The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame IV

[Thursday Next]

A Taste of Honey, 1961

What a fun little film!

The best part of the film is the way that it captures the complex emotions of moving from childhood to adulthood. I so identified with Jo's misery as she both wants to be looked after by her mother in one moment and yet treated like an adult in another. Dora Dryan, as Helen, perfectly portrays the slightly baffled, slightly irritated reaction of a mother who can't do anything right, though she is very aware that she hasn't made the best choices herself or set the best example for her daughter. As she says "Why can't you learn from my mistakes? It takes half a lifetime just to learn from your own." While Jo is the central character, the film carves out a nice little space for Helen, who wants to do right by her daughter, but also finds herself at the mercy of her own decisions and her marriage to a man who seems to be her best option for future security.

I was so excited to see this get nominated and I'm glad you liked it. I think you had a more positive view of the mother than I had, I must watch it again and see if my opinion changes.

. It would have gone a long way, in my opinion, to have even a single longing glance at a man.

I see what you are saying but I think it is asking a lot for 1961.

Similar to A Taste of Honey I would also recommend The Leather Boys (1964) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057244/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), also starring Rita Tushingham.

[Thursday Next]

Seven Up!

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.7X1tD50Wp0U2ev83gJNBAAHaEK?w=301&h=180&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7

Last film first, I guess!

I had avoided watching this before as the idea of watching the whole documentary series seemed a little daunting. I am curious as to how this has become known as a film when it is clearly a television series, but it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, this was a fascinating watch. My parents would have been about this age in 1964, which added an extra dimension of interest. I could imagine my mum as the little girl who wants to work in Woolworths but then goes to the grammar school. And Bruce in his suit looks like old photos of my dad. It's so interesting to see the way things were so different then, but also the ways they aren't all that different at all.

What worked so well about this is the lack of much commentary - they just have the kids speak and you're mostly left to draw your own conclusions, which makes it so much more valuable as a document of social history than some psychologist of the time giving their opinions. They're filmed almost without judgement, too. Of course there must be some kind of judgements made when making the film as to who to include and what to include of what they've said (and this seems more pointed in the second episode). In a way it was quite funny that their idea of a diverse group of children is essentially five posh kids from London, five or six poorer kids from London and three middle class kids from somewhere up North, all but one white, most of them boys. But at the time even recording the lives of different children like this was probably quite a novel idea.


I liked this so much that I immediately watched 'Seven Plus Seven' aka 14 Up. A lot of this is clips of the first one. This would have been essential watching it seven years later, but a bit annoying watching it immediately afterwards. I do want to watch the rest of the series now, but I think I will space them out a bit.

The other trouble with 14 Up is that the observation affects the experiment - the kids at 14 are more aware of how they will be perceived, how they were perceived in the first film, what their parents will think. They make several references to the first programme, and some of them are quite hostile to it, or wary of generalisations being drawn.

It was interesting, as a parent of a 14 year old, to see the behaviour of the 14 year olds here in 1971 and recognise it absolutely. They mumble, they don't make eye contact, they have forthright opinions that they then contradict, or they won't share any opinion at all on some subjects. The biggest difference is that 14 year olds today would be glued to their mobile phones or computers.

I now want to know what happens next to these children. I feel quite sympathetic to almost all of them - especially Bruce, who went to such a horrible school, separated from his parents so young and comes across as being so thoughtful, and Neil, who is so bright and cheerful and I'm now horribly afraid will somehow be crushed by life. And the ones who don't come across so well like John, or the girl who does ballet I feel for too, because they are just children. They are all shaped by their experiences. And some of them at 14 are so painfully shy and awkward and bound to regret what they say when they are older - but this is the experience for all 14 year olds these days, everything is recorded and put on social media. I'm glad nobody interviewed me when I was 14.

A great choice, I'm glad to have started watching this series.

[cricket]

I think it's interesting enough see photos of people at different stages of their lives. Seven Up must be fascinating.

[rauldc14]

Here we go, people passing me on watching things left and right :)

[seanc]

My Night At Maude”s: Only my third Rohmer, but that’s probably because he hasn’t totally drawn me in yet. I liked this but didn’t love it. Rohmer seems to only see religion in relationship to sex and It think that kept me at a bit of a distance. For an obviously smart guy, and a movie brimming with dialogue, it just ends up feeling reductive. Probably doesn’t help that I found the main character to be a drip. How two beautiful women with lots of prospects are attracted to him so quickly is beyond me. Anyway, yeah, I mostly liked it. :)

[cricket]

I believe that's 1 of 3 Rohmer I've seen and I've liked them all. Didn't love any but they're a different speed and worth watching.

[rauldc14]

Seen 4 from him. The Green Ray is probably my favorite. In a way I dug them all but none were top 100 movies if that makes sense.

[Thief]

I can't find full copies. The sites I've found that say they have one, don't.

Isn't this one of them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtqhFun9Dw

[mark f]

Yeah, thanks. I have actually watched that. I debated whether to list that because there's no subtitles, but since I've seen it, I suppose I will.

[neiba]

Anyone want to guess the order that people finish?

I'll say

Allaby
Sean
Takoma
Citizen
Thursday
Okay
Fredrick
Cricket
Raul
Siddon
Ed
Thief
Neiba

Takoma would finish in 3 days except she'll have a movie that gets lost in the mail.

I'm offended... :p

[Takoma11]

I was so excited to see this get nominated and I'm glad you liked it. I think you had a more positive view of the mother than I had, I must watch it again and see if my opinion changes.

I mean, she is an alcoholic and despite wanting to do right by her daughter, she frequently doesn't. But I loved the performance.

I see what you are saying but I think it is asking a lot for 1961.

I know. It's more just a general thought. The habit of "neutering" gay character in film is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I mean, I get it. They can't demonstrate any of that taboo lust or they wouldn't be "safe" to put on screen. It's just that leaving this aspect out flattens the character a bit. It's still neat seeing an obviously gay character with a positive portrayal in an older film.

Similar to A Taste of Honey I would also recommend The Leather Boys (1964) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057244/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), also starring Rita Tushingham.

Queue'd, thanks!

[Takoma11]

Seven Up!

I now want to know what happens next to these children. I feel quite sympathetic to almost all of them - especially Bruce, who went to such a horrible school, separated from his parents so young and comes across as being so thoughtful, and Neil, who is so bright and cheerful and I'm now horribly afraid will somehow be crushed by life. And the ones who don't come across so well like John, or the girl who does ballet I feel for too, because they are just children.

A great choice, I'm glad to have started watching this series.

This series is incredible and also at points it will destroy you.

[edarsenal]

And allaby gets it all started!
Haven't seen Dead Man since I saw it at the Movies when it first came out. And since there are numerous snippets that, even now, still pop into my head, I really should revisit it.

VERY happy to hear you enjoyed A Taste of Honey. I did too in the 2nd Personal Rec HoF when Thursday gifted it to me. But then, Thursday's hidden gems come from such undiscovered trails for me, making a HUGE plus to the joy of them.
Such as this one. I loved how what could have been a dour, tragic scenario had all these, well, "Tastes of Honey" throughout, including a bad mom who wasn't really a bad person, just someone who had made bad choices. And that extended to each of the main characters. Well, except for Helen's latest hubby - selfish tw@t.
But, generally, even the cinematography found beauty in the dirty city of Manchester. While still retaining a realistic perspective of the characters instead of one-dimensional tropes.
I do agree about your general thought regarding Geoffery being allowed just one solitary glance of longing would have been nice. And understand why not since at that time, it was still against the law in England to be gay. I've seen a similar film from 1963, The Servant (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057490/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2) that hints but never reveals the "true" hidden agenda of the newly hired manservant. Though, knowing it going in, really highlights the hints beautifully. I'll be adding The Leather Boys to my list as well.

I don't normally seek out Docs, but Seven-Up DOES seem like a very enjoyable one to add to the few I've enjoyed in these various HoFs and the rare times I've stumbled across one myself. Which I'm sure will include the one nominated for me as well.


Also, when it comes to revealing who nominated something for me, PLEASE DO. Considering the gushing thank yous I've consistently expressed, I do enjoy being able to, at the time of said gushing, knowing who, specifically, to thank.
In that spirit, I'm also taking note of who prefers not to know and will keep my trap shut. ;)

And since there's been a bit of kismet in the opening of this (first person, first review of their first nom), I decided to go with cricket's accurate third from the last position for me of how we'll all finish watching to decide WHICH ONE to see first. So, I will go with the third from the last nomination to start this off: The Searchers.

[cricket]

I'm offended... :p

Don't be, fashionably late is a real thing!

[edarsenal]

Don't be, fashionably late is a real thing!
And it's a BEE-YOUTIFUL thing, too

[edarsenal]

It appears I may need a link for The Searchers (1956) or I may just rent it from youtube

[cricket]

It appears I may need a link for The Searchers (1956) or I may just rent it from youtube

If you still need it later, I'll get you one. I'm mowing the lawn now sweating my tail off.

[rauldc14]

The Red Shoes

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/the_red_shoes._liam_mower_ivan_boleslawsky_and_ashley_shaw_victoria_page._photo_by_johan_persson_1-h_2017.jpg

What I just watched is movie making at it's finest. The story told here was so well done. The packing of the film is perfect. The way that the characters are crafted into the story is so well done. The main 3 all do such a great job, but it was the sensational performance of Moira Shearer as Vicky Page which really blew me away. And a pretty damn good dancer too. When you can turn a movie about ballet into one of the more intriguing movie storylines ever, I have to give credit to all involved. This is also one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, and that would still be true even if you take Shearer out of the equation. The Technicolor is so well done. It was real good in Black Narcissus too but even more here. Seems to be a nice Powell and Pressburger trait. The score is absolutely sensational too, the ballet scenes are just so damn well done. And what more can be said about that bat**** crazy ending? This was just a great film and it far surpassed every expectation I've had. An instant top 100 candidate, thanks to whoever nominated it (I'm thinking either Thursday or Citizen).

4.5

[Citizen Rules]

The Red Shoes
....This was just a great film and it far surpassed every expectation I've had. An instant top 100 candidate, thanks to whoever nominated it (I'm thinking either Thursday or Citizen).

rating_4_5 Wow! I'm surprised you liked it that much. Someone knew what they were doing when they chose it for you. I'm not conforming or denying any movies:p...until after the reveal...I once read that The Red Shoes was one of Martin Scorsese's favorite films. I need to see it again.

[cricket]

Ahhh yes The Red Shoes, perfect with some red lipstick. Oh yea.

[seanc]

Don’t be scared of f the 5 star Rauldc. It can be your friend. ;)

[rauldc14]

Don’t be scared of f the 5 star Rauldc. It can be your friend. ;)

I gave out 2 of them five years ago :)

[Citizen Rules]

I gave out 2 of them five years ago :)Shawshank? What other one?

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefilmyap.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FCabaret-inside.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Cabaret, 1972

Cambridge scholar Brian (Michael York) arrives in 1931 Berlin and quickly strikes up a friendship with quirky cabaret star Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli). The two of them attempt to navigate love, sex, and friendship, as the city around them transforms under the rise of the Nazi party.

This is one of those films that I've been meaning to get around to for ages, and I'm not tremendously familiar with Minnelli (outside of her work on Arrested Development and, um, this sketch that I watch way too much).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVvxOwxuk_w

In any event, I really enjoyed it and in particular the way that the musical numbers were filmed. The camera alternates between an audience point of view, an over-the-shoulder view from the performers, and a sense of being inside one of the dance numbers. I also enjoyed the song and dance numbers themselves, with their mix of highbrow and lowbrow elements and the sense of confidence and community among the performers. The dynamic of having the MC (Joel Grey) serve as this interesting mix of performer ("one of the girls") and as the lone male audience surrogate was neat.

And the anchor of the performances serves as an intriguing background to what is happening in the city at large. The performers strut and dance and sing, even as fascism is creeping up on the country. We get a musical interlude outside of the cabaret, and it is a performance of a chilling patriotic song ("Tomorrow belongs to us") that rouses the adults and even the children. Sometimes it is strange to look at entertainment--especially comedies or other "light" stuff--that was produced during intense global upheaval. In this film, the performers go on doing their thing despite the growing tide of change. And the fact that the cabaret itself is home to many people who would be harmed under fascist rule (the gay MC, a transgender performer) creates a neat tension. How long will this cabaret and its performers hold out? The chilling final shot of the film--in which the distorted reflections of Nazi officers are seen in an on-stage mirror--adds an ominous note.

Surprisingly, the least interesting or compelling part of the film for me was the central story between Brian and Sally. And don't get me wrong, Sally's bold-as-brass personality and the curious relationship that develops between her and Brian is a lot of fun. There is something really appealing about the intersection between her larger than life antics pushing up against his more reserved personality. It's also really nice to see Brian's matter of fact bisexuality just be a normal part of the plot. Sally herself is in this weird carpe diem downward spiral as she waits to break into something bigger. There is certainly something magnetic about Minnelli's Sally, especially when she is performing. I just found that the various romantic plots and squabbles lost my interest as the film went on.

Glad I finally checked this one out!

4

[seanc]

I gave out 2 of them five years ago :)

Rainy day?

[rauldc14]

Shawshank? What other one?
I meant to new watches. La la and Manchester

[Citizen Rules]

I meant to new watches. La la and ManchesterBoth solid movies!

[cricket]

Takoma the 1st member with 2 reviews!

[rauldc14]

Takoma the 1st member with 2 reviews!

Thought it would be me actually

[cricket]

Thought it would be me actually

You working on one now?

[rauldc14]

You working on one now?

Yup.

[Thursday Next]

Cabaret, 1972

In any event, I really enjoyed it and in particular the way that the musical numbers were filmed.

So glad you enjoyed this too, it's another of my favourites.

You had quite a few musicals not ticked off and I wasn't sure whether you didn't like musicals or just hadn't got round to seeing them. I feel like musicals are a bit of a risky bet to nominate for people unless you know they like them.


In this film, the performers go on doing their thing despite the growing tide of change. And the fact that the cabaret itself is home to many people who would be harmed under fascist rule (the gay MC, a transgender performer) creates a neat tension. How long will this cabaret and its performers hold out?

I know this is a rhetorical question, but the film Bent (1997) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118698/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) actually deals with this. I recommend it, but with caution as it is a pretty upsetting watch.

[Takoma11]

So glad you enjoyed this too, it's another of my favourites.

You had quite a few musicals not ticked off and I wasn't sure whether you didn't like musicals or just hadn't got round to seeing them. I feel like musicals are a bit of a risky bet to nominate for people unless you know they like them.

I don't mind musicals at all. It's just that they seem to be oddly thin on the ground when it comes to my streaming services.

I know this is a rhetorical question, but the film Bent (1997) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118698/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) actually deals with this. I recommend it, but with caution as it is a pretty upsetting watch.

I've seen Bent, as after watching Orlando I was interested in seeing more of Lothaire Bluteau, and yeah, it is rough. The whole sequence on the train is brutal, and a detail that I've always remembered (though it may not be 100% accurate as I watched it back when it came out in the late 90s) was the boyfriend saying he'd been forced to have sex with a dead girl.

[edarsenal]

If you still need it later, I'll get you one. I'm mowing the lawn now sweating my tail off.
that was my Sunday. Mowed, pruned, pulled gigantic weeds. . . and two days later, I STILL ache! lol

[Allaby]

I watched True Romance (1993) Directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, the film has a fantastic ensemble, including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Samuel L. Jackson. This is likely Slater's best performance and the rest of the cast deliver memorable and interesting performances too. The screenplay is sharp and clever and the film moves along at a brisk pace. There is some good action and the film builds to a satisfying climax. True Romance is an entertaining and wild ride, a good nomination for me, so thanks and good job to whoever picked it. 4

[cricket]

that was my Sunday. Mowed, pruned, pulled gigantic weeds. . . and two days later, I STILL ache! lol

And before I mowed, I came home from taking the dogs to the park to find a guy passed out in his car in my driveway after knocking over 1 of my lanterns. I had to deal with that so that's why I didn't watch a movie today.

79178

[cricket]

I watched True Romance (1993) Directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, the film has a fantastic ensemble, including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Samuel L. Jackson. This is likely Slater's best performance and the rest of the cast deliver memorable and interesting performances too. The screenplay is sharp and clever and the film moves along at a brisk pace. There is some good action and the film builds to a satisfying climax. True Romance is an entertaining and wild ride, a good nomination for me, so thanks and good job to whoever picked it. 4

Great movie that I haven't seen mentioned on the forum much recently

[edarsenal]

Like raul, I was pretty blown away by the beauty of Red Shoes when I saw it during the 40s Countdown. Pretty amazing film.

Cabaret was nominated for me in a Personal Rec and gave me a chance to see this film I've always wanted to check out and never seemed to. You hit on a lot of points, Takoma that I loved about it as well. I also found new meaning to the lead song, "Cabaret" when they performed it at the end.

True Romance is a film I've watched over and over and over again. Helluva great film!

[rauldc14]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

https://cdn.onebauer.media/one/media/5f34/0c56/b138/cbc2/3f04/3c09/scott-pilgrim-main.jpg?format=jpg&quality=80&width=960&height=540&ratio=16-9&resize=aspectfill

I was surprised to see this was on a mofo list, and for a minute I thought it was a sneak pick for the millennium list as there was a lot of surprises on there. But alas it was the Comics list. It seemed a strange pick but I actually dug it a bit as a nice change of pace film. A pretty eclectic cast, I'm usually not a fan of Cera but he does well here (I think I said that about the last of his I saw too) and it was cool to see minor appearances from Evans and Larson. Interesting if this really is a comic book adaptation which it must be. I laughed quite a bit. The future joke was my favorite. A nice little surprise compared to what I thought.

3.5-

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XVb65PfEaTM%2FW_G9M3HEJeI%2FAAAAAAAARuM%2FPxEO_Vx9u4Mpb4ZVfMyXY1oVFw06NG47ACEwYBhgL%2Fs1600%2Fbjork-dancer-in-the-dark-2000-04.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Dancer in the Dark, 2000

Selma (Bjork) is a Czech immigrant in 1960s Washington, working in a factory to save up money for a critical eye operation for her son. While she is supported by her good friend Kathy (Catherine Deneuve) and wooed--sometimes a bit creepily--by a man named Jeff (Peter Stormare), Selma hides from everyone else the fact that she is slowly going blind as a result of a degenerative eye disease. When her landlord (David Morse) pulls her into his own domestic woes, things get very dicey for Selma. However, Selma spends half of her time living as if she is in a musical, to the extent that she frequently daydreams elaborate musical numbers about the events in her life.

Okay, slow clap/hat tip to whoever had the nerve to see that I was hoping for shorter, optimistic films, and decided to give me . . . . this. Honestly, it shows the kind of dark humor that is also at the root of the film.

Let's start with the positives. I friggin' love Bjork in every sense of the word--her music, her vibe, all of it. She is weird in a way that feels like it genuinely comes from her soul, and she is a perfect fit to play Selma so that it doesn't feel like a contrivance. Further, she really holds her own in the musical numbers (naturally), and she is a delight to watch. She also proves capable of delivering on the dramatic front, filtering tragedy through the lens of this character with such a skewed world view. Bjork brings her odd timing and rhythms to the music, which excellently matches the idea that this woman is out of step with the world around her. I loved a late in the film rendition of "My Favorite Things" in distinctly Bjork style.

At its best, the film is deliriously, darkly hilarious. Selma runs around like some sort of demented Amelie, only if Amelie existed in a world completely devoid of magic and whimsy. As the film progresses, Selma's quirks and the musical numbers take on an increasingly absurd element. It's one thing for her to tap her toes and dance around to the rhythmic sounds of a factory floor. It's quite another thing to flounce around in a literal life-or-death situation.

There's this nice counterbalance to Selma's subjective experience of the world, and that comes from the supporting characters. They are all really well-acted, and they both heighten the absurdity of Selma's actions/reactions and give this element of tragedy as they try to steer this person they love away from the cliff's edge. At times this gets a bit tenuous--and it's a good thing that the setting is in an older decade--because Selma seems at times to maybe be actually seriously mentally ill.

On the downside, though, the film does start to feel a bit overlong, especially in the last act. There's this transition somewhere in the back half of the film where it feels less like the movie is observing a person make horrible, quirky choices and more like she is being intentionally put through the wringer in increasingly extreme ways. I get that this heightens the absurdity, but somewhere in the last third the effect that the film had been building suddenly plateaued for me. There are some interesting implications in the last third that the character might actually be really depressed and possibly might want to die, and I wish the movie had explored that a bit more. I also felt like, in wanting the character to make the worst choices possible, the film sometimes stepped out of its own internal logic. For example, there are times that Selma withholds information and it makes sense, but later she does so and it's like . . . what? Or times when she resists help or support from others that just doesn't seem to gel with her fantasy reality where everyone is nice to each other. This is where you start to feel the hand of the writer, and I got a lot less interested when it began to feel mechanical and manipulated instead of "naturally" ridiculous.

Style-wise, I thought it was interesting to see Von Trier's style intersect with filming musical numbers. Also, this is the second film in a row to have Joel Grey in a role. Also, loved seeing Udo Kier as the eye surgeon because, you know, RUN!!!!

I wish that the second half had matched the tone and pace of the first half. I get that stretching everything out is part of the joke of the arc of the character (and even more darkly, that it kind of puts the viewer on the position of being like "OMG just die already you little singing cherub!!" but with 40 minutes to go I found myself mostly feeling annoyance instead of either sadness or humor.

