmicRunaway]

We're nearly at 40 reviews now. Considering we're not even two weeks in, that's pretty impressive!

We're also a single film away from having all of the nominations reviewed at least once. :up:

[ahwell]

You are comparing an English Disney version to a more adult French version. You know Disney does soften the blow on their fairytales to films. Come on, the Little Mermaid never wins the prince in Hand Christian Andersen's version. She dues a agonizing death. I would never compare a French or any other language fairytale to anything Disney does. With Disney, its all about the money - merchandising, large audiences with children, etc.

I love the 1946 French version as Cocteau's directing is uncompareable to any. This is very close in my opinion. I love the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. Have seen almost every film and read several versions of the story., even the one that takes place in Saxon England.

In this version compared to the others, the prince is changed for a different reason but his motives were similar. A greedy prince who wants what he should never have.

I like Disney :), and really enjoyed their Beauty and the Beast. To me it wasn't a cash grab at all. And also, the score and songs were amazing!!

Sorry I didn't love it, but it was a good nom anyways, thank you for choosing it!!:cool:

[MovieGal]

66074

Excalibur
(1981)
Directed by John Boorman
nominated by Citizen Rules

Everyone knows the story of Arthur, son of Uther and Igraine. During the time of unrest after the Romans deserted Britain, the people were looking for a king. Uther, with the help of the Druid Merlin, begot the sword Excalibur and became King of all Britain. Because of Uther's lust for Igraine, Merlin took the child from them. Shortly after, Uther was murdered. Arthur was fostered by one of his knights. And it seems that Britain would not have their king as Uther, before death, thrust Excalibur into a stone. Legend told of only the one true king could release Excalibur and would bring peace to a country again at war. Arthur being that one true king. Arthur married Guenivere, created his fortress Camelot and had his knights of the round table. It was round so everyone would be considered equal as there was no beginning and no end. Guenivere fell in love with Arthur's most chivalrous knight, Lancelot. Lancelot being a faithful knight to Arthur, his king, he spurred Gueniever away. Arthur's half-sister, Morgan, became an apprentice to Merlin to learn the mystical arts. Arthur catches Lancelot and his wife Guinevere in a romantic embrace. Morgan cast a spell on Merlin and trapped him in a cave, she cast a spell over her half-brother and they create a son, Mordred. Mordred, with the help of his mother Morgan, brings destruction to Arthur and Camelot. The rest is of Welsh mythology.

I have seen many versions of this on celluloid and have read many versions on paper. I seen this movie back in the mid-'80s when it was released on cable tv. I feel the film has aged. There is to much shiny armor and swords. Even Camelot glowed above all. Some of the dramatic scenes were over dramatized. I had to chuckle about it at times. I didnt hate it but it was just there. One thing I did like was.....

66072
Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance
66073
Liam Neesom as Gawain and Ciaran Hinds as Lot

but my favorite was

66075
Gabriel Byrne as Uther.


Here are some historic places in South Britain.

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/3a/1e/29/close-up-of-the-cave.jpg
Merlin's Cave, Cornwall


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/4f/1f/b64f1fbbd2604c374fc3b181d9c50bdb.jpg
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, which the birthplace of Arthur.


https://i1.wp.com/www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Lady-Chapel.jpg?resize=600%2C338
Glastonbury, Somerset, believe to be where Avalon existed.

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Former_Gravesite_King_Arthur_GlastonburyAbbey-640x532.jpg
There is even a burial site for Arthur and Guinevere.


https://www.roundtablebooks.com/assets/images/product/1410.jpg
I even own this book.

for those interested, more reading material

https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/king-arthur-avalon.php
https://kingarthursknights.com/

[MovieGal]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66054

La Belle et la Bête (2014)
Directed By: Christophe Gans
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, André Dussollier

Though there are many adaptations of de Beaumont's classic tale, each one I've seen offers something different that distinguishes it from the others. While they share the same basic elements, the filmmakers approach the story from different angles, or choose to focus on certain aspects, and those decisions ultimately make for unique experiences. So my disinterest in Disney's animated classic, and my appreciation for the aesthetic of Jean Cocteau's 1946 film didn't ultimately have any impact on my enjoyment of Christophe Gans' La Belle et la Bête.

In this adaptation, attention is shifted away from Belle's relationship with the Beast, and we instead spend additional time with her family. It was refreshing to see more about her father's situation and what lead him to the abandoned castle in the first place, and the visions of the Prince's former life and the circumstances surrounding his curse were also a welcome addition. My only problem was that devoting so little of the film to Belle's time with the Beast makes her eventual declaration of love seem ridiculous and completely unwarranted.

Where La Belle et la Bête really succeeds is in its visuals. Viewers are treated to fantastic landscapes, with contrasting imagery that really makes the village and castle grounds feel like they're from two separate worlds. The difference between the father's experience of the forest at night and how Belle sees it upon her arrival alters the tone in a wonderful manner. Some of the CG work is distracting at times, but it didn't prove to be much of an issue as overall it was fairly impressive. It was an interesting film with solid performances that I was happy to have experienced.




CR2, you are a fan of the fairytale as well right?

Mr Minio shared this with me.. so my turn to pass on. The Russian version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5gQFjr0QRk&t=1492s

[Wyldesyde19]

I love the pictures of the historic sites you posted. I love visiting these types of ruins, and Merlins Cave is simply amazing.
The history behind it all would leave me in awe.

[MovieGal]

I love the pictures of the historic sites you posted. I love visiting these types of ruins, and Merlins Cave is simply amazing.
The history behind it all would leave me in awe.

