25th Hall of Fame [Archive]

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Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 03:55 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=86900 Welcome to the 25th Hall of Fame

I'm honored to once again be your host for this Silver Anniversary 25th HoF

Twenty four previous, main HoFs have gone before. Each yielding one movie nominee that was voted as best by the committee members and inducted into MoFo's Movie Hall of Fame Archives (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=52323) The HoFs have been going strong for eight years...that's amazing! To date there has been 80 HoFs that have been ran & completed...and of course there are always more starting up. The Movie Hall of Fames have become a main stay at MoFo thanks to those who join them!

Same general rules, but there are some changes from the 24th Hof.

Movie Nominations: Any movie you feel is worthy of an HoF, that is under 240 minutes, can be nominated...Previous HoF winners are excluded.

PM me your nominations and include: film title & year of release. Keep your nomination a secret until the unveiling of the films.

Open Door Policy: For one week after the reveal of the movie nominations, I will be taking new members. This is also the time period in which to withdraw from the HoF if you've changed your mind.

Length of HoF: There will be approximately one week of viewing time per movie. So if there are 10 movie nominations the HoF will be about 10 weeks long. The deadline to finish will be posted after the HoF starts.

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

Note: If you've seen a movie recently or have seen it many times you can skip watching it, otherwise you have to watch all nominated movies.

Requesting help to locate movies: If you have trouble locating a movie make a post and ask for help. When responding with a movie link send it by private message, don't post links or embed films in this thread.

Dropouts: Members who don't finish will be disqualified and their movie nomination removed from the HoF. Please make sure you have the time to complete this, it helps to start watching the films right away so you don't have a bunch of movies to watch at the end. If for any reason you do need to drop out make sure and let me know that you can't finish.

Participation: An HoF is about participation, you can go at your own pace with one caveat: If a member is inactive with no movies reviewed for long periods of time, I will contact them to see what's up. Depending on the situation I might place their movie in 'undetermined status' meaning the movie is not out of the HoF, but is not required to watch at that time. Basically I don't want a situation where someone joins but never participates as that's not fair to the other members and we can't tell if that person has dropped out or not...As long as someone finishes by the deadline then all will be good.

Past Main HOF Archives (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1836290#post1836290)........ Past Specialty HOF Archives (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1836291#post1836291)

Deadline will be August 1st

Reviews:
Allaby 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202320#post2202320)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200423#post2200423)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214082#post2214082)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201731#post2201731)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204570#post2204570)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210187#post2210187)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204297#post2204297)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208884#post2208884)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208784#post2208784)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200453#post2200453)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202601#post2202601)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200476#post2200476)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204601#post2204601)

Citizen Rules 13/13 List finalized
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211207#post2211207)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205433#post2205433)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200485#post2200485)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201214#post2201214)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212994#post2212994)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2209591#post2209591)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207439#post2207439)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211861#post2211861)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207788#post2207788)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2209229#post2209229)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203593#post2203593)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202546#post2202546)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205156#post2205156)

CosmicRunaway 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210048#post2210048)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2209040#post2209040)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201524#post2201524)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200383#post2200383)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202563#post2202563)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204815#post2204815)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204568#post2204568)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205844#post2205844)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2206780#post2206780)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205209#post2205209)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207926#post2207926)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204202#post2204202)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201920#post2201920)

Cricket 13/13 List received
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212164#post2212164)
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204521#post2204521)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2215055#post2215055)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210825#post2210825)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214068#post2214068)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214377#post2214377)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204352#post2204352)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210470#post2210470)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202618#post2202618)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201608#post2201608)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200469#post2200469)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2213243#post2213243)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212714#post2212714)

Edarsenal 12/13 List received
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2224382#post2224382)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220209#post2220209)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2217139#post2217139)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2206337#post2206337)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200727#post2200727)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2213392#post2213392)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220805#post2220805)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200635#post2200635)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225344#post2225344)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200477#post2200477)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212313#post2212313)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2213824#post2213824)

Neiba 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204559#post2204559)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204426#post2204426)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203280#post2203280)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201944#post2201944)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204377#post2204377)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203112#post2203112)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204255#post2204255)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200373#post2200373)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203280#post2203280)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203113#post2203113)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201025#post2201025)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204524#post2204524)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203892#post2203892)

Rauldc14 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2218278#post2218278)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207265#post2207265)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202921#post2202921)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211361#post2211361)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202856#post2202856)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2209026#post2209026)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214289#post2214289)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211889#post2211889)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2224545#post2224545)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2222284#post2222284)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204447#post2204447)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2216587#post2216587)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210534#post2210534)

Rbrayer 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207532#post2207532)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2219266#post2219266)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208855#post2208855)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2223100#post2223100)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2209754#post2209754)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2217191#post2217191)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211647#post2211647)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212875#post2212875)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2221382#post2221382)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2216528#post2216528)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214290#post2214290)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225091#post2225091)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220902#post2220902)

Seanc 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205791#post2205791)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202636#post2202636)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201119#post2201119)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205791#post2205791)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201010#post2201010)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203592#post2203592)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207126#post2207126)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208497#post2208497)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202424#post2202424)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208688#post2208688)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205791#post2205791)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202238#post2202238)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201452#post2201452)

Siddon 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205341#post2205341)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204344#post2204344)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204307#post2204307)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204031#post2204031)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203228#post2203228)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204715#post2204715)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204082#post2204082)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204662#post2204662)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201899#post2201899)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203261#post2203261)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204331#post2204331)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204725#post2204725)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204633#post2204633)

SpelingError 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202231#post2202231)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200449#post2200449)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203570#post2203570)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204692#post2204692)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207738#post2207738)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208845#post2208845)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210749#post2210749)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207738#post2207738)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210314#post2210314)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212991#post2212991)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211869#post2211869)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2213740#post2213740)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2215014#post2215014)

Torgo 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200564#post2200564)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208707#post2208707)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214710#post2214710)
BlacKKKlansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2213402#post2213402)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211804#post2211804)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205266#post2205266)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2212599#post2212599)
The Green Years (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2204035#post2204035)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220121#post2220121)
The Trial (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2215636#post2215636)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210393#post2210393)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202354#post2202354)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207638#post2207638)

Ueno_station54 13/13 List received
About Elly (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2222006#post2222006)
American Movie (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&highlight=american%20movie&p=2206493#post2206493)
Bicycle Thieves (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2214043#post2214043)
BlacKKKLansman (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2222795#post2222795)
Chimes at Midnight (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2201248#post2201248)
Les Miserables (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2210450#post2210450)
Sundays and Cybele (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2219126#post2219126)
The Green Room (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2211534#post2211534)
The Long Goodbye (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2205294#post2205294)
The Truth (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2221707#post2221707)
Themroc (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2200639#post2200639)
Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2203779#post2203779)
Whiplash (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2202451#post2202451)

Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 03:55 PM

The Nominations for the 25th Hall of Fame

Click the movie posters to visit the movies IMDB page

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77091 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069369/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_)
Themroc (1973)
Dir: Claude Faraldo
ueno_station54

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77093 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Ladri di biciclette (original title)
Dir: Vittorio De Sica
Citizen Rules

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77094 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055910/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)
Sundays and Cybèle (1962)
Les dimanches de Ville d'Avray (original title)
Dir: Serge Bourguignon
Allaby

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77095 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/?ref_=tt_mv_close)
Vertigo (1958)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
rbrayer

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77096 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)
American Movie (1999)
Dir: Chris Smith
SpelingError

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77097 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026725/?ref_=ttmi_tt)
Les Misérables (1935)
Dir: Richard Boleslawski
Cricket

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77098 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059012/?ref_=ttmi_tt)
Chimes at Midnight (1965)
Dir: Orson Welles
Torgo

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77099 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070334/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Dir: Robert Altman
Siddon

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77100 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582802/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)
Whiplash (2014)
Dir: Damien Chazelle
Seanc

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77101 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1360860/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)
About Elly (2009)
Darbareye Elly (original title)
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Rauldc14

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77105 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349662/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Dir: Spike Lee
CosmicRunaway

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77106 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054452/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
The Truth (1960)
La Vérité (original title)
Dir: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Edarsenal

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77107 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057642/?ref_=tt_mv_close)
The Green Years (1963)
Os Verdes Anos (original title)
Dir: Paulo Rocha
Neiba

neiba

04-24-21, 04:06 PM

Great work on the visuals CR!!!

cricket

04-24-21, 04:14 PM

I haven't watched anything in like a week because I've been so busy, but I also have a few movies I'd like to nominate it. Call me probable. Incredible picture in the first post up there.

Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 04:19 PM

Glad you guys liked the image. That's the main hall of MoFo's Movie HoF Museum. It's a long, narrow gallery. On the right side of the room (if you were facing the marble plaque) the winners of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Hofs are shown...the other HoF movies winners 4th to 12th HoFs are also on the right side. On the opposite side is HoF winners 13th to 25th. After that we need a new room built for future Hofs!

SpelingError

04-24-21, 04:21 PM

I'm in!

What date do I have to send you my nomination by?

rauldc14

04-24-21, 04:44 PM

I'm in. I'll send my nomination in a bit

Citizen Rules

04-24-21, 05:10 PM

I'm in!

What date do I have to send you my nomination by?Good questions...and I was trying to think of everything:p Nominations in by May 1st that's when the HoF will officially start. There's of course 1 week after that for people to join...so plenty of time:)

CosmicRunaway

04-24-21, 06:04 PM

I'm probably going to join, since I already finished the Asian HoF.

Not sure what I want to nominate though, as I haven't seen anything on my own in awhile. As I said in the other thread, I had previously only watched 3 films this year haha. Might go with a sort of "boring" choice that I think most of you have already seen.

ueno_station54

04-24-21, 06:09 PM

I'm down. I'll probably figure out my nom sometime today.

rauldc14

04-24-21, 07:52 PM

That is an absolute fantastic image, BTW

Thief

04-24-21, 09:30 PM

Oh boyy....

TheUsualSuspect

04-24-21, 10:27 PM

I think I've been banned from HoFs hahahaha.

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 12:34 PM

Ueno_station54 just joined, yahoo! That makes five members so far. Join it'll be fun:)

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 12:39 PM

I think I've been banned from HoFs hahahaha.:pNo one is banned.

Anyone who dropped out of the 24th can join...they would need to watch all the movies, review them and send in a voting ballot at least two weeks before the deadline, then they can nominate a movie.

That way if they drop out again no harm as no one has to watch their nom until they've completed the HoF...that's fair:)

SpelingError

04-25-21, 12:40 PM

I just sent my nomination!

Also, I love the picture in the first post of this thread. Nice work!

Allaby

04-25-21, 12:52 PM

Alright, you convinced me. ;) I'm in.

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 12:53 PM

I just sent my nomination!

Also, I love the picture in the first post of this thread. Nice work!Thanks....one of our noms will be honored to hang in the spot reserved for the 25th HoF...I wonder which one it will be???

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 12:54 PM

Alright, you convinced me. ;) I'm in.Good to have you join:)

edarsenal

04-25-21, 01:31 PM

GREAT image, CR!!
Sending in my nom as we speak!

seanc

04-25-21, 02:09 PM

I’m in. I will send my nom tomorrow

CosmicRunaway

04-25-21, 02:19 PM

I was going to send my nomination, but since we're not starting until the 1st, maybe I'll try to think of something different.

Thief

04-25-21, 02:38 PM

What's the deadline to decide to join in?

Wyldesyde19

04-25-21, 02:39 PM

What's the deadline to decide to join in?
It’s usually a week after the nominations are first announced.

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 03:01 PM

GREAT image, CR!!
Sending in my nom as we speak!

I’m in. I will send my nom tomorrow

I was going to send my nomination, but since we're not starting until the 1st, maybe I'll try to think of something different.Good to have you all join! I think you all be impressed with the diversity of films we have so far. A nice range🙂

Citizen Rules

04-25-21, 03:03 PM

What's the deadline to decide to join in?May 8th is the cut off point to join. May 1st is when the HoF will be officially open and the noms revealed.

I don't think this one will be as big as the last one, so it should be easier to do.

rauldc14

04-25-21, 08:09 PM

Good to have you all join! I think you all be impressed with the diversity of films we have so far. A nice range🙂

I love a nice range of films. Hopefully stays that way.

CosmicRunaway

04-26-21, 03:08 AM

Actually...I think I am just going to go with my first idea. Most of you have probably already seen it, but it's worth a rewatch given how it's still painfully relevant.

Torgo

04-26-21, 10:15 AM

I am in as well. Is there a theme and/or recommended era, subject, etc. my nomination should fall into for this one?

CosmicRunaway

04-26-21, 10:22 AM

Is there a theme and/or recommended era, subject, etc. my nomination should fall into for this one?
Nope! You're free to nominate anything, as long as it is within the runtime limit, and hasn't won a previous HoF. It can be any genre and in any language.

Torgo

04-26-21, 10:41 AM

Nope! You're free to nominate anything, as long as it is within the runtime limit, and hasn't won a previous HoF. It can be any genre and in any language.Cool. I'll pick one by the end of this week.

Citizen Rules

04-26-21, 01:43 PM

I am in as well. Is there a theme and/or recommended era, subject, etc. my nomination should fall into for this one?What Cosmic just said.

So we have the main (numbered HoFs) which are always a general HoF so open to all movies that haven't previously won. Then we have the specialty (genre or themed) HoFs like the Asian movie or the Russian language movie.

ScarletLion

04-26-21, 02:23 PM

That is a cracking image CR. Looks superb. I'm hoping to be involved in the Russian HoF so I'll be on the sidelines for this.

Citizen Rules

04-26-21, 02:51 PM

That is a cracking image CR. Looks superb. I'm hoping to be involved in the Russian HoF so I'll be on the sidelines for this.Thanks...I just sent my nom into the Russian HoF, I'm looking forward to that one and this one.

neiba

04-27-21, 10:24 AM

I said I'd be taking a break, but last week has been better on my mind, and I restarted watching films again, so I'm pretty confident I can tackle this and do it more comfortably than the last one. I'm in, nom on the way!

Citizen Rules

04-27-21, 11:45 AM

Yahoo! two more just joined Cricket and Neiba...both sent in two very interesting noms. I tell ya folks we got a great bunch of unique and diversified noms:)

GulfportDoc

04-27-21, 07:40 PM

...
Movie Nominations: Any movie you feel is worthy of an HoF, that is under 240 minutes, can be nominated...Previous HoF winners are excluded.
...
CR, are we tasked with sending in one single movie?

rbrayer

04-27-21, 07:44 PM

I'm def in, just have to look through and see what's made it thus far

rbrayer

04-27-21, 07:46 PM

CR, are we tasked with sending in one single movie?

wondering this too - also, are we supposed to avoid anything previously nominated?

neiba

04-27-21, 07:54 PM

wondering this too - also, are we supposed to avoid anything previously nominated?

You can pick anything that was already nominated, as long as it didn't win!

Citizen Rules

04-27-21, 09:35 PM

CR, are we tasked with sending in one single movie?Just one. It would be great to have you. The full rules/guidelines are on the 2nd post.