3.5

[edarsenal]

And before I mowed, I came home from taking the dogs to the park to find a guy passed out in his car in my driveway after knocking over 1 of my lanterns. I had to deal with that so that's why I didn't watch a movie today.

79178

holy sh#t!
Got a similar story.
Last summer, doing yard work, walked to the front of the house, and in the street, by the curb was a passed out woman, on her knees, forehead on ground, arms behind her.
It was the position that really caught me funny. A neighbor had already called the cops who already knew her, gave her a medical shot in the thigh, she woke up and they took her to the hospital.
Sat on my porch watching it all, shaking my head and chuckling, before getting back to yardwork.

[edarsenal]

Not a fan of Scott Pilgrim but that has a lot to do with the leading actor. Just don't care for him and his presence ruins a movie for me.

Dancer in the Dark sounds like a bad Alice in Wonderland Overdose. Scary AND intriguing.

[rauldc14]

Takoma just didn't want me tied for the lead

[Takoma11]

Takoma just didn't want me tied for the lead

They say the only good way to enjoy art is at a break-neck pace. Right? RIGHT?

[cricket]

holy sh#t!
Got a similar story.
Last summer, doing yard work, walked to the front of the house, and in the street, by the curb was a passed out woman, on her knees, forehead on ground, arms behind her.
It was the position that really caught me funny. A neighbor had already called the cops who already knew her, gave her a medical shot in the thigh, she woke up and they took her to the hospital.
Sat on my porch watching it all, shaking my head and chuckling, before getting back to yardwork.

Sounds like they have her narcan

[Takoma11]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I was surprised to see this was on a mofo list, and for a minute I thought it was a sneak pick for the millennium list as there was a lot of surprises on there. But alas it was the Comics list. It seemed a strange pick but I actually dug it a bit as a nice change of pace film. A pretty eclectic cast, I'm usually not a fan of Cera but he does well here (I think I said that about the last of his I saw too) and it was cool to see minor appearances from Evans and Larson. Interesting if this really is a comic book adaptation which it must be. I laughed quite a bit. The future joke was my favorite. A nice little surprise compared to what I thought.

3.5-

It's based on a graphic novel. I think it is a bit uneven, but I'll admit to having watched it several times. I never fail to crack up at the Vegan Police, or some of the editing/camera moves, like when there's the pan and you realize Scott is in bed with both his roommate and the roommate's boyfriend.

[cricket]

You guys are flying. I remember liking Dancer in the Dark a fair amount. Haven't seen Scott Pilgrim but I wouldn't mind:D

[seanc]

Withnail and I: This and Sunshine are two I was hoping would be nominated for me, so I was very pleased to see both. Withnail has been on my radar too long despite me really knowing nothing about it. Maybe that’s why I never pulled the trigger. I was pretty disappointed unfortunately.

Drug comedies just don’t work for me very often. That’s pretty ironic here because Danny was the only character I really found funny, and he’s the biggest stoner of them all. Also the most over the top so probably why he’s the funniest to me.

Withnail is really a nothing character. He’s not funny and he’s not endearing. I really never had any response to him at all. That made the ending feel really unearned. Bummer of a watch.

[cricket]

I was not a fan of that^^^either.

[Citizen Rules]

Egads! I hated Withnail and I. It was nominated for the 12th HoF and that's where I watched it.
Withnail & I...is a British dark comedy. This was not to my liking and it took all of my effort just to get through it. I found the movie tedious, full of inane dialogue but with no emotion. There's no development, no story, no theme and personally I didn't find it funny either.
rating_1_5CR

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FDnbOKZa5wRU%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Floating Weeds, 1959

A kabuki theater troupe arrives in a seaside town. The troupe is led by its lead actor, Komajuro (Ganjiro Nakamura), who discovers that years earlier when the troupe passed through the town, he fathered a son, Kiyoshi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi), with a local woman, Oyoshi (Haruko Sugimura). This revelation drives a wedge between Komajuro and his current partner, Sumiko (Machiko Kyo), who out of anger gets a young actress (Ayako Wakao) to seduce Kiyoshi.

Having seen and loved the 30s version of this film (also directed by Ozu), I was incredibly interested to see what I'd think of this version. Being Ozu, there was no doubt I'd enjoy it.

It's always kind of surreal watching a loyal adaptation of a film, knowing the major beats ahead of time, but being surprised by the little changes. I'm not sure which version I like more, as they both have things to love.

The addition of color here is great, and Ozu has several sequences--both with actors and without--that really revel in it. A shot that pops up a lot when you search the movie's title is one of two actresses in colorful outfits putting on their makeup, but I was also taken by an actorless shot of the window of a barber shop.

From what I can remember, this film adds some different comical beats. The best is probably when one of the troupe members harasses the daughter of the local barber. The girl calls for her mother, and when the barber arrives she directs the actor into the shave that he has supposedly come for. He sits there as she pointedly sharpens the razor on a strap.

The highlight of the 30s version for me was hands-down the sequence in the rain where Komajuro and Sumiko have a scathing fight as they stand on opposite sides of a street as rain pours down between them. I think that the 30s version slightly takes the edge here for me, as I love the look of the rain in black and white, but the sequence in this version was still goosebump worthy. There was actually another sequence in this version where characters had a conversation as the rain fell outside their window and I thought it was an incredibly beautiful shot.

The only downside to this story is Komajuro's treatment of both Sumiko and Kayo, the younger actress. He is verbally and physically abusive, repeatedly calling both women whores and sluts and slapping them and grabbing Kayo and twisting her arm roughly behind her back. It feels a bit more extreme than the tone of the rest of the film and makes his later interactions with both women frustrating as there seems to be an implication that their actions were of equal severity which they clearly weren't.

Another excellent Ozu.

4.5

[Citizen Rules]

I haven't seen Floating Weeds, but I keep hearing good things about it. I do like Ozu...hint hint for the next Personal Rec.

[Takoma11]

I haven't seen Floating Weeds, but I keep hearing good things about it. I do like Ozu...hint hint for the next Personal Rec.

I would recommend both versions.

[cricket]

Jesus Takoma!

[Citizen Rules]

I would recommend both versions.There's two versions? What is the other one?

[Takoma11]

Jesus Takoma!

A freak electrical incident fried my whole HVAC system. I will not have AC for the rest of the summer. I am drowning my sorrows by sitting on the couch and watching some good films in the dark (while periodically taking breaks to go stand under a cold shower because it is a billion degrees).

There's two versions? What is the other one?

It's from the 30s and also directed by Ozu. The title is The Story of Floating Weeds.

[Wyldesyde19]

There's two versions? What is the other one?
Ozu later remade it in the 50’s.

[Wyldesyde19]

Tak beats me to it 🤨

[Citizen Rules]

...It's from the 30s and also directed by Ozu. The title is The Story of Floating Weeds.So many Ozu's that I haven't seen.

[Takoma11]

So many Ozu's that I haven't seen.

It's interesting because it's a plot that is more dramatic than his other work, which is usually much more purely emotionally driven and takes more times with long domestic moments. Not a complaint, just feel like it's a bit different than the others I've seen from him and it's funny that he made it twice!

Also, forgot to mention in my review that Ozu fave Chishu Ryu shows up for like 3 minutes as a theater owner and I was a bit sorry we didn't see more of him.

[cricket]

I mix up a lot of Ozu's movies. So many with similar titles, stories, and casts. They're all good though.

[Takoma11]

I mix up a lot of Ozu's movies. So many with similar titles, stories, and casts. They're all good though.

Yeah, they mostly feel like you're just seeing snippets of lives from the same universe, if that makes sense. Almost an episodic feel. And that's absolutely not a complaint.

[rauldc14]

Ozu is the man. Just watched Equinox Flower on Monday

[rauldc14]

Also there's 12 films to watch cricket not 11 :)

[cricket]

Also there's 12 films to watch cricket not 11 :)

Oh yeah, that could have really confused me later on.

[Siddon]

The Birds, the Bees, and the Italians (1966)

Yeah I need a link for this... It doesn't look like this even exists in English.

[mark f]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va8QXpjk4rk

[Citizen Rules]

Dear fellow Personal Rec members...

I'm going to do my movie write-ups differently this time. Unlike the main HoFs where I try to be somewhat objective....Here I'm going to be completely subjective. After all the goal is for all of you to pick a movie for me that I will love. You don't have to love it, but I do...

To help you all learn more about my taste I will be direct in what I liked or hated about the movies. That way the next time we do a Personal Rec. you can have a better idea of what works for me...and more importantly what doesn't work.

I do THANK everyone for trying to pick movies that I'll like🙂 I know it's not easy guessing what others like, especially if you don't know my movie taste.

Here comes my first write-up...

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79200
The Player (Altman 1992)

Reaction: 👍

Someone chose well! The Player is right up my alley. It's the type of film I'd chose for myself...and I really enjoyed watching it. As a plus I was glad to explore more of Altman's filmography as I haven't seen many of his movies. The Player reminded me of another favorite by the Coen Brothers, Barton Fink.

What I really liked was the insider story of a Hollywood movie executive who listens to movie pitches and green lights only a handful of films...I want that job!!!:p I loved the inside look at the movie business, very cool.

I also loved the detail of the sets at the studio, and I loved spotting all the stars who made cameos. Tim Robbins is a favorite actor of mine and I liked him here.

I liked that the story was part comedy and never intense. I dislike intense, realistic crime thrillers, though I do like old 40s-50s film noir...I despise newer crime thrillers. Luckily this film had a lighter feel to it, which suited me. I though the ending twist was pretty clever too and it gave the movie a film within a film feel.

The Player is going to score high on my list.

[seanc]

You just like that Laura poster on the wall.

I’m glad you liked it so much, I didn’t expect you too. I have no idea how to recommend new movies to you, you almost always surprise me. On the other hand I feel like I know exactly what you will like with old films.

I know I’m giving away this wasn’t my rec, but had to comment.

[Citizen Rules]

You just like that Laura poster on the wall.

I’m glad you liked it so much, I didn’t expect you too. I have no idea how to recommend new movies to you, you almost always surprise me. On the other hand I feel like I know exactly what you will like with old films.

I know I’m giving away this wasn’t my rec, but had to comment.I loved all those old movie posters on the office walls:p I even stopped & replayed some scenes just to get a second look at the background. I love detailed backgrounds & sets. Altman films are rich in set details.

Oh and I liked how they talked about classic movies like Orson Welles' opening uncut tracking shot in Touch of Evil...and that's how The Player opens with a long uncut tracking shot. Altman sure has a good eye for camera usage.

I kind of thought this might be your choice as your a fan of Altman.

[cricket]

The Player scored well in a couple of previous personal rec HoFs. Great movie.

[cricket]

The Birds, the Bees, and the Italians (1966)

Yeah I need a link for this... It doesn't look like this even exists in English.

Someone watched it in a previous HoF. I'll look tonight.

[Citizen Rules]

The Player scored well in a couple of previous personal rec HoFs. Great movie.I didn't realize that it had been selected before, I'll have to go and read those reviews.

Someone watched it in a previous HoF. I'll look tonight.MarkF posted a youtube video of The Birds, the Bees, and the Italians (1966), and it had subs. I don't know about the video quality I didn't watch it.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-OFG-FLiwQ6I%2FVxYtAVfkCFI%2FAAAAAAAAP8c%2Fvxdhvs8tP2g844meoSMVaVWPV-aJVwKtQCKgB%2Fs1600%2FMillion%252BDollar%252BBaby%252B4.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Million Dollar Baby, 2004

Boxing trainer Frankie (Clint Eastwood) has become overly cautious and conservative as a coach, unwilling to endanger his fighters. This loses him his prize fighter (Mike Colter). Then into Frankie's gym walks Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a woman in her early 30s and from a rough background, determined to get Frankie to train her. Although he is hesitant, at the urging of his friend Eddie (Morgan Freeman) Frankie takes Maggie on as a fighter and she rises quickly through the ranks.

I was at the gym today, and I was doing a bench press series and I thought about the part in this movie where Maggie says that boxing is the only thing she feels happy doing and she refuses to give it up.

I think that in its best moments, this film captures what it is like to push yourself in a way that is both physical and mental, and the particular joy of doing so with someone to support you and drive you. Maggie is, according to Frankie and conventional wisdom, already over the hill in terms of becoming a great boxer, but she has found something that brings her happiness and she pursues it relentlessly. Watching Frankie get caught up in the magic and the hope of that is really fun.

I also enjoyed Morgan Freeman's Eddie, a character who understands the benefits of boxing beyond the wins and the losses. While I could take or leave the subplot about a mentally handicapped man (Jay Baruchel) who trains at the gym but is afraid to throw a punch at an opponent, I did enjoy the chance to see that side of Eddie's character.

I thought that Swank was very strong in the lead role, conveying Maggie's toughness and vulnerability and the way that they ebb and flow as she interacts with others. Her family has given her plenty of examples of bad behavior, and she is as much running away from that future as she is running toward anything.

Where I struggled a bit with the film was in all the places it leaned toward more Hollywood, popular fare. I don't love a voice over, but as it's Morgan Freeman I'll allow it. Where the film really fell flat for me, though, was in the portrayal of Maggie's family.

Quick, name every "white trash" stereotype you can think of! Cheating on welfare? Check! Babies out of wedlock? Check! Doing jail time? Check! Bad tattoos? Check! Obese? Check! Living in a trailer? Check! Greedy? Check! And I know that people like this do exist (I, um, I teach some of their children), but when taken as a group they feel like a caricature, especially in contrast with Swank's much more measured Maggie.

And if the presence of these characters wasn't bad enough, the film decides to use them as the catalyst for a minor climax and "stand up and cheer" moment when Maggie stands up to them and refuses to sign her assets over to them. The major problem with this (aside from disrupting the rather interesting drama and character stuff that comes before and after it, is that later in the film (MAJOR SPOILERS)Maggie does not (that I remember) designate her assets to anyone, so when she dies, her next of kin is her horrible family and they end up with all her money and her house anyway!

I also wasn't sure about how I felt about Frankie's character arc. He is estranged from his daughter--and asks her forgiveness in letters she returns without reading--but the film never tells us why. The whole thing of Maggie becoming kind of like a surrogate daughter to him (and she is missing her father as well) is fine, but in the last act of the film I wasn't sure things landed quite right. The logic about Frankie's decisions and how and why he chooses to make them just weren't convincing to me. Maggie is the point of view character, but the character arc belongs to Frankie and I found it a bit underwhelming in the end. In the last act Eastwood's performance also begins to oscillate more between more naturalistic acting and this exaggerated "growly old man" and I found it kind of jarring.

Not a film I would have probably ever gotten around to (especially as I'd already had a significant element of the plot spoiled for me), but it's always interesting to watch something you'd never normally pick for yourself.

3.5

[rauldc14]

The Player is so damn good! Glad I saw it last year!

[cricket]

Swank, Freeman, and Eastwood. It would be hard for a movie to be bad.

[cricket]

Uh oh, Takoma went out of order, must mean something is coming in the mail. Allaby and Sean, this is your one chance!

[Takoma11]

Swank, Freeman, and Eastwood. It would be hard for a movie to be bad.

No, but I think it would have been so much better if they had streamlined it and dropped some significant chunks of the subplots. I think the film could have easily lost about 30 minutes of content and been much stronger for it.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcriterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcarousel-files%2F2de6119248ee1fa83f4009427f6a2d0c.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1

Mystery Train, 1989

In three different stories that take place over the same 24 hours in Memphis, a young couple from Japan (Yuki Kudo and Masatoshi Nagase) tour the city out of a love for Elvis; an Italian woman (Nicoletta Braschi) is stranded in the city while escorting her dead husband's body back to Italy; and a trio of men (Steve Buscemi, Rick Aviles, and Joe Strummer) end up on the run after an unfortunate encounter at a liquor store. All of these characters end up and one point or the other at a run-down hotel, presided over by a night clerk (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) and a bellboy (Cinque Lee).

This was very much Jarmusch, and one that I've been meaning to watch for a while. Much like Night on Earth, the stories have thematic overlaps, though in this case they are also united by taking place in the same city on the same night.

As with any anthology, there are strong points and weaker points. I liked the middle story the best, the one that featured Braschi as the Italian woman stuck spending the night in Memphis. The story manages to be both funny and tense, as she is gently cajoled into buying a ridiculous number of magazines that she carts around for the rest of the episode; but then later there is some genuine menace as she is first scammed and then stalked by two men (one of them Tom Noonan!) who spot her in a diner.

The third story, to me, didn't land quite as well. There are plenty of little moments that do work, thanks to Buscemi and Aviles and their appalled reactions to their friend's behavior. In a basic but very funny moment, Buscemi's character turns on an overhead lamp by pulling a string . . . .followed by a rain of plaster and then the lamp itself crashing to the ground. But there is something a bit unfocused about the segment, as neither the narrative nor the characters make for a great arc.

I really enjoyed Hawkins and Lee as the night clerk and bellboy respectively. The two have good chemistry with each other and with the various customers who cross their paths. Their good natured banter and seen-it-all wariness are charming and they really ground and unite the various segments.

Overall I liked this one quite a bit. I just wish that the last segment had a little more pop.

4

[Allaby]

Just finished watching another of my nominations. And I think this film may actually be a masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all time! Any guesses as to which film it is before I post my review?

[seanc]

Just finished watching another of my nominations. And I think this film may actually be a masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all time! Any guesses as to which film it is before I post my review?

Harakirir

[cricket]

Could be Harakiri. Maybe Little Big Man or Fail Safe. Humanity and Paper Balloons as a dark horse.

[cricket]

Wtf Takoma you watch faster than I can post!

[seanc]

Wtf Takoma you watch faster than I can post!

I’m going to be at 3 in 3 nights and feel like I’m slacking

[Allaby]

I just finished watching Fail Safe (1964) and the first word that comes to mind is WOW! Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet, the film has a great cast including Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Larry Hagman, Fritz Weaver, Frank Overton, and Dan O'Herlihy. A technical malfunction mistakenly sends American planes on a mission to bomb Moscow. The President has limited time to try and either stop the bombing or prevent a possible nuclear war. The film is really dramatic and intense, with edge of your seat suspense and high stakes. The viewer doesn't know how things will go down until they do. The screenplay is pretty much flawless and the performances are all excellent. This is a really intelligent film with something worthwhile to say about the systems of politics and war and ultimately taking responsibility for our own actions. Fail safe is thrilling and chilling and very compelling. I was invested in the characters and the events that were happening. I don't throw around the m word very often, but I'm going to call this a masterpiece and add it to my list of favourite films. This is an essential film. A big bravo and thank you to whoever recommended it for me. 5

[cricket]

I just finished watching Fail Safe (1964) and the first word that comes to mind is WOW! Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet, the film has a great cast including Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Larry Hagman, Fritz Weaver, Frank Overton, and Dan O'Herlihy. A technical malfunction mistakenly sends American planes on a mission to bomb Moscow. The President has limited time to try and either stop the bombing or prevent a possible nuclear war. The film is really dramatic and intense, with edge of your seat suspense and high stakes. The viewer doesn't know how things will go down until they do. The screenplay is pretty much flawless and the performances are all excellent. This is a really intelligent film with something worthwhile to say about the systems of politics and war and ultimately taking responsibility for our own actions. Fail safe is thrilling and chilling and very compelling. I was invested in the characters and the events that were happening. I don't throw around the m word very often, but I'm going to call this a masterpiece and add it to my list of favourite films. This is an essential film. A big bravo and thank you to whoever recommended it for me. 5

Also worth watching is the live television remake

[rauldc14]

Impossible to beat Takoma. Kudos to anyone who tries!

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F03%2Froman_holiday_ 1953_6-h_2016.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Roman Holiday, 1953

Young princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is on a European tour. With every moment scheduled and every word she speaks in public scripted, Ann is beginning to crack under the strain. One night, she impulsively runs away and ends up in the apartment of news reporter Joe (Gregory Peck). When Joe realizes he has a princess sleeping on his couch, he recruits his photographer friend Irving (Eddie Albert) to secretly document as he takes Ann on an adventure around Rome.

I love it when you think you know something about a classic and then it totally surprises you. This was a really great pick, and it honestly hadn't been a priority for me to see on my own.

I think that what makes this film so great is the way that it intelligently leans into the elements that could be off-putting and going in unexpected directions.

To begin with, it was really refreshing to see a romantic comedy where the female lead is at the forefront of a lot of the physical comedy (I know there are others, but the ones I've seen recently have used the female lead as more of the character who reacts). Whether it's Hepburn trying to retrieve an errant high heeled shoe, or the princess elegantly failing to climb a spiral staircase, there's an ease and innocent charm about the comedy. Peck makes for a great straight man--especially in the sequences in the apartment where he must navigate the barely-conscious Ann from the bed to the couch and eventually back to the bed.

I also appreciated the way that the film manages to navigate the general ickiness of the situation. Joe is appropriately gentlemanly in their initial encounter (not undressing an intoxicated person--correct choice, Joe!), but in the second half of the film he lies to Ann, has her secretly photographed, and encourages certain behaviors knowing that he plans to exploit them for money. There's also a significant age and maturity gap between the two, and Ann's child-like mannerisms are so naive that she doesn't feel at all like an adult. But, wonderfully, the film makes this dynamic part of the point. Ann is the way she is because she has been relentlessly coddled and sheltered. Her naivete isn't innate to her character, it is a result of the way she has been treated her entire life.

And that's kind of the brilliance of the film. The romance itself isn't the point--the romance is the means to the end of a kind of self-realization for the character of Ann. Her character growth is prioritized over the "will they, won't they" aspect of the film. It also, interestingly, makes Joe's betrayal of her trust all the more potent. The stakes aren't just about whether or not he's a good guy and they'll end up together--the stakes are about whether this young woman figuring out who she is will be punished or not.