If you ever get a trip to the UK.. definitely get that book. It's highly interesting and has mile markers where the sites are.

[gbgoodies]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66040
The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring
(Peter Jackson 2001)

Subjectively: I was bored with the lack of exposition and felt I never was invested enough to care about what was happening on the screen. It didn't help that I couldn't make out 1/3rd of the dialogue, thanks to the sound mix being extremely heavy on the score. The endless creepy creatures and sword fighting did little for me. While I was amazed at the sheer spectacularness of it all, I struggled to have any connection to the actual story.


.




I'm hoping that the next two movies are more character-driven. I felt like I didn't learn much about the characters in the first movie, with the exceptions of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee.

[gbgoodies]

I've done that with Star Trek. I just rewatched ST Voyager and swear that there was missing scenes in some of my favorite episodes. Only I realized I had created in my head additional scenes that were never there. My version was better too! Does anyone ever do that?


That's funny because that actually happened to my mother with the original "Star Trek" show. She saw them way back when they originally aired in the 1960s, and she always told me that there were scenes missing when we watched certain episodes, but I thought she was just misremembering stuff.

Years later, we were watching some episodes on an out-of-state PBS channel, and suddenly some of those scenes that she described were there! We spoke to someone at the local station, (the channel where the scenes were missing), and he explained that when these shows are sent to the local stations, many of them cut the episodes for time for commercials, but they're supposed to put the cut scenes back when they send the episodes back. Apparently, some stations just never put those scenes back, so that's why they're not on the reruns.

[gbgoodies]

Some great reviews over the weekend and VERY HAPPY to see GBG make it official with her nomination; ET vs Ma Bell ;)
Haven't seen this since the late 80s, early 90s so it'll be a very welcomed revisit. I did originally see this in the movie theater which was an ideal way to see it and will be intrigued to see how it feels or if I get teary along with the very young Drew Barrymore does in the film.


I've seen E.T. about 100 times, and I still cry every time.

[gbgoodies]

I like Disney :), and really enjoyed their Beauty and the Beast. To me it wasn't a cash grab at all. And also, the score and songs were amazing!!

Sorry I didn't love it, but it was a good nom anyways, thank you for choosing it!!:cool:


I love the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, but I wouldn't try to compare other versions to the Disney version. Disney took a classic story, and turned it into a beautiful and magical musical. The other versions that I've seen are more about the story. Disney is more about the music and the visuals. It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both fruit, but they're very different.

Have you seen the TV show "Beauty and the Beast", (either version)? Would you compare that to Disney's version? They're both much darker than Disney will ever be.

[gbgoodies]

66074

Excalibur
(1981)
Directed by John Boorman
nominated by Citizen Rules

Here are some historic places in South Britain.

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/3a/1e/29/close-up-of-the-cave.jpg
Merlin's Cave, Cornwall


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/4f/1f/b64f1fbbd2604c374fc3b181d9c50bdb.jpg
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, which the birthplace of Arthur.


https://i1.wp.com/www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Lady-Chapel.jpg?resize=600%2C338
Glastonbury, Somerset, believe to be where Avalon existed.

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Former_Gravesite_King_Arthur_GlastonburyAbbey-640x532.jpg
There is even a burial site for Arthur and Guinevere.


https://www.roundtablebooks.com/assets/images/product/1410.jpg
I even own this book.

for those interested, more reading material

https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/king-arthur-avalon.php
https://kingarthursknights.com/


I haven't read your review yet because I want to watch the movie first, but those pictures are beautiful. My parents took a trip to England many years ago, and my mom showed me some pictures that look similar to those places. She probably visited all of those places you mentioned.

[Citizen Rules]

I'm hoping that the next two movies are more character-driven. I felt like I didn't learn much about the characters in the first movie, with the exceptions of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee.I agree, and that's what I was trying to say in my review.

That's funny because that actually happened to my mother with the original "Star Trek" show. She saw them way back when they originally aired in the 1960s, and she always told me that there were scenes missing when we watched certain episodes, but I thought she was just misremembering stuff.

Years later, we were watching some episodes on an out-of-state PBS channel, and suddenly some of those scenes that she described were there! We spoke to someone at the local station, (the channel where the scenes were missing), and he explained that when these shows are sent to the local stations, many of them cut the episodes for time for commercials, but they're supposed to put the cut scenes back when they send the episodes back. Apparently, some stations just never put those scenes back, so that's why they're not on the reruns.I could see that happening as tv stations cut more and more of the show to insert commercials. With me, I had watched ST Voyager on DVD and when I went back a couple years later and watched the same DVDs I could have sworn some scenes and dialogue were missing, but unless Gremlins got into the DVD case:p it was all just my vivid imagination.

[CosmicRunaway]

I'm hoping that the next two movies are more character-driven. I felt like I didn't learn much about the characters in the first movie, with the exceptions of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee.
I agree, and that's what I was trying to say in my review.
While there is a lot more development with Aragorn in The Two Towers, if you're hoping to learn more about Legolas and Gimli, set your expectations very very low. You eventually see more about Boromir and why he wanted the ring through the scenes with Faramir and their father Denethor in RotK, but unless you watch the extended editions a good portion of that story is going to be cut.

[CosmicRunaway]

Glastonbury, Somerset, believe to be where Avalon existed.
The place I live is actually named after Avalon, so technically it still exists, at least in memory haha.

[pahaK]

I didn't feel a lot of personality coming from the creatures here.

If you watch the second film, the ents should be more to your liking.