Citizen Rules

04-27-21, 09:37 PM

You can pick anything that was already nominated, as long as it didn't win!Yup, what Neiba said. The full list of all the past HoFs with their winners and nominations are hereon the 2nd and 3rd post:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=52323

rauldc14

04-27-21, 11:14 PM

We should get some sneak peek preview clues before Saturday :)

neiba

04-28-21, 06:07 AM

We should get some sneak peek preview clues before Saturday :)

This.

Citizen Rules

04-28-21, 12:13 PM

We should get some sneak peek preview clues before Saturday :)That could be arranged. Stay tuned:p

Citizen Rules

04-28-21, 04:38 PM

A sneak peek, see if you can guess what our nom are? So far...

13 movies
6 foreign
all are 1st time to HoFs, except...
...1 was nominated before but removed (the member dropped out)
5 movies are from directors who's films have been nom'ed before
1 movie was nominated Oscar Best Picture
I've only seen 1 of the noms, my own!

Decades:
1930s - 1 movie
1940s - 1 movie
1950s - 1 movie
1960s - 4 movies
1970s - 2 movies
1990s - 1 movie
2000s - 1 movie
2010s - 2 movies

cricket

04-28-21, 06:19 PM

I'm going to prioritize watching foreign that I haven't seen in time for the countdown.

pahaK

04-28-21, 06:37 PM

A sneak peek, see if you can guess what our nom are? So far...

You missed the most important category. How many are about murdering pedophile nazi doctors?

edarsenal

04-28-21, 11:14 PM

You missed the most important category. How many are about murdering pedophile nazi doctors?

I'm going to guess. . . two. Maybe three.

Torgo

04-29-21, 07:59 AM

Looks like a good decade distribution to me. The '60s is still my least-explored decade, so I'm looking forward to it.

Just curious, but are the '80s usually stiffed in these? I think there was only one '80s movie in the last one.

rauldc14

04-29-21, 08:58 AM

Glad to see a nice fairly well rounded distribution

Citizen Rules

04-29-21, 10:21 AM

CosmicRunaway

04-29-21, 02:49 PM

CosmicRunaway

04-29-21, 02:53 PM

1 was nominated before but removed (the member dropped out)
Is this perhaps one of the foreign films?

...either The Exterminating Angel or Millennium Actress.

Citizen Rules

04-29-21, 04:29 PM

Is this perhaps one of the foreign films?

...either The Exterminating Angel or Millennium Actress.Nope, it's not a foreign film.

Citizen Rules

04-29-21, 04:30 PM

That is a really nice distribution of nominations! I didn't think it was possible, but I'm even more excited for this HoF to start now haha. I guess I could always pre-write something for my own film so I can jump right into another viewing this weekend.This might be the first HoF where I haven't seen any of the noms, except my own. I seen my nom recently so I won't be rewatching it.

ueno_station54

04-29-21, 09:30 PM

Could do with a few more foreign films but 4 from the 60's? I'm here for it.

rauldc14

04-30-21, 10:04 AM

13 is a pretty good number, but maybe we can get a couple more yet!

rauldc14

04-30-21, 10:40 AM

Is Takoma11 joining us?

Citizen Rules

05-01-21, 12:43 PM

...We're off and running! The noms are up on the second post!

The 25th HoF is now officially open.

Deadline will be August 1st.

SpelingError rauldc14 Siddon ueno_station54 Allaby edarsenal seanc CosmicRunaway Torgo cricket neiba rbrayer

edarsenal

05-01-21, 12:55 PM

WOO HOO
That IS quite diverse!
I have seen six, including mine. Since I'm on my phone I'll be back later to post my initial thoughts about them all.
This is gonna be GOOD

SpelingError

05-01-21, 01:03 PM

That's a good set of nominations! Looking forward to this.

Allaby

05-01-21, 01:16 PM

Looks like a great group of films!

HashtagBrownies

05-01-21, 01:23 PM

Very interesting set of nominations, many classics I haven't seen yet and many that are unknown to me.

I might consider joining because of the Open Door policy, but I don't know yet.

Takoma11

05-01-21, 01:24 PM

Is Takoma11 joining us?

Did I say I would? I legit don't remember.

I know I'm doing the Russian HoF.

Anyway, looks like a fun mix of nominees!

neiba

05-01-21, 01:39 PM

Oh, wow! I have watched a few of these, some of them quite recently:

Themroc: never heard of it.
Bicycle Thieves: watched it a few months ago for the Pers Rec Hof! Great film!
Sundays and Cybele: never heard of it.
Vertigo: one of the few movies I consider to be worthy of best of all time. It's an absolute landmark and absolutely essential to every cinephile. I watched it so many times. Part of my Top 100 and quite high on there, for that matter.
American Movie: oh... I hate this film! I'll rewatch it because it's been years since the last watch, but I don't expect that to change because I remember it quite well and the reasons that made me dislike it didn't change.
Les Miserables: Hoping this is better than the most recent one. Being a cricket nom, I'm optimistic.
Chimes at Midnight: Looking forward to this one!
The Long Goodbye: another very recent watch for the Pers Rec HoF! Cool film!
Whiplash: one of the best films coming out in recent years. Part of my Top 100.
About Elly: never heard of it.
Blackkklansman: watched it last year, didn't care that much for it. I'll give it another try.
The Truth: never heard of it.
The Green Years: by far, my most risky nom to date. I've been thinking about picking a Portuguese film for one of these, but I'm not into Portuguese cinema that much, apart from the documentary scene which is frankly quite good. However, most of our docs are context dependant and people here wouldn't get it because they don't know Portuguese culture. This one is generally considered to be the most important Portuguese film ever made because it started the country's New Wave, and it is also one I enjoy very much, so it had to be this. Maybe it has a shot at the Foreign Countdown, that would be nice.

Citizen Rules

05-01-21, 01:41 PM

I've only seen two of these movies...So I have a lot of movie watching to do this time:) We don't have any really long movies, most are at 2 hours, some only 90 minutes, so easy watching!

Perhaps some of these foreign language films will end up on the upcoming Foreign Language Top 100 Countdown (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=63464) I hope everyone of us is sending in a voting ballot for that.

My brief thoughts:

Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica 1948) 1h 29min...My nom, I seen this in the Personal Recommendation III and was blown away by it.

The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman 1973) 1h 52min...Have always wanted to see this and have seen other movies based on the literary character Phillip Marlowe.

American Movie (Chris Smith 1999) 1h 47min....Our only documentary. This was once nominated for the Documentary HoF but the person dropped out and so the movie was removed.

Whiplash (Damien Chazelle 2014) 1h 46min...This movie gets high praise, so I'll be curious to see what it's all about.

About Elly (Asghar Farhadi 2009) 1h 59min...A film from Iran, which makes it pretty interesting to me.

Themroc (Claude Faraldo 1973) 1h 40min..."Made without proper language, just gibberish and grunts" Very intriguing sounding.

BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee 2018) 2h 15min...I recently seen Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and was amazed at his directorial skill...so I'll be watching to see if he's sharpened his talents since then.

Les Misérables (Richard Boleslawski 1935) (1h 48min) are only 'old' film, old being relative of course as some would consider anything 20th century old. I'm looking forward to this classic.

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles 1965) 1h 55min...ahh good ole Orson! I just seen him the other night on an old What's My Line from 1956. Orson was one of the guest panelist and was hilarious! Here's a link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bZL2cNR9ovM (if you're in a hurry skip to the end with the celebrity mystery guest, Greer Garson, and the panelist are all blindfolded.)

Sundays and Cybèle (Serge Bourguignon 1962) 1h 51min...The synopsis sounds promising, sounds like another good one.

The Truth (Henri-Georges Clouzot 1960) (2h 7min)....Brigitte Bardot need I say more!

The Green Years (Paulo Rocha 1963) 1h 31min...I've not heard of it but like the other films it looks promising too.

Vertigo (Hitchcock 1958) 2h 8min...bound to be a favorite here among the members. I've seen it only once and thought it was good but didn't love it like so many others seem to. Maybe a second watch will help?

edarsenal

05-01-21, 01:43 PM

Themroc (1973) Dir: Claude Faraldo (ueno_station54) Have not heard of this but with the descriptive "an absurdist comedy" I am happily equal parts hesitant and intrigued.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) Ladri di biciclette (original title) Dir: Vittorio De Sica (Citizen Rules) Well, looks like I'll be finding out what's all the hubbub about this. NICE.

Sundays and Cybèle (1962) Les dimanches de Ville d'Avray (original title) Dir: Serge Bourguignon (Allaby) Sounds like quite the enchanting film.

Vertigo (1958) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock (rbrayer) One of the iconic Hitchcock films I HAVEN'T seen. SWEET.

American Movie (1999) Dir: Chris Smith (SpelingError) Seen this when it came out. Got a few chuckles out of this and looking forward to a revisit.

Les Misérables (1935) Dir: Richard Boleslawski (Cricket) HUGE fan of this version and glad to see cricket thought highly enough of it to nominate it.

Chimes at Midnight (1965) Dir: Orson Welles (Torgo) I actually started watching this some months ago but didn't have time to finish - and now I can!!

The Long Goodbye (1973) Dir: Robert Altman (Siddon) Seen this quite a few times throughout the years including at the drive-in when I was in third grade with three other brothers - to the initial nervousness of my eldest brother who took us to it and was unaware of Marlowe's neighbors and the other situations he didn't think kids should be watching but got too caught up in it to do drive off. I rewatched this last month so I'll be posting a review about it soon.

Whiplash (2014) Dir: Damien Chazelle (Seanc) Been wanting to revisit this since I first saw this a year or so after its release.

About Elly (2009) Darbareye Elly (original title Dir: Asghar Farhadi (Rauldc14) Quite unknown to me but could very well be quite a compelling watch.

BlacKkKlansman (2018) Dir: Spike Lee (CosmicRunaway) Another one I've wanted to revisit and now I get to.

The Truth (1960) La Vérité (original title) Dir: Henri-Georges Clouzot (Edarsenal) I almost went with Rome, Open City but opted for something that may be under a lot of folks' radar.

The Green Years (1963) Os Verdes Anos (original title) Dir: Paulo Rocha (Neiba) Unknown to me but looking forward to rectifying that.

With my recent change in jobs, I was hesitant about my lowered amount of time for viewing films to be able to join in, but I am SO FRICKIN GLAD I did!!
Great List of Noms, EVERYONE!! LOVE the diversity!!

neiba

05-01-21, 02:12 PM

Os Verdes Anos a.k.a. The Green Years (1963)

I've watched this film in a theatre session some time ago and liked it very much.

For anyone who's into the French new wave and the Italian neo-realism, especially Truffaut, you'll find this is not that different, and that's because during this time, Portugal had a lot of immigrants in France escaping from the dictatorship that ruled over the country and the colonial war we were in against Angola and Mozambique. For that reason, there were obviously some underground influences arriving from France which had a huge influence on what would be called: Novo Cinema Português (New Portuguese Cinema). The Green Years was the film that started that movement.

For starters, the name. "Verdes Anos" is perhaps the most well-known of all Portuguese songs. It was composed and first performed by one of our most brilliant musicians, the great Carlos Paredes, who played an instrument called Portuguese Guitar. Here's Paredes himself playing it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2TLCGcj6y8

The rest of the soundtrack is also played and composed by Paredes, with an interesting variation to the Verdes Anos song: lyrics were written to the purpose of this film, creating a Fado song, which is the national musical style.
(a little curiosity about the instrument: Jimmy Page once said about it: "I have one, but I will never be able to play it. It only obeys the Portuguese soul).

Now, the film. It's mostly shot in Lisbon in beautiful black and white cinematography, and it captures exactly what the city was in the 60s. It deals mostly with the shock young people suffered when moving from the innocent life of the countryside to the big and corrupt city. And that is the main drive to the actions that lead to the dramatic close of this film. There are a few images from Porto, the city where I'm from, which is always nice to see.

It's not a fast film, quite on the contrary, but it's short and quite well directed so the pacing is well held, in my opinion. It's great to see how the characters evolve and how architecture and night/day play a part in it. The acting is not brilliant but quite good for Portuguese standards of this time.

3.5

Thief

05-01-21, 02:17 PM

Hmmm, I've seen three of these...

Bicycle Thieves for the current PR HOF3 and I loved it.

Vertigo is my #1 Hitchcock film and I've seen it a bunch of times.

BlacKkKlansman back when it came out. Thought it was pretty good for the most part, but as unsubtle as it is (subtle is not a word that suits Spike Lee), I thought the ending was a powerful way to cap the message. Wouldn't mind a rewatch...

...If I decide to jump in. Considering I've seen these, I might squeak by. I'll see how the others match up with my personal challenge for May and decide if I'll join.

CosmicRunaway

05-01-21, 02:19 PM

It appears as though we have an interesting selection of nominations! I've only seen a couple of them, and there's a handful that I've never even heard of. Looking forward to getting started!

Les Misérables (1935) - Though I'm vaguely familiar with the story through pop culture references, I have not watched any of the adaptations (musical or otherwise).

Bicycle Thieves (1948) - I know for a fact that I have seen this, but I don't remember very much about it, so it is long overdue for a rewatch.

Vertigo (1958) - It's also been awhile since I've seen this one. I think the last time was on cable tv with far too many commercial breaks. Looking forward to watching it in full again!

The Truth (1960) - I may or may not have seen this. There was a French film I saw for a class a decade or so ago that I have not been able to remember the name of. This looks like it could be that film. Place your bets now folks!

Sundays and Cybèle (1962) - I don't think I've heard of this film before.

The Green Years (1963) - I've never heard of this one either.

Chimes at Midnight (1965) - Though I was aware of this film's existence, I haven't actually seen it. Looks very intriguing though.

Themroc (1973) - Another one I've never heard of. Based on it's "gimmick", this could be very interesting, or painful to sit through haha.

The Long Goodbye (1973) - Here's another "I may or may not have seen this" film. There are so many noir films I saw clustered together that I can't keep them all straight.

American Movie (1999) - I am not into documentaries, but his one is apparently about trying to make a horror film, so it might actually be up my ally.

About Elly (2009) - It's nice to see an Iranian film nominated!

Whiplash (2014) - I've honestly been meaning to watch this since it came out. Looks like I can finally cross it off my backlog haha.

BlacKkKlansman (2018) - This is my nomination. I rewatched it last weekend and wrote something about it yesterday, so I'll just post that once I get my coffee and reread it.

Allaby

05-01-21, 02:34 PM

I have 5 of these on blu ray: Bicycle Thieves, Sundays and Cybèle, Chimes at Midnight, Vertigo, and Whiplash. I have Blackklansman on digital. I've seen The Long Goodbye and used to have it on blu ray, but I think I sold it, because I can't find it anymore. I've seen Les Misérables recently. I have not seen the other films nominated, but they all sound good.

CosmicRunaway

05-01-21, 02:40 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77120

BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Directed By: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier

BlacKkKlansman is a strange mix of dark comedy, propaganda, and a heavily dramatized true story that's not quite as slick as it could be, but it's still a very worthwhile viewing experience. When I first saw the film, given the ridiculous nature of the plot, I was expecting it to lean more on its humour, so I was a bit surprised at how serious the overall tone was. The runtime had also felt a little long, but when I watched it again last week, it almost seemed to fly by.