There's also a contemporary relevance to the plot itself. Late in the film, when Joe is having doubts about the plan, Irving tells him "Princesses are always fair game." Over the last year or so, there's been a lot of reflection about the way that certain celebrities (specifically people like Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan) were treated both as teenagers and as young women. This attitude of "fair game" means that even innocent moments like a dance or a drink are not safe and could become weaponized against them at any moment.

But where the film impressed me the most, honestly, was in its perfect ending. And I do mean perfect. Everything both spoken and unspoken, perfectly played by Hepburn and Peck. It may be one of the best endings to a film, period.

My only complaint (and this applies to many screwball-type comedy things) was that I'm a total fuddy-duddy about stuff that's dangerous or disrespectful to innocent bystanders. So some of the behaviors that were meant to be funny didn't quite land for me. Someone driving an out-of-control vehicle through a crowd and destroying property just isn't something I find entertaining, and it kind of makes me annoyed with the characters. I've always felt this way, and I know it's kind of a silly reaction, but there it is. Anyway, thankfully most of the comedy isn't of that variety, so this was only a minor complaint.

Great pick!

4.5

[cricket]

Wow

[Hey Fredrick]

Seen 5 of the movies reviewed so far with The Player and True Romance being my favorites. Both of them are rating_4_5 Million Dollar Baby is good but I'm not a big fan of Clint Eastwood directed movies with the exception of Mystic River and Unforgiven. Something about his movies just feel weird. Cabaret, I'm kind of with a few other people here in that the scenes in the Cabaret are far more interesting than the other stuff. I loved the MC, what a fantastic performance and Liza was very good. Dead Man I haven't seen since the 90's. I didn't like it but that was a long time ago and it was very different from the types of movies I was usually watching back then.

[seanc]

King Kong: I was glad this was nominated because it’s the type of movie I have a hard time starting because I just know I’m more than likely going to respond poorly. Well, I did, but at least I can cross it to fog my list.

My problem with the movie is there just wasn’t any real thought put into the characters or the screenplay. It’s all about getting to Kong and seeing the spectacle. It’s just not enough to carry two hours for me.

I did get some surprises. Cool thanks see the first stop animation. Looks like claymation to me, maybe someone can verify. I didn’t realize that there would be other monsters. I thought that was something added to the lore later on. So that was fun.

Glad I watched it. Maybe I will check out the original Godzilla soon as well.

[cricket]

Come on Kong is awesome, seen it countless times!


Not in 35 years though:p

[seanc]

Come on Kong is awesome, seen it countless times!


Not in 35 years though:p

I think the connection to stuff you watched when you were young goes a long way.

[Citizen Rules]

Going to do a mega-multi-quote:p and play ketchup!

Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch 1995)...The film has a dream like atmosphere and feels quite poetic at times. The black and white cinematography is beautiful and striking and helps enhance the mood of the film. The score by Neil Young is fantastic and perfectly complements the film...rating_4_5.I love this film! and for all the reasons you stated too. Back in the day Johnny Depp was an upcoming star and perfectly suited to this film. I've seen a couple other of Jarmusch's films and liked his style, I like to see more.


Cabaret, 1972 rating_4 It's been soooo long since I seen Cabaret that maybe I should uncheck it off my list, so it can be chosen for me sometime:p I do love me musicals and I remember seeing this back in the late 70s on TV as a kid and liking it. Too bad all of my musical list is checked off.


Million Dollar Baby, 2004
Not a film I would have probably ever gotten around to (especially as I'd already had a significant element of the plot spoiled for me)...
Seen this once and thought it was pretty great, but not the kind of film I'd usually rewatch. I have to say Clint Eastwood is one of my favorite directors, I love how he takes his time with the story and with his edits. So many new films are edited fast...cut, cut, cut, by directors who cut their teeth making MTV videos in the 80s. I need to see more Clint Eastwood films.



Mystery Train, 1989
...I really enjoyed Hawkins and Lee as the night clerk and bellboy respectively....
Overall I liked this one quite a bit. I just wish that the last segment had a little more pop.

rating_4I really liked Mystery Train, more so than Night on Earth (which I also liked). The last segment for me was also the weakest. I liked the first segment with the Japanese tourist couple the best and I enjoyed the desk clerk and bellboy too. I wish they had a bit more screen time though.

I just finished watching Fail Safe (1964) and the first word that comes to mind is WOW! Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet...I like Fail Safe it often gets compared to that other war film of the time Dr Stranglove which is also good but so different that I don't think they can be really compared. I should check out more of Sidney Lumet's filmography he's made some great films.

Roman Holiday
I love it when you think you know something about a classic and then it totally surprises you. This was a really great pick, and it honestly hadn't been a priority for me to see on my own...Great pick!When I seen Roman Holiday had been chose for you I thought you might hate it. It seems du jour for many MoFos to hate anything with Audrey Hepburn. I loved the film and Audrey too! And of course I love classic films, especially romantic drama films. Glad you liked it.

King Kong: I was glad this was nominated because it’s the type of movie I have a hard time starting because I just know I’m more than likely going to respond poorly...I love this old classic. Only seen it once but I was impressed by it's ground breaking movie making techniques which I learned about on the DVD extras. Have you seen the remake with Jack Black?

[seanc]

I love this old classic. Only seen it once but I was impressed by it's ground breaking movie making techniques which I learned about on the DVD extras. Have you seen the remake with Jack Black?

I did in the theater. Monster movies aren’t really for me. They have no life to them.

Why do we consider old techniques that look fake ground breaking but new techniques that look more realistic garish.

I don’t like CGI either, but this idea that older is better bothers me as much as the crowd that won’t watch old movies.

[Takoma11]

Glad I watched it. Maybe I will check out the original Godzilla soon as well.

I thought that the original Godzilla was excellent, and some of its environmental elements are painfully relevant today. Also, Takashi Shimura is in it!!

Seen this once and thought it was pretty great, but not the kind of film I'd usually rewatch. I have to say Clint Eastwood is one of my favorite directors, I love how he takes his time with the story and with his edits. So many new films are edited fast...cut, cut, cut, by directors who cut their teeth making MTV videos in the 80s. I need to see more Clint Eastwood films.

I thought that the slower scenes were fine, but when combined with extra content (like the whole Danger subplot), it dragged a bit. I think that if the plot had been streamlined a bit, it would have gone a long way because the sequences with the two main characters would have been less diluted.

When I seen Roman Holiday had been chose for you I thought you might hate it. It seems du jour for many MoFos to hate anything with Audrey Hepburn. I loved the film and Audrey too! And of course I love classic films, especially romantic drama films. Glad you liked it!

I just like what I like and hate what I hate with little input from the wisdom of the crowd, LOL.

I think that her character is a bit annoying and cutesy, but it's fine because it's a result of the restrictive way she has been raised.

[Citizen Rules]

...Why do we consider old techniques that look fake ground breaking but new techniques that look more realistic garish.

I don’t like CGI either, but this idea that older is better bothers me as much as the crowd that won’t watch old movies.I don't think many would say an old 1930s f/x is better looking than today's CG. For me a film like King Kong is historic like the very first Corvette or Mustang cars were. There's something neat about groundbreaking first. Even the first CG that was used in Star Trek was neat to see, though it didn't look as good as practical effects.

Sadly though, the ease and cost effectiveness of CG has caused some movies to be assembly line 'green screen' flicks. As much as I like Star Trek...I watched and hated the CG in the latest series Picard. It's true that the series didn't do a lot of CG but when they did create a CG scene like a space battle, they went way overboard visually and must have had a 1000 ships on the screen! Which made it feel like I was watching a kid's video game.

[Citizen Rules]

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/25900000/Flowers-alice-in-wonderland-25961561-800-400.jpg
Alice in Wonderland (Disney 1951)


Reaction: Appreciative, Neutral

Animation is a long shot for me. I never usually hate it, but I've yet to absolutely love a Disney film. Pixars, Miyazake and Studio Ghibli are more to my liking. But I'm not a fan of magna.

Believe it or not I'd never seen a classic Disney animated film until after joining MoFo...so glad this was nominated. I'm also happy to have a shorter length film to watch, 1:15...perfect for those long work days!

My favorite part was the forest scene with all the creative talking flowers. Liked the Bread & Butterflys too.

The movie didn't do much for me, Disney animation seems to me more like cartoons. This will probably fall in the middle or lower middle part of my list, depends of course on the other movies. Still thanks for giving me the chance to watch it:)

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.winwallpapers.net%2Fw1%2F2014%2F09%2FStand-by-Me-1986-Images.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Stand By Me, 1986

In the late 1950s a group of pre-teens--Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Chris (River Phoenix), Vern (Jerry O'Connell), and Teddy (Corey Feldman)--hear a rumor about the location of the body of a dead child. Determined to see the body, and possibly claim credit for its discovery, the boys set out on a trek to find the dead boy. Hanging over the boys are their challenging home lives and a gang of older boys (led by a sadistic Kiefer Sutherland) who may also be interested in the body.

This is another movie where the story and my response to it were not quite what I'd expected.

When I was growing up, I didn't have the kind of friend group portrayed in this film. I've always been more of a loner, and so running around unsupervised and going on adventures just wasn't part of my childhood. At the same time, however, I connected with this film on several levels. The first is that so many of the issues faced by the boys--death in their family, a mentally ill parent, being judged by the actions of one's family--are things that my students have experienced. In this film I saw mirrored so many of the boys who have passed through my classroom--I recognized their grief and their struggle and their resilience. And on another level, I think that a lot of people can connect with the idea of the pains of growing up, facing an uncertain future and wanting to be loved and appreciated.

When I've read plot summaries of this film, it's always been presented as the boys going to find "a dead body". I had always assumed that this was the body of an adult. But the body is that of a 12 year old child who wandered off while picking blueberries. This adds a totally different tone to the picture than I expected. These boys are not only being confronted with mortality, they are being shown an explicit example of the indifference and cruelty of the world, even toward children. Importantly, all of the boys have already had a taste of that cruelty, and so their quest feels less like a discovery, and more like a confirmation of something they already feel and suspect.

The film has a lot of elements that I normally don't love in a movie: voice-over narration, flashbacks, and slow-motion. For the most part I felt that it worked here because the film is so deeply entrenched in the subjective point of view of the boys. The sequence in which we watch the visualization of a story that Gordie is telling the other boys was a good example of something that barely squeaked by for me. Much more effective were the flashbacks, revealing the way that Gordie's life has changed since the death of his older brother (John Cusack!).

The heart of the film is obviously the boys and their relationship. While they all have good chemistry with each other and solid comic timing, Wheaton and Phoenix are the standouts as the two central figures. Wheaton plays Gordie with vulnerability and intelligence. Gordie wants to be a writer, but his family (and seemingly the whole town) can't help but compare him to his football star brother. Gordie must deal with both his grief at losing his brother (who was his main ally) and the indifference and even contempt that he receives from his parents. Phoenix is equally strong as Chris, a sensitive soul whose criminal family has put him on a path and led everyone to expect the worst from him. Gordie and Chris take turns comforting each other, and the portrayal of their friendship is touching and memorable. Each boy experiences a sense of doom, while at the same time lifting up the other. In a meta sense, this dynamic is doubly painful knowing that Phoenix would only live a mere 7 years after this film. Toward the end of the school year I was talking with two of my students. One of them said, " I think girls have more emotions than boys." I asked, "Do you think they have more emotions or do you think they show more emotions?" and this other boy jumped in and was like "YES! You're not supposed to show how you feel. You're just supposed to be tough and be quiet." Anyway, I love seeing a film that shows boys in particular productively expressing their fear/anxiety/sadness and getting support from their friends instead of derision.

Any complaints I have are very minor. I already mentioned having mixed feelings about some of the sequences that take us away from the boys. I also felt as if the dynamic with the gang of older boys was left a bit unresolved, especially as they are the threat that drives the action in the third act.

A very pleasant surprise!

Somewhere between 4 and 4.5.

[Citizen Rules]

Another well crafted & reflective review, Takoma. I enjoyed Stand By Me. I've seen it a number of times, the last being for an HoF. I too rate it highly. You perceived more than I would have ever noticed in the film. Some good observations by you. I do think you love the movie watching experience more so than many of us, and that's cool to see:)

[cricket]

Stand By Me was nominated for a HoF not long ago. I liked it a lot, but I didn't love it like I did as a teen.

I haven't seen Alice in Wonderland since I was a kid, but it at least brought us White Rabbit.

[Thief]

Great review, Tak. It is a film I've seen many times and never fails to move me.

[Thursday Next]

La Collectionneuse

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w220_and_h330_face/rMVluFrpfeCtcCUtDkjklbBirry.jpg

“If I listen to any more of your monologue, I’ll fall asleep right in this chair.”

I thought I was going to hate this, when it started, as a whole collection (!) of things I really don’t like in film showed up. First, the camera focusing on parts of Haydee’s body in an objectifying sort of way. Then a lot of voiceover and a lot of unlikable characters sitting around and talking endlessly about their philosophies about love and sex and life and not really doing anything.

Then it became clear that the film is actually sort of subverting all of these things. The camera gaze on Haydee is how the men in the film see her. The unsympathetic characters are not supposed to be sympathised with, they are shown up to be narcissistic jerks, the voiceover similar – what Adrien says about the situation is frequently at odds with is actually shown on screen. He says Haydee is interested in him while the camera shows her lounging, completely uninterested, in a nearby chair – he is an idiot, or lying to himself, or both, and his morals or philosophies of life are a load of nonsense.

But, amusing as this sometimes is, it’s not really enough to sustain a whole film. We’re still left with an hour and a half (which feels more like two hours, at least) in the company of these horrible, deluded men who are say awful things to this young woman. The persistent voiceover and sitting around talking is still quite annoying. People doing nothing out of some kind of philosophy of cultivating laziness is still quite boring.

Visually, there are some nice languid shots of the beach, the countryside and the town. The inside of the house is ugly. I don’t know whether this is some kind of metaphor or just an example of late sixties decorating.

I definitely didn’t hate it in the end, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it all that much either. I just don’t think Rohmer is for me. Although this was about a million times better than Claire’s Knee.

[cricket]

That's my favorite Rohmer so far, but I liked the girl so you know.

[Allaby]

I watched Little Big Man (1970). Directed by Arthur Penn, the film stars Dustin Hoffman as a very old man looking back on his life and experiences including being raised by Native Americans. For me, Hoffman was the best part of the film. His performance is fantastic. The film itself is somewhat uneven. There are some interesting moments, but sometimes the story meanders and feels repetitive. It goes on for too long and could have easily been at least 20 minutes shorter. This is the 3rd Penn film I have seen and although it is not as good as Bonnie and Clyde and Night Moves, it has enough good points for me to rate it a 3.5.

[seanc]

Sunrise: The Song Of Two Humans Maybe I shouldn’t have a favorite silent director yet, but it’s hard for me to imagine I will respond to anyone the way I do Murneau. His films are just visually stunning. He seems to have a contrast in his B&W that others don’t.

He also tells really cool stories in an engaging way. I was pretty stunned from the start how dark this was willing to go. Awesome middle third that makes the finale pack a punch. Perfect film.

I don’t think it passed Metropolis for my fave silent, but it’s pretty damn close.

[Takoma11]

Another well crafted & reflective review, Takoma. I enjoyed Stand By Me. I've seen it a number of times, the last being for an HoF. I too rate it highly. You perceived more than I would have ever noticed in the film. Some good observations by you. I do think you love the movie watching experience more so than many of us, and that's cool to see:)

Thanks!

I am very much in the "movies as empathy machines" camp. When I make a personal connection to a film it gives me an opportunity to reflect on my own life, and I find those to be very powerful viewing experiences.

[Wyldesyde19]

Thanks!

I am very much in the "movies as empathy machines" camp. When I make a personal connection to a film it gives me an opportunity to reflect on my own life, and I find those to be very powerful viewing experiences.

I’m very much in agreement with CR.
Have you seen Better Days? It’s about bullying, and given your experience as a teacher, I wonder what your thoughts would be in comparison.

[Takoma11]

I’m very much in agreement with CR.
Have you seen Better Days? It’s about bullying, and given your experience as a teacher, I wonder what your thoughts would be in comparison.

I haven't. Just added it to my watchlist, thanks!

[Wyldesyde19]

I haven't. Just added it to my watchlist, thanks!
It’s on Hulu if you have that. Your welcome.

[edarsenal]

https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i389/shane_idlikeittobemyidea_FC_470x264_020220160642.jpg


Shane (1953)

[first lines]
Joey: Somebody's comin', Pa!
Joe Starrett: Well, let him come.

One of my From young pup to old fart, favorite genres; Westerns, this MustSee! Classic by Director George Stevens; also the off-camera cheering during the bar fight: "Knock Him Into That Pigpen, Chris!" does a d@mn fine job of running the full gambit of the mysterious gunslinger with integrity, (Alan Ladd) arriving at a Homestead of Honest, Wholesome, Hard-Working folks that love and cherish each other. Ideally portrayed by Van Heflin, who would do a similarly simple, honest man willing to fight for what's right in 3:10 To Yuma. As his devoted wife and loving mother, Jean Arthur, whom I've loved in a few comedic turns. Her sharp wit being an adored favorite of mine. Finally, their infatuated son, whom, during the Western Countdown, I remember hearing of a lot of annoyance for the kid. I get that, but honestly, even though a little less would have been more, he did encapsulate the focus of Family that plays a strong role in this film.

Like a scarred animal coming upon a haven, Shane is welcomed. He returns their graciousness with good, honest labor.
Like most mysterious men, Shane wants his past life to remain in the past. But - this is The West, dang gummit! Where men are men and the sheep walk funny.
Soon, Shane joins forces to fight back against a wannabe cattle baron intent on taking EVERYONE'S land.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4o9duHpeBQQ/TS8C13CdxHI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/E77CaaiJBkI/s1600/aa8.JPG
Moreso with the hired gun, Monsieur F@cking Cold, Psychopath (Jack Palance).
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ufQCTT1AJL0/TIe9t6gxj8I/AAAAAAAABFo/XrmOf7oNtLw/s1600/Jack+Palance+Shane.jpg
And I gotta tell ya; I LOVE how his arrival causes the dog to slink away from him, along with the second time when sh#t's about to go down in the Bar.

As initially stated, this hits every checklist for a d@mn fine Western. More importantly, it does it right from the Academy-winning Cinematography to the most minute nuance in the other Homesteaders, to the bullies that herd cattle. And every moral compassed action by those involved. Well, not, Palace's Wilson, obviously, but, you know, everyone ELSE. Which included several childhood favorites from a few TV Shows. From Uncle Joe from Petticoat Junction as the bearded Homesteader with a massive family to Grandma Walton playing Elisha Cook Jr' wife, to a minimal role for the actress who would play Jane Hathaway, the secretary at the bank in The Beverly Hillbillies.

A VERY needed movie to have checked off my Western list and with it, the usual, but very sincere THANK YOU to whoever nominated it for me.
VERY much obliged!!

[edarsenal]

I have two more films that I need to write up; Le Jour Se Leve and Born Yesterday - both I enjoyed immensely, but it's too late to write them up as well. So, that'll be another time.
It's also too late for me to comment on the recent films reviewed, so that'll be later too.

[edarsenal]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/f8a5555b4331ecf8b48dbae8a4e68062/tumblr_ps3mt82PJw1r6ja9oo1_540.gifv


Le Jour Se Leve aka Daybreak (1939)

M. Valentin: You're the type women fall in love with . . . I'm the type that interests them.

A tight thriller that centers around Francois' (Jean Gabin) recollections of how things led up to the murder that occurs in the opening scene. Barricading himself from the police in his apartment, the street below overflowing with neighbors watching and waiting for the outcome.

This is quite the engaging fatalist film with a French flair for tragedy. The love triangle and cheating spread out to a square to include four people. The additional two individuals adding their own complexities to an already complex love affair that could have been a simple love story if not for what occurs between them all.
https://www.thejc.com/image/policy:1.95822:1480912829/French-connection-Jacqueline-Laurent-and-Jean-Gabin.jpg?f=16x9&h=576&w=1024&$p$f$h$w=e446462
https://filmstudies.princeton.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/10/F3811_2.jpeg

The inevitability of it is as stark as the shots fired behind a closed door and the dying man stumbling out and collapsing down the staircase.
Encased in a kind of poetic bravado as a tourniquet for personal loss and heartbreak, Director Marcel Carné sets the stage. He keeps everything moving along at a crisp speed while still retaining so much nuance in both the prime players as well as those witnessing the ordeal through the night. Much of this results from the fluidity between that night and the flashbacks to how it came to be. The cinematography adding to the poetic tragedy quite beautifully.

Another great film to add to my favorites of Jean Gabin.
Merci beaucoup!

[neiba]

Withnail and I: This and Sunshine are two I was hoping would be nominated for me, so I was very pleased to see both. Withnail has been on my radar too long despite me really knowing nothing about it. Maybe that’s why I never pulled the trigger. I was pretty disappointed unfortunately.

Drug comedies just don’t work for me very often. That’s pretty ironic here because Danny was the only character I really found funny, and he’s the biggest stoner of them all. Also the most over the top so probably why he’s the funniest to me.

Withnail is really a nothing character. He’s not funny and he’s not endearing. I really never had any response to him at all. That made the ending feel really unearned. Bummer of a watch.

I was not a fan of that^^^either.