[pahaK]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

I read Tolkien's book for the first time when I was in early teens. It was about the time I started playing Dungeons & Dragons, too. From this geeky perspective, The Lord of the Rings is probably as important on a personal level as it is for the whole of fantasy literature. It may not be the best prose ever written, but Tolkien's world-building is unparalleled.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/c1/af/e5c1af135c5411309c237647528bc37e.gif

Back in 1987, I would have laughed at the idea that Peter "Bad Taste" Jackson would one day direct big-budget adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Today I find the idea that someone else had done it just as inconceivable. His trilogy is one of the few massive modern film projects that feel like they're born out of passion, and that has a heart. There are issues, especially towards the end, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a mix of old and new. Certain scenes and settings (like the Council of Rivendell and majority of the Shire) look like something out of a Hollywood epic several decades past. It's partly due to budget constraints, I think, but Jackson's experience on zero-budget productions allows him to make most out of what he's got. Most of the action is modern, though, like Moria and orcs in general. I also like the weird close-ups that Jackson uses (and has used since the beginning).

Adapting a book as iconic as Tolkien's epic is not an easy task, but Jackson manages to get almost everything right. It's been over 20 years since I last read the book, so I can't make a detailed analysis of what's changed, but the film certainly feels like the Middle-Earth I've known since I was a kid. Just like the book, the film isn't a deep character-study, and like myths and legends in general, what the character represents is often more important than the individual itself.

An excellent start for the trilogy. I should try to re-read the book at some point, too.

[pahaK]

I finished The Two Towers earlier today. I'll post some sort of a review in a few days, and will watch the last part of the trilogy later this week too.

[Citizen Rules]

CR2, you are a fan of the fairytale as well right?Sort of I guess. I can like a movie based on a fairytale, it just depends on how the movie is made. I still might watch your original nom, Donkey Skin (1970) Peau d'âne (original title)...I've looked at it when I was checking to make sure the subs worked and it looked very inviting and I wanted to see more of the story. I've seen the 1946 version of Beauty and the Beast and liked that. Don't know if I've seen many films based on fairy tales.

[Citizen Rules]

I read Tolkien's book for the first time when I was in early teens. It was about the time I started playing Dungeons & Dragons, too...My cousin played Dungeons & Dragons. I tried playing once but couldn't get into. I guess I'm not a fantasy type person and that's probably why LotR is just another movie to me...same with Star Wars, I never got into that either.

[CosmicRunaway]

If you watch the second film, the ents should be more to your liking.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/27/99/732799e82d41662e44bb1f20962012a0.gif

[CosmicRunaway]

I love The Two Towers, but those scenes with the Ents needed to be cut. :suspicious:

Sort of I guess
MG was directing that at me, but it's nice to see your opinion too haha.

Maybe it would be less confusing if people went back to "Cosmic" instead of "CR2". Though the latter is still pretty amusing.

[Citizen Rules]

I love The Two Towers, but those scenes with the Ents needed to be cut. :suspicious:


MG was directing that at me, but it's nice to see your opinion too haha.

Maybe it would be less confusing if people went back to "Cosmic" instead of "CR2". Though the latter is still pretty amusing.Ha, you're right! I missed the '2' part.

[ahwell]

I love the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, but I wouldn't try to compare other versions to the Disney version. Disney took a classic story, and turned it into a beautiful and magical musical. The other versions that I've seen are more about the story. Disney is more about the music and the visuals. It's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both fruit, but they're very different.

Have you seen the TV show "Beauty and the Beast", (either version)? Would you compare that to Disney's version? They're both much darker than Disney will ever be.

Nope, I haven't!

[edarsenal]

I love The Two Towers, but those scenes with the Ents needed to be cut. :suspicious:


MG was directing that at me, but it's nice to see your opinion too haha.

Maybe it would be less confusing if people went back to "Cosmic" instead of "CR2". Though the latter is still pretty amusing.

CR is CR
Cosmic IS Cosmic


Here endeth the lesson :):)

[edarsenal]

66074

Excalibur
(1981)
Directed by John Boorman
nominated by Citizen Rules

Everyone knows the story of Arthur, son of Uther and Igraine. During the time of unrest after the Romans deserted Britain, the people were looking for a king. Uther, with the help of the Druid Merlin, begot the sword Excalibur and became King of all Britain. Because of Uther's lust for Igraine, Merlin took the child from them. Shortly after, Uther was murdered. Arthur was fostered by one of his knights. And it seems that Britain would not have their king as Uther, before death, thrust Excalibur into a stone. Legend told of only the one true king could release Excalibur and would bring peace to a country again at war. Arthur being that one true king. Arthur married Guenivere, created his fortress Camelot and had his knights of the round table. It was round so everyone would be considered equal as there was no beginning and no end. Guenivere fell in love with Arthur's most chivalrous knight, Lancelot. Lancelot being a faithful knight to Arthur, his king, he spurred Gueniever away. Arthur's half-sister, Morgan, became an apprentice to Merlin to learn the mystical arts. Arthur catches Lancelot and his wife Guinevere in a romantic embrace. Morgan cast a spell on Merlin and trapped him in a cave, she cast a spell over her half-brother and they create a son, Mordred. Mordred, with the help of his mother Morgan, brings destruction to Arthur and Camelot. The rest is of Welsh mythology.

I have seen many versions of this on celluloid and have read many versions on paper. I seen this movie back in the mid-'80s when it was released on cable tv. I feel the film has aged. There is to much shiny armor and swords. Even Camelot glowed above all. Some of the dramatic scenes were over dramatized. I had to chuckle about it at times. I didnt hate it but it was just there. One thing I did like was.....