As with any film that's based on a real event, there are a lot of liberties taken with Stallworth's story. This never particularly bothers me, and in this case I actually appreciated the changes to his partner's heritage, since it allows for additional commentary on the privileges granted to those who don't obviously look like an ethnic minority. Having never previously been forced to feel ashamed of his ancestry, his perspective is much different than that of the student union members who don't have that luxury.

BlacKkKlansman is rather heavy handed with its themes, but I can't fault the film for that because they are as painfully relevant now as they were when Stallworth first went undercover with the Ku Klux Klan. It's been decades, yet the message still hasn't been getting through to people. Racial tensions across the US have not improved, and it doesn't look like this fight is going to be over any time soon. While I don't love this film, I do actually find it quite entertaining, and think it deserves more attention than something like Peter Farrelly's Green Book.

CosmicRunaway

05-01-21, 02:48 PM

BlacKkKlansman back when it came out. Thought it was pretty good for the most part, but as unsubtle as it is (subtle is not a word that suits Spike Lee), I thought the ending was a powerful way to cap the message.
I agree with this. It made quite an impact on my room mate (a man in his 30s), who wept in the theatre when those clips were shown.

cricket

05-01-21, 02:50 PM

I've never heard of The Green Years or Themroc.

I was planning on watching The Truth and About Elly for the countdown already so glad they're here.

I've seen the rest and will comment when I watch again.

Torgo

05-01-21, 02:55 PM

Looking forward to it! It's a nice blend of haven't heard of, want to watch and seen it already, but would watch again.

I've never heard of The Green Years or Themroc.Same. Also, it looks like they're not on DVD or VOD in the U.S. If anyone has an English-subtitled means of viewing either of them (well, looks like Themroc has its own language), please share!

Thief

05-01-21, 03:24 PM

Streaming guide for anyone interested...

Themroc (1973) - None
Bicycle Thieves (1948) - HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Kanopy
Sundays and Cybèle (1962)
Vertigo (1958) - Watch TCM
American Movie (1999) - Amazon and VUDU (rent)
Les Misérables (1935) - IndieFlix, Flix Fling
Chimes at Midnight (1965) - HBO Max, Criterion Channel
The Long Goodbye (1973) - Tubi, Pluto TV
Whiplash (2014) - Starz, DirecTV
About Elly (2009) - Kanopy, Topic
BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Spectrum on Demand
The Truth (1960) - None
The Green Years (1963) - None

Those are the free options, except for the American Movie one. Many others also have options to rent, though.

Allaby

05-01-21, 04:30 PM

I watched American Movie (1999) for the first time today. Directed by Chris Smith, this documentary tells the story of Mark Borchardt, an aspiring independent filmmaker working on a low budget horror film. The film focuses on the challenges he faces and his determination, along with his family and friends. For better or worse, the director allows his subjects to be themselves and this leads to some humorous moments. Mark is an enthusiastic and passionate individual and some of his friends and family are colourful characters too. I didn't feel that the documentary was exploiting or mocking Mark or his family. I was rooting for them and could feel empathy towards Mark on his journey. The film rambles and meanders a little though and goes on too long. Not everything we see was necessary to include and they could have cut out a little here and there. I think American Movie is an interesting and engaging documentary and I'm glad I watched it. My rating is a 3.5.

edarsenal

05-01-21, 05:38 PM

rbrayer

05-01-21, 06:03 PM

Excited about this list! Besides my
own, I have already seen 4 of these (Chimes, Bicycle Thieves, Black KKKlansman, and The Long Goodbye), but only one recently (KKK). It looks like a varied, intriguing mix of movies! Awesome!

pahaK

05-01-21, 06:10 PM

I think I'll skip this one. Just don't feel like another HoF right now. Fortunately, Allaby nominated a film that gets my approval so you'll hardly even notice my absence.

seanc

05-01-21, 06:12 PM

This will be fun. I already know I won’t be voting my pick #1, because whoever picked The Long Goodbye kicks a$$.

Really looking forward to About Elly, love Farhadi. Second watch of Bicycle Thieves is kind overdue.

rbrayer

05-01-21, 06:26 PM

Correction: I have also seen American Movie! I’d forgotten! So it will be practically new for me.

Really looking forward to second watches of Bicycle Thieves, Chimes, and The Long Goodbye. I’ve been wanting to see Whiplash forever - I adore JK, so very glad to have the excuse!

Re Vertigo, I have a 25-year relationship with this film, the first Hitch film I ever saw, which spoiled me for the rest, which are almost uniformly great, but not in this class. I was
surprised it only got to #20 in the countdown here as its the Sight and Sound #1 as well as far and away the best film ever made in my humble opinion. I have probably seen it 10-15
times and it honestly gets better each time.

SpelingError

05-01-21, 06:26 PM

Here's what I wrote on American Movie last year:

American Movie (1999) - 4.5

This is one of the few non-well known films I saw before I got into film. Since I wasn't used to slow pacing at all, I struggled quite a bit and, before rewatching it for this thread, I hadn't thought much about it. Now that I've finally sat down to give it another chance though, I've come to the conclusion that it's pretty excellent and criminally underseen.

When I rate and review films I dislike, I rarely think about how dedicated the director could've potentially been to their work while in production or how many hurdles they could've run into in the process of directing that film. More importantly though, I encounter films which fail to give me any insight into the mind of the director who made that film. However, learning about the personal struggles of a director or getting a sense of who the director is can be a really beautiful experience. Since I haven't watched Coven, I can't speak to whether it's a good film or not. However, this documentary reminded me that even if a movie can feel student film-y or misstep a number of times, a lot of work can still be put into that film and the director can also show a strong, overwhelming passion when making it, regardless of how much it shows in the film. Knowing this about the director can cause you to feel more sympathetic towards their work. I find that getting a sense of this is really fascinating and this film evokes this sense in spades. Not only did we get to see how determined Borchardt was in the production of this film, but we also saw him run into a number of obstacles while creating it in addition to several conflicts with other people in his life. Given this knowledge of Borchardt, this induced a truly affecting and strangely personal layer of empathy for him. Also, I say the word "personal", because watching this documentary reminded me a lot of all the times I've watched/read/played something by a close friend of mine. Though I may have my issues with what they make, I often find myself hesitant to point these issues out since I'm really close to that person and am aware of what creating that form of media means to them. Since this documentary did such a thorough job at fleshing Borchardt out and exploring his motivations and aspirations, he felt like a proxy for all the times I've encountered this.

While Mark Borchardt was at the heart of the story, the film also fleshed out a handful of other characters around Borchardt who influenced and shaped him as he went about the production of Coven. The first of which was his mother, who fervently supported him and occasionally went out of her way to help him out with his goal despite having her doubts that he'd ever succeed as a movie director. Knowledge on how she used to fight with Borchardt's father also interested me since it gave a sense of Borchardt's background. Borchardt's best friend Mike was also compelling. Little about his ambitions were known. Like, we knew he was a musician, but we didn't know whether he worked anywhere or if he was unemployed and simply played it on his own accord. Regardless, I appreciated him for his strong dedication to Borchardt, not just in the sense of how he helped him with Coven, but also how he helped him with a number of the films he made when he was younger. His prior struggles with drug addiction were also compelling to learn about. The most interesting of these characters, however, was Bill, Borchardt's uncle. He was elderly, lived alone in a trailer, and had a negative outlook on life in how he constantly expressed his dissatisfaction and indifference towards Borchardt and a number of other things which happened in the film. He seemed to have no ambitions left. In spite of this, however, Borchardt consistently tried to get him involved with the production of his film, perhaps an attempt to help him find happiness given that he recommended this to him at a few points in the film. Bill's final lines really resonated with me as they were the culmination of Borchardt's efforts.

Overall, this documentary was powerful and it lingered with me for a while after finishing it. With documentaries, I rarely find myself eager to rewatch them, but I can definitely see myself watching this one again in the future since it impressed me so much. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend doing so.

SpelingError

05-01-21, 06:42 PM

Anyways...

American Movie (1999) Already posted my review of this one, but it's one of my favorite documentaries. Not sure how well it will do here, but glad to nominate a documentary since HoF's generally don't get many of them as I've heard.

BlacKkKlansman: One of my favorite films of 2018. Happy to revisit it.

Chimes at Midnight: Probably my favorite Shakespeare adaptation. Happy to revisit this one as well!

Vertigo: That's a top 10 film for me. It's probably going to top my ballot.

Whiplash: One of my favorite films of 2014. Happy to revisit it as well.

Haven't seen the others.

seanc

05-01-21, 07:09 PM

Allaby

05-01-21, 07:16 PM

I watched Themroc (1973) today for the first time. Directed by Claude Faraldo, the film has no understandable dialogue. There is only sounds and minimal grunts and gibberish. This is an interesting approach, but unfortunately did not work for me. At all. To pull this off, you have a really interesting story. I didn't find the story in Themroc interesting or entertaining on any level. I was not impressed by the performances and the found the characters dull and severely underdeveloped. The film dragged on and on for what felt like a long time and I was bored for much of it. No offence or disrespect to ueno_station54, but I felt this was a really bad movie. Sorry to say, my rating is 1.

Citizen Rules

05-01-21, 07:20 PM

Wow! You guys are already pumping out those reviews, very cool. I'll do the usually links to the reviews in the 1st post, later today. Right now back to work for me.

ueno_station54

05-01-21, 09:25 PM

Guess I'll do the first impressions thing.

Themroc - So for our last HoF I felt kind of lame for just picking my favourite eligible film so this time I picked something I've never seen or even really heard of. Pulled this out of my Letterboxd watchlist (which only had 8 things in it, I should probably use that more), watched like 30 seconds of it and it looked like the kind of bs I'd enjoy.

Bicycle Thieves - Honestly probably wouldn't have ever gotten around to this otherwise so I guess this will at least be a free classic to cross of the list. Expecting it to be solid.

Sundays and Cybele - It's french and from the 60's so it's gonna end up being my #1 I'm sure.

Vertigo - A film I definitely need to see again as I last saw it in high school and I had extremely mixed feelings about it.

American Movie - I remember this being fun but not something I was gonna watch again any time soon. Definitely gonna be an easy, enjoyable watch.

Les Miserable - Something I've lowkey wanted to check out for awhile, so that's exciting. Don't really know anything about Les Miz so this will be my introduction to the musical.

Chimes at Midnight - Citizen Kane and The Other Side of the Wind are both pretty great so I guess I do need to check out more Welles.

The Long Goodbye - After a recent rewatch of 3 Women that really really hit for me I definitely stoked for more Altman.

Whiplash - I thought this was solid at the time. I don't think I'll dig it quite as much this time around though.

About Elly - Farhadi doesn't really make the kind of films I go for from what I've seen but I'm ready to be proved wrong.

BlacKkKlansman - It's alright. Definitely going to be my most reluctant watch of the bunch.

The Truth - What I wrote about Sundays and Cybele but even moreso because of Bridgette Bardot and though I've seen none of his films, every clip of a Clouzot film I've seen looks incredible.

The Green Years - I have no idea what this is but could definitely be my kind of thing and again, it being from the 60's instantly makes me hype for it.

Outside of a few films I could have done without having to watch again this looks like a fun bunch of films with some stuff I'm genuinely stoked to see. I'll watch Themroc tomorrow to see what kind of garbage I've dropped on your laps.

cricket

05-01-21, 09:49 PM

The Green Years

https://worldscinema.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Os-Verdes-Anos-19634.png

3.5+

This reminds me of another nomination but I won't say which. I don't recall hearing of this before and I don't think I've seen many Portuguese movies. I bet Lisbon would be a great place to visit. I thought it was similar to Italian films from the same era. I don't want to really say anything about the narrative, even though I don't see it as a plot focused movie. I didn't expect to feel the way I did once it was over. It's an easy watch with a modest runtime. It's one of those movies that gives off an authentic feel of a different time and place. The music is incredible. Knowing what I know now, I believe I'd enjoy and rate it higher with a second watch. Great nomination!

cricket

05-01-21, 09:52 PM

Allaby

05-01-21, 10:02 PM

I rewatched Vertigo tonight on blu ray. Directed by my all time favourite filmmaker, the great Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo stars James Stewart and Kim Novak in a mystery thriller involving passion, obsession, and maybe even murder. I enjoyed Vertigo even more this time around. Stewart is fantastic and Novak is radiant and fantastic with a tricky role. The score is beautiful and the cinematography is gorgeous. Vertigo does some really neat stuff with its use of colour. The screenplay is very clever and the film is relentlessly entertaining. Vertigo has a strong, intriguing beginning and a great ending. My rating is a 4.5.

edarsenal

05-01-21, 10:03 PM

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/0f/b1/960fb1a9ff956a250d2340ad054c0b91.gif

La Vérité aka The Truth(1960)

Ahhh, sweet, beautiful, intoxicating, free-spirited, Brigitte Bardot. . .

It is Paris. She is young and firmly believes that:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/78b46e3aed20b5d7d8e0c5866da3a08e/tumblr_of9qznnRdh1v4a8wfo2_500.png

And, rightfully so.
So she does.
And yet, there are some who think terrible, terrible things.
That she is:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B50RybO636o/hqdefault.jpg

They declare them, in-depth, in a Courtroom.
At her trial.
For the murder of her lover: Gilbert Tellier (Sami Frey).
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m18Z-mR_nQ0/T38dGGATOsI/AAAAAAAAAmY/EHgGqwIdNtw/s1600/verite05.jpg

This exceptional Courtroom drama is my second Henri-Georges Clouzot film. The first being Le corbeau (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035753/?ref_=tt_sims_tt) (1943). And, as was my experience with Le Corbeau, I am extraordinarily struck by Clouzot's brilliance delving into the "hearsay" of the crowd. Speculation and insinuation dissect young Dominique Marceau (Brigitte Bardot) with relentless precision via the Prosecution's Maître Éparvier (Paul Meurisse)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSs1vPQ0Sls/T2J_S0iUREI/AAAAAAAAAso/0xgs_HtdKMU/s1600/verite11.jpeg

Her defense supplied by an empathic Maître Guérin (Charles Vanel)
https://i0.wp.com/alarencontreduseptiemeart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/La-V%C3%A9rit%C3%A9-2.jpg?resize=640%2C280
An equal in litigious combat.
Both men are clever, unyielding, and at times, sardonic in their judicial "dance" with one another. Ranking them, for me, in the echelon of Courtroom adversaries.

Dominique and the deceased Gilbert's turbulently torrent love affair play out in flashback format. The segues were executed with mercurial efficiency.

Taking from my original review a few months back, I have just, in pure pleasure, watched the end credits of my second watch of this sealed, upper ranking inductee to my Countdown List. I love this film: the nuance, the wit, Clouzot's cinematic composition. I am engaged, and even more so and, most likely, will continue to—the familiarity acting as a catalyst.
Yeah, this puppy is officially Eddie-iified as -- Unlimited Rewatch Member.

SpelingError

05-01-21, 10:10 PM

Wow, you guys are so fast. Nice 👍

Citizen Rules

05-01-21, 10:36 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=75271
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica 1948)

I watched this for the first time in the Personal Recommendation III. It was one of the choices for me and so a big thanks to whoever choose it.

