The 27th General Hall of Fame

[CosmicRunaway]

Could the movie be saying that the American way is the villain?
Yeah, capitalism is the real antagonist in the film. The mayor and hotel owners prioritized money over public safety, so it's all on them, not the shark.

[Torgo]

Yeah, capitalism is the real antagonist in the film. The mayor and hotel owners prioritized money over public safety, so it's all on them, not the shark.Pretty much. Pandemic life really influenced this viewing for how it highlighted the evil of keeping the beaches open. I thought about mentioning COVID and Florida's "response" to it in my writeup, but I figured it would be too depressing and we hear enough about it on the news.

[CosmicRunaway]

Pretty much. Pandemic life really influenced this viewing for how it highlighted the evil of keeping the beaches open.
For sure. And not to mention the mayor only caring once his own son was in harm's way.

Man, there was another film I watched or rewatched recently that also had uncomfortable pandemic parallels, but I don't remember what it was now haha.

[cricket]

Dolores Claiborne

https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/dolores_claiborne_4-1.jpg

I'd seen this once before, about 4 or 5 years ago for a thread that wasn't a HoF. I liked it a lot, but I realized once it started that I didn't remember a damn thing about it.

Set in Maine but filmed in Nova Scotia, I only know that because it didn't look like Maine so I looked it up. It certainly looks like Digby. The accents of Dolores and the nice cop sound a lot more like N.S. than Maine as well.

Bates and Plummer are the highlights of the actors as expected. Leigh, Strathairn, and the woman who played Vera were all plenty good enough. They are all compelling characters.

SPOILERS
As I said, I didn't remember anything about this. During the opening scene I thought to myself that Dolores was crazy because no normal person would act like that. It turned out that she had plenty of reason. This was a much sadder movie than I remembered/expected. The two girls went through hell. It's also very engrossing, and I think for a movie like this that is the most important thing to make it worthwhile.

3.5+

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/tRLQJ2ww/l-amour-braque.jpg

L'Amour Braque - (Mad Love) - 1985

Directed by Andrzej Żuławski

Written by Etienne Roda-Gil & Andrzej Żuławski
Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Idiot"

Starring Sophie Marceau, Francis Huster
& Tchéky Karyo

I nearly had to reconfigure my entire mind to see L'Amour braque in a way where I'd accept it, and be at peace with the fact that some of it will forever be incomprehensible to me. I'm not talking about appreciating it artistically, or understanding it's plot - I'm talking about certain uses of French slang, culture and literary references I know nothing about that swirl around in a jumble of poetry and style. They come whirling out in an explosive rattling of dialogue, and once every so often leave me completely mystified. There are degrees of mystification however, and after a while I came to appreciate the poetic meaning of certain passages, where we feel more than understand. That's to say, I can never really be sure if I am missing something - confusion can be the point, and at times I may be sensing a deeper meaning that isn't there, and many parts aren't meant to be understood in a straightforward manner.

Here is the cinema landscape of Andrzej Żuławski. An unnatural manic energy is unleashed in all the characters of L'Amour braque, and they will not only never stand still - they'll throw their limbs about, jump, shake, twirl, kick, bite, punch, slap, spit, hug and dance. Their explosive never-ending energy is inexhaustible and total. They'll shout their lines, scream their lines and sing their lines. They'll spit their lines while jumping, dance, scream, fall over and jump up again. When I encountered this, before I knew what to expect, I was completely exhausted within 15 minutes - a kind of empathetic reaction for the actors in the film, who I knew could rest in-between takes but nevertheless seemed raw and covered in sweat. I also couldn't understand the meaning. Why the mania? I felt as if I were watching a vision of Paris where every person in it had been rendered completely insane. I've stopped trying to think of a reason - perhaps because in doing so I might be missing the point.

Film historian Kat Ellinger admits that this is "one of the things that puts people off Żuławski films. This deliberate level of artifice - an almost theatrical way of stylizing the film" - an admission she makes as a fan of his films - saying it "catches people off guard", and that's certainly what it did to me. With this energy comes dialogue which is often cryptic, lyrical, nonsensical, humerous and/or powerful, and it's at a fast pace - a little too fast for me the first time I viewed the film, which meant that the plot, as simple as it is, was completely lost on me as well. I did consider that the film simply didn't have a plot, but it does - it's one that's loosely based on Dostoevsky novel The Idiot. On a train to Paris a group of hoodlums are evading the police after staging a bank robbery. The leader of the gang, Micky (Tchéky Karyo), meets a simple immigrant from Hungary, Léon (Francis Huster) and befriends him. Micky is on his way to rescue (or buy) a hooker he's fallen in love with, Mary (Sophie Marceau), who belongs to the fearsome Venin brothers. When Mary meets Léon she falls in love with him, which means that after Micky has dealt with all the Venin brothers a reckoning will be due this love triangle.

Léon is immigrating and some of his family already live in Paris - his mother's sister's daughter (as he puts it) is an actress and movie star. They're involved/appearing in a production of The Seagull on stage, and it seems as if one of the Venin brothers is a patron of the arts involved with it - something which provides another connection between two arcs of the story. This is also the source of another love interest for Léon - which adds another love triangle to proceedings. As Micky continues to assassinate the Venins the story of how Mary came to belong to them is uncovered - and the fate of Mary's mother is unveiled when a secret video is unearthed, which tells us that beyond being freed, vengeance is also on the table as far as she is concerned. The film's final few scenes are completely given over to surreal metaphor, but by this time the crossover feels like a natural component of the film - the dialogue was metaphorical from the very get-go, so for the action to diverge from naturalism almost makes everything more explicable.

In this film Sophie Marceau managed to break out of her recurring role of sweet innocent young French sweetheart into a more sexually charged woman with greater range. In all actuality she ended up in a relationship with Andrzej Żuławski that lasted 16 years, and she was to appear in more of his films. She auditioned for the role of Mary, but completely froze when the audition commenced, and it was this stricken anxiety that convinced Żuławski to give her the part - he offered it to her before she could even break out of her mind-lock. Her part and her performance are the two things to really take away from L'Amour braque - although many performances in the film are slightly clouded by the sheer exuberant energy expelled by every cast member. It's with Sophie that we get the complexity and range of emotions that befit someone who has had a truly traumatic past, and there's something genuine we feel underneath all of the movement. A quiet dignity that Żuławski allows her to have.