66072
Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance
66073
Liam Neesom as Gawain and Ciaran Hinds as Lot

but my favorite was

66075
Gabriel Byrne as Uther.


Here are some historic places in South Britain.

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/3a/1e/29/close-up-of-the-cave.jpg
Merlin's Cave, Cornwall


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/4f/1f/b64f1fbbd2604c374fc3b181d9c50bdb.jpg
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, which the birthplace of Arthur.


https://i1.wp.com/www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Lady-Chapel.jpg?resize=600%2C338
Glastonbury, Somerset, believe to be where Avalon existed.

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Former_Gravesite_King_Arthur_GlastonburyAbbey-640x532.jpg
There is even a burial site for Arthur and Guinevere.


https://www.roundtablebooks.com/assets/images/product/1410.jpg
I even own this book.

for those interested, more reading material

https://www.glastonburyabbey.com/king-arthur-avalon.php
https://kingarthursknights.com/

LOVED the photos and pretty happy to see the actors that I knew nothing of when this film came out. I had imagined there's be a number of them since when seeing older films it's a bit of a game in our house to try to recognize actors and a joy to see them at different ages and places in their careers.

[edarsenal]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

I read Tolkien's book for the first time when I was in early teens. It was about the time I started playing Dungeons & Dragons, too. From this geeky perspective, The Lord of the Rings is probably as important on a personal level as it is for the whole of fantasy literature. It may not be the best prose ever written, but Tolkien's world-building is unparalleled.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/c1/af/e5c1af135c5411309c237647528bc37e.gif

Back in 1987, I would have laughed at the idea that Peter "Bad Taste" Jackson would one day direct big-budget adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Today I find the idea that someone else had done it just as inconceivable. His trilogy is one of the few massive modern film projects that feel like they're born out of passion, and that has a heart. There are issues, especially towards the end, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a mix of old and new. Certain scenes and settings (like the Council of Rivendell and majority of the Shire) look like something out of a Hollywood epic several decades past. It's partly due to budget constraints, I think, but Jackson's experience on zero-budget productions allows him to make most out of what he's got. Most of the action is modern, though, like Moria and orcs in general. I also like the weird close-ups that Jackson uses (and has used since the beginning).

Adapting a book as iconic as Tolkien's epic is not an easy task, but Jackson manages to get almost everything right. It's been over 20 years since I last read the book, so I can't make a detailed analysis of what's changed, but the film certainly feels like the Middle-Earth I've known since I was a kid. Just like the book, the film isn't a deep character-study, and like myths and legends in general, what the character represents is often more important than the individual itself.

An excellent start for the trilogy. I should try to re-read the book at some point, too.

Great review.
I first read The Hobbit when I was about 7. The prologue with the description: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." as stuck with me all my life and still use the final line: It was a hobbit-hole and that means comfort. Time and again.
It remains my favorite and I don't believe I ever made it through the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, but from what I have read Jackson did pretty good when adhering to the trilogy.
And, yeah, I remember chuckling at the idea of Jackson attempting something as grand as Lord of the Rings and being pretty impressed by it all when it came to be.

I was, and still am a fantasy/fairy-tale geek. And that included playing D&D from around 13 till my early 20s. Some of us were artists and we'd illustrate characters, what the players saw, maps and so forth; most of us smoked when we played and it was a blast delving into a world that, at its core, was born from JRR Tolkien and expanded to so many other writers and fantasy mythos.

[CosmicRunaway]

I haven't read a single one of the Lord of the Rings books, and I'm fairly positive that I never will. However whenever we get in any copies featuring Alan Lee's artwork, I'm very tempted to pick them up.

We have these beautiful hardcovers in particular, one that's a collection of the trilogy, and another just for The Hobbit and if they weren't $150 a piece they'd already be on my shelf.

[rauldc14]

Hope you guys don't mind me slacking. I just haven't seen much for movies lately.

But you all know I'm good for these things.

[MovieGal]

Lol
Citizen Rules..you are CR
CosmicRunaway is CR2...I can't call them CR.

[MovieGal]

Sort of I guess. I can like a movie based on a fairytale, it just depends on how the movie is made. I still might watch your original nom, Donkey Skin (1970) Peau d'âne (original title)...I've looked at it when I was checking to make sure the subs worked and it looked very inviting and I wanted to see more of the story. I've seen the 1946 version of Beauty and the Beast and liked that. Don't know if I've seen many films based on fairy tales.

I can recommend a lot!

[MovieGal]

LOVED the photos and pretty happy to see the actors that I knew nothing of when this film came out. I had imagined there's be a number of them since when seeing older films it's a bit of a game in our house to try to recognize actors and a joy to see them at different ages and places in their careers.

As you can tell I am a King Arthur geek...both fantasy and historically. And I read a lot about the path of early pagans of Britain and Gaul, religious views, when life was simple but can be bloody at times.

Did you have a chance to check out the websites I posted?

[ahwell]

I'm reading the Lord of the Rings books right now, about 90% through Fellowship. It's really good, but of course I prefer the movie(s)!

[CosmicRunaway]

Hope you guys don't mind me slacking. I just haven't seen much for movies lately.

But you all know I'm good for these things.
No worries at all mate! :up:

[CosmicRunaway]

CR2, you are a fan of the fairytale as well right?

@Mr Minio (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=72801) shared this with me.. so my turn to pass on. The Russian version...
I honestly thought I responded to this post earlier this morning, but apparently I didn't. Sorry if you thought I ignored you!

I've never read de Beaumont or de Villeneuve's versions of the story, and I only know a handful of the film adaptations. I've actually seen The Scarlet Flower before, but it was quite some time ago so I should give that video you linked a watch when I have the time. Thanks!