A perfect film for me. It's so well made that it flows effortlessly and the pieces, the individual scenes, they fit seamlessly. I felt like I was right there in the story and that's a feeling I don't get from many films.

Perhaps it was the actors that sold me on the film. The actor who played the father was very much in the moment. Without words he could express his emotions. His angst at having his bicycle stolen which meant losing his job, was palatable. There was no doubt in my mind just how life changing the loss of his bike & job was to him. Then there's his son. Wow, talk about a good kid actor. He doesn't really have many lines, but through the range of emotions that play out on his young face, I could see the desperation of his family in post war Italy. I especially liked the dynamic between the father and the boy and how at times the spacial distance between them grew as tensions rose.

I often love Italian films as they're so full of life. Even if the subject matter is depressing or dark, the films themselves are alive with the movement of life.

I think the director did an amazing job making a simple story seem so personal. Of course this isn't just a story of a stolen bicycle, it's an expose on the hardships faced by the Italians immediately following the end of World War II. We see wide spread poverty with the people fighting for jobs and pawning what few positions they own just so they can have a meal. We see how people cope with the collapse of the economy and it ranges from criminal behavior to charlatanism to prostitution and to standing in long lines for some soup and bread.

Very much my type of film.

rauldc14

05-02-21, 10:24 AM

Yeah it is a pretty nice mix here. Although I thought it was stated a best picture winner was among the nominees?

ueno_station54

05-02-21, 10:26 AM

I expected a musical when I watched it but it's not at all. I guess there's musical versions of the same story.
I'm devastated.

cricket

05-02-21, 11:01 AM

I'm devastated.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/En1ZS_-Uh8Zonv7Zt65ajoEMK5B7ubVVAySEgISIyTwhILBXETTLaPUOjgPkNhzeMrYn9crKRfeq3P5ZRCSgutDKcYPcrcxI4XbePWvm7Uh 5Lk5DFK_hS5dnOzG4xTAhceJpK8qfeQKo3LUklUbAsr_bK5EriHiRRUo

rauldc14

05-02-21, 11:09 AM

Yeah it is a pretty nice mix here. Although I thought it was stated a best picture winner was among the nominees?

Answered my own question. Nominated I see now, not won.

But at least 2 we're nominated :)

Torgo

05-02-21, 12:01 PM

About Elly - 4 CONTAINS SPOILERS

This is the first Iranian film I've ever seen, and it did not disappoint. First, talk about suspense! I give it credit for keeping me on the edge of my seat from the seaside incident to the sad revelation of Elly's fate. It's also a breath of fresh air to see a movie do this simply through the power of writing and acting and that my special effect-addled brain took to the attempt. I also found it interesting how Elly's disappearance revealed the true situation amongst the friends, their spouses and their children. It's not such a good sign when everyone's first impulse is to lie and make excuses about what happened - oh, and how telling is it that the children were the least willing to go along with it - instead of being truthful and forthcoming. I also like how the movie is about Sepideh as much as it is about Elly without being obvious about it. From the most uncomfortable scene in the movie - Sepideh's confrontation with husband Amir - to the most bittersweet one - Elly's expressions of joy while playing with the kite - it's one of the most heartbreaking attempts at living vicariously through someone else I can remember seeing in a movie. Speaking of, I don't know how much freedom the Iranian government allows filmmakers, but I do know the country is one of the most patriarchal in the world and thus no doubt takes the institution of marriage seriously. Regardless of what Asghar Farhadi and company could get away with, credit goes to them for producing a movie, and such a good one, that's so critical of the institution and honest in depicting the consequences of when it goes badly.

Again, Iranian cinema had been one of my most glaring blind spots. Thanks to rauldc14 for the strong introduction.

rauldc14

05-02-21, 12:15 PM

About Elly - 4 CONTAINS SPOILERS

This is the first Iranian film I've ever seen, and it did not disappoint. First, talk about suspense! I give it credit for keeping me on the edge of my seat from the seaside incident to the sad revelation of Elly's fate. It's also a breath of fresh air to see a movie do this simply through the power of writing and acting and that my special effect-addled brain took to the attempt. I also found it interesting how Elly's disappearance revealed the true situation amongst the friends, their spouses and their children. It's not such a good sign when everyone's first impulse is to lie and make excuses about what happened - oh, and how telling is it that the children were the least willing to go along with it - instead of being truthful and forthcoming. I also like how the movie is about Sepideh as much as it is about Elly without being obvious about it. From the most uncomfortable scene in the movie - Sepideh's confrontation with husband Amir - and the most bittersweet one - Elly's expressions of joy while playing with the kite - it's one of the most heartbreaking attempts of living vicariously through someone else I can remember seeing in a movie. Speaking of, I don't know how much freedom the Iranian government allows filmmakers, but I do know the country is one of the most patriarchal in the world and thus no doubt takes the institution of marriage seriously. Regardless of what Asghar Farhadi and company could get away with, credit goes to them for producing a movie, and such a good one, that's so critical of the institution and honest in depicting the consequences of when it goes badly.

Again, Iranian cinema had been one of my most glaring blind spots. Thanks to rauldc14 for the strong introduction.

Been enjoying Iranian films lately. Just scratched the surface. Glad you enjoyed!

Torgo

05-02-21, 12:39 PM

Been enjoying Iranian films lately. Just scratched the surface. Glad you enjoyed!It looks like the director has a few other well-regarded movies (A Separation, The Salesman, etc.) and that they're on VOD as well. Looking forward to seeing them.

And yes, I keep track of what countries I have seen movies from.
In an Excel spreadsheet. :shifty:

edarsenal

05-02-21, 01:09 PM

I expected a musical when I watched it but it's not at all. I guess there's musical versions of the same story.

The more recent versions have been so it's a common mistake to think that most versions are.

SpelingError

05-02-21, 01:24 PM

Again, Iranian cinema had been one of my most glaring blind spots. Thanks to rauldc14 for the strong introduction.

My top recommendation for Iranian cinema goes to A Moment of Innocence. It might be hard to track down, but if you're able to come across it, I highly recommend giving it a go.

GulfportDoc

05-02-21, 01:36 PM

Just one. It would be great to have you. The full rules/guidelines are on the 2nd post.
Thanks, CR. Looking at the nominations, there are several movies I didn't care for, and a couple of others I have no desire to see, so I'll have to skip this one. However I'll enjoy reading some of the commentary.

I'm in for whenever the next noir HOF rolls around..;)

Citizen Rules

05-02-21, 02:00 PM

Thanks, CR. Looking at the nominations, there are several movies I didn't care for, and a couple of others I have no desire to see, so I'll have to skip this one. However I'll enjoy reading some of the commentary.

I'm in for whenever the next noir HOF rolls around..;)I just watched an interesting noir last night: They Won't Believe Me (1947) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039896/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) with Robert Young as a 'kept man', the lovely Jane Greer as his would-be girlfriend and the petulant Susan Hayward as a gold digging hottie. So now I'm in the mood for more noir! After the current crop of HoFs are winding down I'd be up to host another Noir HoF.

edarsenal

05-02-21, 02:08 PM

I just watched an interesting noir last night: They Won't Believe Me (1947) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039896/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) with Robert Young as a 'kept man', the lovely Jane Greer as his would-be girlfriend and the petulant Susan Hayward as a gold digging hottie. So now I'm in the mood for more noir! After the current crop of HoFs are winding down I'd be up to host another Noir HoF.

Always down for noir lol
That looks good. Have you checked any of the French noirs? Specifically by Melville? Seen a couple and looking to see more of his.

Citizen Rules

05-02-21, 02:20 PM

Always down for noir lol
That looks good. Have you checked any of the French noirs? Specifically by Melville? Seen a couple and looking to see more of his.No, not many anyway. I did see Le Samouraï which was in the last HoF (I believe)...awesome film! So I should check out more of Melville's noirs, hint, hint;)

CosmicRunaway

05-02-21, 03:27 PM

I'm devastated.
I'm relieved. :p

neiba

05-02-21, 04:48 PM

Citizen Rules

05-02-21, 04:59 PM

I've been thinking about proposing a 50s HoF, last 2 were amazingMy favorite decade!

edarsenal

05-02-21, 05:47 PM

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/WeeklyKeyBluegill-size_restricted.gif
https://64.media.tumblr.com/95ec35ed7cee5cef891f5eac9bdf7079/tumblr_nft2r19y581qzd72oo4_r1_250.gifvhttps://64.media.tumblr.com/dd15039faff74f4486b2d4391e5f3776/tumblr_nft2r19y581qzd72oo5_r2_250.gifv

The Long Goodbye aka A Layman's Guide to Match Striking Locations (1973)

Det. Green: My, my, you are a pretty @sshole.
Philip Marlowe: Yeah, my mother always tells me that.

Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlow ala Robert Altman.
Chandler's descriptive banter transposed by Altman's offhanded sarcasm is not the only change, along with the time period of the famous gumshoe, but, rather successfully, Altman changes around a few keynotes of Chandler's The Long Goodbye. Including the ending, so that many Chandler purists voiced their outrage when this film debuted.

I do not. Being a fan of the character, Chandler's writing style, and the many film renditions and inspired/parodies of his work throughout the decades. Along with, previously a limited fan of Altman's movies, I have grown in appreciation of his career and what I first thought of as a dismissive portrayal by Sterling Hayden, who really was as drunk and as high as his character is meant to be during filming. That recent appreciation came about during a Noir HoF discussion that included a video interview with Hayden, supplied by Citizen Rules.

Altman's cynicism is fertile ground that contrasts the more playful root subject matter. Though meandering and, at times, what appears as senseless conversations (a staple of Altman), there really is a kind of messy poetry to this Marlow adaption.
Elliot Gould slips into the sarcastic, casually indifferent, constantly smoking persona with natural ease, resembling his previous role of "Trapper" John in Altman's M*A*S*H whom I've been endeared to since childhood.

A solid Altman film that I've appreciated more and more throughout a lifetime of revisits.

ueno_station54

05-02-21, 06:10 PM

Themroc (Claude Faraldo, 1973)
https://fidmarseille.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/themroc-cap019.jpg

This was my pick (which I hadn't seen before) and based on the description of it I knew this could really go either way despite being something that's clearly the type of thing I usually go for. I apologize to the people who have to watch this that don't go for this kind of thing because wow you're in for 1h45 of annoyance, lmao (between this and Hanagatami I'm sure Allaby has had enough of me by now :p).
That being said, I f**ked with this heavy. Definitely a movie that could only be made in the 70's, that post-technicolor time where every colour film looked like mud and we all loved it. This film is just gross looking from the first frame on and I'm here for it though admittedly it took me awhile to settle into it. I didn't really know how I felt during the initial setup and I will say its because the film doesn't handle this part all that well but once Michel Piccoli goes full return to monke it's a blast. It's like if on-all-the-drugs-era Harmony Korine tried making a Jacques Tati film. I don't really know what to say about it, it is a 1-note film. Once it gets going that's just what it is the whole time but it just keeps blaring that note louder and louder. It's got that free, open-air approach that I always appreciate, its loud and abrasive and dumb, which pretty much sums up my taste. While the last scene gets a little ham-fisted with its point, its just so cool it doesn't even matter. Also, how could I not love a film where - cops get eaten.

GulfportDoc

05-02-21, 07:32 PM

I just watched an interesting noir last night: They Won't Believe Me (1947) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039896/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) with Robert Young as a 'kept man', the lovely Jane Greer as his would-be girlfriend and the petulant Susan Hayward as a gold digging hottie. So now I'm in the mood for more noir! After the current crop of HoFs are winding down I'd be up to host another Noir HoF.
I don't remember much about that one. Will have to re-watch. It's interesting to see some of Robert Young's early films because later as you know he established himself as an upstanding, honest, goodie-two-shoes type guy. I think by the time of Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) he'd made the transition to pure good guy with high moral character..;)

Thief

05-02-21, 08:11 PM

And yes, I keep track of what countries I have seen movies from.
In an Excel spreadsheet. :shifty:

Don't we all? :shifty:

Torgo

05-02-21, 08:25 PM

Don't we all? :shifty:Well, if you're any kind of film geek, you should! :D

Now that Iran is checked, my next to-do is Chile. I can't believe I haven't seen any movies from there yet.

Citizen Rules

05-02-21, 08:42 PM

Don't we all? :shifty:Nope:p I don't track or record any of the movies I watch. That way when I mistakenly rewatch something that I though was a 1st time watch...I get that warm, fuzzy deja vu feeling:)

Allaby

05-02-21, 09:06 PM

Don't we all? :shifty:

I don't keep track of the countries, but I do log the movies on Letterboxd and imdb. Keep tracking in a spreadsheet would be cool, but feels like a lot of work. Good job for you folks that do that.

cricket

05-02-21, 09:10 PM

I keep track in my phone's notes and copy them into movietab every month in case I lose them.

Captain Terror

05-02-21, 09:11 PM

my next to-do is Chile. I can't believe I haven't seen any movies from there yet.

La Casa Lobo aka The Wolf House :up:

Allaby

05-02-21, 09:14 PM

Well, if you're any kind of film geek, you should! :D

Now that Iran is checked, my next to-do is Chile. I can't believe I haven't seen any movies from there yet.

Do you know how many different countries you have seen films from and how many countries are still on your need to see list?

Torgo

05-02-21, 09:17 PM

La Casa Lobo aka The Wolf House :up:Thanks!

Wow, 4.0 on Letterboxd. Not too shabby.

Torgo

05-02-21, 09:22 PM

Do you know how many different countries you have seen films from and how many countries are still on your need to see list?I'm at 42 now. There's 197 total, many of which will probably remain empty. I don't think places like Palau or Tuvalu will ever have film industries.

I was inspired to do this by a Jeopardy contestant who planned to read a novel from every country in the world. Now that would be an undertaking!

Allaby

05-02-21, 09:33 PM

I'm at 42 now. There's 197 total, many of which will probably remain empty. I don't think places like Palau or Tuvalu will ever have film industries.

I was inspired to do this by a Jeopardy contestant who planned to read a novel from every country in the world. Now that would be an undertaking!

That's cool. According to my Letterboxd account, I have seen films from 81 different countries.

Thief

05-02-21, 09:42 PM

I'm at 42 now. There's 197 total, many of which will probably remain empty. I don't think places like Palau or Tuvalu will ever have film industries.

Palauan director Urundu Muki when he read this post

https://media.tenor.com/images/9cc1424e087afa8100841f30e3da1b2c/tenor.gif

Torgo

05-02-21, 09:47 PM

Palauan director Urundu Muki when he read this post

https://media.tenor.com/images/9cc1424e087afa8100841f30e3da1b2c/tenor.gifOh great, I've gone and offended Muki. That's just what I need.

Thief

05-02-21, 09:51 PM

He's trying so hard.

Torgo

05-02-21, 09:52 PM

That's cool. According to my Letterboxd account, I have seen films from 81 different countries.Wow! Well, I'll have one more (Portugal) when this one's over. To quote Tiana from Princess and the Frog, I'm almost there.

edarsenal

05-02-21, 10:00 PM

I keep track in my phone's notes and copy them into movietab every month in case I lose them.

https://i.gifer.com/75of.gif

Captain Terror

05-02-21, 10:25 PM

That's cool. According to my Letterboxd account, I have seen films from 81 different countries.