Egads! I hated Withnail and I. It was nominated for the 12th HoF and that's where I watched it.

Philistines!!!

Jk :p Sad you didn't like Withnail & I, Sean... It was my nom for you, and one of my favourite movies that I've been trying to show more people here, apparently unsuccessfully :(

[Wyldesyde19]

Philistines!!!

Jk :p Sad you didn't like Withnail & I, Sean... It was my nom for you, and one of my favourite movies that I've been trying to show more people here, apparently unsuccessfully :(


I imagine Tak felt the same way over how a few of us responded to Santa Sangre.

[Thursday Next]

I like Withnail & I . "We've gone on holiday by mistake!" :)

[Thief]

Le Jour se lève is a recent favorite of mine. Loved it.

[Thief]

So.... Takoma is almost finished then...

https://media1.tenor.com/images/4dea7feb153dfcc76a3f473da537d15e/tenor.gif

[Thief]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-OFG-FLiwQ6I%2FVxYtAVfkCFI%2FAAAAAAAAP8c%2Fvxdhvs8tP2g844meoSMVaVWPV-aJVwKtQCKgB%2Fs1600%2FMillion%252BDollar%252BBaby%252B4.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Million Dollar Baby, 2004

Boxing trainer Frankie (Clint Eastwood) has become overly cautious and conservative as a coach, unwilling to endanger his fighters. This loses him his prize fighter (Mike Colter). Then into Frankie's gym walks Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a woman in her early 30s and from a rough background, determined to get Frankie to train her. Although he is hesitant, at the urging of his friend Eddie (Morgan Freeman) Frankie takes Maggie on as a fighter and she rises quickly through the ranks.

I was at the gym today, and I was doing a bench press series and I thought about the part in this movie where Maggie says that boxing is the only thing she feels happy doing and she refuses to give it up.

I think that in its best moments, this film captures what it is like to push yourself in a way that is both physical and mental, and the particular joy of doing so with someone to support you and drive you. Maggie is, according to Frankie and conventional wisdom, already over the hill in terms of becoming a great boxer, but she has found something that brings her happiness and she pursues it relentlessly. Watching Frankie get caught up in the magic and the hope of that is really fun.

I also enjoyed Morgan Freeman's Eddie, a character who understands the benefits of boxing beyond the wins and the losses. While I could take or leave the subplot about a mentally handicapped man (Jay Baruchel) who trains at the gym but is afraid to throw a punch at an opponent, I did enjoy the chance to see that side of Eddie's character.

I thought that Swank was very strong in the lead role, conveying Maggie's toughness and vulnerability and the way that they ebb and flow as she interacts with others. Her family has given her plenty of examples of bad behavior, and she is as much running away from that future as she is running toward anything.

Where I struggled a bit with the film was in all the places it leaned toward more Hollywood, popular fare. I don't love a voice over, but as it's Morgan Freeman I'll allow it. Where the film really fell flat for me, though, was in the portrayal of Maggie's family.

Quick, name every "white trash" stereotype you can think of! Cheating on welfare? Check! Babies out of wedlock? Check! Doing jail time? Check! Bad tattoos? Check! Obese? Check! Living in a trailer? Check! Greedy? Check! And I know that people like this do exist (I, um, I teach some of their children), but when taken as a group they feel like a caricature, especially in contrast with Swank's much more measured Maggie.

And if the presence of these characters wasn't bad enough, the film decides to use them as the catalyst for a minor climax and "stand up and cheer" moment when Maggie stands up to them and refuses to sign her assets over to them. The major problem with this (aside from disrupting the rather interesting drama and character stuff that comes before and after it, is that later in the film (MAJOR SPOILERS)Maggie does not (that I remember) designate her assets to anyone, so when she dies, her next of kin is her horrible family and they end up with all her money and her house anyway!

I also wasn't sure about how I felt about Frankie's character arc. He is estranged from his daughter--and asks her forgiveness in letters she returns without reading--but the film never tells us why. The whole thing of Maggie becoming kind of like a surrogate daughter to him (and she is missing her father as well) is fine, but in the last act of the film I wasn't sure things landed quite right. The logic about Frankie's decisions and how and why he chooses to make them just weren't convincing to me. Maggie is the point of view character, but the character arc belongs to Frankie and I found it a bit underwhelming in the end. In the last act Eastwood's performance also begins to oscillate more between more naturalistic acting and this exaggerated "growly old man" and I found it kind of jarring.

Not a film I would have probably ever gotten around to (especially as I'd already had a significant element of the plot spoiled for me), but it's always interesting to watch something you'd never normally pick for yourself.

3.5

I saw this last year, I think, and I liked it more than I was expecting. I think I gave it the same rating.

[Thief]

79200
The Player (1992)

Reaction: 👍

Someone chose well! The Player is right up my alley! It's my type of film, the type of film I'd chose for myself...I really enjoyed watching it! As a plus I was glad to explore more of Altman's filmography as I haven't seen many of his movies. The Player reminded me of another favorite by the Coen Brothers, Barton Fink.

What I really liked was the insider story of a Hollywood movie executive who listens to movie pitches and green lights only a handful of films...I want that job!!!:p I loved the inside look at the movie business, very cool.

I also loved the detail of the sets at the studio, and I loved spotting all the stars who made cameos. Tim Robbins is a favorite actor of mine and I liked him here.

I liked that the story was part comedy and never intense. I dislike intense, realistic crime thrillers, though I do like old 40s-50s film noir...I despise newer crime thrillers. Luckily this film had a lighter feel to it, which suited me. I though the ending twist was pretty clever too and it gave the movie a film within a film feel.

The Player is going to score high on my list.



Haven't seen this in a long, long time, but I remember enjoying the hell out of it. Should give it a rewatch one of these days.

[Thief]

King Kong: I was glad this was nominated because it’s the type of movie I have a hard time starting because I just know I’m more than likely going to respond poorly. Well, I did, but at least I can cross it to fog my list.

My problem with the movie is there just wasn’t any real thought put into the characters or the screenplay. It’s all about getting to Kong and seeing the spectacle. It’s just not enough to carry two hours for me.

I did get some surprises. Cool thanks see the first stop animation. Looks like claymation to me, maybe someone can verify. I didn’t realize that there would be other monsters. I thought that was something added to the lore later on. So that was fun.

Glad I watched it. Maybe I will check out the original Godzilla soon as well.

Seen this a couple of times and I like it a lot. I agree that the characters are very one-dimensional, but I think the charm/heart of Kong and Ann, and the whole visual spectacle carries it well enough.

And since you mentioned it, I wasn't that crazy about the original Godzilla, but that's one I should probably give another shot.

[cricket]

Le Jour Se Leve, Shane, Sunrise, and Little Big Man are all great films in my book.

[Citizen Rules]

Haven't seen this in a long, long time, but I remember enjoying the hell out of it. Should give it a rewatch one of these days.The Player would pair well with Matinee (1993)
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107529/)

[Takoma11]

I imagine Tak felt the same way over how a few of us responded to Santa Sangre.

I think it's a really powerful, lovely, and horrifying film. But I also knew it was a bit of a gamble, since it is very much its own little world.

[Thief]

The Player would pair well with Matinee (1993)
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107529/)

Another one I haven't seen, and that I've seen gained more "prestige", so to speak, as time goes by.

[cricket]

Stranger than Paradise

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8f/28/11/8f2811b636d770b18fdb42ee8eea5392.jpg

I wouldn't call this a grand slam but it's at least a home run given how I felt about the 3 other Jim Jarmusch films I've seen. This reminded me of a John Cassavetes film and that's a good thing. It's raw and dreary, and normally I would have expected it to turn into a crime film, but I know Jarmusch is a bit quirky. The cast was great, and I would guess there was a lot of improvisation. It's basically broken up into 3 sections: New York, Cleveland, and Florida. I preferred the first two a little bit, and it's funny how I think the look of Dead Man is so unappealing when so much of it is shots of nature's beauty. With this movie, especially in NY and Cleveland, everything he films is ugly as sin yet it looks so beautiful. It's a very amusing and watchable film. The ending for any other film would be infuriating, but for this film it was just perfect.

3.5

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79273
The Full Monty (1997)

Reaction: Pleasantly surprised

I was a bit dubious going into this movie, as male strippers aren't my forte. The first 10 minutes was overly zany and had me dreaded that this might turn out to be another Withnail and I.

Then the down and out guys decide to earn some needed quids (money?) by putting on a strip show...and low & behold the film got a lot better:p It got better because it got heart. The characters were people who had life challenges that was easy to relate to. Yes this was a feel good movie, but what's wrong with that?

I did end up liking it, mostly, at least there was nothing I hated about it. Not a remarkable movie but a fun diversion.

This will probably hit my ranked list about in the middle.

[cricket]

Yea, someone would have to nominate that for me, but I don't see why I wouldn't like it.

[Takoma11]

I really liked it as well, although the third act was a little off to me. Bullying is an issue I hold close, and was satisfied with how Tsang handled it. He handled the more intense scenes well (not really showing the bodies as shock value, the bullying scene with Chen Nien where he could have exploited it but avoided doing so).

I also enjoyed the commentary on how much pressure is put on these kids on their placement tests and how they’re constantly reminded their future depends on it.

Even one of the bullies laments how she had to repeat a grade and her father hasn’t spoken to her since.

Really well done, even if I’m not completely aware of how their culture is.

I was talking about Santa Sangre--haven't gotten around to Better Days yet.

[Wyldesyde19]

I was talking about Santa Sangre--haven't gotten around to Better Days yet.
I didn’t even read the quote and that is on me. I’ll delete to avoid anything spoilerish

[edarsenal]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79273
The Full Monty (1997)

Reaction: Pleasantly surprised

I was a bit dubious going into this movie, as male strippers aren't my forte. The first 10 minutes was overly zany and had me dreaded that this might turn out to be another Withnail and I.

Then the down and out guys decide to earn some needed quids (money?) by putting on a strip show...and low & behold the film got a lot better:p It got better because it got heart. The characters were people who had life challenges that was easy to relate to. Yes this was a feel good movie, but what's wrong with that?

I did end up liking it, mostly, at least there was nothing I hated about it. Not a remarkable movie but a fun diversion.

This will probably hit my ranked list about in the middle.





I remember seeing this and feeling the same way about it having heart. Definitely need see it again. I do know I can't hear the song "Hot Stuff" without thinking of the scene in the Unemployment Office lol


Also considering you average enjoyment for Alice in Wonderland I think it's safe to say Classic Disney just isn't for you and Ghibli definitely is :)

[edarsenal]

I watched Little Big Man (1970). Directed by Arthur Penn, the film stars Dustin Hoffman as a very old man looking back on his life and experiences including being raised by Native Americans. For me, Hoffman was the best part of the film. His performance is fantastic. The film itself is somewhat uneven. There are some interesting moments, but sometimes the story meanders and feels repetitive. It goes on for too long and could have easily been at least 20 minutes shorter. This is the 3rd Penn film I have seen and although it is not as good as Bonnie and Clyde and Night Moves, it has enough good points for me to rate it a 3.5.
I've seen this a number of times throughout the years and I do agree. Hoffman IS the highlight, and while a great film, it does meander a bit.
Sunrise: The Song Of Two Humans Maybe I shouldn’t have a favorite silent director yet, but it’s hard for me to imagine I will respond to anyone the way I do Murneau. His films are just visually stunning. He seems to have a contrast in his B&W that others don’t.

He also tells really cool stories in an engaging way. I was pretty stunned from the start how dark this was willing to go. Awesome middle third that makes the finale pack a punch. Perfect film.

I don’t think it passed Metropolis for my fave silent, but it’s pretty damn close.
I feel exactly the same when it comes to Murnau.

[Allaby]

I watched Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). This dark comedy is directed by Robert Hamer and stars Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, and Alec Guinness. A poor distant relative of a wealthy royal family decides to kill off the other heirs ahead of him so he can become Duke. I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable film. The screenplay is witty and sharply clever, with some good twists along the way. Performances from the actors are quite good, most notably Alec Guinness, who plays 8 roles in a humorous, yet convincing way. Kind Hearts and Coronets is an entertaining and amusing film. I'm glad I got around to watching it. Thanks to whoever suggested it for me. 4

[edarsenal]

Seen Kind Hearts a few times and always enjoy its wit

[Takoma11]

I didn’t even read the quote and that is on me. I’ll delete to avoid anything spoilerish

No worries!

[Thief]

Well, I just saw High Noon so I'm unofficially on the board. Will try to post a review tomorrow.

[cricket]

I think Kind Hearts and Coronets made my 40's ballot. Alec Guinness is amazing.

[neiba]

Point Break (1991)

Damn, this is a bad one... Acting is horrible by absolutely everyone involved, the script has some The Room'like moments, the sound editing is amateurish, the pacing is all over the place, and it's the kind of cheesy that makes the 80s and early 90s the worst period for film, in my opinion.
At least I know now where did the Fast and Furious franchise come from. And that's not a compliment.

2 -

[Citizen Rules]

Point Break (1991)

Damn, this is a bad one... Acting is horrible by absolutely everyone involved, the script has some The Room'like moments, the sound editing is amateurish, the pacing is all over the place, and it's the kind of cheesy that makes the 80s and early 90s the worst period for film, in my opinion.
At least I know now where did the Fast and Furious franchise come from. And that's not a compliment.

rating_2 -I've not seen that and have no desire to watch it, crime thrillers are not my thing. I looked at the cast: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves & Gary Busey no wonder the movie blew. Could any of those guys even act?

[cricket]

I actually love that cast and there's some coolness to the movie, but even back in the day when I really went for movies like that, I just thought it was ok. I don't get the love.

[edarsenal]

Haven't seen Point Break since it came out and amongst its genre of films of the time it sat around mid level. Not bad, but not something I would revisit.

Pretty curious to read thief's thoughts on High Noon.

And I'll be posting by review and coinciding Thank You for my first "Hidden Gem" of this HoF , later today.

[Thief]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79273
The Full Monty (1997)

Reaction: Pleasantly surprised

I was a bit dubious going into this movie, as male strippers aren't my forte. The first 10 minutes was overly zany and had me dreaded that this might turn out to be another Withnail and I.

Then the down and out guys decide to earn some needed quids (money?) by putting on a strip show...and low & behold the film got a lot better:p It got better because it got heart. The characters were people who had life challenges that was easy to relate to. Yes this was a feel good movie, but what's wrong with that?

I did end up liking it, mostly, at least there was nothing I hated about it. Not a remarkable movie but a fun diversion.

This will probably hit my ranked list about in the middle.






I remember one of my older brothers gave me this DVD for a birthday back in the day and I was "WTF?" cause at the time (I was 20, maybe?), it didn't seem like my thing (British dramedy about middle-aged men becoming strippers?) but like you said, I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I haven't seen it since and I barely remember anything. Should probably pop in that DVD again one of these days.

[edarsenal]

I think Kind Hearts and Coronets made my 40's ballot. Alec Guinness is amazing.
I had to look and see but it was on mine as well
And yes he is!!

[edarsenal]

I remember one of my older brothers gave me this DVD for a birthday back in the day and I was "WTF?" cause at the time (I was 20, maybe?), it didn't seem like my thing (British dramedy about middle-aged men becoming strippers?) but like you said, I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I haven't seen it since and I barely remember anything. Should probably pop in that DVD again one of these days.

A revisit DOES seem in order.

[Thief]

This is something I wrote about Point Break when I rewatched it back in 2016...


I hadn't seen this film since the 1990's, but for some reason, I thought today might be a nice day to revisit it. The only things that were in my memory were bank-robbers with Presidents masks, Gary Busey joke-surfing on top a desk, Angry Keanu shooting to the sky, and the ending.

Point Break indeed follows a group of bank-robbers that use the money to fund their extreme surfing and parachuting escapades. So when the FBI decides to track them, they put a rookie agent with no knowledge of surfing on the job. So he goes out to learn how to surf, and the first beach he goes, he almost drowns; and the first person that rescues him? the ex-girlfriend of the leader of the bank-robbers (Patrick Swayze), who goes on to teach him how to surf while he befriends Swayze and Co.

I could go on and on with all the plot contrivances and ludicrousness of the story, not to mention Keanu Reeves' awful performance... but somehow, it kinda works. Sometimes the dialogue is cringe-worthy, but, Keanu aside, most of the cast goes from serviceable and competent to pretty good (most notably Swayze). IMO, what holds it together is Kathryn Bigelow's direction, who manages to keep the pace brisk.

Point Break is as uneven and as choppy as the waves these dudes surf in, but it's still a pretty cool ride.


I gave it 3 *shrug*

[seanc]

Heavenly Creatures: Add another really good movie to my favorite movie year. Very cool performances by the young leads. Winslet went in to be one of my faves and I always think Lansky is interesting.

Cool looking film, always appreciate how Jackson mixes in the fantastical in an interesting way, but doesn’t over do it. The tone of the film is fantastical anyway, so you always feel like you are in another world. He does a great job of putting us in the girl’s POV. Which draws much empathy…till it appropriately doesn’t.

[Thursday Next]

I really liked Heavenly Creatures. I didn't really get the love for Point Break.

[edarsenal]

I remember Heavenly Creatures drifting across my radar for a time and holding a curiosity for me that perhaps I should pay actual attention to.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.ltrbxd.com%2Fresized%2Fsm%2Fupload%2Fik%2Fgl%2F18%2F6e%2Fsullivans-travels-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg%3Fk%3D17b0950a1a&f=1&nofb=1

Sullivan's Travels, 1941

Film director John Sullivan (Joel McCrea) has made a series of frivolous comedies and wants to try his hand at making a serious, moral piece (an adaptation of Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?). When everyone from his studio head to his butler points out that he doesn't have the real-world experience to understand the point of view of those who are impoverished, Sullivan decides to disguise himself as a down-on-his luck worker and get some first-hand experience. During the course of his travels he meets a young woman (Veronica Lake) who decides to accompany him on his travels.

This was a very charming, funny, and at times powerful film. I'm really surprised it hasn't been more prominently on my radar.

The film demonstrates a really fun sense of humor about the film industry itself, beginning with the very opening sequence of Sullivan's conversation with the studio heads. Even the fake titles of Sullivan's films are hilariously on point: Hey Hey in the Hayloft and Ants in Your Pants of 1939. From there, it lampoons people who want to make "serious" or "real" art about life experiences completely removed from theirs.

The first two-thirds of the film are a lot of fun and slapstick as Sullivan goes out on his first few ventures. There's a bouncy little setpiece where Sullivan hitches a ride with a 13-year old child in a speed racer and attempts to elude the bus of studio employees who have been hired to follow him around and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble.

Once Lake enters the picture as the world weary young woman, the picture picks up even more pep. Lake and McCrea have good chemistry, and Lake is practically luminous.

Where the film gets really interesting is in the last third. After a series of escapades where Sullivan goes out on the road then retreats to the comfort of his mansion or the well-equipped studio bus, Sullivan finally ends up in a situation where he cannot just fall back on his wealth and reputation.

It was in this 20 or so minutes that the film takes a turn and, for me, became genuinely really interesting. Sullivan experiences first hand the inequities and prejudices of those in poverty and without resources. He endures verbal and physical abuse--including torture--at the hands of the man running the hard labor camp. (The use of prisoners as slave labor historically and presently is something I've always found fascinating in a sort of repulsive way, and it's interesting seeing it presented so starkly).

This part of the film also includes what I considered the most fascinating moment: the prisoners are allowed to attend a movie night at a Black church. The pastor running the church addresses his congregation, telling them that they must not show judgement against the prisoners and must not look at them in a way that would make them feel lesser. It's a moment where class and wealth trump race when it comes to privilege, and it's a jarring moment to see a group of middle or lower class Black people having to show kindness and acceptance to a group of white people. "Remember," the pastor tells them, "we are all equal in the eyes of God." The whole sequence was really interesting and deftly handled by Sturges, who lets the moment be a bit light, a bit serious, and empathetic to all involved. It's also nice seeing Black character played by Black actors, and it's a nice counterbalance to a very caricatured portrayal of a Black cook from earlier in the film.

I had two complaints with this one. Well, one complaint and one think-about. The think-about had to do with the idea of how art intersects with social awareness and social change. The film pushes the message that poor people do not want films made about their lives, and that it's more useful to make art that will entertain people than raise consciousness. I had a mixed reaction to this message. I did really appreciate when one of Sullivan's servants talks about the idea that only the "morbid rich" would want to watch films about poverty. I do think that there is something to the idea of treating poverty as some sort of freak show. But on the other hand, I think that movies can be agents of change, or at the very least important historical/artistic documents in terms of showing certain realities. I think that movies like Gentleman's Agreement are important.

As for the actual complaint, well, I understand that this was mainly meant to be a comedy. But the sequence where Sullivan is convicted and serving time is head and shoulders better than the whole rest of the film. I didn't need it to drag out too long, but I enjoyed it far more than everything else and felt that it could have lasted a bit longer. I just kept thinking the whole movie that Sullivan wasn't really doing what he said he would, because every five minutes he was back in nice clothes or a nice car. I think that is intentional and it's part of the point, but the way that the film quickly resolves and then wraps around to him deciding to stick to comedies felt a bit off. He's just personally experienced torture and injustice, and he decides that his next course of action is to make more comedies.

I would also say that Lake's character is . . . kind of pointless. She's really strong in her first interaction with Sullivan in the diner, but after that she's just reactionary eye candy. I know that the film lampshaded this a bit--"with a bit of sex!"--but it does mainly feel like Lake was in the movie to fall in the pool and for a long, risque shot of her in a shower. She's capable of witty, comic timing, and I felt that she was a bit underused. (But, again, her character isn't really necessary to the plot.