Which version would you say is your favourite?

[ahwell]

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/TemptingFamousIndri-size_restricted.gif
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

When all hope is lost; when you can't remember what enjoying life must have been like; when you want to scream at the top of your lungs; when you do scream at the top of your lungs; when evil surrounds you; when your friends leave you; when the world is ending.

Yet it never really ends. There is darkness, but there is also light... so much light. Remember that light wouldn't exist without the dark. Remember that good wouldn't exist without evil. And that when good exists in the world, then it is certainly, certainly, worth fighting for.

I prefer The Fellowship of the Ring, but The Two Towers gave me more courage and hope. During the last fifteen minutes I was smiling so much. The times are so dark, but the characters believe in themselves and each other. It's so oddly fitting that this epic fantasy movie is in many ways a comfort and inspiration to my own life.

The Two Towers bites off a lot more than Fellowship. After all, it splits each character into several different plot lines, and weaves them together. It does that absolutely admirably. It actually give the film even more of an epic scope than the first one. And Helm's Deep to the end is probably (so far) my favorite part of both movies. The attack of the ents on Saruman is absolutely epic, and while Frodo and Sam take the backstory at the end, I sense they will be more in the foreplay in the third installment.

And we are not short on beautiful shots of New Zealand either. While there are larger scenes of pure fighting/warfare, there are also amazing, open shots, mostly near the beginning. I appreciate the world building even more in The Two Towers - we get an expansion on both characters and places.

Fellowship in many ways was about trust and friendship. The Two Towers for me, is about courage and the ability to stand up for what is right. When Gandalf appears on the hill, and we get that side shot of them running down the mountain... why can't every movie be that!!! It's cinema!!!

It's seen as the "worst" of the trilogy, and it's certainly second to Fellowship in my book. But also labeling a movie like The Two Towers "second-rate" to anything... I just can't do it. This is a masterpiece. This gives me hope and inspiration. I ****ing love it so much.

4+

[CosmicRunaway]

And Helm's Deep to the end is probably (so far) my favorite part of both movies.
I love Helm's Deep. Minas Tirith is beautiful too, but there's just something about the design of Helm's Deep that feels impressive to me. It has practicality to it, whereas Gondor is almost too elaborate in its design.

When it was new, I bought the overly expensive Helm's Deep LEGO set, plus an additional extension for the wall. I still have it. In fact it's just to my left on top of the desk as I type. It's overdue for a dusting, but I can't stand to part with it haha.

[MovieGal]

I honestly thought I responded to this post earlier this morning, but apparently I didn't. Sorry if you thought I ignored you!

I've never read de Beaumont or de Villeneuve's versions of the story, and I only know a handful of the film adaptations. I've actually seen The Scarlet Flower before, but it was quite some time ago so I should give that video you linked a watch when I have the time. Thanks!

Which version would you say is your favourite?

Written or celluloid?

Celluloid- anything in its natural language, so French.

Written - I'm a work on phone so I will answer when at home on pc.

There is a version that was very interesting.

Edit: CosmicRunaway

I have read the traditional tales of Beauty and the Beast. Most everyone's version. I have a good 15 books of it on my kindle.

There is a book called "Heart's Blood" by Juliet Marillet. The story of Beauty and the Beast takes place in Saxon Britain.

I remember reading one that was part Beauty and the Beast and the girl had to find a phoenix bird in order to save the prince she was in love with. I dont remember the name of the book but its in about 300 books on my kindle.

I have read several very good fairytale stories. One was about Snow White and Rose Red. It was called "The Glass Casket". It definitely had a darker side to the story. There is a good one based on a Russian fairytale called "The Snow Child". Another Russian one, "Medved' i Solovey" (The Bear and The Nightingale) is good. Based on the story of Ded Moroz.

However, the best I have read is "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", a Norwegian fairytale.

I was just looking through my kindle on my phone... I have way too many books!

[edarsenal]

As you can tell I am a King Arthur geek...both fantasy and historically. And I read a lot about the path of early pagans of Britain and Gaul, religious views, when life was simple but can be bloody at times.

Did you have a chance to check out the websites I posted?
Not yet, but I will be.

[gbgoodies]

La Belle et la Bête (2014)
Before anyone asks, I watched this movie with English subtitles as requested. :)

The movie has its flaws, but by the time it was over, it became a beautiful romance with some dark elements. It took a while for me to really get into the movie because it was kind of boring until her father found the table of food. I think one of the problems for me was that for most of the movie, I didn't find anyone likable, but eventually, I found myself caring about Belle and the Beast, and wanting to see them get their happy ending. I loved the dance scene, but the music was underwhelming in that scene.

There were some things that were confusing while they were happening, but eventually I was able to piece together what was happening, and figure things out, but if felt like some questions wouldn't have been necessary if there were small scenes ahead of them to answer these questions before the confusing scenes. For example, I didn't understand where the giants came from. They just came out of nowhere. And the scenes she saw in the mirror, water, etc. Were they flashbacks, visions, etc.? Some movies work with these kinds of questions being answered later in the movie, but for some reason it just didn't work for me in this movie.

I liked the idea of the woman reading the book to the children. It reminded me of the movie The Princess Bride. Both movies even had a short break when it got too tense for the children.

[gbgoodies]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66054

La Belle et la Bête (2014)
Directed By: Christophe Gans
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, André Dussollier

Though there are many adaptations of de Beaumont's classic tale, each one I've seen offers something different that distinguishes it from the others. While they share the same basic elements, the filmmakers approach the story from different angles, or choose to focus on certain aspects, and those decisions ultimately make for unique experiences. So my disinterest in Disney's animated classic, and my appreciation for the aesthetic of Jean Cocteau's 1946 film didn't ultimately have any impact on my enjoyment of Christophe Gans' La Belle et la Bête.