The film has an interesting look - the costumes the gangsters wear have a particularly 80s gaudy Scarface kind of vibe, and many scenes filmed by French cinematographer Jean-François Robin are from extremely low angles, giving the settings the particular "where God would live" massive overbearing immensity that Żuławski was demanding from him. The colour and lighting scheme is very deliberately projecting the mood and intensity of the moment. Robin had never worked with Żuławski before, and found the entire experience unique and fascinating - not only in a visual sense, but in the way Żuławski would push his actors, lashing out at them not in particular dissatisfaction but to try and push them to give their absolute best performance. The director of photography would also be challenged by the sheer amount of movement and speed of the action (at times it must have felt like shooting a musical), and was impressed by the way Żuławski would deliberately fill the background of shots when close-ups of the actors were called for.

Although the script was always being reworked and changed, an interesting written contribution to the film comes from French lyricist and anarchist Étienne Roda-Gil, the only screenwriting credit he ever had. We can perhaps sense that much of the lyrical and poetic dialogue comes from him - and there is a sharp political edge to many of the lines that come from a variety of the characters. The gangsters constantly disparage France's political and financial elite, who they see as arms dealers and oligarchs. Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull and Dostoevsky's The Idiot gives an added aura of sociological and existential concern that strongly influence much of what comes from all the characters in the film. Żuławski wasn't the kind of director to just see what happened once the cameras had started rolling, so his exactitude points to his film being a fairly complex and choreographed work that belies what at times looks simply silly. It does bring me back to what Kat Ellinger was saying about this "not being one of Żuławski's most accessible films." People were always going to have some trouble with it - and that extended to most critics at the time it was released.

In the meantime, as far as scoring is concerned, Stanislas Syrewicz provides the film with a very synthesized, eighties kind of feel to proceedings when things become intense, but shifts with the mood and feel of the film as time goes by. The imposition of frenzied passionate dialogue during "Voudras, Quand Tu Voudras" gives an added sense of how emotionally wrenching Mary's arc of the story really is. Overall though, this isn't a movie that confines itself forever to looking like a cultural artifact from that time period, despite the score and costumes. Instead, it exists very much apart from any specific era just because of it's unique style and theatrical sensibility. Time has been kind, with many reviewers for various film media lending a much more approving eye to L'Amour Braque than they did back when it was released, although as far as the average filmgoer is concerned anger and confusion come to the fore half the time.

Personally, for me, L'Amour Braque has had to overcome an initial impulse I had to reject it outright. I had to watch it again, this time fully aware of the kind of film it was, and can honestly say that this is the kind of movie where I'll notice something different every time I watch it - there is more going on here than I can take in and process all at once. Every impulse the mind can have transmits itself outwardly through the people who populate Żuławski's world, and nothing is inhibited - which can overload me unless I psychologically filter what I'm seeing and hearing. It's a double edged sword, because while it's nice to have an abundance of detail and significance to intrigue the mind it's sometimes at the expense of simple beauty. While energy and movement can make sure something is never dull, stillness and tranquility can at leave give a sense of contrast to the violent and fluid. If I see someone laughing really loudly I deduce that they're happy, if I see someone laughing really loud for an hour without stopping, I deduce that they're crazy. Perhaps that's the whole point of Mad Love - that love is insanity, that life is insanity and perhaps our very existence is insanity. But I really suspect that the whole point of this film is complex and voluminous and will be forever beyond my grasp.

3

[CosmicRunaway]

Until someone else mentioned it in the thread before, I didn't realize that The Seagull was the name of the play being performed in the film, and that it was a real thing.

I was actually quite confused as to why some characters kept bringing up seagulls, seemingly out of nowhere. It didn't seem out of place for someone to be obsessed with those savage sea rats though, so I didn't really question it haha.

[SpelingError]

The Secret of Roan Innish (1994) - 3

Don't have a whole lot to say about this one. I appreciated that the film avoided sentimentality, the flashbacks/stories were kind of intriguing, and some of the scenic shots looked fine (I was only impressed with a few shots though). For the most part though, I felt kin of distant from the film and I don't have a whole lot to praise it for. I think the film was attempting to coast on the strength of its atmosphere - which can work really well if done right - though I wouldn't give much praise to the atmosphere other than "A few scenes are kind of good". I liked the flashbacks of the island a decent bit, the scene with the boat in the fog was cool, the ending was pretty good, and I guess a couple shots of the seals are fine, but that's about it for me. Maybe if I found the story or the characters more compelling, I'd enjoy it more. Who knows. As it stood, it's fine and there isn't a whole lot to criticize it for, but I also wasn't engaged with a lot of the film. If I were to watch it again, I'd suspect I'd either like it a bit more or about the same.

Next Up: Shura

[cricket]

Thunder Road

http://media.interactive.netuse.gr/filesystem/images/20180912/engine/thunder-road_981_14348468_type13058.jpg

I'm surprised Takoma likes this so much. There are hints that Jim could be racist or sexist, even if it's only casually. He thinks highly of both John Wayne and Thomas Jefferson, and is glad that his black partner didn't attend his mom's wake. He calls the mother of his daughter a dummy and the biggest bitch of them all, and thinks nothing of calling a group of people that includes women "guys". Slapping a dead woman was a cute touch. He also assaults rather than helps a mentally ill man. I even got a pedo vibe when he told his daughter that she was one of the most beautiful girls at the lake, which would seem to me that he thought there were other young girls there more beautiful than his daughter. Hmmmm, but I guess we're supposed to root for this guy. Interesting that the most popular line from the song Thunder Road is "you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright". Also interesting is the mention of the ballet Swan Lake, with its racist implications. Maybe the director is a fan? After all, black characters are referred to by white characters as azzholes or brother, each multiple times. Then there's the stereotypical food the black family has for dinner, including friggin potato salad! I guess it's easy to raise questions if you want to, but thankfully I didn't view it that way.

I had never heard of this movie before and had no idea what to expect. The title makes it sound like a cheesy action film from the 80's, but seeing how it's a Takoma nomination I figured it couldn't be. The opening scene had me wondering if it was a comedy, something I certainly didn't expect. It didn't help that the lead actor looks like he just walked off the set of Super Troopers. After a short time I was able to get a feel for what type of movie it was.