I'm not trying to be a party pooper but the problem with Letterboxd is that if a country had any involvement with a film, it gets counted.

So for example I'm showing one movie from the United Arab Emirates, which turned out to be Shorts by Robert Rodriguez. The Revenant counts as a Taiwan film for some reason. So I'm showing 84 countries right now, but that's a bit misleading. Samsara alone accounts for 23 of my countries.

Allaby

05-02-21, 10:30 PM

I'm not trying to be a party pooper but the problem with Letterboxd is that if a country had any involvement with a film, it gets counted.

So for example I'm showing one movie from the United Arab Emirates, which turned out to be Shorts by Robert Rodriguez. The Revenant counts as a Taiwan film for some reason. So I'm showing 84 countries right now, but that's a bit misleading. Samsara alone accounts for 23 of my countries.

That's true. It is the same with IMDB. If you do an advanced search and select Taiwan, The Revenant and some other American films come up. I don't know of a website or tool though that doesn't have that same problem or an easier way to sort films based on the primary country.

Captain Terror

05-02-21, 10:58 PM

I don't know of a website or tool though that doesn't have that same problem or an easier way to sort films based on the primary country.

Right, and I should add that it's still fun to scroll around the Letterboxd map anyway.

edarsenal

05-02-21, 11:17 PM

https://i.makeagif.com/media/5-18-2016/w5dAgs.gif
The Following program has been classified as "Not a Musical"
And now, Jenny with the Weather.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Nt4MHTYRYw/UUgHpYjvI5I/AAAAAAAAG4k/NCYplPWwc7A/s1600/les+miserable+March+Laughton.jpg

Les Misérables (1935)

Jean Valjean: Remember, as was once told me: life is to give, not to take.

Victor Hugo's indictment to the Jucidial System at the time would sentence ten years of horrendous abuse, working its penal system for the theft of a loaf of bread. Time served, the now labeled "Convict" would then be denied, not only work, but lodges, nor would said "Convict" be permitted admittance anywhere to purchase food.
Jean Valjean (Frederick March) is doggedly pursued by a rigidly adherent to the entire length of the Law; Police Official, Inspector Emile Javert (my man! Charles Laughton) who remembers him from prison. The length of the pursuit covering some seventeen odd years.

Coming in at only 1h 48min, its counterparts averaging at least 3h, it is the most concise, bare-boned rendition that is, for me, a f@ckin great watch. My first viewing was during the 30's Countdown. I rank it exceedingly high amongst the other (Non-Musical) versions I've seen so far. Laughton's performance was beaten only by Geoffery Rush in the 1998 version, by my current tally.

This is an incredible saga adapted with all the glory of a Thirties B&W filming industry. The palpable shadows were adding to the building tension of a good man relentless pursued by an Officer of The Law.
https://climateandcapitalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LesMizSewer2.jpg

Also, a personal highlight, John Carradine's (always brilliantly) theatrical "We demand action--" outburst in the tavern during the Law Student Revolt.
I can't find a photo :( but you'll see him.

THANK YOU, cricket, for giving me a revisit

ueno_station54

05-03-21, 01:51 AM

La Casa Lobo aka The Wolf House :up:
I almost nominated this, lmao. Incredible film.

Siddon

05-03-21, 05:57 AM

Themroc - Is this a joke? You know if you wanted to do a french comedy...Etaix or Tati would have been a better option

Bicycle Thieves - Likely a front runner to win this, I do look forward to dissected this one.

Sundays and Cybele -Well it's always nice to get French New Wave films in this, I think I watched this and forgot about it.

Vertigo -This will be my third time with this one...I'm not a huge fan of this type Hitchcock film but it's worth another look.

American Movie - Never saw it but always interested in it.

Les Miserable - Eh...of the all the adaptations that could have been picked the often used Les Mis.

Chimes at Midnight - Not high quality Welles but I rushed through it the first time so I'd like to give it a critical evaluation.

The Long Goodbye - My pick....actually Rules likely should have gone White Material as I gave him three options. I like noirs and I feel like this hall should get this one

Whiplash - first viewing I thought this was the best film of the year...front runner to win.

About Elly - never heard of it, looks like it might be hard to watch/find.

BlacKkKlansman - It's a good one...getting a little tired of African American cinema to be honest with you.

The Truth - Cluzot is one of my favorite directors I was sort of saving this one

The Green Years - looks fine

Top four seems set in stone, with The Long Goodbye, Bicycle Thieves, Whiplash and Vertigo but still looking forward to any surprises.

neiba

05-03-21, 10:41 AM

The Green Years - looks fine

Looking forwad to see what you think of this one!

seanc

05-03-21, 07:38 PM

Chimes At Midnight: Started out with one I knew would be tough sledding for me. I probably missed about 2/3 of this unfortunately. Next time someone nominates a Shakespeare adaptation they are going to have to hire my high school English teacher come in ver so I’m can pause every three lines for interpretation.

Anyway, movie looked really cool and the tone was a lot of fun. Despite only partially knowing how we got there the ending got to me a bit.

cricket

05-03-21, 08:03 PM

Les Miserable - Eh...of the all the adaptations that could have been picked the often used Les Mis.

I picked it because it's the only one I've seen and only 3 other members have seen it. Which others would you recommend? The 1934 version is long but looks very intriguing.

neiba

05-03-21, 08:13 PM

La Vérité (1960)

A fine film.
Brigitte Bardot wasn't the best actress but she had more charisma in one finger than most actresses have in their entire body. She carried the movie and did a good job in portraying Dominique's descent into madness.
I like how the movie opposed the simpler, promiscuous and anti-intellectual world of Dominique to the conservative and misogynistic world of both Gilbert and the judges. And the fact is that Dominique and Gilbert fell into a toxic relationship, where they were both victims and perpetrators, and that could only end badly.
The film is well directed and edited, the pacing is tight and it kept me interested from the very beginning till the end. Even knowing how it ends from the beginning, the scene where she kills him is very strong!

3.5

rauldc14

05-03-21, 09:32 PM

Maybe neiba will blaze through this in the first week instead of the last week.

Siddon

05-03-21, 09:38 PM

I picked it because it's the only one I've seen and only 3 other members have seen it. Which others would you recommend? The 1934 version is long but looks very intriguing.

I mean Les Mis has been adapted so many times that if you were going to pick a literary adaptation from that era just rattling off choices...

Anthony Adverse (1936)
The Good Earth (1937)
Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Jezebel (1938)
Pygmalion (1938)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
The Letter (1940)
That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Kings Row (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Mrs Miniver (1939)
Jungle Book (1942)
Jane Erye (1943)
Great Expectations (1946)

I feel like Les Mis has been done to death and you know the story by heart and now we get to watch the 289 minute version of it.

cricket

05-03-21, 09:53 PM

I mean Les Mis has been adapted so many times that if you were going to pick a literary adaptation from that era just rattling off choices...

Anthony Adverse (1936)
The Good Earth (1937)
Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Jezebel (1938)
Pygmalion (1938)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
The Letter (1940)
That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Kings Row (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Mrs Miniver (1939)
Jungle Book (1942)
Jane Erye (1943)
Great Expectations (1946)

I feel like Les Mis has been done to death and you know the story by heart and now we get to watch the 289 minute version of it.

Wait, what do those movies have to do with Les Miserables?

Also, it's the 1935 version that's nominated, not the 1934. Just 109 minutes.

Siddon

05-03-21, 10:09 PM

Wait, what do those movies have to do with Les Miserables?

Also, it's the 1935 version that's nominated, not the 1934. Just 109 minutes.

Those are literary adaptations from that era...stories that you don't already know by heart.

cricket

05-03-21, 10:19 PM

Those are literary adaptations from that era...stories that you don't already know by heart.

Oh I got you. I like some of those movies. I thought you were talking about adaptions of Les Miserables. I've only seen 1 version 1 time and I already forget much of it. Don't forget it's the 1935 version that's nominated.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 02:53 AM

Those are literary adaptations from that era...stories that you don't already know by heart. You go with The Good Earth (1937) next HoF and see what happens. I think you can guess what the reactions would be.

Siddon

05-04-21, 03:26 AM

You go with The Good Earth (1937) next HoF and see what happens. I think you can guess what the reactions would be.

I think the reaction would be...this is really good but also really racist.

I don't mind making picks that are racially challenging I gave you the option to select White Material(2009) as a nom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkkM70J4bJ8

neiba

05-04-21, 04:44 AM

Maybe neiba will blaze through this in the first week instead of the last week.

I'll try at least :p

neiba

05-04-21, 08:01 AM

15 min into Themroc, and it's pretty clear where it will be placed in most people's list... xD I might need a few dozen sittings to get through this!

seanc

05-04-21, 08:01 AM

Bicycle Thieves: very good movie with an excellent story and a great ending, even if I would have tweaked the ending just a bit.

What keeps it freezing m being a favorite is I don’t think the characters are very dynamic and it’s not all that interesting visually.

Very good film and I certainly see why people love it.

rauldc14

05-04-21, 08:46 AM

15 min into Themroc, and it's pretty clear where it will be placed in most people's list... xD I might need a few dozen sittings to get through this!

Seems like this has been happening pretty regularly in these Halls lately lol. I'll he saving it for almost last.

ueno_station54

05-04-21, 09:43 AM

15 min into Themroc, and it's pretty clear where it will be placed in most people's list... xD I might need a few dozen sittings to get through this!
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/867/677/40d.jpg

CosmicRunaway

05-04-21, 11:24 AM

I think the reaction would be...this is really good but also really racist.
I think the small text there is the most important thing though. Personally, it completely negates what came before it.

To me, a racist film cannot ever be a good film. It can be visually framed well, or have impressive effects or cinematography, but I'll never consider the film to be anything other than terrible.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 11:52 AM

I think the small text there is the most important thing though. Personally, it completely negates what came before it.

To me, a racist film cannot ever be a good film. It can be visually framed well, or have impressive effects or cinematography, but I'll never consider the film to be anything other than terrible.Oh, that makes my job of reviewing BlacKKKlansman all the harder:eek:

cricket

05-04-21, 12:00 PM

Anyone have a link for Themroc?

cricket

05-04-21, 12:16 PM

I watched it here (https://fightforinfo.com/videos/watch/105f972a-9264-4564-99b0-25dc996dcab5) but it turned up on a bunch of sites just googling it and looking under the video tab.

Does it have English subtitles? Or does it need them if it's all grunts and gibberish?

CosmicRunaway

05-04-21, 12:25 PM

Oh, that makes my job of reviewing BlacKKKlansman all the harder:eek:
I don't get why though? While I think that racist films are bad on principal, it's not like I think that anti-racist films always make for good cinema, or that I would be upset if someone didn't like my nomination.

Disliking a film that is anti-white supremacy and pro-BLM doesn't in turn make someone seem racist to me either. So don't worry if you hate BlacKkKlansman, I know it's not going to be for everyone.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 12:39 PM

I don't get why though? While I think that racist films are bad on principal, it's not like I think that anti-racist films always make for good cinema, or that I would be upset if someone didn't like my nomination.

Disliking a film that is anti-white supremacy and pro-BLM doesn't in turn make someone seem racist to me either. So don't worry if you hate BlacKkKlansman, I know it's not going to be for everyone.Cosmic, I was going to answer you as I did see BlacKKKlansman last night, but my reply almost was review length. So I thought I would save my post and use it as part of my review. Saves me from some typing:p

cricket

05-04-21, 12:40 PM

Spike Lee making anti racist films seems so ironic.

seanc

05-04-21, 12:43 PM

Oh, that makes my job of reviewing BlacKKKlansman all the harder:eek:

Have you already seen BlacKKKlansmen?

BTW, not sure I agree 100% with the idea that a movie with an amoral POV is automatically negated from being good. I think it has tougher road to hoe for me but I definitely like movies by directors whose morals don’t lineup with mine. Lots of factors in my enjoyment of a film and l don’t equate enjoyment with endorsement.

ueno_station54

05-04-21, 12:46 PM

Does it have English subtitles? Or does it need them if it's all grunts and gibberish?
There's a few lines early on that might be actual French(?) but it doesn't seem terribly integral. I didn't dig around for a subtitled version so it might be out there somewhere.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 12:52 PM

Have you already seen BlacKKKlansmen?

BTW, not sure I agree 100% with the idea that a movie with an amoral POV is automatically negated from being good. I think it has tougher road to hoe for me but I definitely like movies by directors whose morals don’t lineup with mine. Lots of factors in my enjoyment of a film and l don’t equate enjoyment with endorsement.Yes I seen it last night. I'm thinking about what to say in my review.

seanc

05-04-21, 01:30 PM

Yes I seen it last night. I'm thinking about what to say in my review.

Don’t hold back, very interested, because I didn’t find it racist at all

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 01:52 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77236 BlacKKKlansman
(Spike Lee 2018)

"I'd rather see a Brother Kill a Cop than Kill a Vietnamese. At least he's got a reason for Killing The Cop. When you Kill a Vietnamese you're a Hero and you don't even know why you Killed him. At least if you Kill a Cop you're doing it for a reason." From BlacKKKlansman

I cringed at the above quoted dialogue from the black student rally in BlacKKKlansman...Everything else the rally speaker talked about was positive and uplifting for the black students in the attendance. The rally speech was framed in the movie to be noble and right, as the black speaker was a protagonist and yet this hero is exonerating cop killing, way to go Spike:rolleyes:... Yes we also get extreme hate speech by the KKK members who plan on killing black people, but we the audience know the KKK are the evil ones and are ape s*** bunkers to boot...They are clearly the antagonist.

In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee found a balance and showed members of all races being both bigoted a$$holes AND showed other members of all races being nice people. I respect that film. As much as I enjoyed watching 95% of BlacKKKlansman I can't respect the bombastic, one sided injection of current political/social problems into the movie. Reflecting those problems in his film=good...but soapboxing those problems in his film=bad.

Spike Lee does have an excellent eye for framing and camera work and his editing and the flow of the movie was near perfect. John David Washington was perfect in the role and Adam Driver was OK. The overall story was perfect for film and I enjoyed all of that.

But the last couple minutes of the film, ugh! I do NOT need to see people being ran over by a car and dying for real. I know about that incident and it's horrendous! But I don't need to watch it after seeing the movie.

seanc

05-04-21, 02:29 PM

I will respond to the rally after I see the movie again as I haven’t seen it since the theater.

Definitely disagree about the ending which is one of the most sobering and effective I have seen. Adds teeth to what can be a pretty damn lighthearted film about very serious topics.

How would you cover cop shootings in the media?

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 02:30 PM

CosmicRunaway

05-04-21, 02:41 PM

Yes we also get extreme hate speech by the KKK members who plan on killing black people, but we the audience know the KKK are the evil ones and are ape s*** bunkers to boot...They are clearly the antagonist.
You'd think that would be obvious, but there are plenty of people (like those at the Charlottesville rally) who share the KKK's beliefs. They're clearly not going to watch this film, but given the rise in white supremacy, particularly in the US over the last few years, the depressing reality is that you can't assume the audience is going to inherently see the KKK as the bad guys.