In this adaptation, attention is shifted away from Belle's relationship with the Beast, and we instead spend additional time with her family. It was refreshing to see more about her father's situation and what lead him to the abandoned castle in the first place, and the visions of the Prince's former life and the circumstances surrounding his curse were also a welcome addition. My only problem was that devoting so little of the film to Belle's time with the Beast makes her eventual declaration of love seem ridiculous and completely unwarranted.

Where La Belle et la Bête really succeeds is in its visuals. Viewers are treated to fantastic landscapes, with contrasting imagery that really makes the village and castle grounds feel like they're from two separate worlds. The difference between the father's experience of the forest at night and how Belle sees it upon her arrival alters the tone in a wonderful manner. Some of the CG work is distracting at times, but it didn't prove to be much of an issue as overall it was fairly impressive. It was an interesting film with solid performances that I was happy to have experienced.





I hated most of Belle's family. I liked having a little bit of background about her father, and a little bit about the prince too, but I would have preferred that the rest of her family been eliminated from the movie entirely. Most of them were selfish people who were completely unlikable.

[Siddon]

https://www.oscarchamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2002-Two-Towers-The-03.jpg

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)


It's funny to watch this series post Game of Thrones because you notice a bunch of little things that doesn't really work and parts of the action that doesn't really track. Helm's Deep gets overrun yet you still have 90% of the Urik-Hai in the field...the entire opening gets exploded by a title little bomb...and apparently Theoden was able to banish 75% of his army with Eomer.


But those are quibbles, The Two Towers is really about getting us from point A to point B and to elaborate on the fellowship. Meridoc and Took end up running a diplomatic mission with the Ents (who I think represent US interests during WWI), Legolas, Gimli, and Aargon end up first searching for the lost hobbits and then are draw into the conflict with the kingdom of Rohan. And Frodo and Sam who get the short end of the stick meet up with their follower Gollum. They also end up kidnapped by Boromir's annoying little brother Faramir (who I had completely blocked out of my memory).


What's interesting to me on second watch is that Frodo really is a passenger in this installment. If the first one felt like Sam's story(told through Frodo's eyes) this one we get Gollum/Smeagol arc which is the most compelling of all the characters. Gimli and Legolas are humorous but ultimately they feel like incredibly minor characters. I think the strongest part of the film are the two flashbacks...we Boromir's victory and Elrond explains why Aargorn and Arwen can never be together two very powerful scenes about the roles of men in this world.



I have to be frank I would likely rank this one below Fellowship, in the first LOTR's movie the Wraiths and Sauron both looked menacing and real here we get some bad CGI Jackal creatures and while the Ent's look pretty good I've seen better giant tree characters.


Good installment off to watch Return of the King

[Siddon]

https://www.moviehousememories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Excalibur-1981-featured.jpg



Excalibur (1981)


If Y'all know me you know how I feel about great set design and Excalibur has some fantastic set pieces. This is a dark ambitious story of King Arthur that manages to get most things right. I couldn't even begin to go through the plot as the story moves rabidly through the majority of the Arthurian legend. I did wish at times that it would either take a breath or go for the full three hour plus treatment. This one kind of goes from set piece to set piece it definitely needed another hour to get the characters down straight.



I don't think I minded the poor flow of story-line because everything else was so solid. A number of images are really spectacular and the score is just overpowering I almost felt like I was watching an Arthurian version of Fantasia where the music drove the story over the script. But it was a good nom and worth the day off.

[CosmicRunaway]

I hated most of Belle's family. I liked having a little bit of background about her father, and a little bit about the prince too, but I would have preferred that the rest of her family been eliminated from the movie entirely. Most of them were selfish people who were completely unlikable.
I didn't actually like them as people, I just appreciated that we actually got to see Belle's family in the first place. The sisters in particular were quite insufferable and wholly unlikable. If I were Belle, I also would've run off into the forest... just to be free of them haha.

[pahaK]

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

After this rewatch I must admit that The Two Towers is actually slightly worse than The Fellowship of the Ring. It's not a huge difference, but there's a certain unevenness in it that wasn't present in its predecessor. It's partly due to the fellowship spreading all over and the lack of coherence that follows. There's also more deviation from the book (I still hate the warg attack and Aragorn's fall - all that crap just to get Arwen some screentime in the film).

The battle of Helm's Deep is quite impressive (though I personally don't like stuff like Legolas' shield surfing). I also really like the ents' attack on Isengard. It's not technically the most impressive, but the whole event has that old stop-motion glamour in it (to me, it's another example of Jackson really shining on limited resources). Also, both ents and Gollum have character and they feel alive.

So yeah, a slight drop from the first film but still very good. And I couldn't but laugh when Legolas said the now legendary words...

https://youtu.be/vnDspiYT6AA

[CosmicRunaway]

Also, both ents and Gollum have character and they feel alive.
I think you're the first person I've ever seen or heard say they like the Ents.

[pahaK]

I think you're the first person I've ever seen or heard say they like the Ents.

Really? I've never heard any major complaints about them prior to this thread :D

[CosmicRunaway]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66192

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore

I've never understood why so many people love E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. I didn't find it engaging when I was a kid, and unfortunately this recent viewing hasn't changed that. Nothing about it really draws me in, which causes its nearly 2 hour runtime to feel twice as long as it is. I don't deny that it's an incredibly well-made film, but this kind of sentimentality just seems to be completely lost on me. When you don't care about any of the characters, its difficult to get invested in what happens to them.