A fun little film. (With a little sex in it!).

4

[Thief]

Heavenly Creatures: Add another really good movie to my favorite movie year. Very cool performances by the young leads. Winslet went in to be one of my faves and I always think Lansky is interesting.

Cool looking film, always appreciate how Jackson mixes in the fantastical in an interesting way, but doesn’t over do it. The tone of the film is fantastical anyway, so you always feel like you are in another world. He does a great job of putting us in the girl’s POV. Which draws much empathy…till it appropriately doesn’t.

Peter Jackson's career has got to be one of the most interesting in the business, and this film clearly embodies that shift from the "crazy" splatter horror to the more serious director. Not that I'm putting one over the other, but it's a shift. I saw this back in the day, probably a year after seeing Braindead, and a couple of years before Lord of the Rings came to be and I was blown away by it.

[cricket]

Red Road

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/29%20(862).jpg?bwg=1547380262

Blind watch, but I recognized the name of the director, Andrea Arnold. I thought she was the director of Wendy & Lucy and Night Moves so I wasn't very excited. My hopes were raised when I realized she was the director of Fish Tank and American Honey, movies I liked much more.

It starts out with mysterious and voyeuristic qualities and I had no idea where it was going. It was almost like a thriller. It's an extremely bleak movie that in the end was quite sad and powerful. Very good performances especially from the lead actress and it's filmed beautifully. Another good choice for me.

3.5+

[Takoma11]

Red Road

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/29%20(862).jpg?bwg=1547380262

Blind watch, but I recognized the name of the director, Andrea Arnold. I thought she was the director of Wendy & Lucy and Night Moves so I wasn't very excited. My hopes were raised when I realized she was the director of Fish Tank and American Honey, movies I liked much more.

It starts out with mysterious and voyeuristic qualities and I had no idea where it was going. It was almost like a thriller. It's an extremely bleak movie that in the end was quite sad and powerful. Very good performances especially from the lead actress and it's filmed beautifully. Another good choice for me.

3.5+

I really like Red Road. It is a bit bleak and sad, but I think that all of the performances are really solid. Once you get to the end and understand more about why everything happened, it makes a rewatch really interesting.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oscarchamps.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F12%2F1970-MASH-04.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

M*A*S*H, 1970

In 1951, two new combat surgeons arrive in Korea as part of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland) and Duke (Tom Skerrit) have both been drafted and arrive ready to make trouble. Later joined by heart surgeon Trapper (Elliot Gould), the men clash with a surgeon named Burns (Robert Duvall) and the head nurse Houlihan (Sally Kellerman), both of whom want the camp run by-the-book.

The best part of this film is the dark humor that pervades it, particularly highlighted by the inane and bumbling intercom announcements that punctuate the action. As the men try to save the lives of mutilated soldiers, the intercom informs them that marijuana has officially been declared an illegal and dangerous substance.

This film also showcases Altman's gift of using overlapping dialogue. At times this is used to effectively establish the hustle and bustle of the operating space in the hospital. Other times it is used to more comic effect, as in several scenes where competent assistant Radar (Gary Burghoff) speaks just a second ahead of his commanding officer (Roger Bowen), having already anticipated the man's orders. The actors all do a good job with this method of line delivery, and having characters speak at different volumes adds to the realism of the dialogue.

As an overall film, though, I will admit that I struggled with this one a bit. There's a line between charmingly roguish behavior and doing gross things to people, and way too often the antics of the "Swampmen" (as they nickname themselves) came down on the wrong side of that line for me. The film repeatedly goes back to the same well over and over again--sexual humiliation--and I increasingly found myself siding with the victims of their "pranks."

The character who is most misused, both by the men and the film, is Houlihan. Initially, the men punish her for her disapproval (who wouldn't want to be called a bitch and have someone demand that you take your clothes off? What a prude!) by sneaking a microphone into her tent to humiliate her and Burns, who have started an affair. I was kind of willing to give this a pass. But later, for seemingly no reason, the men make a bet about whether she is a "natural blonde", which involves exposing her naked body to over a dozen people. Ha ha? The film divides its female characters into two categories: the ones who like being ogled and happily mend the men's clothing, and the uptight rule followers. Their harassment later in the film of a female nurse who tries to keep them from storming into a hospital (they are wearing civilian clothing) was actively off-putting. And later in the film, Houlihan just suddenly . . . doesn't have a problem with them anymore? With the implication that it's because she just needed good sex? She turns into a ditzy, literal cheerleader rah-rahing for the men as they play football.

I think it's too bad that the film didn't lean more on the humor that had a bit of humanity to it. When one of the officers believes that he has turned gay and declares his intention to commit suicide, the men stage a mock last supper/wake for him. When a young Korean man who works at the camp is drafted into the Korean Army, the men attempt to get him out of service by giving him drugs to mess with his heart rate and blood pressure. Even a scene where the soft-spoken priest (Rene Aberjonois) is pulled away from giving last rites---to a man who has already died--to that he can assist in a surgery has a kind of dark magnetism to it.

Performance wise, I really enjoyed all of the central performances (aside from Kellerman's shrieking caricature), but I kept having this disconnect where the pacing and the score kept suggesting I ought to be smirking along with the antics of the central trio even as I found them increasingly grating.

A distinctive style of filmmaking made this one interesting to watch. I just wish that in the various adventures I hadn't found so much of the on-screen behavior to be actively mean-spirited.

3.5

[edarsenal]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8c948b53c92227aaa2aa2e9d552f8317/7e8b2ed175b0cb2e-53/s540x810/016f5887a2b8b414fc45c9e6223dcc3a64f1be54.gifv


Born Yesterday (1950)

Jim Devery: All you have to do is be nice - and no rough language.
Billie: I won't open my mush.

Many a time, it has been remarked upon how tricky it is to pick a Comedy for an HoF being as subjective as it is. Though it could easily be said about -- pretty much everything, it does seem to hinge directly on it a little more so.
But when it works. . . Man, oh, man!!
And this truly f@ckin works for me.

It all comes down to the genius of Judy Holliday's portrayal of the comedic "ditzy blonde." Along with her "straight man," Broderick Crawford. Their bombastic relationship being the fodder of every scene that brought forth an eruption of laughter out of me. Creating a comedic duo that matches the echelon of many Vauldvillin/Burlesque Comedy Teams of previous decades. Their arguing reminding me of a marriage of Burns & Allen and the tv show, The Honeymooners, when Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows would go at it.
Sheer brilliance.
My absolute favorite is the Card Game Scene which I've seen versions of/tip of the hats to, such as on All of the Family with Archie (Carol O'Connor) and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton).
But Judy's Holliday's Billie Dawn is more than happy to yell back, unlike the more compliant Edith. the threat of violence does, in one pivotal scene, is followed through. Its effectiveness to the storyline's process is, like everything else, very essential. Not one I would like to have, but one I would not remove either due to the reason stated.
To continue my raving of Judy Holliday and her genius, and it is just that. Her every nuance of voice, manner, body language, et al. is a true mastery of the art form. A woman of a 170 IQ, Holliday had stated numerous times that "It takes real smarts to make people believe you're dumb." Extending that necessary intelligence to "keep an audience's attention without extraordinary physical equipment." And she does. In spades!
It is said that: "searching for subversives in the film industry the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was flummoxed (I f@ckin LOVE that description) by Holliday, who essentially played her Oscar-winning character "Billie Dawn" on the witness stand."
YOU GO, GIRL!

Director Cukor, to tighten and perfect the comedic timing while the set was being constructed he had the cast perform, again and again before a live audience. That timing shines through with everyone.
I should also note that William Holden is also in this as the man Broderick's character hires to teach Billie manners/book smarts and ends up severely regretting it. Holding his own to these two scene-stealers that kept my full attention.

I don't care WHO it is that nominated this, but whoever you are, you're getting a BIG FAT kiss and a hug from me!
THANK YOU!!

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs.hdnux.com%2Fphotos%2F10%2F64%2F01%2F2310219%2F11%2F920x920.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Wendy and Lucy, 2008

Wendy (Michelle Williams) is a young woman driving from Indiana to Alaska where she hopes to find work. Accompanied only by her dog, Lucy, Wendy stops in a small town where her car breaks down. Her funds perilously low, Wendy attempts to steal three cans of dog food from a grocery store, but is caught. When she gets out of jail, Lucy has disappeared from where Wendy left her. Assisted only by a friendly security guard (Wally Dalton), Wendy tries to locate Lucy while the seemingly impossible task of getting her car fixed looms.

Interesting to watch this film so close on the heels of Sullivan's Travels, a film that asserted that making films that are comedic and cheerful has much more value than "real" stories of the struggles of the poor and disenfranchised. This film is exactly such a window into the life of a woman living on the edge.

I thought that this film was pretty great. Williams is perfect as Wendy. I have always thought that Williams was a strong actor with great presence, but in this film she was truly just a person. All of her fears and hopes laid bare, her mounting frustration totally understandable. This is a person who is trapped and she's not making bad choices--she just doesn't have the means to make the right ones.

I think that one of the best aspects of this film was the way that it shows the spectrum of help and harm that someone encounters in a challenging situation. There are two characters who qualify as antagonists. The first is the young man in the grocery store who busts Wendy trying to take the dog food. He barely disguises his glee when the manager assents to calling the police, and snidely tells Wendy that anyone who can't afford dog food has no business owning a dog. (The prominently placed cross around his neck is the closest thing to a message I felt in this film). The other is a man who attempts to steal from Wendy when she camps out in the woods, a man who seems to threaten either physical harm or sexual assault. In both cases, these characters are all too happy to exploit Wendy's vulnerabilities for their own ends.

But the rest of the characters exist much more toward the middle of the spectrum. The security guard forces Wendy to move her car, but later lets her use his cell phone to call the animal shelter. The men in the line at the bottle collection are happy to wheedle Wendy's cans away from her, but seem genuinely to feel for her that she has lost her pet. The owner of the local garage charges Wendy $50 to tow her car to the garage, despite the garage being just across the street from where her car broke down. But later he displays some empathy for her situation, realizing that she cannot pay to fix her car.

A while back I was driving to work and I ended up behind a car with two number stickers, the contrast of which kind of shocked me. One of them was a soft pink sticker that read something like "I love my fur babies!!" with a cute dog paw decal. But the other read something like "If you can't speak English, get the f*ck out of my country!". I thought about that car when watching this film, the way that people can conceive of themselves as being kind, and yet on the other hand can display a callous, borderline cruel lack of empathy for others.

This movie is bleak and very sad. Yes, I cried a lot in the last 20 minutes. But it's not a film without hope. So much of what happens to Wendy is driven by "the rules". The security guard has to ask her to move her car. The grocery store manager has to call the police. The police have to get a cash payment for her fine. The garage owner has to charge her for the tow. Offscreen, Wendy has to have a permanent address to apply for a job. But inside of all of these "have to" moments are places where humanity and kindness have a chance to show up. I work in a job where rules and regulations are very much in place (and many of them for a good reason). I also work in a job where it is very easy to judge the people (especially the parents) I come in contact with. Films like this are a good reminder of a saying that my students adopted as a class motto one year: "Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Maybe if you follow this rule you end up giving someone who is lazy or selfish or just a jerk a break when they don't deserve one. But you might also be the person who saves someone from a downward spiral that they cannot escape.

I can see how this movie would not be for everyone. It really is just a slice of life. But I thought it was pretty excellent.

4.5

[Allaby]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8c948b53c92227aaa2aa2e9d552f8317/7e8b2ed175b0cb2e-53/s540x810/016f5887a2b8b414fc45c9e6223dcc3a64f1be54.gifv


Born Yesterday (1950)

Jim Devery: All you have to do is be nice - and no rough language.
Billie: I won't open my mush.

Many a time, it has been remarked upon how tricky it is to pick a Comedy for an HoF being as subjective as it is. Though it could easily be said about -- pretty much everything, it does seem to hinge directly on it a little more so.
But when it works. . . Man, oh, man!!
And this truly f@ckin works for me.

It all comes down to the genius of Judy Holiday's portrayal of the comedic "ditzy blonde." Along with her "straight man," Broderick Crawford. Their bombastic relationship being the fodder of every scene that brought forth an eruption of laughter out of me. Creating a comedic duo that matches the echelon of many Vauldvillin/Burlesque Comedy Teams of previous decades. Their arguing reminding me of a marriage of Burns & Allen and the tv show, The Honeymooners, when Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows would go at it.
Sheer brilliance.
My absolute favorite is the Card Game Scene which I've seen versions of/tip of the hats to, such as on All of the Family with Archie (Carol O'Connor) and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton).
But Judy's Holiday's Billie Dawn is more than happy to yell back, unlike the more compliant Edith. the threat of violence does, in one pivotal scene, is followed through. Its effectiveness to the storyline's process is, like everything else, very essential. Not one I would like to have, but one I would not remove either due to the reason stated.
To continue my raving of Judy Holiday and her genius, and it is just that. Her every nuance of voice, manner, body language, et al. is a true mastery of the art form. A woman of a 170 IQ, Holliday had stated numerous times that "It takes real smarts to make people believe you're dumb." Extending that necessary intelligence to "keep an audience's attention without extraordinary physical equipment." And she does. In spades!
It is said that: "searching for subversives in the film industry the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was flummoxed (I f@ckin LOVE that description) by Holliday, who essentially played her Oscar-winning character "Billie Dawn" on the witness stand."
YOU GO, GIRL!

Director Cukor, to tighten and perfect the comedic timing while the set was being constructed he had the cast perform, again and again before a live audience. That timing shines through with everyone.
I should also note that William Holden is also in this as the man Broderick's character hires to teach Billie manners/book smarts and ends up severely regretting it. Holding his own to these two scene-stealers that kept my full attention.

I don't care WHO it is that nominated this, but whoever you are, you're getting a BIG FAT kiss and a hug from me!
THANK YOU!!

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm always happy to accept hugs and kisses!

[cricket]

I liked MASH a lot even though I've never watched the TV show. Of course I would with that cast.

I've seen Born Yesterday, but I have no recollection of it.

Meh for Wendy and Lucy. It didn't affect me at all, unusual for a movie starring a dog and a doll.

[Okay]

Seven Up!

The other trouble with 14 Up is that the observation affects the experiment - the kids at 14 are more aware of how they will be perceived, how they were perceived in the first film, what their parents will think. They make several references to the first programme, and some of them are quite hostile to it, or wary of generalisations being drawn.

I actually liked that aspect of 7 Plus Seven a lot. It was pretty interesting watching some of them be critical of their edit and being careful about what they say because they're aware of the manipulative aspects of editing. It's meta, and that felt more realistic to me than just sitting and doing a repeat of the previous episode.

I overall admired all of the kids and thought they did a great job for 14 year olds. All smart, all well spoken. Was pretty surprised though by how much their school careers is planned ahead by their parents, that was foreign to me.

I stopped watching the series after 28 Up. The peak to me was when these people were still children, but from 21 Up and on it just became regular people talking and that is far less interesting to me than kids speaking their mind.

[Thief]

Wow, less than a week and Takoma is one film from finishing?

[Okay]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XVb65PfEaTM%2FW_G9M3HEJeI%2FAAAAAAAARuM%2FPxEO_Vx9u4Mpb4ZVfMyXY1oVFw06NG47ACEwYBhgL%2Fs1600%2Fbjork-dancer-in-the-dark-2000-04.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Okay, slow clap/hat tip to whoever had the nerve to see that I was hoping for shorter, optimistic films, and decided to give me . . . . this. Honestly, it shows the kind of dark humor that is also at the root of the film.

It was weird seeing this nominated for you when you asked for more light hearted movies, and moreso because Bjork came out about Von Trier's behavior towards her during the filming and how abusive he was which was another criterion you didn't want to deal with, but I guess you didn't know that oops.

I personally still love this movie to bits, and of course Bjork is a big reason for that. Her performance, her music, the story, the style, everything was just *chef's kiss*.


It's one thing for her to tap her toes and dance around to the rhythmic sounds of a factory floor. It's quite another thing to flounce around in a literal life-or-death situation.

Well she doesn't actually flounce around in real life (I think you're talking about the train scene?), it's just like any of the other dream sequences all in her head.


On the downside, though, the film does start to feel a bit overlong, especially in the last act. There's this transition somewhere in the back half of the film where it feels less like the movie is observing a person make horrible, quirky choices and more like she is being intentionally put through the wringer in increasingly extreme ways. I get that this heightens the absurdity, but somewhere in the last third the effect that the film had been building suddenly plateaued for me. There are some interesting implications in the last third that the character might actually be really depressed and possibly might want to die, and I wish the movie had explored that a bit more. I also felt like, in wanting the character to make the worst choices possible, the film sometimes stepped out of its own internal logic. For example, there are times that Selma withholds information and it makes sense, but later she does so and it's like . . . what? Or times when she resists help or support from others that just doesn't seem to gel with her fantasy reality where everyone is nice to each other.

I loved the last act more than anything. It's misery porn but with a character that you actually care so much about which makes the hurt in these last 40 mins even more painful and more sorrowing. The last scene especially is one my favourites ever. I watched the film at least 5 times and I've cried every time at that final part.

I don't feel like Selma commits any "horrible" decision, especially not one that goes against her character and her principles. I'm not sure about the withholding of information part, but if you're talking about her not revealing the truth about David Morse's character, I personally feel it fit right in with her personality and what she would do. She's a very simple minded person with strong and simple principles and would clearly die for them, and that to me was very apparent in all of her actions. And about the part with her not taking help from others, she doesn't want to be treated as a handicap and wants to continue on independently and normally just like ever. With Jeff, she doesn't want to lead him on because she has one focus in her life right now and she doesn't want to divert her attention at all from that goal.

[rauldc14]

Wow, less than a week and Takoma is one film from finishing?

To think I was tied with Takoma a few days ago. Then work struck for me :)

[Okay]

Platoon (1986) directed by Oliver Stone

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The best part of the movie is its depiction of war and its battles. I thought all of its technicalities with its strategies and the chaos and overall atmosphere was all very well done. The first ambush scene was pretty good and pretty well built up, up until you start hearing this screeching rising tension and heart beat sound effect that keeps getting ridiculously higher and becomes completely distracting, it was absurd. The main score was great though, a little overbearing at times but great nonetheless.

The sequence in the village was particularly fantastic when it came to the depiction of the atrocities going on that are usually swept under the rug. That whole sequence with the mother getting shot point blank in front of her family was heartbreaking, and I gotta give kudos to those villagers actors since they definitely brought it in that one scene more than anybody else in the entire movie. In fact, if anything it was some of the maniacal American caricatures I mean characters that kind of brought that whole portion of the film a little down for me. Of course I'm not saying these kind of people didn't exist during the war, but I would've rathered them be depicted similarly to Barnes' character and not be so simply evil and openly psychotic.

However, if I have one specific issue with the film, it would be with the 3 main characters. They all feel miscast to me. They're too recognizable for me to be immersed in the movie, and some of them don't even do that good of a job anyways. Barnes is definitely the best character out of the 3, but I don't know, he still looks a bit ridiculous with those scars in his face. Charlie Sheen is the worst for sure. He overacts a lot (not that some of his dialogue helped either), and what pissed me off the most about him and his character is his whole monologue in the end. He acts holier than thou in this monologue while pretending to be hurt in order to escape from the war, and considering his character transformation it would make the most sense had he actually stayed.

[Okay]

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) directed by Frank Darabont

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/29/7e/41297e31315e3f8ae894fa4078542653.jpg


I don't know if I have as much to say about this film as much as I am taken aback that this is THE film that's the head of imdb's top 250 and not another film with the same level of competency and similar form. I know, I know, it's just imdb's top 250 who cares about that right, but it's a very well beloved movie regardless that's why I wasn't expecting it to be as safe and by the books as it ended up being, and on the other hand I'm actually not that surprised either for those exact same reasons.

Overall though, I enjoyed the film. It's a good motivational story with a good moral behind it, but I still can't help but feel there was a whole bunch of missed opportunities with the execution. The movie is cheesy at times, and is very much so filled with tropes at every step of its way, and that wouldn't generally be a bad thing, except I don't believe it's the best way to go about a seriously toned film as that just decreases the success of the themes and messages you're trying to get across, especially when they're already heavy-handed in the first place. For example, why is it so necessary to have Brooks' character write a letter that explains his state of mind and motives behind his suicide, then also have Red also explain why he believes Brooks committed suicide. Things like that are so frustrating to me as a viewer because they limit what you can interpret to only what the director wants you to think, and that's just straight up bad filmmaking to me, talk about show don't tell. On the other hand, there are subtleties in the storytelling that I appreciated and enjoyed, my favourite being the contrast between what's behind the picture frame with the bible verse in Warden's office and what's behind the promiscuous poster in Andy's cell. A lot of conversations and discussions can be generated from just having those kind of details in the background, instead of spelling out to the audience what you want them to think and feel every minute, and that's essentially the difference between good and bad storytelling/filmmaking. And why was Morgan Freeman narrating the whole movie for? Narration in films is always a slippery slope but usually there's at least some point or purpose behind it, but here it's just nada. Continuing on with the presentation of the movie: the cinematography and the music are unspecial for the most part, and the acting is good enough to be serviceable, but still...unspecial, and had it been otherwise maybe I could've cared, related or attached myself to one of them characters, but I didn't.