Mixing genres is not ideal for me but of course there's countless examples of it working. I was often amused, laughed several times, and felt some powerful scenes. I'm unsure what I think of the lead's acting but I can at least say it wasn't a negative. The other performances impressed me. I feel like Jim was probably a little off even before the events portrayed in the film. That doesn't make his distress any less sympathetic. He's fortunate that he had close relationships to fall back on. The ending was a strong one. I think with more talent, a bigger budget, and a harder lean towards drama, this could have been a great film. That's a lot of ifs, and I think they did a great job with what they had to work with. Cool nom.

3.5

[CosmicRunaway]

Then there's the stereotypical food the black family has for dinner, including friggin potato salad!
I can't tell if this is a joke or not because potato salad is quite European and I've never seen it associated in a negative way with anyone who isn't German or Irish lol.

[cricket]

I can't tell if this is a joke or not because potato salad is quite European and I've never seen it associated in a negative way with anyone who isn't German or Irish lol.

The stereotype is that blacks make the best potato salad.

https://www.google.com/search?q=blacks+and+potato+salad&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#ip=1

I personally wouldn't call it negative but it could be depending on how a person's mind works.

[Torgo]

The Secret of Roan Innish (1994) - 3

Don't have a whole lot to say about this one. I appreciated that the film avoided sentimentality, the flashbacks/stories were kind of intriguing, and some of the scenic shots looked fine (I was only impressed with a few shots though). For the most part though, I felt kin of distant from the film and I don't have a whole lot to praise it for. I think the film was attempting to coast on the strength of its atmosphere - which can work really well if done right - though I wouldn't give much praise to the atmosphere other than "A few scenes are kind of good". I liked the flashbacks of the island a decent bit, the scene with the boat in the fog was cool, the ending was pretty good, and I guess a couple shots of the seals are fine, but that's about it for me. Maybe if I found the story or the characters more compelling, I'd enjoy it more. Who knows. As it stood, it's fine and there isn't a whole lot to criticize it for, but I also wasn't engaged with a lot of the film. If I were to watch it again, I'd suspect I'd either like it a bit more or about the same.

Next Up: ShuraOh well. With this, Hard Times and Chimes at Midnight, I specialize in picking movies that make people go...

https://media2.giphy.com/media/qTsLIyLFEKKHK/200.gif

:D

I plan on watching it this weekend. It's been a few years since I've seen it, so I'll see if my regard for it holds up.

[SpelingError]

Oh well. With this, Hard Times and Chimes at Midnight, I specialize in picking movies that make people go...

https://media2.giphy.com/media/qTsLIyLFEKKHK/200.gif

:D

I plan on watching it this weekend. It's been a few years since I've seen it, so I'll see if my regard for it holds up.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed Hard Times quite a bit and I rated Chimes At Midnight a 5, so I've enjoyed most of your picks so far.

[Torgo]

For what it's worth, I enjoyed Hard Times quite a bit and I rated Chimes At Midnight a 5, so I've enjoyed most of your picks so far.Cool. Well, they can't all be zingers.

[Citizen Rules]

The Secret of Roan Innish, Hard Times and Chimes at Midnight.

I liked them all myself. I really liked The Secret of Roan Innish, because it wasn't trying to be the typical movie. It didn't try to impress with fancy smancy camera work or uber dramatic acting. It aimed to be a film version of an old Irish folk tale that would've been told by the elder of the family as they gather around the hearth on a frosty winter eve.

I've not seen anything quite like it before, which to me is a treat.

[Torgo]

The Secret of Roan Innish, Hard Times and Chimes at Midnight.

I liked them all myself. I really liked The Secret of Roan Innish, because it wasn't trying to be the typical movie. It didn't try to impress with fancy smancy camera work or uber dramatic acting. It aimed to be a film version of an old Irish folk tale that would've been told by the elder of the family as they gather around the hearth on a frosty winter eve.

I've not seen anything quite like it before, which to me is a treat.Glad to hear. I like being surprised by movies I've never heard of before, so that's how I decide what movie to pick.
Yes, that means I stalk (those of you who are on) Letterboxd to see what you have or haven't seen. :cool:

[Citizen Rules]

Glad to hear. I like being surprised by movies I've never heard of before, so that's how I decide what movie to pick.
Yes, that means I stalk (those of you who are on) Letterboxd to see what you have or haven't seen. :cool:I've thought about logging films on Letterboxd but I've seen too many movies and don't have the time to log them all. I usually end up having not seen the bulk of the HoF movies.

Out of the 16 movies here, I've only seen 6 and I really can't count Raiders of the Lost Ark or Apocalypse Now as I seen them many years ago and didn't remember a thing. Even Dolores Claiborne I had forgotten most of it including how it was resolved.

[TheUsualSuspect]

I've thought about logging films on Letterboxd but I've seen too many movies and don't have the time to log them all. I usually end up having not seen the bulk of the HoF movies.

Out of the 16 movies here, I've only seen 6 and I really can't count Raiders of the Lost Ark or Apocalypse Now as I seen them many years ago and didn't remember a thing. Even Dolores Claiborne I had forgotten most of it including how it was resolved.


You can import your imdb rate movies over if you've used imdb.

[Citizen Rules]

You can import your imdb rate movies over if you've used imdb.That's good to know, but I never rated films at IMDB either.

[edarsenal]

When I was a little kid I kept a notebook and wrote down every single movie I watched till I was about twelve when I came to the realization that a lot of films I saw on TV were Edited/Censored that, technically, I didn't REALLY watch them. So I stopped. If I remember correctly, I was on my second (maybe third) notebook with double columns, both sides of the paper used and it was somewhere in the hundreds at that point. Possibly around 4 0r 500.
Keeping up with the Lists here on MoFo is the closest I've ever come to making lists.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/B6MPfVFn/shura.jpg

Shura - (Demons, aka Pandemonium, aka Bloodshed) - 1971

Directed by Toshio Matsumoto

Written by Toshio Matsumoto
Based on "Kamikakete Sango taisetsu" by Nanboku Tsuruya

Starring Katsuo Nakamura, Yasuko Sanjo, Masao Imafuku
& Juro Kara

I can't count the number of times revenge has seemed cathartic and generally respectable in a movie. Rarely have I taken the time to reflect on the toll it takes on the person exacting vengeance - which often includes murder and destruction. "They had it coming" - it's not real life, where I most often go so far as to take issue with the death penalty - even in the most heinous of circumstances. Riggs and Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon series of films seem to kill more people than the most experienced of combat troops, and they seem pretty much fine with it. Vengeance and killing are made out to be an almost natural mode of being - an essential balance where wrongs are righted and a ledger squared is the perfect panacea to a troubled conscience. Then there's Shura, and it's tell-tale English language alternate titles, Pandemonium, Bloodshed and Demons.