I also don't appreciate the anti-cop rhetoric, though I think that part of the speech was meant to be hyperbole. However, it does remind me of something I was going to bring up but forgot: the black community is not depicted as being free from problematic points of view themselves. Obviously that's not delved into, but it was interesting to see some acknowledgement nonetheless.

Reflecting those problems in his film=good...but soapboxing those problems in his film=bad.
While I do agree with this statement in general, as I said in my post about the film, since these same problems have plagued the black community for decades now, I totally understanding filmmakers being done with subtlety altogether.

I do NOT need to see people being ran over by a car and dying for real. I know about that incident and it's horrendous!
The end footage could've done without that for sure. Just showing the Unite the Right rally on its own would've been enough. The former president's comments and the real David Duke was excessively driving the point home, but I was fine with their inclusion as well.

That was all I had remembered about the footage when I was thinking of nominating the film. When I rewatched it the following day, I thought showing the car was wholly unnecessary and put me off a little bit. It didn't ruin the film or anything, but I did think it was a bit much.

seanc

05-04-21, 02:46 PM

We're not really suppose to talk about that anymore here, unless it's in a movie.

Thought we were talking about a movie

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 02:59 PM

All good points that you made Cosmic, I'll try to quickly respond.You'd think that would be obvious, but there are plenty of people (like those at the Charlottesville rally) who share the KKK's beliefs. They're clearly not going to watch this film, but given the rise in white supremacy, particularly in the US over the last few years, the depressing reality is that you can't assume the audience is going to inherently see the KKK as the bad guys.Even worse if people watch the film and like the views of the KKK! Oh god! They'd hopelessly be lost if they did. Still my point was that it's clear what the KKK was saying was wrong! While it's not clear what the black rally speaker was saying was wrong (about killing cops) as most of what he said was very right and positive. I'd like the film much better with that cop killing statement left out.

I also don't appreciate the anti-cop rhetoric, though I think that part of the speech was meant to be hyperbole. I can see that, in fact I also felt that the young woman president of the college black chapter often was written to delivery hyperbole so that then she could be balanced by the calmer undercover cop...And I like that part of it as it was balanced and didn't seem like the director injecting his own views into a historical story.

However, it does remind me of something I was going to bring up but forgot: the black community is not depicted as being free from problematic points of view themselves. Obviously that's not delved into, but it was interesting to see some acknowledgement nonetheless. I noticed that too and appreciated the honesty of it. Even more so in Do the Right Thing.

The end footage could've done without that for sure. Just showing the Unite the Right rally on its own would've been enough. The former president's comments and the real David Duke was excessively driving the point home, but I was fine with their inclusion as well.Agreed, I almost mentioned the Trump/Duke footage in my review and I get what Spike was doing there...while I can't stand either man! I wish Spike left the politics out and cut that scene.

That was all I had remembered about the footage when I was thinking of nominating the film. When I rewatched it the following day, I thought showing the car was wholly unnecessary and put me off a little bit. It didn't ruin the film or anything, but I did think it was a bit much.On a personal note I've made a conscious decision not to watch news footage of that type. I can't watch people being killed for real, I feel mentally abused by the last few seconds. (Though I'm still happy to have watch the film:) and like I said I enjoyed 95% of it)

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 03:01 PM

Thought we were talking about a movie
I wasn't sure what you meant, as it sounded like you were asking me how the media in real life should handle shootings by cops and Yoda has put a lid on that discussion...Though while you were gone from MoFo we did have some intense discussion about that, probably too intense!

ueno_station54

05-04-21, 03:47 PM

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)
https://seattlescreendraft.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/chimes-pot.jpg?w=656
I don't really know anything about the man but I always pictured Welles as a grumpy bastard on set so seeing so much genuine mirth radiating from the film was a pleasant surprise. Everyone is having a blast here spouting Shakespeare gibberish and myself being rather smooth-brained was able to interpret very little of it. Not that I minded at all since I don't care about narrative in the least anyway and also it just sounds cool. Not only does it sound cool but lucky me the movie looks cool too! Bouncing between some decently intricate tracking shots and fairly quick, dynamically framed static shots, the film has a lot of life too it and is a bit rough around the edges which adds an air of spontaneity to it as well. Of course the standout scene, the large battle in the middle of the film, deserves its own special mention. For one I wasn't even expecting a battle at all (again, smooth-brain) let alone one that was so visceral and bordering on horrific at points even and then to have that inter-spliced with Welles in his big dumb suit of armour running around like a doofus was a brilliant roller coaster of feelings. Now, that rough around the edges feel I mentioned earlier does occasionally result in some not great feeling cuts and me not grasping the language at all did lead to the mind starting to wander from time to time. Very minor complaints. This was a real pleasant surprise in that a) its great and b) that Welles shot a movie where he dunked on himself the entire runtime.

Off to a great start so far. Guess I should watch something bad next so I'm not stuck with all the duds at the end.

neiba

05-04-21, 04:13 PM

I guess I'll jump on Blackkklansman bandwagon next then! I remember it being easy to watch and I might need a break from Themroc :p

Torgo

05-04-21, 04:29 PM

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Mn6rW16OJyxigStxh_4FRPIg47Iw9oqkEpMq-MVwlTnrMdSD39YCO5yFPQSjlQHzjUarOEunGh6Q9OfWB1DSarY6ydVNgRzIlKhvDPhRKC_PCEHiCC_A2-rQCE3CDWN92A7lnsdBJQ0
I don't really know anything about the man but I always pictured Welles as a grumpy bastard on set so seeing so much genuine mirth radiating from the film was a pleasant surprise. Everyone is having a blast here spouting Shakespeare gibberish and myself being rather smooth-brained was able to interpret very little of it. Not that I minded at all since I don't care about narrative in the least anyway and also it just sounds cool. Not only does it sound cool but lucky me the movie looks cool too! Bouncing between some decently intricate tracking shots and fairly quick, dynamically framed static shots, the film has a lot of life too it and is a bit rough around the edges which adds an air of spontaneity to it as well. Of course the standout scene, the large battle in the middle of the film, deserves its own special mention. For one I wasn't even expecting a battle at all (again, smooth-brain) let alone one that was so visceral and bordering on horrific at points even and then to have that inter-spliced with Welles in his big dumb suit of armour running around like a doofus was a brilliant roller coaster of feelings. Now, that rough around the edges feel I mentioned earlier does occasionally result in some not great feeling cuts and me not grasping the language at all did lead to the mind starting to wander from time to time. Very minor complaints. This was a real pleasant surprise in that a) its great and b) that Welles shot a movie where he dunked on himself the entire runtime.

Off to a great start so far. Guess I should watch something bad next so I'm not stuck with all the duds at the end.Glad you enjoyed it!

The Shakespearean dialogue - which seanc could also attest to - is pretty dense, so it will help to turn on subtitles. Hopefully, it's not as unintelligible as what I am hearing about Themroc's dialogue to any of you!

CosmicRunaway

05-04-21, 04:40 PM

I watched one of the nominations earlier today, but have absolutely no idea what to say about it. My mind is completely blank. I'll sleep on it and see if I can come up with something tomorrow. If not, I might have to write something pathetically short haha.

SpelingError

05-04-21, 05:01 PM

While the ending of BlacKkKlansman is the exact opposite of subtle, I loved it as, given the importance of the point it makes, I think that spelling the point out as clearly as possible is warranted. Like, yeah, the car scene is hard to watch, but that element contributes to it being a wake-up call.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 05:21 PM

Don’t hold back, very interested, because I didn’t find it racist at allI hope I never do hold back in my reviews.

I just read this on the internet:
A critic should not be afraid to talk about anything, let alone being afraid to be "offensive." It's absolutely preposterous that people think about being offensive. And because of this everyone is self-censoring themselves.

Citizen Rules

05-04-21, 05:29 PM

This review of BlacKKKlansman by fellow MoFo Gideon58 might be of interest. I believe Gideon might be the only black movie reviewer here at MoFo, so his take might be an interesting read. He's our top reviewer having wrote more reviews than even me! Take a look at his review.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1965839#post1965839

rauldc14

05-04-21, 05:38 PM

Good grief seems like you all are flying! I'll be playing the part of the caboose with this one, I was actually pretty swift last go around.

seanc

05-05-21, 09:41 AM

Whiplash: Chazelle is one of my favorite young directors and Whiplash is a movie I think about often. This was my third watch and it didn’t disappoint. I love the way Chazelle constructs a narrative. Very propulsive and entertaining storyteller. Great dialogue that puts his characters front and center.

The plot point that propels us to the third act is still a sticking point from this being a true favorite for me. I just don’t like it and think there were definitely better ways to get us to the finale, which is one of my favorite endings ever.

Look forward to more viewings in the future.

CosmicRunaway

05-05-21, 01:51 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77309

Bicycle Thieves / Ladri di Biciclette (1948)
Directed By: Vittorio De Sica
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell

I first saw this film around a decade ago, but it didn't exactly leave an impression on me. Since I didn't find it engaging at the time, over the years it became difficult to recall the film's finer details. Despite not remembering much about it, I was always surprised by how much love I saw for Bicycle Thieves online. Whenever someone called it a masterpiece, it made me wonder if there was another film with the same title.

Watching the film again, the opening scenes were far more intriguing than I had found them before. The realistic portrayal of poverty and desperation was quite impressive, and it was a wise choice to use amateur actors who didn't exactly have to imagine the living conditions depicted in the film. There was some odd dubbing to many scenes that I found distracting, but overall I thought the story was rather interesting.

However that all changed about halfway through the film, around the time Ricci and his son started following the old man. The chase and subsequent badgering went on for far too long, and it completely disengaged me from the film. I lost sympathy for the father, which his behaviour afterwards certainly didn't help, and I no longer cared about what happened at all. As such, the final scenes fell completely flat. I do at least see why some people really appreciate the film, but it's just not something that resonates with me.

CosmicRunaway

05-05-21, 01:59 PM

Bicycle Thieves: very good movie with an excellent story and a great ending, even if I would have tweaked the ending just a bit.
I'm curious to know how you would have changed the ending, if you don't mind sharing.

Then there's his son. Wow, talk about a good kid actor. He doesn't really have many lines, but through the range of emotions that play out on his young face, I could see the desperation of his family in post war Italy.
Do you (or anyone else) happen to know how old that kid was at the time? He had this look about him that made him appear wise beyond his years.

CosmicRunaway

05-05-21, 02:02 PM

I realize I can just use google for that last question. I think I only asked because it came to me while reading CR's post. Apparently he was only 9!

seanc

05-05-21, 02:14 PM

I'm curious to know how you would have changed the ending, if you don't mind sharing.s.

I would have had him get away with stealing the bike. I like the ethical dilemma of that. It’s still there, I just like the idea of the cycle perpetuating

rbrayer

05-05-21, 03:20 PM

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Mn6rW16OJyxigStxh_4FRPIg47Iw9oqkEpMq-MVwlTnrMdSD39YCO5yFPQSjlQHzjUarOEunGh6Q9OfWB1DSarY6ydVNgRzIlKhvDPhRKC_PCEHiCC_A2-rQCE3CDWN92A7lnsdBJQ0
I don't really know anything about the man but I always pictured Welles as a grumpy bastard on set so seeing so much genuine mirth radiating from the film was a pleasant surprise. Everyone is having a blast here spouting Shakespeare gibberish and myself being rather smooth-brained was able to interpret very little of it. Not that I minded at all since I don't care about narrative in the least anyway and also it just sounds cool. Not only does it sound cool but lucky me the movie looks cool too! Bouncing between some decently intricate tracking shots and fairly quick, dynamically framed static shots, the film has a lot of life too it and is a bit rough around the edges which adds an air of spontaneity to it as well. Of course the standout scene, the large battle in the middle of the film, deserves its own special mention. For one I wasn't even expecting a battle at all (again, smooth-brain) let alone one that was so visceral and bordering on horrific at points even and then to have that inter-spliced with Welles in his big dumb suit of armour running around like a doofus was a brilliant roller coaster of feelings. Now, that rough around the edges feel I mentioned earlier does occasionally result in some not great feeling cuts and me not grasping the language at all did lead to the mind starting to wander from time to time. Very minor complaints. This was a real pleasant surprise in that a) its great and b) that Welles shot a movie where he dunked on himself the entire runtime.

Off to a great start so far. Guess I should watch something bad next so I'm not stuck with all the duds at the end.

Well, it's a mishmash of scenes from Henry IV, Parts One and Two. Falstaff is a classic character well known for his pomposity. It feels like a part made for Wells. Glad that you enjoyed it and looking forward to revisiting it soon.

cricket

05-05-21, 04:09 PM

Themroc

https://fidmarseille.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/themroc-cap019.jpg

I now find it funny that I spent time searching for a version with English subtitles. I wonder what came first, the story or the idea to have no real language used. It's a perfect match and a very unique and effective idea. It's hard for me to say exactly what it's about or if there's a message. It seems to me that the lead gets fed up with his mundane roots and decides to go all primitive. It's an odd role to play and I think the actor did a fantastic job. It's a good bit of fun watching it play out especially when others join him. I loved the look of the movie and very much appreciated the still shot at the end. The biggest saving grace might be that the movie has an edge to it. It's not for children. For me the issue is that it seemed to be a one note movie, and perhaps could have used a wee bit of trimming. Due to the competition it won't do well on my ballot but it's a very unique watch. A cool nomination that I'm glad to have seen.

3

Citizen Rules

05-05-21, 04:23 PM

...Do you (or anyone else) happen to know how old that kid was at the time? He had this look about him that made him appear wise beyond his years.IMDB says the actor was Enzo Staiola, born on November 15, 1939 and Bicycle Thieves was released December 1949 ( I don't know when filming started) but that would make the kid actor 'Bruno' about 10 years old.

CosmicRunaway

05-05-21, 05:07 PM

Just watched Whiplash. It gave me a headache, but I'm not mad at it for that lol.

seanc

05-05-21, 07:14 PM

Allaby

05-05-21, 08:28 PM

I just finished rewatching BlacKkKlansman. I saw it at the theater when it first came out and I loved it then and I love it even more now. Spike Lee brilliantly stick it to the man in this powerful film which is more relevant than ever. John David Washington is fantastic and I really enjoyed his performance. Adam Driver does a great job here too. The rest of the cast were very good too. The screenplay was really smart and effective, managing to be laugh out loud funny at times and also sad and disturbing in other moments. I liked that Lee was not afraid to tackle racism and hatred head on and make parallels to contemporary individuals and events. For me, it worked really well. I think Blackkklansman should have won best picture and best director at the Oscars and that it was better than any of the other films nominated for best picture that year. My rating is 4.5.

Siddon

05-06-21, 01:39 PM

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4c/6d/ca/4c6dca36a478a0fabf1c6b62052ee998.jpg

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Robert Altman has always been a directer I either loathe or love it varies based upon the work. The Long Goodbye is my favorite of his work and the film that fits his style the best. See the thing about Altman is he believes in a natural approach to filmmaking, characters trip over their words, we don't get direct answers, people talk over each other. If you are doing a drama or a comedy it pretty much just sucks the life out of you...but when you have a point and good story it's magic.