My least favourite scene in the film is easily the Mozart opera scene. Cringe galore and lowkey disrespectful. In the same way that Andy's overall portrayal is a little disrespectful with how he seems to be this white savior figure. Oh look, a rich educated white man goes to prison and is perceived at first as a posh kid who thinks he's better than everyone else, oh look he actually proves to be better than everyone else and betters the prison system and now he's beloved and respected by everyone. More nuance, genuineness, and realism couldn't hurt.

Contrary to popular belief, I do have favourite scenes as well. I think Bob Gunton does the best job in the movie, and his scene with Andy in "the hole" is pretty well done because of his delivery. Of course the escape is pretty great for the most part. I like how it was kind of under our nose for the entire film, with him collecting all of these random items only for them to all come together in the end and aid towards his escape. Although, if I have to be nitpicky, the way of which he disposed of the debris from that hole is pretty nonsensical and ridiculous if you ask me. I liked the scenes and the overall choice of having Andy puppeteering the prison's staff financial matters. Tommy's death was pretty great. And there's also a whole bunch of cool, foreshadowing or ironic lines here and there that are fun. The "****ty pipe dream" was a great one in particular, and "I had to come to prison to be a crook" also stuck out to me.

[Takoma11]

It was weird seeing this nominated for you when you asked for more light hearted movies, and moreso because Bjork came out about Von Trier's behavior towards her during the filming and how abusive he was which was another criterion you didn't want to deal with, but I guess you didn't know that oops.

I knew some of it. But after watching the film her comments made it sounds more like he hit on her and then was nasty to her after she turned him down which, if true, gross.

Well she doesn't actually flounce around in real life (I think you're talking about the train scene?), it's just like any of the other dream sequences all in her head.

I more meant that her daydreaming takes on a more bizarre tone when she's imagining herself actually dancing on the way to the gallows, or when she is on trial for murder. That's when it begins to feel less like something a normal person would do.

I loved the last act more than anything. It's misery porn but with a character that you actually care so much about which makes the hurt in these last 40 mins even more painful and more sorrowing. The last scene especially is one my favourites ever. I watched the film at least 5 times and I've cried every time at that final part.

The last 10 minutes or so are breathtaking, but I feel like there was some bloat on the way there.

I don't feel like Selma commits any "horrible" decision, especially not one that goes against her character and her principles. I'm not sure about the withholding of information part, but if you're talking about her not revealing the truth about David Morse's character, I personally feel it fit right in with her personality and what she would do. She's a very simple minded person with strong and simple principles and would clearly die for them, and that to me was very apparent in all of her actions. And about the part with her not taking help from others, she doesn't want to be treated as a handicap and wants to continue on independently and normally just like ever. With Jeff, she doesn't want to lead him on because she has one focus in her life right now and she doesn't want to divert her attention at all from that goal.

It was just weird to me that she declined when her boss offered to help her find a job in a different department, that just seemed strange to me. I'm also talking about lying about who her father is in court, or giving the doctor a name that isn't her son's real name and then waiting to tell anyone about it.

I also felt an odd disconnect in terms of her relationship with her son. It felt cruel to me that she cut him off toward the end.

I get that people have their own internal logic. I felt that for the most part I understood where her character was coming from. I guess at times the combination of the decisions coming from the character and the pressures being applied externally felt a bit too contrived? I'm not sure quite how else to explain it.

[Allaby]

I watched The Thin Blue Line (1988). Directed by Errol Morris, this true crime documentary is about a man named Randall Adams, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a police office in Texas. This film was instrumental in helping to get Adams conviction overturned and led to his release. The film uses re-enactments and interviews to expose the corruption and flaws of the American legal system. There is no doubt that it had a huge impact in the real world and in the life of the man it helped set free. As a film though, I honestly felt it was a mixed bag. Some of the interviewers are fairly interesting, but some of them are not that engrossing or compelling. I felt the film dragged at times and it felt longer to me than its runtime. One of the main issues I had was that there are no names or occupations or information shown on the screen indicating who is speaking or their significance or role in the case. It wasn't always clear who was who. I am aware that this documentary is very well reviewed and loved by a lot of people, but I think the structure could have been better. Clearly, the film has a lot of important things to say and is still relevant today, but I ended up respecting the film more than actually liking it. It was a necessary film, but I don't consider it a masterpiece and I doubt I would ever feel the need to revisit it. 3.5

[Citizen Rules]

I seen Heavenly Creatures so long ago that all I can say is: I remember that it was a good film. Not sure how I'd feel about it today?

Sullivan's Travels, count me as fan of Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea too. I seen this movie back when I was getting into old movies and did like it quite a bit. Sure wouldn't mind seeing it again either.

[Thief]

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) directed by Frank Darabont

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/29/7e/41297e31315e3f8ae894fa4078542653.jpg


I don't know if I have as much to say about this film as much as I am taken aback that this is THE film that's the head of imdb's top 250 and not another film with the same level of competency and similar form. I know, I know, it's just imdb's top 250 who cares about that right, but it's a very well beloved movie regardless that's why I wasn't expecting it to be as safe and by the books as it ended up being, and on the other hand I'm actually not that surprised either for those exact same reasons.

Overall though, I enjoyed the film. It's a good motivational story with a good moral behind it, but I still can't help but feel there was a whole bunch of missed opportunities with the execution. The movie is cheesy at times, and is very much so filled with tropes at every step of its way, and that wouldn't generally be a bad thing, except I don't believe it's the best way to go about a seriously toned film as that just decreases the success of the themes and messages you're trying to get across, especially when they're already heavy-handed in the first place. For example, why is it so necessary to have Brooks' character write a letter that explains his state of mind and motives behind his suicide, then also have Red also explain why he believes Brooks committed suicide. Things like that are so frustrating to me as a viewer because they limit what you can interpret to only what the director wants you to think, and that's just straight up bad filmmaking to me, talk about show don't tell. On the other hand, there are subtleties in the storytelling that I appreciated and enjoyed, my favourite being the contrast between what's behind the picture frame with the bible verse in Warden's office and what's behind the promiscuous poster in Andy's cell. A lot of conversations and discussions can be generated from just having those kind of details in the background, instead of spelling out to the audience what you want them to think and feel every minute, and that's essentially the difference between good and bad storytelling/filmmaking. And why was Morgan Freeman narrating the whole movie for? Narration in films is always a slippery slope but usually there's at least some point or purpose behind it, but here it's just nada. Continuing on with the presentation of the movie: the cinematography and the music are unspecial for the most part, and the acting is good enough to be serviceable, but still...unspecial, and had it been otherwise maybe I could've cared, related or attached myself to one of them characters, but I didn't.

My least favourite scene in the film is easily the Mozart opera scene. Cringe galore and lowkey disrespectful. In the same way that Andy's overall portrayal is a little disrespectful with how he seems to be this white savior figure. Oh look, a rich educated white man goes to prison and is perceived at first as a posh kid who thinks he's better than everyone else, oh look he actually proves to be better than everyone else and betters the prison system and now he's beloved and respected by everyone. More nuance, genuineness, and realism couldn't hurt.

Contrary to popular belief, I do have favourite scenes as well. I think Bob Gunton does the best job in the movie, and his scene with Andy in "the hole" is pretty well done because of his delivery. Of course the escape is pretty great for the most part. I like how it was kind of under our nose for the entire film, with him collecting all of these random items only for them to all come together in the end and aid towards his escape. Although, if I have to be nitpicky, the way of which he disposed of the debris from that hole is pretty nonsensical and ridiculous if you ask me. I liked the scenes and the overall choice of having Andy puppeteering the prison's staff financial matters. Tommy's death was pretty great. And there's also a whole bunch of cool, foreshadowing or ironic lines here and there that are fun. The "****ty pipe dream" was a great one in particular, and "I had to come to prison to be a crook" also stuck out to me.

Well, The Shawshank Redemption is my favorite film of all-time, so I was excited to see it was nominated for you. Still, I kinda understand the criticisms, even if I don't agree with most of them.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.guim.co.uk%2Fsys-images%2FFilm%2FPix%2Fpictures%2F2008%2F06%2F06%2Flivesofothers460.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Lives of Others, 2006

In 1980s East Germany, a man named Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) works for the Stasi, spying on and interrogating those suspected of anti-government or anti-Communist activities or views. Wiesler is efficient and cold in his work, until he is assigned to conduct surveillance on a playwright named Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his wife, Christa (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler begins to develop a fascination, and almost an affection for the couple, which leads him to begin interfering with the investigation.

I quite enjoyed this drama-thriller.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about it was how it showed that even within a supposedly rule-bound, rigid system, the human element will always influence things, for better or worse. From the very beginning, the surveillance begins in part because a government official lusts after Christa. From there, Wiesler cannot help but be moved by the ideas and emotions expressed by Dreyman, and from there cannot resist giving the course of events a little nudge.

I also appreciated the way that the film showed how unforgiving the government system was. From the first moment Wiesler chooses to omit damning information from one of his reports, it's very much an in-for-a-penny/in-for-a-pound situation. Wiesler's fate becomes intertwined with Dreyman and Christa. The us versus them mentality of the government has created a situation where Wiesler must choose a side, and once he bends the smallest bit, he is on an irreversible slide.

I also really liked the lesser theme of art as resistance. Dreyman has stayed on the right side of things because of his general perceived loyalty to communism. But he has one friend who has been blacklisted, and another who is under intense scrutiny because of ideas they have expressed in their works. Christa, an actress, is also acutely aware of her career and self-expression being something that hangs by a thread in this society. There is a thread that runs through the film, as Dreyman is given sheet music for a piece called Sonata for a Good Man by the friend who was blacklisted. Later, Wiesler is very moved listening to Dreyman perform the piece on the piano. The title of the song will come to play a role in the final act of the film.

I didn't really have any specific complaints about this one. Initially I had a mixed response to the final 10 or so minutes, which serve as an epilogue to the rest of the film and involve some jumps in time. At first I found myself grumbling that I wished they ended the film in the "present" of the film. But as I've thought about it, I do think that the last 10 minutes provide closure and completeness to some of the major themes of the film and the character arcs.

I think that there was a very predictable way that this film could have gone, which would be the spy falling in love with the person they were watching. I do think that Wiesler develops a platonic love or affection for Dreyman, and by removing any overt notions of romance or lust, it becomes clear that what Wiesler is responding to in Dreyman is his ideals and his bravery.

Really solid film I've been meaning to get around to for a while.

4.5

[Takoma11]

I don't know if I have as much to say about this film as much as I am taken aback that this is THE film that's the head of imdb's top 250 and not another film with the same level of competency and similar form.

I agree. I mean, I liked the movie just fine. But it was solidly a 3.5, maybe a 4 film for me. I could probably name over 100 films that I think are much better films.

Was some of that reaction a bit that it had been overhyped? Maybe. But I thought a lot of elements of the film were kind of hokey.

[edarsenal]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm always happy to accept hugs and kisses!

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59bca44bbe42d671e78173bb/1508129863582-BWFPPHWK9J7AC68HHUII/D88Vo3.gif
https://media1.tenor.com/images/6d3d917c15e5bf86528bb26790b9022c/tenor.gif?itemid=14381460https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-07-2015/gBCTa7.gif

A hidden gem from a surprising source. . . how doubly cool is THAT!?!

No idea why, but I would never have guessed you. :eek::eek::D:)

Thank you SO MUCH, Allaby!! That was an Instant, Highly Rewatchable, Fun Favorite that I'll be sharing with my roommate -- very VERY soon.

[cricket]

Nice job Okay to get on the board with 2 big reviews of 2 big classics.

I haven't seen Platoon in a while but I've considered it a favorite since I first saw it at the movies as a teen.

I always thought Shawshank was a bit overrated. I saw it as just your average good movie. Then the last time I watched it I loved it. It's like comfort food.

The Thin Blue Line is the first documentary I can remember watching when my wife picked it out in the 90's. I enjoyed it but obviously it's been a while.

I liked The Lives of Others but another watch would probably help.

[cricket]

Congratulations Takoma, you are the 1st member to finish!

Perhaps next time we should each pick 2 movies for you to watch? Or 3 or 4?

[neiba]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.guim.co.uk%2Fsys-images%2FFilm%2FPix%2Fpictures%2F2008%2F06%2F06%2Flivesofothers460.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Lives of Others, 2006

In 1980s East Germany, a man named Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) works for the Stasi, spying on and interrogating those suspected of anti-government or anti-Communist activities or views. Wiesler is efficient and cold in his work, until he is assigned to conduct surveillance on a playwright named Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his wife, Christa (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler begins to develop a fascination, and almost an affection for the couple, which leads him to begin interfering with the investigation.

I quite enjoyed this drama-thriller.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about it was how it showed that even within a supposedly rule-bound, rigid system, the human element will always influence things, for better or worse. From the very beginning, the surveillance begins in part because a government official lusts after Christa. From there, Wiesler cannot help but be moved by the ideas and emotions expressed by Dreyman, and from there cannot resist giving the course of events a little nudge.

I also appreciated the way that the film showed how unforgiving the government system was. From the first moment Wiesler chooses to omit damning information from one of his reports, it's very much an in-for-a-penny/in-for-a-pound situation. Wiesler's fate becomes intertwined with Dreyman and Christa. The us versus them mentality of the government has created a situation where Wiesler must choose a side, and once he bends the smallest bit, he is on an irreversible slide.

I also really liked the lesser theme of art as resistance. Dreyman has stayed on the right side of things because of his general perceived loyalty to communism. But he has one friend who has been blacklisted, and another who is under intense scrutiny because of ideas they have expressed in their works. Christa, an actress, is also acutely aware of her career and self-expression being something that hangs by a thread in this society. There is a thread that runs through the film, as Dreyman is given sheet music for a piece called Sonata for a Good Man by the friend who was blacklisted. Later, Wiesler is very moved listening to Dreyman perform the piece on the piano. The title of the song will come to play a role in the final act of the film.

I didn't really have any specific complaints about this one. Initially I had a mixed response to the final 10 or so minutes, which serve as an epilogue to the rest of the film and involve some jumps in time. At first I found myself grumbling that I wished they ended the film in the "present" of the film. But as I've thought about it, I do think that the last 10 minutes provide closure and completeness to some of the major themes of the film and the character arcs.

I think that there was a very predictable way that this film could have gone, which would be the spy falling in love with the person they were watching. I do think that Wiesler develops a platonic love or affection for Dreyman, and by removing any overt notions of romance or lust, it becomes clear that what Wiesler is responding to in Dreyman is his ideals and his bravery.

Really solid film I've been meaning to get around to for a while.

4.5

Glad you liked it Takoma! That was my pick for you! :)

And damn, amazing job finishing!

[Okay]

I more meant that her daydreaming takes on a more bizarre tone when she's imagining herself actually dancing on the way to the gallows, or when she is on trial for murder. That's when it begins to feel less like something a normal person would do.

See I loved that personally. That was Selma's way of escaping the cruelty around her. We see her break down completely in the last scene because she has no music or sounds to dream in. And mind you I wouldn't describe Selma as the average person either, far from it, but that's why there's a movie about her type of character in the first place. She's too kindhearted for our world, she's fantastical so her logic is not your average logic that's for sure.




It was just weird to me that she declined when her boss offered to help her find a job in a different department, that just seemed strange to me. I'm also talking about lying about who her father is in court, or giving the doctor a name that isn't her son's real name and then waiting to tell anyone about it.

I also felt an odd disconnect in terms of her relationship with her son. It felt cruel to me that she cut him off toward the end.


I don't remember her firmly declining another job but moreso just being disappointed at that moment knowing where her life is probably now heading.

About that father part, I don't think Selma really cared that much about the trial process or even fully understood it. She's not gonna give the court a straight answer because she's Selma and she's gonna give the most dream-like and fantastical answers to your so serious questions. She's gonna tell the truth, as long as it doesn't come against her feelings, her promises or her principles. She's honest, but not in a logical way. Her self interest and safety is so low on her priority list that she'd rather unintentionally troll the jury. And I'm sure she would hate to be pitied by the court either. But to be technical, we don't even know if Selma even knows her father's real name, at that time she probably just said the first name that came out of her head, and I'm sure she was very happy with giving that person as an answer.

Also she didn't register the payment with her son's real name because she knew she was gonna be found out, and that was I guess a precautionary measure to lessen the probability of anyone finding the money whether it be the opposing lawyers or her friends. And we even see that once her friends found out about it they tried to pay off a lawyer for her instead, which is exactly what she didn't want to happen.

Overall though, I think a lot of people's problems with Selma's character is that they treat her too much like the average person when she's too simple for that. I don't think the way to go about her is to analyze her every action logically because one will probably end up hating her like that.

[Okay]

I watched The Thin Blue Line (1988). Directed by Errol Morris,

It's also important to mention that in this doc there's the first ever (or one of the firsts) re-enactment scenes in documentary format. I feel there's even more firsts in this movie, hell its whole format feels pretty unique to me (obviously a lot of documentaries after this has took something from it) and still stands out. It's the usage of score, the noir feeling, the depiction of truth and memory with the re-enactments. It's one of my favourites.

[Okay]

Was some of that reaction a bit that it had been overhyped? Maybe. But I thought a lot of elements of the film were kind of hokey.

Honestly no. Even had the film been completely unknown, I would've had the exact same reaction to it. I'm just surprised that it's this film at the top and not any of the others that are just as similar.

[Hey Fredrick]

The next batch of films I've seen;
King Kong I kind of agree with seanc about the characters but I still loved it. Seen 3 Kong movies (70's and Jackson's) and this is my favorite.

The Full Monty was my original pick for Citizen alas someone had the same idea and beat me to it. It's a movie that has grown on me because like CR said, it's got heart. If you've ever wanted to see Robert Baratheon strip to Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" this is the movie for you. Robert Carlyle is a gem.

Alice in Wonderland I also noticed that Citizen hasn't seen many Disney Classics and I almost went that route with Pinocchio but again, chickened out. Alice is probably my least favorite of the old classics but it's still very good. A fine compliment to a PBJ with mushrooms sandwich.

Point Break dumb fun. They don't make em like this anymore! I like it for all the reasons neiba hates it.

Heavenly Creatures I know LotR was a monstrous success but these are the kinds of movies I wish PJ was still making. Or his gore fests. Both leads are fantastic and that ending sticks with you for a long time.

MASH is probably my least favorite Altman film but it seems to have a lot of fans. I should probably try it again sometime.

Platoon is a very good movie but it has its issues. I view it the same way I do JFK. Great movie but Stone did a couple things that rub me the wrong way. Agree with Okay that Sheen is the weakest link but Berenger as Barnes is outstanding.

The Thin Blue Line is a film I recommended in the first PRHoF and it didn't go over all that well. Everything that was new and fresh about TTBL has been done to death ever since, in both tv and film. I really like it but it does feel dated.

...and the King novellas. Now, I had read Different Seasons a few times before the movies were made so that did affect my opinion.

Stand By Me I haven't seen in decades. I don't think it's a bad movie it just doesn't do anything for me. From what I remember it follows the novella pretty close but that was only my third fav story from the book anyway.

The Shawshank Redemption is my fav story of the four. I was underwhelmed the first time I watched it mostly because of Tim Robbins (my feelings on him are floating around here somewhere) and it did change a few things from the novella. Nothing major but Dufresne had multiple cell mates and had to navigate a couple different wardens in the book. It just added a little more oomph to the ending as his struggle seemed even more difficult than the movie portrayed. Over the years I've come to really like the movie as the book has been fading from my memory a bit.

[Takoma11]

See I loved that personally. That was Selma's way of escaping the cruelty around her. We see her break down completely in the last scene because she has no music or sounds to dream in. And mind you I wouldn't describe Selma as the average person either, far from it, but that's why there's a movie about her type of character in the first place. She's too kindhearted for our world, she's fantastical so her logic is not your average logic that's for sure.

Oh, totally agreed!

I wasn't complaining about it. Quite the opposite. I think that it adds to the darkly comic aspect of the film and also shows you that this is really an ingrained part of how Selma copes with stress.

I don't remember her firmly declining another job but moreso just being disappointed at that moment knowing where her life is probably now heading.

Right after she is fired, her boss says he will get her another job in a different department so that she won't have to operate machinery. Considering she was still short of her goal for the money she was saving, it seemed a little odd to me that she didn't accept his offer.

About that father part, I don't think Selma really cared that much about the trial process or even fully understood it. She's not gonna give the court a straight answer because she's Selma and she's gonna give the most dream-like and fantastical answers to your so serious questions. She's gonna tell the truth, as long as it doesn't come against her feelings, her promises or her principles. She's honest, but not in a logical way. Her self interest and safety is so low on her priority list that she'd rather unintentionally troll the jury. And I'm sure she would hate to be pitied by the court either. But to be technical, we don't even know if Selma even knows her father's real name, at that time she probably just said the first name that came out of her head, and I'm sure she was very happy with giving that person as an answer.

Also she didn't register the payment with her son's real name because she knew she was gonna be found out, and that was I guess a precautionary measure to lessen the probability of anyone finding the money whether it be the opposing lawyers or her friends. And we even see that once her friends found out about it they tried to pay off a lawyer for her instead, which is exactly what she didn't want to happen.

But I think that the two examples above are slightly contradictory, don't you? A woman who doesn't understand the process or severity of a murder trial is also the same woman who is going to be premeditated enough to use a false name for a transaction because she is anticipating opposing counsel tracking down money? I thought that her giving the false name was meant to be one of her whims, but it just felt a bit off because of the potential to derail her plans with her son.

Overall though, I think a lot of people's problems with Selma's character is that they treat her too much like the average person when she's too simple for that. I don't think the way to go about her is to analyze her every action logically because one will probably end up hating her like that.