Here we have a world where vengeance destroys the person seeking recompense - to their very soul. A portentous setting sun, a time-lapse shot that will be Shura's one and only colour sequence, shows us in a very precise way where this film is headed. Toshio Matsumoto and director of photography Tatsuo Suzuki will drown the rest of this film in unrelenting darkness, with stark black shadows hemorrhaging over everything - a blanket of dream-like night the likes you rarely see in a film. It fits this story perfectly - Matsumoto has adapted an old Japanese play, Kamikakete Sango taisetsu, which was written by Tsuruya Nanboku in 1825 - one with unrelenting darkness, despair and tragedy. He creates a samurai film that delves into horror and makes us question the very veracity of revenge. Conversations (albeit one-sided ones) with severed heads, the murder of infants, general slaughter, poisoning, slashing and strangling are the physical results of psychological anguish unleased.

Shura and Toshio Matsumoto don't seem to be very widely known subjects. Matsumoto himself directed very few feature-length films - four in total by my count - but those he did seem to be highly regarded. After hearing high praise for his 1969 film Funeral Parade of Roses I feel perplexed and intrigued by him and his much more numerable short films (he wrote a screenplay for a 1961 feature film called The Catch/Shiiku - which looks especially interesting.) There are wonderful little things in Shura that I rarely see in other features, such as a visual illustration of how characters think ahead, such as people do in real life. Sometimes these forward and backward jumps last only moments, but there are times when a whole scene will reset and we become aware that what we've just seen has been a supposition of what might happen by a character in the film. These thoughts might reveal fears, trepidation and even ego mixed with hope. I found it to be a great added benefit to the film.

The film opens with a dream, which is obviously some kind of warning for our samurai protagonist in this, Gengobei (Katsuo Nakamura) but it tells us nothing specific and it's easy to misread. Death and carnage might be headed Gengobei's way if he doesn't have a level head, and unfortunately he's in love with a geisha called Koman (Yasuko Sanjo) who is distracting him from his duty, as his faithful servant Hachiemon (Masao Imafuku) continually reminds him. Gengobei at first seems a reckless and impulsive fellow, but as the story unfolds we do get a sense that he does mean to stay true to his task of joining the 47 ronin avenging their master (featured in Chūshingura.) Eventually though, he's tricked, cheated and humiliated and this precedes one of the most violent and blood-drenched murderous revenge rampages I've ever seen. While at first I really did want Gengobei (later revealed to be travelling under a different name) to have his vengeance, events darken to such an extent where I fervently wished he'd forgone the urge. Vengeance changes Gengobei to the point where he becomes a demon.

Much of the film unfolds without the addition of any kind of traditional score or musical accompaniment, except for periods where customary Japanese music underscore a moment of great dramatic import, such as when Hachiemon provides an ultimate, kind act of great significance for Gengobei late in the film. Sometimes there's the very light addition of a sanshin (or similar instrument) and a demon-like shiver of sound towards the very end, underscoring the horror. The dramatic and visual intensity of the film makes the lack of score barely noticeable. It's a really gripping film that shook my inner senses - a meditation on the push and pull between duty and personal desire, slaking a thirst for vengeance despite the spiritual cost of doing so. There's also a sad sense of the futility that much of life entails. A futility we often push to the very furthest reaches of our minds. "I have lived a useless life" one character remarks, on the verge of suicide - and at that moment it seems to be the very reason for being, though I'd simply suggest a balance between the personal and our obligations.

I really enjoyed this film's style, the performances on display and it's story. I'm partial to tales that delve into the darkest of corners, and there are moments in Shura that really shuddered my senses without giving me the feeling that I was watching something exploitative. This is one film that really deserves to be much more well known than it currently is, and I'll do my utmost to spread the word about this and Toshio Matsumoto. It's great to have something in this genre that doesn't glorify violence, but instead makes that violence appear almost like a spreading sickness that only brings misery upon both the victim and perpetrator. It's destined to stay in my memory and be a point of comparison between other Japanese films of the era, although to compare it to other "samurai" films would seem unfair simply due to the fact that this doesn't feel like and an out-and-out samurai film. It's more like a Shakespearean tragedy or Greek drama, and harks back to early Japanese theater.

A chilling tale on one samurai's transformation into a demon, fueled by his shame, indignation and rage - and a film that really deserves to be much more well known and appreciated.

4

[cricket]

That's good to know, but I never rated films at IMDB either.

For people our age, we've probably seen most of our movies before these sites existed or at least before we knew about them. Going back like that is such a daunting task. If we were like 20 it'd be a lot different.

[Citizen Rules]

For people our age, we've probably seen most of our movies before these sites existed or at least before we knew about them. Going back like that is such a daunting task. If we were like 20 it'd be a lot different.That's probably true...I'm old enough that I can watch a movie and not remember anything about it, like Raiders of the Lost Ark. The last time I seen that movie was 20 years ago.

[cricket]

That's probably true...I'm old enough that I can watch a movie and not remember anything about it, like Raiders of the Lost Ark. The last time I seen that movie was 20 years ago.

Even though I was a kid I saw it at the cinema when it came out, same with Jaws. You probably did too. You probably saw Baby Face when it came out.

[cricket]

Demons

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w780/q4oKrDG827eko32rGBd89t47YFz.jpg

My 2nd time watching this, and it would have eventually been my nomination if not for sneaky pahaK. Loved it just as much this time around.

Between the visuals and the content it doesn't get much darker than this. The violence is heavy and shocking, even more so for me because I think of it with Japanese films that came earlier. The story is simple, but with a somewhat unique take for an American viewer, and it comes with a surprise near the end. Strong characters, and I like that the dude who it feels like we should be rooting for takes things to horrible places. I love everything about it.