While I personally dislike everything about the actual design of E.T., the practical effects work really holds up. The size of the alien is a little inconsistent at times, but it's incredibly impressive how realistic it still looks 38 years after its initial release. The CG used for the flying bicycle scenes doesn't fair as well, but that's a minor complaint given how timeless the rest of the film feels. The performances are quite good as well, especially considering how young the main actors were at the time.

Many scenes are framed incredibly well. It's interesting how we don't see the government agents properly until they arrive at the house, instead they're shot in silhouette or only from the waist down. I like how the film builds tension, both with the adults and with E.T. himself. I'd forgotten a lot about the film in the years since I last saw it, and was honestly a little surprised at the inclusion of some foul language and a scene of under age intoxication. Unfortunately that was the only emotion I felt while watching E.T., so for now this will remain a classic that's clearly not meant for me.

[CosmicRunaway]

I really wanted to like E.T. more this time around, but alas that wasn't the case. Sorry if that post bummed you out GBG.

[MovieGal]

CR is CR
Cosmic IS Cosmic


Here endeth the lesson :):)

I call her CR2!

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66216
DragonHeart (Rob Cohen 1996)


'A fun watch, with a colorful bad guy and a cool looking dragon too.' CR


DragonHeart reminded me of the opening scene in The Good The Bad and The Ugly where Clint Eastwood captures and turns in a wanted outlaw, Eli Wallach...After collecting the reward money, and as Eli is about to be hanged, Eastwood then shoots the rope and sets Eli free, galloping away on horseback to another town, for the same trick.

Visually DragonHeart was impressive, such cool sets that were real and built on location. I couldn't find the screenshot I wanted...it's of the water filled rock quarry with enslaved town's folks mining the rock from high up on wooden scaffolding. There was also a long floating bridge over the pond. Pretty cool stuff! So was the castle ruins and the countryside of Slovakia where it was filmed.

I was taken aback at first by Sean Connery's voice coming out of the dragon. The sound mix was such that Connery's voice boomed as if he was standing behind my tv set. Now the last thing I want is a middle-aged Scottsman getting tangled up in all those HDMI cables!

So after awhile I got use to the dragon sounding like Connery, though I wish they would've digitally mixed his voice so that it sounded more raspy with snorty gasps, you know like a dragon would make.

The highlight for me was David Thewlis as the evil, bully king who delighted in being mean, really mean! He alone made the movie and was my favorite character. Dennis Quad was OK, I think his character needed to be punched up more and played larger than life. Dina Meyer was OK too, she didn't get to do much, though she had a fair amount of lines. I liked her better in Starship Troopers.

Let's see, what else can I talk about? oh I guess that's it.

[MovieGal]

. Dina Meyer was OK too, she didn't get to do much, though she had a fair amount of lines. I liked her better in Starship Troopers.



I think Starship Troopers was a terrible movie, just as bad as Jeepers Creepers.

[Citizen Rules]

I think Starship Troopers was a terrible movie, just as bad as Jeepers Creepers.A lot of people don't like it. But I think Starship Troopers is one of the most dynamic films ever made. It's truly multi dimensional.

[MovieGal]

A lot of people don't like it. But I think Starship Troopers is one of the most dynamic films ever made. It's truly multi dimensional.

The bug at the end looks like a woman's *****... how horrible is that?

https://s30886.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/starshiptroopers-brainbug-closeup-e1584629549273.jpg

[Citizen Rules]

:eek:

[Citizen Rules]

I was a little surprised by how perfect David Thewlis was as Einon, whose look and manner of speaking make his character easy to despise. The acting is occasionally a little over-the-top, but it suits the tone of the film just fine. I didn't recognize the actor while I was watching the movie and we kept thinking he sounded like David Werner, who I really like. Only after did I look it up at IMDB and see the actor was in Naked...a film I didn't like!

I didn't even notice the difference in the accents, and CGI never bothers me, unless it's so bad that it looks like a bad cartoon.

I agree with you about the music score. I rarely even notice the music in movies (that aren't musicals), but for some reason, I kept noticing it in this movie, and I thought it just made the movie even better.
I thought the CGI was amazing, especially for 25 years ago. I don't think they could've made the dragon look any better than they did today.

As far as the music score, I don't usually notice it either unless it's over powering and I never felt that it was. However in LotR the music was way over powering at times.


You've also got some solid propaganda as the film is focused on racial messaging through metaphor./quote]I didn't notice any racial metaphor. What was it and how was it presented?

[pahaK]

A lot of people don't like it. But I think Starship Troopers is one of the most dynamic films ever made. It's truly multi dimensional.

It certainly isn't a film where I expected our tastes to align. It's probably my second favorite Verhoeven after Robocop.

[Citizen Rules]

It certainly isn't a film where I expected our tastes to align. It's probably my second favorite Verhoeven after Robocop.Well, prepare to be surprised again:eek:

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66220
Tideland (Terry Gilliam 2005)

What the hell!!! I actually liked this film! and I had expected to hate it!

I really liked the first half, which I'd rate a 5/5, it was near perfect. The first scene in the house with mom and dad junkies was actually pretty cool (the house was as awesome set too). I loved the character Jennifer Tilly created. It was a blast how she moans & bitches with her screechy voice while laying in bed like a doped out slug...Then she hugs her daughter, telling her she loves her and will do something special for her one day....But when the little girl tries to grab her stash of chocolate bars mom hauls off and wallops her and calls her a little bitch...Oh my! I thought that was actually funny because it seemed like a moment from a black comedy and a lampoon on a deeply messed up family of junkies. If I had taken these people as real then it wouldn't have been so comical.