The film starts with a pair of friends, broke loser of a PI in Phillip Marlow (Elliott Gould) and his friend a gambler Terry Lennox. Lennox needs a ride across the border so he asks his friend Phillip for the help. Marlowe is then arrested when it's revealed that Lennox's wife was murdered. Three days later Marlowe is released when the police announce that Terry is dead in Mexico. What follows is a set of densely packed scenes that are confusing and haunting.

Altman manages to not waste a scene and does an expert job with casting. The biggest star in the film is a cameo from future governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sterling Hayden who came off his pivotal role in the Godfather shines in this as a manic writer Roger Wade. It's a surprise to me he never received a supporting actor Oscar nomination during his career as it's littered with a such variety of legendary supporting performances.

Mark Rydell who is better known as director (on Golden Pond) and Henry Gibson (Wilbur from Charlotte's Web) play a pair of heavies in the story. They are both slight and tiny men that manage to bring fear into the scenes they are in. Nina van Pallandt plays the female lead and naturally she's best known for...a lot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_van_Pallandt

Altman deserves a lot of credit for casting non-stars it improves the mystery because typically the killer is the bigger star in the group, but when everyone is on the same level you don't get the tip off.

My favorite part of the film though is the work of the cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. When I was watching this I kept thinking how it reminded me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. How the houses all felt lived in, the stories could be told in the back of the shot, or the foreground. Your eyes are always moving around and you are constantly stimulated. Unlike most noirs this isn't a story in the shadows but rather in the light, with glares and sunny beaches and LA parties with leftover hippies. Zsigmond helps create a world you want to live in...and you really want to know whats going on with those topless hippies across the complex.

cricket

05-06-21, 01:44 PM

That's was a great write up Siddon

edarsenal

05-06-21, 02:12 PM

I concur. Nicely done, Siddon

CosmicRunaway

05-06-21, 03:42 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77358

Whiplash (2014)
Directed By: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser

I never have, and never will understand jazz. It always just sounds like a cacophony of random noise to me. The fact that I wholeheartedly hate brass instruments certainly doesn't help, as they tend to feature very heavily in that genre of music. I can't tell good jazz from bad, and I also can't comprehend why banging on the drums like a madman is somehow “better” than playing at a sustainable speed. Yet despite all those obstacles, I actually enjoyed Whiplash.

The performances in the film are phenomenal. Andrew is quite full of himself, but Miles Teller manages to make him seem endearing, even when his ego erupts into teenaged tantrums. J.K. Simmons completely steals the show however. Fletcher is a grossly exaggerated character that could've seemed ridiculous, yet Simmons is absolutely terrifying in the role. His back and forth, hot and cold manipulation of his students is very compelling to witness.

I may have gotten some sort of second-hand exhaustion watching those drummers, soaked in sweat with their hands bleeding, push themselves to the limit trying to land that core position. While I agree with the film's assertion that you cannot expect greatness if you completely coddle your students, abuse certainly isn't the answer. I was worried that the film was sort of justifying Fletcher's behaviour, but it's more so about Andrew's sheer determination than anything else. It's certainly an interesting experience, and the headache that drum solo gave me was worth it.

neiba

05-06-21, 05:30 PM

Blackkklansman (2018)

I really don't get the hype about Spike Lee...
The theme being depicted is terribly important, but when there's no subtlety, then it's just propaganda. Everything is on the nose, there's no artistic thought behind any directorial option. And it doesn't lack subtlety in the style of Tarantino, who can actually pull it off, it's just preaching.
Apart from that, solid acting, especially from Adam Driver, and the whole thing is nicely paced. But, after a second watch, I still ended the movie thinking: "is that it?" and this time that feeling was even stronger.

2.5

Wyldesyde19

05-06-21, 07:05 PM

Citizen Rules

05-06-21, 08:59 PM

I really wanted to join this, because there are so many interesting films here, but I already have 3 HOF I am in and with OT on Saturdays and a wedding coming up next weekend, which requires me to travel out of state....my time is limited.
Ugh.

I’ll see you guys at the 26thYou didn't join? I thought you did! I guess I just assumed you did as it seemed like a natural....Bummer you won't be a part of this, but it's understandable.

Wyldesyde19

05-06-21, 09:06 PM

You didn't join? I thought you did! I guess I just assumed you did as it seemed like a natural....Bummer you won't be a part of this, but it's understandable.
I thought about this past week. And there are a few films that really interest me here that made me really think twice. Definitely next time though.

Citizen Rules

05-06-21, 09:10 PM

I thought about this past week. And there are a few films that really interest me here that made me really think twice. Definitely next time though.I think we have the best bunch of noms that we've had since the early days of HoFs. I was impressed as the noms came in. Oh, and all the noms are shorter between 2 hours and 90 minutes so an easier watch than usual...no 3 hour plus movies this time! So what have you seen out of the noms?

Wyldesyde19

05-06-21, 09:12 PM

rauldc14

05-06-21, 09:25 PM

I think we have the best bunch of noms that we've had since the early days of HoFs. I was impressed as the noms came in. Oh, and all the noms are shorter between 2 hours and 90 minutes so an easier watch than usual...no 3 hour plus movies this time! So what have you seen out of the noms?

The overall quality seems to have gone up the past couple HOFs. I'd say there was a lull when things like Contratiempo and Station Agent were winning. And I didn't mind either of those, but stuff like that would certainly be in the middle of the last couple HOFs we've had.

cricket

05-06-21, 09:59 PM

The overall quality seems to have gone up the past couple HOFs. I'd say there was a lull when things like Contratiempo and Station Agent were winning. And I didn't mind either of those, but stuff like that would certainly be in the middle of the last couple HOFs we've had.

And Frances Ha:p

rauldc14

05-07-21, 11:09 AM

And Frances Ha:p

Yeah, you can add that too, I would agree in a way. More of a personal favorite then a wide favorite

cricket

05-07-21, 05:31 PM

Yeah, you can add that too, I would agree in a way. More of a personal favorite then a wide favorite

''Twas good though!

CosmicRunaway

05-07-21, 05:51 PM

Watched about 25 minutes of Themroc. Will definitely have to come back to this one some other time.

SpelingError

05-07-21, 10:55 PM

About Elly (2009) - 4

This was an enjoyable film to go in without knowing much about the plot. It further proves that Iran has been in their golden age for film for a few decades at this point. Granted, it took me some time to get on board with the film as it doesn't get going until around half an hour in, but once it gets to the inciting incident, it hooked me and never let go. The various conflicts the characters get into - the seaside incident, the conflict between the families which arises throughout the day, Alireza's presence - were all suspenseful and kept me on board, partly due to the strong acting from the entire ensemble cast and the frenetic camerawork throughout the beach sequence. I especially loved the final act as some of the insight we learn later on in regards to Elly adds a strong emotional core to this suspense which caused the final act to resonate on a deeper level than it did before. The emotional register was rather oblique during this sequence with the knowledge that most of the family members chose to lie about Elly's motives, either out of fear or to protect her honor (which was understandable, given how the institution of marriage is taken rather seriously in Iran). While I don't have a lot to say about this film (which isn't a criticism of it, by any means), I think this film did quite a lot with its premise. Though I wouldn't say this ranks among my favorite Iranian films (I like Farhadi's A Separation more), it's still a really good one and I had a good time with it.

Next up: Bicycle Thieves

seanc

05-08-21, 12:21 AM

Vertigo: Always nice to uncover a hidden gem in a HOF. People should start taking this Hitchcock guy seriously.

Great film on all fronts. Best looking Hitch film. I think this score may be my favorite as well. Awesome Stewart performance. Nothing to complain about.

Allaby

05-08-21, 01:17 PM

I just finished watching About Elly (2009) for the first time. Directed by Asghar Farhadi, the film is about a teacher who disappears while on a picnic with some adults and children. The film focuses on the mystery surrounding her disappearance and the affect it has on the people she was with. This is a very well made film, with an interesting story and fine performances from the actors. I think this is the type of film that the less you know about it going it, the better the experience is. I've now seen three films directed by Farhadi and liked them all, giving each the same rating. This is definitely well worth seeing and I would
recommend it to others. This was a good nomination and I am glad I watched it. My rating is a 4.

Citizen Rules

05-08-21, 01:29 PM

Glad to hear people are liking About Elly. I haven't seen it, but it looks promising.

Torgo

05-08-21, 04:23 PM

Vertigo - 5 CONTAINS SPOILERS

I'm glad I got to watch this again because it's been many years since I last saw it. My father introduced it to me since it's his favorite movie and the experience has a lot to do with me being a movie lover. I've seen hundreds of movies since my last viewing and thankfully have even more things to think and say about it. As a story about the past - specifically, its power over us, how alluring it is to obsess about it and the futility of trying to change it - it still holds up, but I noticed that it also succeeds in being about that other great mystery of the universe: women.

In Ferguson's interactions with Madeleine and Judy, we see his desire to reckon with her obsession and later his own obsession with the past. We also observe his desire to understand her, discover what makes her tick, unlock her secret code, etc. If the failure of her marriage with Elster is of any indication, it's a desire that can lead to a dark place. Another case in point: consider Hitchcock's not-so-healthy relationships with his female leads.

My watch history between this and my last viewing also made me realize what a treasure trove it continues to be for other filmmakers. There are elements of it in nearly every De Palma movie, for instance, but it's also fun to consider how it also inspired David Lynch. There's the Twin Peaks character of Maddy Ferguson, obviously, but there's also the movie's memorable use of color (the unnatural, alien green glow surrounding the resurrected Madeleine, Ferguson's blue-tinted fever dream, the bright red walls of Ernie's, etc.), the meaning of each one pretty much corresponding with how the series and movie uses them.

Except for maybe Ferguson and Madeleine/Judy's awkwardly silent and stone-faced car rides, I can't think of anything wrong with the movie or that I'd change about it. I've read complaints that the scenes where Ferguson tails Madeleine are slow and boring, but I disagree. I can't think of a better way to show Ferguson's fascination with her develop, not to mention the movie's atmosphere and sense of place. I've also read complaints about the ending being too abrupt, but I wouldn't change that either. Its confusion and abruptness are purposeful for how they match Ferguson's and it drives the movie's point home about the past nicely.

Choosing a favorite Hitchcock movie is as difficult as choosing a favorite child (or, should be, anyway), and while recency bias is at play here, it may surpass Psycho for me. Thanks, rbrayer, for suggesting it! Oh, and I know something else I wouldn’t change about the movie: the casting of Barbara Bel Geddes. Painting prank notwithstanding, who wouldn’t want such a charming friend?

SpelingError

05-08-21, 05:15 PM

I've read complaints that the scenes where Ferguson tails Madeleine are slow and boring, but I disagree. I can't think of a better way to show Ferguson's fascination with her develop, not to mention the movie's atmosphere and sense of place.

Also, if I'm remembering correctly, most of that sequence consists of him driving downhill (San Francisco is a coastal city and has a number of hills), symbolizing his descent into obsession and how he's increasingly being caught up by her behavior. It's a great touch to that sequence which makes it all the more atmospheric.

Anyways, great write-up! :up:

ueno_station54

05-08-21, 07:10 PM

Oh boy, having a hell of a time getting through Whiplash. This might be a two-dayer.

edarsenal

05-08-21, 09:38 PM

With Personal and Asian HoFs a priority right now to finish, I am SOOOO very tempted to knock out another of these films as I read through the various reviews.

seanc

05-09-21, 12:21 AM

Long Goodbye: This is one of my favorite movies, and this viewing didn’t change that. I love Gould’s Marlowe and all the other characters that inhabit this world. Awesome aesthetic and score. I love the use of one song in all these different tones, very cool conceit. Another movie in this HOF with one of the great endings.

I love Vertigo but I feel like a sports fan rooting for the huge underdog in this HOF. Hoping we have the perfect storm of mofo mix and timing the pull off the upset...it ain’t happening.

Torgo

05-09-21, 12:32 AM

Also, if I'm remembering correctly, most of that sequence consists of him driving downhill (San Francisco is a coastal city and has a number of hills), symbolizing his descent into obsession and how he's increasingly being caught up by her behavior. It's a great touch to that sequence which makes it all the more atmospheric.

Anyways, great write-up! :up:Thanks! I'll try to make my next one more concise. For some movies, I can't help but...

<looks around, makes sure she's not reading this>

Pull a Takoma.

SpelingError

05-09-21, 12:35 AM

Thanks! I'll try to make my next one more concise. For some movies, I can't help but...

<looks around, makes sure she's not reading this>

Pull a Takoma.

I wish I could review films as fast as Takoma does. It sometimes takes me a few days to write a review for one film.

Torgo

05-09-21, 01:23 AM

I wish I could review films as fast as Takoma does. It sometimes takes me a few days to write a review for one film.Same here. It depends on the movie for me. I slammed that one out in a few hours because I've seen the movie already and know a lot about it. The Day of the Jackal and The Man from Nowhere from the last HoF, however, took me a few days each since I went in cold and they're relatively long movies.

cricket

05-09-21, 01:41 AM

My write ups generally take about 5 minutes. 3 minutes to put my format in order and 2 to give my thoughts.

ueno_station54

05-09-21, 02:00 AM

Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)
https://img.yts.mx/assets/images/movies/whiplash_2014/large-screenshot2.jpg
I casually enjoyed this film the first time around, back when it first came out but in current year I can't fathom why. This is the ugliest looking film I've seen in a minute. I mean, with all the light bouncing off the brass instruments no wonder it looks awash in piss during all the performance scenes and the colour pallet is just so drab throughout the other parts of the film. I really dislike the aspect ratio used as well. Like, I get what they're going for trying to make it feel kind of claustrophobic to add to the mounting pressure the character is facing but it doesn't land for me at all in that the film is paced way way way too fast to ever feel anything. That, and sacrificing any hope for any shot in the film to ever look good for a thematic gimmick is rarely gonna fly with me. There is some pretty good performances, like technically, but once again that rushed pacing means there's not really any weight to the performances, just surface level yelling most the time (and Simmons doesn't even get any memorable zingers in). This sounds like a scathing review but its not that bad really, since I could basically write the same review about any other distinctly modern film and Whiplash is just a film of its time.

rauldc14

05-09-21, 05:03 AM

My write ups generally take about 5 minutes. 3 minutes to put my format in order and 2 to give my thoughts.

I'm a man of little words usually unfortunately. I hate my mini reviews but sorry it's all I got.

rauldc14

05-09-21, 05:04 AM

Also, I'm hoping that I can at least start this this week finally.

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 02:22 PM

Let's see how long it takes me to write this...Right now it's 9:15 a.m. exactly.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=26231&stc=1&d=1468172144
Vertigo (Hitchcock 1958)
*spoilers*

I've seen Vertigo only once before, several years ago. I even reviewed it here at MoFo. I'll link my old review at the bottom of this review in case someone wants to contrast & compare my changing opinions on what is often called Hitch's greatest film achievement.

Vertigo is a near masterpiece thanks to Hitch ditching his usual style of film-tainment and instead creating a slower paced, introspective film that reflects a more European style of film making.

I was quite impressed by the beauty of the sets and their details...and by the color effects of the specialty lighting used...and by that amazing score. The opening title credits were equally amazing, as was the title theme score. To me Vertigo felt like a more mature Hitch film. It's refreshing.