4.5

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics2/trueromance.jpg
True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993)
IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108399/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 3/13/2022
Rewatch: Yes.

Full Disclosure: With his roles in Untamed Heart, Heathers, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and this movie, Christian Slater was pretty damn hot stuff to adolescent/teenaged me and I've had a soft spot for him ever since. That I saw this movie in the theater when I was 12 certainly didn't have any negative impact on my opinion of it.

I know some other participants found Slater and Patricia Arquette's characters unlikeable, and I can kind of understand that considering the collateral damage they leave in their wake and Clarence's obsessive personality and bravado, but frankly I find them endearing. Again, I'm pretty biased towards Christian Slater - and, after all, this is my nomination - but they come off to me as dumb kids who are in way over their heads. Clarence is kind of a nerd. He spends his days watching movies and reading comics where the heroes save the day and get the girl. When he finds himself living out his fantasy, he fails to recognize the very real danger and the consequences that innocents will have to pay for what he's done. I think this makes him feel real. And yet if he actually were real I'd be right there with those who are criticizing him. But he isn't real. This whole thing is a fiction and I don't feel even a scrap of guilt watching him blaze through this world filled with crazy characters, vibrant colors, and tense violence. As for Alabama? She's mostly just eye candy for a bit (and she is pretty damn hot in this), but things turn quite in her favor during that brutal motel room scene. Mad respect to both the character and actress for that.

And of course it would be absolutely remiss to not address those crazy characters they encounter. Brad Pitt is a big standout, of course. It's almost a shame he's so good looking because he's really a gifted character actor, especially in comedic roles like this. Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Bronson Pinchot, and Gary Oldman are also great. Literally every familiar face (and wow are there a lot of them) makes an impact with their screentime regardless of how small. Even the like two seconds we get of Samuel L. Jackson is great (and definitely helps to cement the movie as more of a Tarantino flick than a Tony Scott one for me).

Now I won't deny that this film is not flawless. The Elvis scenes feel a bit silly even in a movie filled with things that are utterly ridiculous (but they're brief enough that they don't detract much) and I suppose some of the dialogue could've been cut a bit short, but it's not like this is serious drama. This is a movie with the sole purpose of entertaining its audience and it absolutely excels at it. It is one damn fun ride.

4.5

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics2/raiders.gif
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981)
IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)

Date Watched: 3/13/2022
Rewatch: Yes.

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It's fun and it's iconic and I've seen it many times in my life, but I've never loved it. And it's not even Indy's problematic past (probably underage) relationship with Marion or the colonialism or whatever. It just that, if I'm being honest, I've always found it a little dull. It just doesn't excite me the way its two 1980s sequels do and, while it has some humor, it doesn't amuse me the way those other films do. Add to that the lack of a badass baddie (I ****ing LOVE Temple of Doom's Mola Ram) and the main effect watching this movie has on me is to give me a strong desire to watch the other two.

I also found myself distracted by nagging thoughts about the "glaring story problem" that was brought up in an episode of Big Bang Theory (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfUUGrSMmxI) - namely that Indy had pretty much ZERO effect on the events of the film.

Oh well, still a not bad way to kill a couple of hours. Now to have some dinner and then put on Temple of Doom.

3.5-

[cricket]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics2/raiders.gif
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981)
IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)

Date Watched: 3/13/2022
Rewatch: Yes.

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It's fun and it's iconic and I've seen it many times in my life, but I've never loved it. And it's not even Indy's problematic past probably underage relationship with Marion or the colonialism or whatever. It just that, if I'm being honest, I've always found it a little dull. It just doesn't excite me the way its two 1980s sequels do and, while it has some humor, it doesn't amuse me that way those other films do. Add to that the lack of a badass baddie (I ****ing LOVE Temple of Doom's Mola Ram) and the main effect watching this movie has on me is to give me a strong desire to watch the other two.

I also found myself distracted by nagging thoughts about the "glaring story problem" that was brought up in an episode of Big Bang Theory (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfUUGrSMmxI) - namely that Indy had pretty much ZERO effect on the events of the film.

Oh well, still a not bad way to kill a couple of hours. Now to have some dinner and then put on Temple of Doom.

3.5-

I'm way too tired to give that any thought right now, but that is pretty interesting.

[gbgoodies]

I'm way too tired to give that any thought right now, but that is pretty interesting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMVd6DaEtUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDKNGV2K4vQ

[Thief]

Yeah, that theory has been doing the rounds for a while now. It basically states that if Indy hadn't meddled with things, the Nazis would've still found the Ark, take it to the island or place where they opened it, they would've been burned/melted alive and that would've been it. Indy's interference was ultimately irrelevant, or so they say.

[cricket]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMVd6DaEtUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDKNGV2K4vQ

That's pretty funny

[Thief]

Anyway, I just finished Baby Face. I'm not out yet! Not today, Satan!

[Wyldesyde19]

All of those observations about Indy are operating in hindsight. He clearly has his reasons to go there to at least try to stop it, so it wasn’t without merit.
He had no way of knowing the Nazis outcome of opening said Ark.

[gbgoodies]

That's pretty funny


The whole series is funny, especially if you like sci-fi movies and TV shows, superheroes, and comic books. And there were a LOT of great guest stars throughout the series run.

[StuSmallz]

Yeah, that theory has been doing the rounds for a while now. It basically states that if Indy hadn't meddled with things, the Nazis would've still found the Ark, take it to the island or place where they opened it, they would've been burned/melted alive and that would've been it. Indy's interference was ultimately irrelevant, or so they say.No one knows that the first time they're watching the movie, though, and I don't see how that's a fatal flaw when the result is so entertaining to watch anyway; it's about the journey people, not the destination!

[jiraffejustin]

Magical Girl

I have some mixed feelings about this film, but the overall feelings I have are more positive than negative. The film is shot in a cold, sterile way like a lot have mentioned. I'm not a big fan of that, generally I need a film to be visually appealing to me for me to reach a certain level of love for it. It does take the film a while to get its foundation laid, the only positive to that is that it never really shows its hand before certain reveals. In some cases when a film doesn't show you something and allows you to imagine it for yourself because the idea of you imagining worse than what they can show you is a thing works for me, but in this film it doesn't. I would rather see or know what is going on to f*ck this woman up that badly. I know the implication is very violent sexual stuff, but this woman is bandaged from head to toe. I can't even imagine what happened, that's too much for me to even comprehend without some level of explanation. I do like the escalation at the end and the dude who was in prison. Which I'd also like to know more about, it's a pretty big thing to ask of your audience to make up the story for you. I know that I am having more negative to say than positive, but it's not a bad film, just some flaws that stand out to me. The scene where the dude who was in prison does what he does is pretty good and the time where the cold filming style gets to improve the scene.