Jodelle Ferland was a really amazing actress in this. She was so natural and could convey all sorts of emotions, that adult actors would have had a problem portraying. I loved the creative use of the doll heads! And Jodelle Ferland did all the voices too. That was pure genius on Terry Gilliam's part. It was like the little girl had multiple personalities and the doll heads was her conduit to escaping reality.

Oh, the old house in the sweeping wheat fields, wow what a cool location that was! I don't know why but it was even more interesting when the dad OD and she was left on her own. It was interesting how she kept talking to him and dressing him up all the while he was decomposing and she either wouldn't admit it to herself or didn't know what the horrible stink was.

The second half of the film with the introduction of Dickens and Dell, was too over the top for me and I lost some interest. Terry Gilliam like Wes Anderson and so many other directors often go way over the top in the last part of the movie. I guess that's what most people want, but not me. The whole body preserving and creepy Dell character was too much.

I was not comfortable with the more sexual suggestive scenes between Je-liza Rose and Dickens. I don't think they were needed in the story eiether. In fact Dell and Dickens weren't needed as the actress who played the little girl could've done this as a one person show and pulled it off, that might have earned this film critical acclaim, hell it might have even earned Jodelle an Oscar nomination.

The film could've ended with her either alone in the house with the rotting corpse of her dad or with someone coming to take her away. The ending with the train didn't do much for me.

Good nom.

[pahaK]

Well, prepare to be surprised again:eek:

Now I know what you meant with this. Still, I'm way more surprised that you like Starship Troopers than you liking Tideland. I'm glad that at least someone liked my nom :)

[gbgoodies]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66192

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore

While I personally dislike everything about the actual design of E.T., the practical effects work really holds up. The size of the alien is a little inconsistent at times, but it's incredibly impressive how realistic it still looks 38 years after its initial release.


Just out of curiosity, did you see pictures or video of E.T. (the character, not the movie), before you saw the full movie?

The reason that I'm asking this is because back in 1982, when the movie was released, Spielberg was very careful to make sure that no pictures of the alien were released before the movie was in the theaters. The only thing we saw before seeing the full movie was his finger.

In interviews, he said that the reason for this was because he wanted people to fall in love with the character before being turned off by his looks.


I really wanted to like E.T. more this time around, but alas that wasn't the case. Sorry if that post bummed you out GBG.

It makes me sad that you didn't enjoy the movie, but you're entitled to your opinion.

[gbgoodies]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66216
DragonHeart (Rob Cohen 1996)


'A fun watch, with a colorful bad guy and a cool looking dragon too.' CR


I was taken aback at first by Sean Connery's voice coming out of the dragon. The sound mix was such that Connery's voice boomed as if he was standing behind my tv set. Now the last thing I want is a middle-aged Scottsman getting tangled up in all those HDMI cables!

So after awhile I got use to the dragon sounding like Connery, though I wish they would've digitally mixed his voice so that it sounded more raspy with snorty gasps, you know like a dragon would make.






I liked Sean Connery's voice as the voice of the dragon. I can almost picture Sean Connery as a cool looking dragon, so it just felt right to me.

[gbgoodies]

Excalibur (1981)
I'm only slightly familiar with the story of King Arthur, the Sword and the Stone, and the Knights of the Round Table, so I was looking forward to watching this movie. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations.

I think there's a good story in there somewhere, but it was buried under too much fighting and blood. Was it really necessary to show the blood on the outside of the suits of armor?! It almost felt like every few minutes, someone else was fighting and/or dying.

Most of the characters were so unlikable that I wouldn't have cared if they were killed off early in the movie. The only likable character was Lancelot, and Merlin had a few good moments. Even Arthur wasn't likable.

I liked it when they went away from the fighting scenes. I liked the scenes with Merlin and Morgana, and I would have liked to see more scenes with the love triangle of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot.

The movie had potential to be a good movie, but it just seemed to be a bit "all over the place". Maybe if it had been streamlined a little bit more, I might have enjoyed it a little bit more.

[gbgoodies]

Dragonslayer (1981)
I liked this movie, but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped I would. I think the biggest problem for me was that I didn't care for Peter MacNicol in the role of the apprentice. It's not that I think he's a bad actor, it's just that I thought he couldn't carry the film the way a more charismatic actor might have. He's just too bland IMO.

I would have liked to see more of Ralph Richardson's character. He was a much more interesting character.

I was a little surprised that nobody realized that Valerian was female. I noticed it immediately, but I didn't realize until later in the movie why it seemed strange that she seemed to be pretending to be male.

I liked some of the scenes with the dragon, but some of them almost felt like I was watching a disgusting horror movie. I preferred the scenes when the dragon was flying.

Basically this movie was a good story, but it just had some minor issues that held it back from being a great movie.

[CosmicRunaway]

Just out of curiosity, did you see pictures or video of E.T. (the character, not the movie), before you saw the full movie?
I honestly have no idea. I don't remember if I had rented the VHS tape or watched it on tv. I recall other kids frequently saying "E.T. phone home" while pointing their finger, but again I don't know if that was before or after I'd actually seen the film. I may or may not have seen ads on tv prior to watching it. It's certainly possible, but that was far too long ago for me to remember the exact circumstances.

[Citizen Rules]

Now I know what you meant with this. Still, I'm way more surprised that you like Starship Troopers than you liking Tideland. I'm glad that at least someone liked my nom :)Why wouldn't you think I'd like Starship Troopers?