I think that I had mostly accepted her as a person who lives with her own rules and by her own internal logic. (I didn't mention this in my review, but having her play Maria in the community theater production of Sound of Music was a nice touch). It's not at all that I hated her--I actually felt very deeply for her because she was trying to live her life in a loving and honorable way--but it was frustrating watching her make the wrong decisions. At certain points when the movie was throwing things at her where you knew she was going to make bad choices it tripped a little into feeling manipulative

[Allaby]

I watched Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937). This Japanese drama is directed by Sadao Yamanaka, who tragically died from dysentery a year later at the age of 28. It is about the lives and struggles of the poor in the slums. It is a bleak, but fairly effective story. I thought the performances were pretty good. It's a well made film, but didn't quite grab me the way I would have hoped. I'm glad that I watched the film and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates classic Japanese cinema. 3.5

[cricket]

I remember watching Humanity and Paper Balloons twice within a month, once for the 30's countdown and then another because it was nominated in a HoF. It's good, I like it.

[Thief]

Quick! Let's all just throw another round at Takoma!

[Okay]

Oh, totally agreed!
But I think that the two examples above are slightly contradictory, don't you? A woman who doesn't understand the process or severity of a murder trial is also the same woman who is going to be premeditated enough to use a false name for a transaction because she is anticipating opposing counsel tracking down money? I thought that her giving the false name was meant to be one of her whims, but it just felt a bit off because of the potential to derail her plans with her son.

No I don't think it's contradictory because in my eyes during the trial she doesn't care about the potential consequences as long as her goal is fulfilled with the money or the promise or whatever, but afterwards especially when she lacks the music and escapism that shields her from fully confronting her inevitable fate, that's when the true severity of the predicament she's in truly hits her. I also agree with what you said earlier, that there's a part of her that wants to die, and in my mind I think she's happy to die for the cause that she did.



--but it was frustrating watching her make the wrong decisions. At certain points when the movie was throwing things at her where you knew she was going to make bad choices it tripped a little into feeling manipulative
I totally get what you're saying, and this is something that Von Trier relishes in. I'm sure if he heard you express how manipulated you felt he would throw a party for you, that's what the man does, he aims to hurt and go to extreme ridiculous and absurd levels just to do so.

[Okay]

The Thin Blue Line is a film I recommended in the first PRHoF and it didn't go over all that well. Everything that was new and fresh about TTBL has been done to death ever since, in both tv and film. I really like it but it does feel dated.



This is true, but personally I never felt the outdatedness. It's not like TTBL introduced re-enactments and that's it. It introduced it in such a unique way while combining a lot of elements to make it so unique, and I don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else since (which is a good thing, because if I did it would feel completely like a rip-off). Actually, 2020's The Father reminds me of TTBL, at least in the department of depicting memory and reality. (I prefer The Father fyi)

[Takoma11]

I totally get what you're saying, and this is something that Von Trier relishes in. I'm sure if he heard you express how manipulated you felt he would throw a party for you, that's what the man does, he aims to hurt and go to extreme ridiculous and absurd levels just to do so.

Exactly. And there is a way to do that where it feels "natural" (like in the first half of the film where we see her struggling to continue doing her job despite her vision issues). But I get antsy when it starts to feel "obvious" in the manipulation.

I still thought the film was really powerful, if only because Bjork's performance is so magnetic that her character never feels artificial. With a less compelling actress, I honestly think that this would have been a genuinely bad and entirely unpleasant film.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimgc.allpostersimages.com%2Fimg%2Fprint%2Fposters%2Fbrief-encounter-trevor-howard-celia-johnson-1945_a-G-9343252-8363144.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Brief Encounter (1945)

Fred Jesson: Whatever your dream was, it wasn't a very happy one, was it?

A wife has a brief encounter with another woman's husband at a train station and they fall in love over the course of a couple of weeks in sunny England. Not sure what to make of it. Is it a love story because if it is it was a little depressing.

I get that people can fall in love pretty quickly sometimes but this moved too fast so I didn't really buy into it. They meet at the train station, where the Dr. removes a piece of dirt from Laura's eye and that's it for the first meeting. Then they meet up again go out to lunch where the Dr. starts talking about all the lung diseases he's studying, she feels stupid for not understanding much of what he's saying and BOOM! they're in love. The rest of the movie covers their weekly hook ups and the stress all the sneaking around is causing them. The movie is told from Laura's POV, with lots of voice overs, so we get into her head much more than Dr. Harvey and it's safe to say she isn't ready for the game. There's a lot of crying and "We shouldn't be doing this but we can't stop doing this!"

I didn't really like either of the main characters. I thought they were snotty and, sorry, but it's hard to be sympathetic towards people who create their own problems. We get a little glimpse into Laura's home life with a husband who is not really there for her, he's quite distant but harmless, but nothing from Dr. Harvey's home except a few of words about how his wife looks. There are a couple of characters I did really like and that was Mrs. Bagot, who ran the tea stand at the train station and her "friend" the ticket taker/security, Albert. Both of them were great, I loved all their little back and forths which were a bit naughty and fun. I perked up everytime they showed up.

I liked the ending at the train station when Laura's blabbermouth friend shows up (none of her friends can stop talking - EVER!). I thought it was a fitting ending.

[cricket]

Fredrick on the board with a movie I loved!

[cricket]

The Decline of Western Civilization

https://compote.slate.com/images/4cf66271-7c5c-46a5-adcc-75ab444314ce.jpg

This documentary chronicles a few punk rock bands back in 1979-1980. If I liked punk rock, I probably would have loved this. As it is, it was a pretty good watch. I can't say I learned anything or that there was anything special to it. You meet some bands and see them perform. For the most part, from the members to the fans, these people come off as morons and losers. That's ok because that's a lot of us, including myself, at an earlier stage in our lives. The mayhem of the performances was better than the music, although some of the music was decent. I was more into the getting to know the band members part. I was never that disillusioned but it's interesting to see that part of the population.

3.5-

[Thief]

HIGH NOON
(1952, Zinnemann)

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/high-noon-1952-gary-cooper-alone-review.jpg


"People gotta talk themselves into law and order before they do anything about it. Maybe because down deep they don't care. They just don't care."



High Noon follows Will Kane (Gary Cooper), a marshal at a small town who is about to retire and move to another town after marrying Amy (Grace Kelly). But things change when he finds out that Frank Miller, a ruthless outlaw with a vendetta against him has just been released and is set to arrive on the noon train.

Unlike other westerns, High Noon is a more introspective film as it follows Kane's unsuccessful attempts to recruit a posse to aid him against Miller, while also questioning his own decisions from the past and his current decision to stay and fight. It is in this process that his predecessor, Martin (Lon Chaney) tells him the above quote. Instead of bringing words of comfort and inspiration, he lays it all bluntly: people just don't care.

You gotta admire the boldness of the filmmakers for sticking to this story of isolation and lack of heroism, particularly in the middle of the 20th Century. Through most of the film, you see a Kane that's not only alone, but afraid and insecure. I've only seen one of the other Best Actor nominees that year, but I have no issues with Cooper winning. He did so much with only his eyes and his expression.

In addition, director Fred Zinnemann does a great job of keeping up the tension right from the opening frame. The dread of the arrival of these outlaws is heightened also by the excellent editing by Elmo Williams and Harry W. Gerstad, and the score by Dimitri Tiokin. All of those contribute greatly to keep you on the edge with very little actual "action".

I do think that the conflict between Kane and his deputy Harvey (Lloyd Bridges) deserved a bit more attention, and maybe more could've been done with Kelly's character. I also don't think that Miller (Ian MacDonald), who we finally meet in the last 15-20 minutes, had a commanding presence for the amount of expectation the film lays on his arrival. Still, a damn fine western.

Grade: 4

[rauldc14]

High Noon is one of my favorite Westerns ever. Glad you digged it.

[Thursday Next]

The Little Foxes

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w533_and_h300_bestv2/zcGLxxXHUtjbkZLIrdQjXSLGQmx.jpg

Family drama in which a trio of greedy siblings bicker, scheme and double-cross each other over bonds and investments.

It’s quite fun watching all the scheming and one-up-manship. Bette Davis is great. You can’t be quite sure how far they will each go and who will get the upper hand in the end. I felt sorry for Birdie and Horace, both completely steamrolled by their spouses. I wasn’t quite sure what to think about the character of Zan, she seemed a bit childish and spoilt – I guess that was kind of the idea, but I wasn’t quite sure what David saw in her.

It’s a little play like in that it never really expands far beyond the confines of the house, it’s not a film that is particularly visually remarkable.

I enjoyed this, good pick.

[cricket]

Thieving Thief gets on the board with a classic that I considered picking for him. I like High Noon more every time I watch it.

I love The Little Foxes and believe I nominated it for a HoF.

[cricket]

I don't know if the rest of you noticed it, but there's a new list-Oscar winners for best foreign language film. More to choose from going forward.

[edarsenal]

I don't know if the rest of you noticed it, but there's a new list-Oscar winners for best foreign language film. More to choose from going forward.

YAY NEW LIST!!
I have to go check it out!

Gotta see High Noon for the Westerns Countdown and absolutely loved it!

Been a while since I saw Little Foxes from one of the earlier HoFs and I do remember getting a kick out of it

[Siddon]

I don't know if the rest of you noticed it, but there's a new list-Oscar winners for best foreign language film. More to choose from going forward.


Cinematography would be a very good list to also put up

[Thursday Next]

I don't know if the rest of you noticed it, but there's a new list-Oscar winners for best foreign language film. More to choose from going forward.

And there will be the movieforums foreign language top 100 as well. Although so far a lot of those are already on lists.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-OA6QmFeU-PA%2FV1rkK5vuf0I%2FAAAAAAAAAbc%2FbhPvEtL5318mqyqGFGDBOBBb3b1mQZUfACKgB%2Fs1600%2Fhouse-of-wax-1953-review-by-sandra-harris-351258.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

House of Wax (1953)

Sgt. Shane: Where is Burke? Who got him? Who’d want him?
Lt. Brennen: We’d better find out pretty quick. Did you read the blast in this mornings' World?
Sgt. Shane: Yeah, it’s dynamite.

Vincent Price is Prof Henry Jarrod, an artist. He creates tasteful wax sculptures of historical figures. They are his babies. His partner doesn't give two sheets about being tasteful or the art. He's in it for the money and want Jarrod to up the game a bit. Be a little more seedy. Like the place down the street. Butts in the seats is what it's all about, in his eyes and people want a little more oomph! They end up having a little scuffle in which the partner burns down the joint to collect the insurance and if Jarrod happens to burn up with his wax sculptures (which he does...or, does he?), well, okay then. I don't want to give away too much but Jarrod didn't die and he re-opens a new wax museum, with a couple new partners and a little something extra put into his new sculptures.

Is this a great movie. Probably not. Is it a fun movie? Hell yeah! This was a big surprise for me and I had a blast watching it. Vincent Price is an actor, for whatever reason, I've avoided. Seen him in Edward Scissorhands and The House of Long Shadows and that's it. He was great in this. The entire movie has that stage production feeling to it, which I like, and it's got bubbling beakers which is par for a 50's horror flick. The fx were good for the time. Nothing special but I didn't see any wires and the fight scenes seemed relatively legit. Really, there isn't anything to complain about. I wish I could have seen it in 3D. Just the scene with the guy playing with the paddle-ball would have made it worth it. I hated them stupid paddle things! Solid rec. Thanks!

[edarsenal]

House of Wax is definitely a fun film!
Grew up on Price and always got a kick out of his horror films. There's an elegance to that gentleman.

[Citizen Rules]

House of Wax is definitely a fun film!
Grew up on Price and always got a kick out of his horror films. There's an elegance to that gentleman.I've seen Vincent Price in pre-horror films where he often plays a cultured, well-to-do man and I STILL think of him as the guy from all those 60s horror films...it's that voice!

He made a lot of Edgar Allen Poe based movies with Roger Corman, I use to love watching those when I was a kid. I should check those out again.

[Citizen Rules]

Cinematography would be a very good list to also put upThat is a good idea. Can you put together a chronological list of all the Oscar best Cinematography winners? Maybe Yoda will add it to the MoFo list.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekbinge.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2F9_e_Don-Hertzfeldt-_Its-Such-a-Beautiful-Day.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

Narrator: And as the Sun continues to set, he finally comes to realize the dumb irony in how he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.

neiba: You are forbidden to dislike It's Such a Beautiful Day!

This is the story of Bill. A guy with some undiagnosed mental issues just trying to navigate life. I don't know what to say about this one. The animation isn't exactly mind blowing unless stick figures and still pictures are mind blowing and there really isn't any acting to speak of. The entire story is narrated except for a few lines from some nurses, Dr.'s and Bill's roomate in the hospital. And yet...

There is so much I loved about this that I don't even know where to start. The animation is perfect for the story. The narrator, something about his voice and delivery is perfect for the story. The story itself is great. Everythings about this movie is simple to the max except for Bill. I feel like I know him after hanging around with him for a very fast hour (it's a short movie). There is so much emotion packed into this hour of stick figures it really is remarkable. You feel kind of sorry for Bill but you never get the impression that he wants you to. Everything is told very matter of fact. This is just how life is. There's a lot of very serious stuff going on here but it uses humor very effectively to balance it out. I don't know. This is so unique. The only thing I can think of comparing it to would be a combo of Mary and Max (tone) and La Jetee (style). I've seen a lot of really good movies on all your recommendations and this is one of the best. Already watched it twice. Highly recommend!

[Siddon]

That is a good idea. Can you put together a chronological list of all the Oscar best Cinematography winners? Maybe Yoda will add it to the MoFo list.


27/28 - Sunrise:A Song of Two Humans
28/29 - White Shadows in the South Seas
29/30 - With Byrd at the South Pole
30/31 - Tabu:A Story of the South Seas
31/32 - Shanghai Express
32/33 - A Farewell to Arms
34 - Cleopatra
35 - A Midsummer Nights Dream
36 - Anthony Adverse
36(Color) - The Garden of Allah
37 - The Good Earth
37(Color) - A Star is Born
38 - The Great Waltz
38(Color) - Sweethearts
39 - Wuthering Heights
39(Color) - Gone with the Wind
40 - Rebecca
40(Color) - The Thief of Bagdad
41 - How Green Was My Valley
41(Color) - Blood and Sand
42 - Mrs Miniver
42(Color) - The Black Swan
43 - The Song of Bernadette
43(Color) - Phantom of the Opera
44 - Laura
44(Color) - Wilson
45 - The Picture of Dorian Gray
45(Color) - Leave Her to Heaven
46 - Anna and the King of Siam
46(Color) - The Yearling
47 - Great Expectations
47(Color) - Black Narcissus
48 - The Naked City
48 (Color) - Joan of Arc
49 - Battleground
49 (Color) - She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
50 - The Third Man
50(Color) - King Solomon's Mines
51 - A Place in the Sun
51(Color) - An American in Paris
52 - The Bad and the Beautiful
52(Color) - The Quiet Man
53 - From Here to Eternity
53(Color) - Shane
54 - On the Waterfront
54(Color) - Three Coins in the Fountain
55 - The Rose Tattoo
55(Color) - To Catch a Thief
56 - Somebody Up There Likes Me
56(Color) - Around the World in 80 Days
57 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
58 - The Defiant Ones
58(Color) - Gigi
59 - The Diary of Anne Frank
59(Color) - Ben-Hur
60 - Sons and Lovers
60(Color) - Spartacus
61 - Hustler
61(Color) - West Side Story
62 - The Longest Day
62(Color) - Lawrence of Arabia
63 - Hud
63(Color) - Cleopatra
64 - Zorba the Greek
64(Color) - My Fair Lady
65 - Ship of Fools
65(Color) - Doctor Zhivago
66 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
66(Color) - A Man for All Seasons
67 - Bonnie and Clyde
68 - Romeo and Juliet
69 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
70 - Ryans Daughter
71 - Fiddler on the Roof
72- Cabaret
73 - Cries and Whispers
74 - The Towering Inferno
75 - Barry Lyndon
76 - Bound for Glory
77 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind
78 - Days of Heaven
79 - Apocalypse Now
80 - Tess
81 - Reds
82 - Gandhi
83 - Fanny and Alexander
84 - The Killing Fields
85 - Out of Africa
86 - The Mission
87 - The Last Emperor
88 - Mississippi Burning
89 - Glory
90 - Dances with Wolves
91 - JFK
92 - A River Runs Through It
93 - Schindlers List
94 - Legends of the Fall
95 - Braveheart
96 - The English Patient
97 - Titanic
98 - Saving Private Ryan
99 - American Beauty
00 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
01 - Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring
02 - Road to Perdition
03 - Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World
04 - The Aviator
05 - Memoirs of a Geisha
06 - Pan's Labyrinth
07 - There Will Be Blood
08 - Slumdog Millionaire
09 - Avatar
10 - Inception
11 - Hugo
12 - Life of Pi
13 - Gravity
14 - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
15 - The Revenant
16 - La La Land
17 - Blade Runner 2049
18 - Roma
19 - 1917
20 - Mank

[edarsenal]

I've seen Vincent Price in pre-horror films where he often plays a cultured, well-to-do man and I STILL think of him as the guy from all those 60s horror films...it's that voice!

He made a lot of Edgar Allen Poe based movies with Roger Corman, I use to love watching those when I was a kid. I should check those out again.

Same as me, I've seen earlier films but it always goes back to the Corman rendition of Poe that really sticks in my head when I think of him.
Oh, and the voice over he does on Alice Cooper's "Black Widow" on the Welcome To My Nightmare record. lol

[cricket]

Good job Fredrick banging out a couple in a row. 2 movies I like, although I prefer the horrible remake of House of Wax only because Paris Hilton does a striptease. Yea I have great taste in movies, but I have even better taste in women:D

[cricket]

And you guys stop giving Siddon crazy ideas!

Siddon can you alphabetize every movie ever made so we can add it to the list section?

Ok

[Wyldesyde19]

27/28 - Sunrise:A Song of Two Humans
28/29 - White Shadows in the South Seas
29/30 - With Byrd at the South Pole
30/31 - Tabu:A Story of the South Seas
31/32 - Shanghai Express
32/33 - A Farewell to Arms
34 - Cleopatra
35 - A Midsummer Nights Dream
36 - Anthony Adverse
36(Color) - The Garden of Allah
37 - The Good Earth
37(Color) - A Star is Born
38 - The Great Waltz
38(Color) - Sweethearts
39 - Wuthering Heights
39(Color) - Gone with the Wind
40 - Rebecca
40(Color) - The Thief of Bagdad
41 - How Green Was My Valley
41(Color) - Blood and Sand
42 - Mrs Miniver
42(Color) - The Black Swan
43 - The Song of Bernadette
43(Color) - Phantom of the Opera
44 - Laura
44(Color) - Wilson
45 - The Picture of Dorian Gray
45(Color) - Leave Her to Heaven
46 - Anna and the King of Siam
46(Color) - The Yearling
47 - Great Expectations
47(Color) - Black Narcissus
48 - The Naked City
48 (Color) - Joan of Arc
49 - Battleground
49 (Color) - She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
50 - The Third Man
50(Color) - King Solomon's Mines
51 - A Place in the Sun
51(Color) - An American in Paris
52 - The Bad and the Beautiful
52(Color) - The Quiet Man
53 - From Here to Eternity
53(Color) - Shane
54 - On the Waterfront
54(Color) - Three Coins in the Fountain
55 - The Rose Tattoo
55(Color) - To Catch a Thief
56 - Somebody Up There Likes Me
56(Color) - Around the World in 80 Days
57 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
58 - The Defiant Ones
58(Color) - Gigi
59 - The Diary of Anne Frank
59(Color) - Ben-Hur
60 - Sons and Lovers
60(Color) - Spartacus
61 - Hustler
61(Color) - West Side Story
62 - The Longest Day
62(Color) - Lawrence of Arabia
63 - Hud
63(Color) - Cleopatra
64 - Zorba the Greek
64(Color) - My Fair Lady
65 - Ship of Fools
65(Color) - Doctor Zhivago
66 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
66(Color) - A Man for All Seasons
67 - Bonnie and Clyde
68 - Romeo and Juliet
69 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
70 - Ryans Daughter
71 - Fiddler on the Roof
72- Cabaret
73 - Cries and Whispers
74 - The Towering Inferno
75 - Barry Lyndon
76 - Bound for Glory
77 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind
78 - Days of Heaven
79 - Apocalypse Now
80 - Tess
81 - Reds
82 - Gandhi
83 - Fanny and Alexander
84 - The Killing Fields
85 - Out of Africa
86 - The Mission
87 - The Last Emperor
88 - Mississippi Burning
89 - Glory
90 - Dances with Wolves
91 - JFK
92 - A River Runs Through It
93 - Schindlers List
94 - Legends of the Fall
95 - Braveheart
96 - The English Patient
97 - Titanic
98 - Saving Private Ryan
99 - American Beauty
00 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
01 - Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring
02 - Road to Perdition
03 - Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World
04 - The Aviator
05 - Memoirs of a Geisha
06 - Pan's Labyrinth
07 - There Will Be Blood
08 - Slumdog Millionaire
09 - Avatar
10 - Inception
11 - Hugo
12 - Life of Pi
13 - Gravity
14 - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
15 - The Revenant
16 - La La Land
17 - Blade Runner 2049
18 - Roma
19 - 1917
20 - Mank
Nice list, Siddon. Thank you for putting it together. Hopefully it does get added to the database because cinematography is one of my favorite categories.
Amazingly, I’ve seen 75/121 if counted the total of the winners correctly. Feel free to correct me there if I miscounted.