[TheUsualSuspect]

https://iv1.lisimg.com/image/4170974/308full-demons-poster.jpg

Demons

While the film isn't trying to establish anything new, it manages to be incredibly well shot and I was impressed with the bold noir film style. The cinematography is a highlight for me, being shot in black and white the film feels like a story from another time and place. Multiple times I would sit there and nod my head being impressed by the shot composition. The last "hell" chapter certainly felt like it and the film does an excellent job immersing you into the world of this story, which felt like a stage play at times.

The film is tragic and new to me. Never heard of it before and am glad I am part of these HoF's to be exposed to new cinema. The film could use a trim and be a bit tighter with the edit. Over 2 hrs long, it felt like it at times.

[Thief]

No one knows that the first time they're watching the movie, though, and I don't see how that's a fatal flaw when the result is so entertaining to watch anyway; it's about the journey people, not the destination!

I totally agree. I don't see it as a "story flaw" because the characters are not aware of that either, and it doesn't make their attempts and the arcs they go through irrelevant at all.

[Hey Fredrick]

Sorry for butting in but that Big Bang-Raiders thing....Never heard of it but... without Indy, the Nazis are just digging in the sand, right? It's kind of like saying a monkey will write Shakespeare if given a pen and paper and enough time. It's not like the Nazis found the Ark because of Indy, they took it from him. How much time do they get to find it themselves? When/how would they have found the ark without Marions medallion? Do the Nazis even find Marion and get half the headpiece without Indy and why have Toht follow Indy to Nepal if they could find her without him? The Nazis (Belloch) needed Indy to get involved and were counting on it that's why they tailed him. So, without Indy the Nazis are just digging blindly in the desert but eventually everything would be the same?

[Thief]

The Nazis already had their eyes on Marion, who had the medallion, so they would've gotten to her anyway.

[Torgo]

While we're on this subject, how do you think Indy hitched a ride on the U-boat to the island where the Nazis opened the Ark without drowning?

[Thief]

While we're on this subject, how do you think Indy hitched a ride on the U-boat to the island where the Nazis opened the Ark without drowning?

That one baffles me :laugh:

[Captain Terror]

While we're on this subject, how do you think Indy hitched a ride on the U-boat to the island where the Nazis opened the Ark without drowning?

By being Indiana ******* Jones, that's how!

[Torgo]

By being Indiana ******* Jones, that's how!https://i.imgur.com/g5HEruM.gif

[Captain Terror]

By being Indiana ******* Jones, that's how!

Funny, I didn't expect that word to get censored so you're probably all imagining a word that's worse than the one I actually used.

[Miss Vicky]

Funny, I didn't expect that word to get censored so you're probably all imagining a word that's worse than the one I actually used.

Compound word with one word starting with a G and the other one starting with a D?

Yeah, censoring that just makes people assume it was an F bomb.

As to the "glaring story problem" in Raiders, for the record I was more bothered by the images of Mayim Bialik that kept popping up in my head than by the fact that she was technically right. I used to watch that show all the time and her character Amy was a big reason why I stopped watching. Couldn't stand her.

Now I'm far more bothered by the U boat thing. :laugh:

Anyway, was too tired to watch Temple of Doom last night but may watch it tonight. I've always loved it the most of the Indy movies. Then again maybe I'll watch Last Crusade instead and save the best for last. (And no, I shall not be watching Crystal Skull.)

[Citizen Rules]

By being Indiana ******* Jones, that's how!The best post on this thread!

[Hey Fredrick]

The Nazis already had their eyes on Marion, who had the medallion, so they would've gotten to her anyway.


I'm sure they did but could they find her? They followed Indy to get to her. It kind of reminds me of what John Doe said to the detectives in Seven when Mills told him they would have caught him eventually : "Oh really? So what were you doing? Biding your time?"

[Captain Terror]

Compound word with one word starting with a G and the other one starting with a D?

Yeah, censoring that just makes people assume it was an F bomb.
correct.


I also found myself distracted by nagging thoughts about the "glaring story problem" that was brought up in an episode of Big Bang Theory (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cfUUGrSMmxI) - namely that Indy had pretty much ZERO effect on the events of the film.
A/ People who point out glaring story problems are the worst, aren't they?
B/ If it was "glaring" we would've noticed it in 1981
C/ I'd even argue that it's not a problem at all. Given what happens to the ark at the end, the futility of it all seems to be the theme anyway. So maybe Lucas gets the last laugh after all.

[Thief]

I'm sure they did but could they find her? They followed Indy to get to her. It kind of reminds me of what John Doe said to the detectives in Seven when Mills told him they would have caught him eventually : "Oh really? So what were you doing? Biding your time?"

Didn't they already have Marion's father journal, and knew where to find her? Don't remember. Anyway, I don't really care about the "theory" one way or the other.

[crumbsroom]

The story problem posed by Big Bang Theory is not a story problem. Even if this adventure ultimately adds up to a big MacGuffin, and nothing is changed, how does this actually have any bearing on how the story functions? Is this somehow not a story worth telling simply because all the Nazi's would have all died anyway? He should have just stayed home? It's ridiculous nit picking and, even though I didn't watch this particular television show, I feel the characters of The Big Bang Theory are maybe not meant to be turned to for their cultural insight.

Let's for a moment consider that the story of Raiders of the Last Ark is completely factual. Indiana Jones is a real guy, and every event in the films plot happened exactly as it did in real life. Now, would or would this not be a story worth telling? Or should we expect him to just keep it to himself because, in the end, it turns out he might as well have just stayed home? And if that is what you think, is it possible you've maybe lost sight of what the value of storytelling even is?

All I know is if I was sitting around a dinner table while Indiana Jones was telling this story, and someone sitting next to me complained their time listening to it was wasted because 'the Nazi's would have opened the ark anyway', I'd immediately change seats.