Previously I rated this a rating_4...after my second viewing I'd lower that to a rating_4- still an impressive film but with some glaring editing choices by Hitch:

The bell tower murder scene which is shown & explained in a flashback way too early in the film. There was no need for Hitch to include a flashback explanation for the audience on how the bell tower 'suicide' worked. This flashback happens after Stewart has met a mysterious woman who looks just like the dead Madeline. The audience knows she's Kim Novak...It's the mystery as to what's happened that drives the tension in the film...Is this other Kim Novak a figment of James Stewart's troubled psyche? He did have a mental break down after the suicide of Madeline. OR is the new Kim Novak part of a devious scheme? Or even a long lost twin sister who has no connection to the other Madeline? But Hitch 'shoots his wad' way to fast by conceding to the audience the mystery of the film.

The dream sequence, Hitch was known for his crowd pleasing 'camera tricks' that he performed in most all of his later films. In other Hitch films these are fun kitsch and fit well with Hitch's style of block buster entertainment. But here in the more maturely filmed Vertigo it just looks silly, like today's bad CG added just for a thrill....The initial dream scene works great with Stewart in bed with neon lights coloring his face from green to purple (that's odd looking enough)....then he wakes up from his nightmare with a scream, that alone would've said more about Stewart's condition than the candy coated animated dream fluff stuff.

The Barbara Bel Geddes gag painting, loved Bel Geddes in this and her character added much needed chemistry, but the gag photo scene was a cheap laugh which took the film down a notch for me.

The restaurant scene where Stewart takes the dark haired Kim Novak to dinner. I was waiting for this scene to explore the budding, troubled relationship between Scottie and Judy. But nope it starts, then nothing much and then ends all too briefly. A lost opportunity for some needed expose at this point in the film.

I'm not calling these mistakes but they could've been improved on:

Kim Novak...she's really not a great actress. I've seen her in several things and she never impresses me. Actually I think she did the well-to-do, classy accent and manners well. She's not bad but she's not a stand out. There's really no chemistry between Novak and Stewart at least not the palatable type.

The ending: I didn't care for it as the audience has not been primed enough to view Judy/Kim Novak so badly that she needs to die at the end.....Stewart and Novak are in the bell tower and he's assertively telling her just how the murder was planned and committed (that part is in the film and so really no need for that earlier bell tower flash back explanation scene)...The ending should have differed when the nun enters the bell tower scaring Judy and she falls....Only in my version Kim Novak grabs the bell tower ledge and dangles perilously, just like Stewart did in the beginning of the film. Stewart is the only one who can save her, but he struggles with his vertigo..Will she fall to her death? Or will he save her?...After a few tense moments, Stewart finally musters the courage and does save her...Then a final end scene is: a far shot from the tower looking down at a cop car, as we see a blonde in a gray suit dress being placed into the cop car.

My old review of Vertigo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1544466#post1544466)

Time: 10:21 a.m. so that took me just a bit over an hour.

CosmicRunaway

05-09-21, 03:39 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=77459

Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight) (1965)
Directed By: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud

Welles apparently worked on the play that would later become Chimes at Midnight for a great deal of time before the film started production. It was originally pieced together from a number of Shakespeare's other works, then constantly edited and cut down after each unsuccessful attempt at performing it. He struggled to find funding for this version, and even had to resort to deceit to get it made. It's as though the universe itself were trying to tell him to just let it go, but he wouldn't listen.

The result of Welles' labour is a theatrical production that feels very much like a stage play put to film, for better or worse. I am not familiar with the original works that Chimes at Midnight was derived from, because they weren't covered in my classes in school, and I had no desire to read Shakespeare on my own accord. I found his writing unnecessarily verbose, and that problem naturally persists here.

Unfortunately, the film is plagued with technical issues regarding its sound. The dialogue is barely audible at times, and almost always muffled. Characters speaking off screen or with their backs turned to the camera are clearly dubbed in, and when they are side-on or in the distance, the sound is sometimes out of sync. It was incredibly distracting to the point where I had to turn on the subtitles. I didn't find the story to be compelling either, and all the comedic elements fell completely flat. This was a tedious viewing experience for me, though I'm sure fans of Shakespeare will find it more interesting.

CosmicRunaway

05-09-21, 03:57 PM

Of course the standout scene, the large battle in the middle of the film, deserves its own special mention.
It was certainly effective at portraying the "fog of war", and it's probably one of my favourite sequences, in part due to the lack of dialogue.
Besides that scene, there was occasionally some great cinematography to be found throughout the film. I forgot to mention it in my previous post, but I particularly appreciated the use of contrast, like in the image I used at the top.

Allaby

05-09-21, 06:59 PM

I watched La vérité (1960). Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, the film stars Brigitte Bardot as a woman on trial for murder. Bardot is beautiful and wonderful as usual, but the film itself was just alright for me. None of the other actors stood out and I felt the story had potential, but didn't wow me. I've seen 3 films by Clouzot and I think Les Diaboliques (1955) is his best and this one I would rank 3rd. La vérité is a good looking film and competently directed, but only moderately entertaining. My rating is a 3.

Allaby

05-09-21, 07:22 PM

@CitizenRules, not to nitpick, but there is an error in my numbers. It says 5/13 watched for me and then lists the 6 movies I watched. It should say 6/13. Thanks. ;)

Torgo

05-09-21, 08:08 PM

Time: 10:21 a.m. so that took me just a bit over an hour.
Maybe we should also have a winner for the fastest-written review. ;)

Citizen Rules

05-09-21, 08:19 PM

@CitizenRules, not to nitpick, but there is an error in my numbers. It says 5/13 watched for me and then lists the 6 movies I watched. It should say 6/13. Thanks. ;)Thanks and sorry...I 'll fix right now.

Maybe we should also have a winner for the fastest-written review. ;) WPM maybe?

cricket

05-09-21, 08:27 PM

The Truth

https://64.media.tumblr.com/3c096138cf86244c3d51c664f377eb77/tumblr_pl8d4nycPe1ueapts_400.gifv

I was very much looking forward to this and it did not disappoint. Everything about it is an easy sell for me. It's has a familiar format as a courtroom drama that shows us the backstory. I'm fond of the director and of course I adore Brigitte Bardot. I think it works on every level but the cherry on top is its portrayal of a toxic relationship. Couples do things that are awful to each other that just don't make sense, and I thought it was interesting seeing these things discussed in court. There were a lot of realistic relationship intricacies that you usually don't see in film. It is a tragic tale that also happened to be entertaining. I loved it.

4.5

seanc

05-09-21, 10:28 PM

American Movie: My second time watching this. I’m not sure it’s intention is to be as fun as it is. This is an endearing film even though it could be viewed as quite tragic at times. Watching this man trying to live out his dream, a dream he is not very equipped for, while trying to navigate the middle class existence most of us find ourselves in. It’s just the perfect place to put a camera for a few years.

CosmicRunaway

05-10-21, 01:34 PM

I started to watch American Movie as well, but turned it off not far in. Like Themroc, it's something I'm going to have to watch later, when I'm in a better mood for it.

rauldc14

05-10-21, 05:16 PM

Chimes at Midnight

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/12/29/chimes_3_wide-8d7b3bdd6015fa60d555facdb472f2ff42368236.jpg

I have a bad and weird habit of saving films from directors that I think that I will really enjoy. This was the Welles film that I was saving in my back pocket until it was nominated here. Unfortunately I was fooled, I actually didn't know that it was a Shakespearean type of film, not that based off of that alone I wouldn't have liked it but it did come around as a shock as for whatever reason I never expected it to be.

Unfortunately for me also the dialogue was quite hard to process. Subtitles weren't available where I watched but I actually felt that they would have been fairly beneficial. There was always a lot of types I found myself thinking what the heck happened or what are they saying and wondered if I should backtrack to decipher and I did a few times. But after awhile it just got old and I continued to trudge along missing more than likely many things.

There were some cool scenes, I liked the battle scene and some of the scenes with Welles front and center were pretty comical to me. The films composition was quite good. The story and the plot and the dialogue which is probably a strong point of the film to it's fans just did not work for me at all and they were a big reason why I didn't care for the film at all. For being on criterion it just seemed like it wasn't worthy of having a copy on their at all. Again my two cents. Wish I liked it but I never lie in these cases.

2

Citizen Rules

05-10-21, 10:50 PM

I started to watch American Movie as well, but turned it off not far in. Like Themroc, it's something I'm going to have to watch later, when I'm in a better mood for it.You're not filling me with confidence about those two noms:p

rauldc14

05-10-21, 10:52 PM

American Movie rocked. I only gave it a 3.5 but I'm pretty confident it will be more on second watch.

rauldc14

05-10-21, 11:05 PM

Citizen Rules

05-10-21, 11:09 PM

Bicycle Thieves

I saw this shortly after I started to get into watching classic films for the first time, but I remembered nothing about it hardly.

This watch I just wasn't fascinated by anything really. It's hard to get emotionally invested about a bike getting stolen, as black-hearted as that may sound, even if it is something that your job depends on. With as many bikes as we saw in this damn film, was it really that hard to get ahold of another one somehow?

Ok, maybe I'm going a bit too far. I think the lead and the kid gave decent performances and the film was pretty well directed, it's just the story that I find a little too overly gimmicky. I can't fault anyone for liking it but it seems a strange film to be among the GOATs of all time and I have heard of some that believe it is. A decent watch though.

rating_3-I seen a movie last night that's considered a GOAT, but as much as I respected it, it didn't resonate with me. So I guess I can see how one person can be moved by a film and another person not at all. The film I seen last night was not for this HoF but for the Personal Rec.

Wyldesyde19

05-10-21, 11:22 PM

Bicycle Thieves

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LIM-Bicycle-Thieves-750x400.jpg

I saw this shortly after I started to get into watching classic films for the first time, but I remembered nothing about it hardly.

This watch I just wasn't fascinated by anything really. It's hard to get emotionally invested about a bike getting stolen, as black-hearted as that may sound, even if it is something that your job depends on. With as many bikes as we saw in this damn film, was it really that hard to get ahold of another one somehow?

Ok, maybe I'm going a bit too far. I think the lead and the kid gave decent performances and the film was pretty well directed, it's just the story that I find a little too overly gimmicky. I can't fault anyone for liking it but it seems a strange film to be among the GOATs of all time and I have heard of some that believe it is. A decent watch though.

3-

At the time, it wasn’t gimmicky, considering was a part of the Neorealism movement that changed how Italian cinema was made. That is, relying less on set pieces and more on everyday life on location. It particularly viewed post WW2 life through a harsh lense.*
The bike represented his dignity, and became a matter of principle to him before he betrayed his principles at the end, and then was overcome with shame for becoming what he, and the film, had so decried.
I can see how it may not exactly resonate with some, and there are a few scenes that could have been cut (the chase through a...what was it? A church or something? Is a prime example)
But man, what an ending.

Citizen Rules

05-10-21, 11:25 PM

At the time, it wasn’t gimmicky, considering was a part of the Neorealism movement that changed how Italian cinema was made. That is, relying less on set pieces and more on everyday life on location. It particularly viewed post WW2 life through a harsh lense.*
The bike represented his dignity, and became a matter of principle to him before he betrayed his principles at the end, and then was overcome with shame for becoming what he, and the film, had so decried.
I can see how it may not exactly resonate with some, and there are a few scenes that could have been cut (the chase through a...what was it? A church or something? Is a prime example)
But man, what an ending.I agree with all that. As much as I like the movie the church chase could've been cut down some........To me the film represents what could be a real slice of life for someone living in poverty in post WWII Italy. Not a fun film but it made me appreciate just how hard people in Europe had it after all the destruction of WWII.

CosmicRunaway

05-11-21, 03:28 AM

You're not filling me with confidence about those two noms:p
Pretty much everyone likes documentaries far, far more than I do. I imagine most of you guys won't struggle with American Movie, so you probably don't need to be concerned about that one.

SpelingError

05-11-21, 04:12 AM

I'm not the biggest fan of documentaries either (or, at least, I typically don't feel compelled to rewatch them), but American Movie is one of my favorite documentaries. I've seen it a few times already and it gets better with each viewing. I don't know how well it will do here, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Torgo

05-11-21, 10:24 AM

Sorry to hear about the audio issues you're all having with Chimes at Midnight. Oddly enough, I first watched it on a bootleg DVD from South Korea and I don't remember not being able to hear the dialogue. You'd think Criterion or whoever else has it on VOD, streaming services, etc. would have even better audio quality.

If worse comes to worst, I can choose another movie.

Citizen Rules

05-11-21, 11:22 AM

Torgo

05-11-21, 11:24 AM

I'm looking forward to broadening my cinema pallet with a watch of Orson Welles Chimes at Midnight.Cool, hope you have better luck.
Let me know if you or anyone else has the same issues with the audio and I'll choose another movie (if it's not too late, that is).

rauldc14

05-11-21, 11:31 AM

Cool, hope you have better luck.
Let me know if you or anyone else has the same issues with the audio and I'll choose another movie (if it's not too late, that is).

I have no issues with the choice, was glad you chose it. Just wasn't for me. And I'm definitely minority as I know a bunch who like it.

Citizen Rules

05-11-21, 11:32 AM

Cool, hope you have better luck.
Let me know if you or anyone else has the same issues with the audio and I'll choose another movie (if it's not too late, that is).I've watched a TON of movies with hard to hear sound, mostly new movies too. The last English language movie that I could not hear the dialogue was Greyhound (2020). And if it's a non American English language film they might as well be speaking Klingon...I often use subs for those kind of movies.

Citizen Rules

05-11-21, 11:34 AM

I have no issues with the choice, was glad you chose it. Just wasn't for me. And I'm definitely minority as I know a bunch who like it.I'd say it was one of the most interesting noms in the bunch. Good choice. I hope I like it:)

Torgo

05-11-21, 11:38 AM

I have no issues with the choice, was glad you chose it. Just wasn't for me. And I'm definitely minority as I know a bunch who like it.No worries. I just don't want technical difficulties to be an issue.

SpelingError

05-11-21, 12:57 PM

For what it's worth, I'm a huge fan of Chimes at Midnight, and I'm looking forward to rewatching it for this thread. As for the dialogue, I ran into issues with not understanding what the characters were saying when I first watched it, but having subtitles definitely helped quite a lot in that regard.

neiba

05-11-21, 05:31 PM

Les Misérables (1935)

Quite a solid adaptation of a book that remains painfully up-to-date.
The whole film is powered by the dynamic of the duo Laughton (God, what an actor) and March. Didn't care for the rest of the cast. The story works the way it is but maybe with a longer version, some of the psychological transformations of the characters could be better explored. On the other hand, the film is really on point when describing the sociological problems and effects of such an unfair justice system.
There's also some good cinematography, especially with shadow/light contrasts.

3

neiba

05-11-21, 05:39 PM

Themroc (1973)

So, it only took me one week to watch this...
It's basically a load of pretentious crap... I don't really know what else to say about it. It's ugly in every aspect, and not even the interesting type of ugly, just repulsive and boring as hell...

1

seanc

05-11-21, 05:57 PM

neiba

05-11-21, 06:17 PM

I can barely wait

Think of it this way, I just floored your expectations, it can only get better xD