[Citizen Rules]

I've got three movies to write up...I've been watching, just no time to write:indifferent:

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79433
The General (Buster Keaton 1926)


"Buster Keaton was the greatest of all the clowns in the history of cinema. For too many years he was under the shadow of Charlie Chaplin and for too many of his last years he had a very bad time of it...Those are the years in which I knew him. We use to work in the old Stage Door Canteen, I was doing magic tricks for the troops and Keaton was washing dishes. He was a lovely person, the supreme artist and I think one of the most beautiful people ever photographed." Orson Welles

Reaction: Touched

Knowing how badly Hollywood treated Buster Keaton and knowing how the great man who made great cinema was eventually left with only his sad face...makes me sad. As much as I appreciate the creative genius of Charlie Chaplin, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Buster Keaton. I've seen other Keaton films and liked them all. So bless the dear MoFo who nominated this.

I know silent films aren't for everyone and even though I do enjoy them they can be a mixed bag...especially the long ones. The General is only 79 minutes so a quick & easy watch and one that's packed full of Keaton's patented comic stunts that are both humorous as all hell and frightening to watch as he risks his life riding on an old steam engine or other daring feats.

Keaton wrote, directed and starred in this film and like Orson Welles and Citizen Kane, The General was the last time that Keaton would have full control over his films, which is indeed sad.

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79431
Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

Reaction: Cool watch

Pretty much any 1950s French film will work for me. Some are better than others of course, but if it's French or Japanese film and from the 50s or early 60s, then it's a safe bet I won't hate it. And betting is what Bob The Gambler is all about! I don't have any deep analyst of the film, I just enjoyed seeing the sights and sound of Paris circa 1956, I especially like the small cafes and clubs.

The actor who played Bob made the film! I liked his story and the way the film treated Bob and those who came into his world and I liked his relationship with the head detective . At one point I thought this would be another crime caper film and I thought, well that could be OK. But I ended up liking the way the story turned out, especially once the young apprentice of Bob slipped up and told the girl there was a casino robbery being planned.

A side note, I didn't like the girl, she was just plain dumb and looked like she was 14. Not a great actress either and she sure didn't have much screen presences, but the film itself was a good watch.

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79432
Bullitt (Peter Yates 1968)

Reaction: Positive

"Robert Vaughn received the script and didn't like it. He felt that there was no plot, nor a sensible story line."

...and that's why I liked this film! It's straight up police investigation, stylishly done but without the Hollywood trappings of hero vs villain or any of the typical trappings that a Hollywood film usually goes for.

Had this film been made in the last 30 years it would've been a ramped up, edge of your seat, adrenaline ride...and I would've hated it! I appreciate how this 1968 classic stayed low keyed and realistic...If one of my favorite directors, Kelly Reichardt directed a stakeout, crime cop movie, it would look like Bullitt.

I don't have any complaints here, in fact I'm amazed at how artistically creative this film was made. Oh sure I LOVED the car chase. I've owned different 1960s Mustangs myself, so the car chase was aces! But I respect the way the film respected the intelligence of the audience, to me that's the real highlight.

So glad to have finally seen this one.

[edarsenal]

helluva triple play, there, CR!
The General is a great Keaton film with some truly amazing stunts
I've got Bob le Flambeur on my Watchlist, can't wait to check that out.
And while it's been a while since I saw Bullitt it is everything you stated. Steve McQueen is the man!

[Thief]

Yeah, Bullitt is pretty damn good.

[cricket]

Wow great job CR, I am awestruck.

[rauldc14]

I've got three movies to write up...I've been watching, just no time to write:indifferent:

You have a hell of a memory. The longer I wait to write even a minor review, the worse it is and less I have to say about it. Like for example I haven't written up Long Goodbye but watched it and probably now won't have much to say

[edarsenal]

I worry about waiting too long for a write-up as well. Ideally, it'll be right after the credits run and my reaction is fresh. On occasion, some films insist on some contemplation before typing something up.
With my recent change in jobs, my time has been taken up a bit and I'm sorta forced to wait, most of the time, sometimes several days or more before I have the time to write something up. Like presently, even though I saw American Film a couple of days ago, it'll be tonight or even tomorrow that I can write something.

[Thursday Next]

It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

...

I've seen a lot of really good movies on all your recommendations and this is one of the best. Already watched it twice. Highly recommend!

I think this is always the hope, that someone will like a recommendation enough to recommend it to others! Really glad you liked this. It does take a while to get used to the style but it is a very moving film, I found.

[Citizen Rules]

I don't like wanting to write a review either, the longer I wait the less impact a film has on me. If I waited a week I wouldn't remember a damn thing:p

[seanc]

The Caine Mutiny: If this was a tighter movie I think I would have loved it. The love story couldn’t be more useless. I enjoyed this a lot though. No one told me the great climax that f A Few Good Men had an origin. Good stuff

[seanc]

Manchurian Candidate: Didn’t hate this, but it definitely felt dated. All the hypnosis stuff was just not very clever. The performances were pretty good and it looked decent. The story was kind of a dud though.

[cricket]

I liked The Manchurian Candidate but didn't feel it lived up to it's reputation.

Good work Sean!

[Citizen Rules]

I don't like wanting waiting to write a review either. The longer I wait the less impact a film has on me. If I waited a week I wouldn't remember a damn thing:pGood grief, I need to proof read my post, I meant waiting to write, not wanting to write:rolleyes:

[Citizen Rules]

I seen both Manchurian Candidate and The Caine Mutiny but can hardly remember them. It's been like 15 years, so I'm due for a rewatch. There's too many movies I tell ya:)

[Allaby]

I finished watching Ride the Pink Horse (1947). Directed by and starring Robert Montgomery, this film noir is about a veteran who is out for revenge against a Mexican gangster. This sounded like something that I should have loved, but I found myself lukewarm by the end of it. There were some things I liked though. Montgomery's performance is great and I loved the look of the film. The story was what ended up falling flat for me. I just didn't find it that compelling or engaging. The film started off strong, but lost steam as it went along and I found myself losing interest as it went on. Not a bad film, but not as good as I would have expected. I would rate it a 3.

[cricket]

Ride that horse!

[Citizen Rules]

I finished watching Ride the Pink Horse (1947). Directed by and starring Robert Montgomery, this film noir is about a veteran who is out for revenge against a Mexican gangster. This sounded like something that I should have loved, but I found myself lukewarm by the end of it. There were some things I liked though. Montgomery's performance is great and I loved the look of the film. The story was what ended up falling flat for me. I just didn't find it that compelling or engaging. The film started off strong, but lost steam as it went along and I found myself losing interest as it went on. Not a bad film, but not as good as I would have expected. I would rate it a rating_3.Not my movie choice for you, but I love that film as it's so different than the usual noir. My review (if anyone is interested) Ride the Pink Horse (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1861880#post1861880)

[Thief]

I haven't seen The Manchurian Candidate in a good while, but I remember liking it quite a bit. Angie Dickinson is great in it.

[Allaby]

I just finished watching I Daniel Blake (2016). Directed by Ken Loach, the film stars Dave Johns as a carpenter who after a heart attack has to fight to try and get employment and support allowance. Going in to the film, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had only seen one film from the director before (Kes) and hated it. I was concerned the film sounded like it would be too much of a downer and would be hard to enjoy. I am very pleased to report that I loved this film! Dave Johns is fantastic and brings a lot of depth and humanity to the role. I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Hayley Squires is also very good as a single mom that Blake befriends. I also really liked young Briana Shann's performance as one of her kids. I thought the screenplay was very well written and done in an honest, believable way that avoided clichés. I Daniel Blake is a compelling and interesting film that tackles an important subject matter in a way that is heartfelt, compassionate and still manages to be an entertaining film. Good call whoever nominated this for me. I am glad I saw it. This one rates a high 4.5.

[Thursday Next]

I watched I Daniel Blake for one of the halls of fame and liked it more than I thought I would.

[cricket]

Daniel Blake is a good flick and I thought a clever nom when I saw it picked for Allaby.

[Thursday Next]

Creature From the Black Lagoon

“There are many strange legends in the Amazon. Even I, Lucas, have heard the legend of a man-fish.”

Fun creature feature, in which a group of scientists go on an expedition to find the fossilized remains of a creature and end up with more than they bargained for.

There are some interesting aspects to this – I liked that the leading man isn’t set on killing the creature, for example, but wants to keep it alive, setting up tension with the money man who wants to bring back the body. I liked that the female character was also a scientist who has useful contributions to make at times, but she is later reduced to the role of screaming and being kidnapped.

There are some nice scenes underwater. According to my 12 year old, “it’s good picture quality for something that’s seventy years old.” True enough.

It's not particularly tense or scary. I also found the bane of a lot of 50s movies, an overwrought musical score, annoying at times. There were also a couple of bits that were poorly done – the small bundle of twigs that is apparently blocking them from leaving, and the way Kay just rolls on the floor so the creature can easily pick her up which mark it out as low budget.

All that swimming in the Amazon, though. Never mind the creature, what about the piranhas?

[cricket]

I haven't seen The Creature in 40 years.

[CosmicRunaway]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I'm usually not a fan of Cera but he does well here
While I like Scott Pilgrim overall - due to its amazing supporting cast, Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are both absolutely horrible in this, so it's strange to read that you liked Cera. They have no chemistry together, and it nearly ruins the entire film. The ending is a whole other issue I'll get to below.

Interesting if this really is a comic book adaptation which it must be.
It is, and it's written by a Canadian, Bryan Lee O'Malley. The original comics (which are a fun, quick read) have a few Canadian references that were sadly cut from the film haha.

Even ignoring Cera and Winstead's lack of chemistry on screen, based on their characters interactions in the film, it really doesn't make sense for Scott and Ramona to end up together, and that's my least favourite thing about the adaptation.

The film was released before O'Malley finished the comics, and when the final volume came out later, the two actually didn't end up together. Scott and Knives become a couple instead, which makes much more sense in both versions.

[seanc]

Silent Running: My big take away is that the botanist picked to regrow the planet didn’t know he needed light. Not a lot going on in the movie, and it didn’t have much going on for me. Dern was good, and I am always into robots with human personality.

[cricket]

Silent Running: My big take away is that the botanist picked to regrow the planet didn’t know he needed light. Not a lot going on in the movie, and it didn’t have much going on for me. Dern was good, and I am always into robots with human personality.

Yea I love Dern but I didn't get much out of that movie.

[SpelingError]

Its soundtrack is pretty good though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkF05D-NJMU

Though yeah, I also wasn't that big on it.

[Citizen Rules]

Silent Running: My big take away is that the botanist picked to regrow the planet didn’t know he needed light. Not a lot going on in the movie, and it didn’t have much going on for me. Dern was good, and I am always into robots with human personality.
Love that movie and Bruce Dern is a big part of the reason why...The other reason are the robots, which put those crummy Star Wars robots to shame:p

[Takoma11]

While I like Scott Pilgrim overall .
.
.
.
Even ignoring Cera and Winstead's lack of chemistry on screen, based on their characters interactions in the film, it really doesn't make sense for Scott and Ramona to end up together, and that's my least favourite thing about the adaptation.

The film was released before O'Malley finished the comics, and when the final volume came out later, the two actually didn't end up together. Scott and Knives become a couple instead, which makes much more sense in both versions.

I'm a bit torn, because Scott treated Knives SO horribly, that I didn't mind that they didn't end up together in the film. I think that if they'd put more work into the resolution of their relationship, it could have made sense for them to end up together. As it was, though, he did not deserve her.

[Hey Fredrick]

High Noon is one I didn't like much when I first saw it but was forced to watch it again and liked it a lot more. Was simply a case of putting more modern movie viewing expectations on an older film the first time I watched it. Thankfully, I've got that out of my system and can really enjoy old films.

Just watched The Manchurian Candidate earlier this year. Thought it was pretty good and loved the ending.

Always go back and forth between which Keaton film is my favorite - Steamboat Bill, Jr. or The General. Steamboat is a little more fun but the General is probably a better film. Can't really go wrong with either one, though.

[rauldc14]

Creature From the Black Lagoon

“There are many strange legends in the Amazon. Even I, Lucas, have heard the legend of a man-fish.”

Fun creature feature, in which a group of scientists go on an expedition to find the fossilized remains of a creature and end up with more than they bargained for.

There are some interesting aspects to this – I liked that the leading man isn’t set on killing the creature, for example, but wants to keep it alive, setting up tension with the money man who wants to bring back the body. I liked that the female character was also a scientist who has useful contributions to make at times, but she is later reduced to the role of screaming and being kidnapped.

There are some nice scenes underwater. According to my 12 year old, “it’s good picture quality for something that’s seventy years old.” True enough.

It's not particularly tense or scary. I also found the bane of a lot of 50s movies, an overwrought musical score, annoying at times. There were also a couple of bits that were poorly done – the small bundle of twigs that is apparently blocking them from leaving, and the way Kay just rolls on the floor so the creature can easily pick her up which mark it out as low budget.

All that swimming in the Amazon, though. Never mind the creature, what about the piranhas?

Personally I really liked it when I saw it last year. Will be cool to see again too.

[Thief]

I really liked The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and would put it near the top of the Universal Monster movies.

[Citizen Rules]

High Noon is one I didn't like much when I first saw it but was forced to watch it again and liked it a lot more. Was simply a case of putting more modern movie viewing expectations on an older film the first time I watched it. Thankfully, I've got that out of my system and can really enjoy old films.That happened to me too...One of the first old films I watched was Casablanca and I was use to newer films so I thought it was only just OK. Now it's a 5/5 movie for me.

Always go back and forth between which Keaton film is my favorite - Steamboat Bill, Jr. or The General. Steamboat is a little more fun but the General is probably a better film. Can't really go wrong with either one, though.I've not seen Steamboat Bill, Jr. Well there's always the next Personal Rec, hint, hint:p

I really liked The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and would put it near the top of the Universal Monster movies.I held off watching that cause I though it would be just a corny B monster 50s movie, but the underlying theme of humans encroaching into nature where they didn't belong, worked well for me...especially as I felt sympathy for the creature who just wanted to be left alone. The movie contains one of the great 'narrative shots' that I've seen. It's a simple shot but conveys the entire story in just one image.

[edarsenal]

Have yet to see Manchurian Candidate.

It's been at least a decade since I saw The Caine Mutiny, and while I can't remember a lot, I remember enjoying it very much with only the occasional lag in the story.

I actually had to go back and read my review from the 22nd HoF for I, Daniel Blake] which, at the time, did leave me "speechless," and I ended that review commenting, "A powerful film about a very everyday situation that shouldn't be but is."

I haven't seen [B]Creature From the Black Lagoon since I was a wee tyke. Nearly fifty years ago and back then, it was the usual monster fair and one of the few that I never seemed to revisit. I should really rectify that.

Silent Running Another I hadn't seen since I was a kid when it showed on Night at the Movies on TV, and at the time I absolutely loved it. The fact that the three robots were named Huey, Louey, and Dewey and their personalities were so engaging for a pre-ten-year-old, and OH I would cry EVERY SINGLE time I saw that ending. . . I've been truly intrigued as of late to revisit now as an old fogey. I'm sure the ending will still get me, but I've wondered how the remainder of the film would hold out.

[edarsenal]

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57ebc57bd1758ef9c90fd6b3/1523886673175-RN6UHCX4X3KCK3OBVMPX/tumblr_o33zycAkQP1t06ubmo3_500.gif?format=1000w
https://cinemapotatotjy.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/97940-gravefirefly.gif


Grave of the Fireflies aka Hotaru no haka (1988)

Setsuko: Why do fireflies die so soon?

This was everything I had expected it to be, including how beautifully sad it would end up being. I knew for a fact that I would have rather not viewed this for the emotional impact it would cause me. Knowing full well how incredibly beautiful this film would be and is.
Even a day later, as I write this, it still permeates and weighs me down. Its emotional impact was still powerful enough to circumvent the foreknowledge of what would occur, along with the opening scene. The inevitable sadness STILL affected me due to how masterfully poetic director Isao Takahata brings this story of orphaned Seito trying his very best to care for his little sister, Setsuko, amidst the ever-present air bombing. Its devastation was relentlessly visited by American aircraft continually bombing Japan at the end of WWII.

In fact, this year, I have watched several beautifully done, incredibly tragic Japanese films set during that time, and each has moved me. Two of which were anime. A couple I would venture back to, and while I am so very tempted to with GotF at this exact moment, the gripping sadness is too intense to override the utter beauty of both the animation as well as the very story itself to revisit. Though at some point, I feel that I will. Because of JUST how beautiful this tragic film is.

[Thursday Next]

In Cold Blood

"They who had no pity, now ask for yours. They who had no mercy, now ask for yours. They who shed no tears, now ask for yours. If you have tears to shed, weep not for them, weep for their victims."

I think this was a very fine film, with a couple of reservations.

It looks fantastic – a very stark black and white, with well shot rainfall at times and some deliberate choices of transitions between scenes. The stark and moody look of the film chimed perfectly with the tone and atmosphere. It was an interesting story, too. The acting was good, especially from Scott Wilson as the sociopath Hickcock. I liked the way the movie didn’t show the murders at first and almost built up sympathy for Perry, who seemed a nervous accessory to Hickcock’s nasty amoral charmer, only to pull the rug by revealing it was Perry who killed the family in a frenzy of lost control.

The reservations: First, parts of the ending. I don’t think it was at all necessary to have narration, or commentary from random reporter characters or any attempts at moralising, and it made the film a bit too long. Second, I don’t really like true crime stories. The decision to focus on the killers would be just fine in a fictional film, but there’s something a little off about using real life murders with real life victims as entertainment. In an attempt at realism they actually used some of the real locations of the murder and photos of the victims, which made me a little queasy.

I would recommend this film to noir fans. It has certainly stuck with me since I watched it.

[rauldc14]

Viridiana

https://desistfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Viridiana-2-550x358.jpg

I felt like this was the sort of arthouse film that I would like even with having a bit of a rough history with Bunuel, and for the most part that prediction was right. The best part of the film is the uneasiness of the first half. Even if it's a risky subject matter it was filmed very well and I thought Silvia Pinal did a real good job in the lead role. I'm guessing the incest subject matter is why the film was banned obviously. The film was beautiful to look at certainly, the scenes with Pinal in that gown were filmed very well. It definitely loses some luster in that second half and in particular fails to shine when Pinal isn't on the screen, but overall I still think it was pretty well done. Great camera shots throughout the film too. I dug it well enough.

3.5

[cricket]

Wow 3 posts and 3 reviews! Those would make a great triple feature. Like for someone who was strange or something.

[rauldc14]

That happened to me too...One of the first old films I watched was Casablanca and I was use to newer films so I thought it was only just OK. Now it's a 5/5 movie for me.

I've not seen Steamboat Bill, Jr. Well there's always the next Personal Rec, hint, hint:p

I held off watching that cause I though it would be just a corny B monster 50s movie, but the underlying theme of humans encroaching into nature where they didn't belong, worked well for me...especially as I felt sympathy for the creature who just wanted to be left alone. The movie contains one of the great 'narrative shots' that I've seen. It's a simple shot but conveys the entire story in just one image.

Casablanca was one of my first black and white films when I was getting serious about film. But I've always loved it. Other classics I saw early were Rebecca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Strangers on a Train.

[Citizen Rules]

Casablanca was one of my first black and white films when I was getting serious about film. But I've always loved it. Other classics I saw early were Rebecca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Strangers on a Train.All good ones...and among the first I seen too.

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79511
City Lights (Charles Chaplin 1931)

Reaction: I so needed to see this!

I swear that every single time I looked at my MoFo movie list I'd see City Lights and think, 'damn this movie made every list.' OK, maybe it's not on every list, but it's on 10 MoFo list! I don't think any other movie appears on so many of our list.

I enjoy silent films and I've loved a number of Chaplin's greats: Modern Times, The Kid, The Gold Rush and others. I wish I could say I also loved City Lights, but I found it only OK. I wasn't really impressed with it and maybe that's because I was really, really tired that night. Or maybe because subconsciously I was comparing it to Buster Keaton's The General which I recently watched and was impressed with.

When the film started I noted that it was 1931, that's into the sound era. Odd that Chaplin decided to stay with a silent film when sound was the thing at that point.

Unlike The Kid and other of Chaplin's earlier films, I felt like the story here didn't earn it's pathos. It was like Chaplin was burnt out and just went to the same movie well one too many times. I mean you get the Tramp falling in love with the poor blind girl who's about to be evicted out of her home. The Tramp then helps her. That all seemed kind of hackneyed and pandering to the audiences emotions. Where as other of his films earned the audiences accolades.

I'd call City Lights middle of the road, BUT very glad to have watched it finally.

[rauldc14]

Sexy Beast

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYtSet1pUio/XSC9k-iWr5I/AAAAAAAAb8E/uBmCGu_ncPYGnL_c7WbjH0HgLHbanN5MwCLcBGAs/s1600/Sexy%2BBeast%2B1.jpg

Thematically both as a heist film and a black comedy this movie didn't really do a whole lot for me. I did have to have a chuckle at that beginning Boulder scene though, I thought that was pretty funny. Seems like Kingsley is pretty highly praised for this but I didn't really care for his character, who seemed more focused on dropping as many F bombs as humanly possible. I got nothing against it, I love Scorsese movies after all but it all just seemed a bit overboard and really ruined the dialogue and flow of the film for me. The underwater scene was pretty cool. Overall, just really not my kind of film, surprised it was nominated for me.

2