[Torgo]

...and now for something completely different.

The Secret of Roan Inish - 4

This is one of the first hidden gem movies I ever watched, and after having not seen it for a few years, it remains a favorite. Hidden gem could describe every movie directed by John Sayles, who I'm surprised isn't better known since I haven't been disappointed by any of his movies that I've seen. With Men With Guns, Limbo, and this movie, he's proven to be an expert at stories about endangered communities for the special way he depicts what they do to survive and the typically cruel forces that marginalize them. This one's exquisite beauty, magical qualities and how it emphasizes the power of storytelling make it my favorite such exploration.

Cinematography can make or break a movie as much as its direction, which is why the great Haskell Wexler deserves as much credit for how good this movie is as Sayles. Besides the way he films coastal Ireland's natural charms, I like how the intimacy of his camerawork shows how small this world is. It’s also a nice touch that nearly every shot is filmed at Fiona's diminutive height for how it lets us see this world through her eyes and stresses how hard it is for her to convince everyone that her story about her missing brother Jamie is true. Speaking of stories, every character has one to tell, and luckily, Sayles and company never forget that this is a movie and not a book. With their crossfades, sepia tones, etc., the stories are as pleasing to see play out as they are to hear, and each one proves how useful stories are at carrying on cultural and family traditions. Being caught between two worlds is another recurring theme, and the many instances of it from Jamie's place in the seal and human worlds to the community's place in Ireland and the England that threatens to erase its uniqueness are expertly interwoven. The secret sauce in all of this, though, is in the whimsy and laughs. How it makes you wonder if the seagulls and seals are collaborating with little to no special effects deserves credit, as does the genuine humor, which finds its peak in the surprise that the grandmother - the most traditional and devoutly religious member of the family - wants to believe Fiona the most.

While this movie is a favorite, there are still things in it that raise an eyebrow. Coastal folk may be a stern and salty lot, but the performances are tad stiff on the whole. As for the stories, as involving as they may be, there are scenes like the first one with Tadhg that make you wonder if they rehearse them since some are a little too perfectly composed. Also, the selkie's marriage didn't exactly end well, but even though it was a different time, the movie should have called out her husband for essentially holding her hostage. It still earns its hidden gem status and proves that John Sayles is one of America's best indie directors. It's always a shame when a community withers away, especially as a result of forces that do it willingly. That they can be preserved by someone as innocent, uncynical and hopeful as Fiona is refreshingly optimistic.

[edarsenal]

HUGE fan of Big Bang, so I got a big kick out of the clip.

I need to get another up on the board, and with the recent Demons reviews, I do believe I'll be going with that one in the next few days.

[SpelingError]

Speaking as someone who gave Raiders a 7/10, I don't care about "the nazi's would've died anyways" criticism at all. Jones wasn't aware of this until the end of the film, so to his perspective, his presence was necessary. It just seems like nitpicking to me.

[ueno_station54]

i did not like Raiders at all but that was not one of the issues lol. very smooth-brained idea of what's required for a story tbh.

[Miss Vicky]

To be fair, I doubt I would've have noticed it either if I hadn't remembered that Big Bang Theory episode (just like I didn't think about the U boat issue until Torgo pointed it out) but it's one of those things that's planted in my head now and can't be undone.

Regardless, my biggest issue with the movie is - and always has been - that I just don't find it nearly as exciting or as amusing as its sequels. Also Ford was way hotter in Temple of Doom. :randy:

[gbgoodies]

While we're on this subject, how do you think Indy hitched a ride on the U-boat to the island where the Nazis opened the Ark without drowning?

That one baffles me :laugh:


There's a deleted scene where Indy uses his whip to hang on to the periscope on the submarine when it dives under water.

It's explained at around the 7:10 mark in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68261sjuGzk

[PHOENIX74]

I remember reading the comic and getting that extra bit of info about Indiana Jones tying himself to the submarine's periscope with his whip, but I used to think to myself, "Hey, don't submarines dive deeper than that?" It always bothered me - but having seen a few submarine-based movies in the interim I'm getting the feeling that they only do those deep dives to escape detection, and that they otherwise sail like normal ships - on the surface it takes less energy and fuel, and is easier to navigate.

One thing that still bothers me though is the trap in the cave at the start. "Stay out of the light." How does that work? What kind of thing did these natives build where some kind of movement in a beam of light sets off a spear trap? Or is there some guy sitting in the cave looking out of a hole just waiting - for years and years - looking and waiting, staying alert - looking at his light beam, until somebody wanders by and he hits his trap button. At night that trap doesn't even work at all.

[StuSmallz]

One thing that still bothers me though is the trap in the cave at the start. "Stay out of the light." How does that work? What kind of thing did these natives build where some kind of movement in a beam of light sets off a spear trap? Or is there some guy sitting in the cave looking out of a hole just waiting - for years and years - looking and waiting, staying alert - looking at his light beam, until somebody wanders by and he hits his trap button. At night that trap doesn't even work at all.Also, in episode 2F09, when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is a magic xylophone, or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder!



;)

[pahaK]

Thunder Road (2018)

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-08/4/15/enhanced/buzzfeed-prod-web05/anigif_original-grid-image-23148-1470338304-6.gif

What an awkward film, and not in a positive way. Jim Cummings's portrayal of this annoying idiot gives me the feeling of some high-school kid forced to act in a school project. He feels totally out of place before the camera, yet still, the director Cummings feels the need to have him in practically every single frame. There's nothing funny here, just a general embarrassment for the people involved.

I honestly don't know if this is going more for drama or comedy, but neither aspect is working. Drama is ruined by the lack of relatable characters and an aura of incompetence. The only ongoing joke in the film is Cummings acting like he can't, and I don't find it particularly funny. It's one of the most egoistic actor-directed films I've ever seen, and the main effect for me is actually starting to dislike Cummings as a person.

In short, most likely the worst film I've seen this year, and I dearly hope it'll have the last place on my ballot cemented. Sorry for the bashing.

1

[Takoma11]

Thunder Road (2018)
.
.
.

In short, most likely the worst film I've seen this year, and I dearly hope it'll have the last place on my ballot cemented. Sorry for the bashing.

1

So you . . . . loved it?

Or at least appreciate the sweet, sweet gift of an easy last place!

[PHOENIX74]

Also, in episode 2F09, when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is a magic xylophone, or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder!



;)

Weeell, my trap complaint was tongue in cheek - but I did used to obsess over Raiders plot holes and inconsistencies as a kid. That movie was like my Bible. I don't know how I'd react to the fridge in the nuclear explosion if I were a kid last decade. I'm thinking Crystal Skull would not move me to devotion.

While obsessively nitpicking Raiders though, did anyone realise that the idol in the cave had animatronic moving eyes? (There are stills with Spielberg messing with it's insides around.) If you watch the scene very carefully.....yeah. It's impossible to notice. Below is a demo with how it worked - it was meant to follow Indy's movements. They put some work into that, for absolutely zero payoff :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGB2T_ek0qU

[SpelingError]

Shura (1971) - 4

I don't know that there's anything in this movie which blew me away, but there was nothing which bothered me either. I suppose the plot is a fairly straightforward revenge story, but the stylistic elements of the film were more than enough to save the film. For instance, I liked the usage of darkness and shadows in several scenes. I don't know if I can quite put my finger on why those elements work, but something about seeing various characters appear/disappear from the shadows gives the film a dreamy aesthetic. I also liked how certain scenes were repeated. Through these scenes, you get a sense of Gengobei imagining how he wants to behave in certain situations or how some of the violence he commits or witnesses it etched into his head. These scenes also cause the film to become a subjective experience which puts you in Gengobei's headspace really well. Finally, the high level of violence also surprised me. While certain elements like the slow motion and the (relatively) high levels of blood help in this regard, that most of the deaths are prolonged gives them even more staying power. All things considered, this is definitely the most violent classic samurai film I've seen. As I said at the start of this review, I wouldn't say this film blew me away, but I do have a lot of respect for the film's technical qualities. It's a stylistically impressive take on the revenge film which is so unique with its craft that you eventually stop caring about its somewhat barebones plot.

Next Up: Thunder Road

[Thief]

Just finished Midnight Cowboy, so another one down for me!

[cricket]

I watched The Secret of Roan Inish but I need to watch it again.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/CxdyPCcz/baby-face.jpg

Baby Face - 1933

Directed by Alfred E. Green

Written by Gene Markey & Kathryn Scola
Story by Darryl F. Zanuck

Starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent
& Theresa Harris


Scandalous! Well, perhaps not today - and ironically the version of Baby Face I watched has only been available to us since 2004. When an original camera negative and a duplicate negative were found after curator Michael Mashon requested a print of the film, he found out that the latter was the uncensored version of it. The experience of being able to watch this film as it was originally intended made me think that this should really be the norm, and films from yesterday that were mangled by over officious and censorious meddlers should be made available in their original form so that we may reevaluate them. After reading about the version of Baby Face I would have been watching if the uncensored version had of been the only one I could have found, I'd have had a vastly different reaction to the film.

Barbara Stanwyck stars as Lily Powers and really gives this verve, energy and the sex appeal needed to sell the basic premise of her as a seductress with a powerful hold over the men she uses to work her way up in society. It all starts in a filthy and dilapidated speakeasy in Pennsylvania as Lily's father, Nick (Robert Barrat) is revealed to be a dirtbag who forces his daughter to sleep with customers either for profit or political protection. One of the speakeasy's customers is Adolf Cragg (Alphonse Ethier) who tries to interest Lily in philosophy and confides to her that she'd be better off using her good looks and youth to her advantage. When the still in the back yard explodes, Lily's father is killed, so she takes off with friend Chico (Theresa Harris) to New York, sleeping her way to the upper echelons of Gotham Trust. A murder/suicide and scandal leads to exile and an eventual romance with new boss Courtland Trenholm - but is Lily emotionally invested this time, or is she playing him for a romantic fool?

For me, there's a huge, yet sly, wink Baby Face is giving me as it's melodramatic scenes play out with exaggerated flair and intensity. Lily is something of an anti hero who we're right behind because she's due some vengeance on a world where her father could treat her the way he did and get away with it. The men she targets are vain and financially-driven for the most part, so why should she be any different? It's something Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called "do-me feminism" when tackling the film after it's 2004 re-release and reconstruction. Lily is never once a victim in this - even when the film starts and she resides at her father's speakeasy, she slaps, punches and growls at the men pawing at her, and physically injures a man in authority trying to take advantage of the fact that her father is at his mercy. Cragg persuades her to take this attitude to places where she can excel - but it must have been confusing to audiences in 1933, where Cragg's speech to her had been changed (spoken while we can only see his back and not his lips) into some kind of "better yourself, but be good" monologue.

The censored version had also declined to let us in on the fact that she'd been prostituting for her father since the tender age of 14 (which is, frankly, as disturbing now as it was back then - at least to me.) The Motion Picture Production Code was just about to be officially implemented when Baby Face was gearing for release, and the film was pulled from distribution when the office setting it up got a look at the film. Darryl F. Zanuck, who'd written the story under the pseudonym "Mark Canfield" haggled with the Hays Office over what would be a more acceptable version for them. They insisted on an ending where Lily returns home and lives a modest lifestyle, letting the audience know that her carousing never paid off in the end. A scene set in a box car when Lily is running off to New York with Chico and a railroad worker attempts to boot them off, only to be pacified in a sexual manner, was cut altogether. Other sexualized shots were cut, toning the film down, but also robbing it of it's impetus and meaning.

The film was looked upon unfavourably by critics who may have been well and truly familiar with sexualized films predating the code that was finally implemented in 1934. Those films not only don't look as particularly lurid to modern audiences as they did at the time , but they also seemed particularly progressive, exploring issues that could be of great benefit - but instead the film industry would have to wait many decades until there was any sense of artistic freedom and common sense about it. In 1896 The Kiss featured the first onscreen kiss ever recorded - it's such a loving, beautiful moment on film, and yet it "drew the general outrage of movie goers, civic leaders, and religious leaders, as utterly shocking, obscene and completely immoral." What would these people say if they could see todays internet? Whatever they'd think, I don't think they'd have words capable of expressing it.

So anyway, Baby Face is a lot of fun, and it features John Wayne 6 years shy of his big breakout role in Stagecoach - he only has a small part in the film, but his inclusion adds to that sense of interest and enjoyment I got from watching this. I'm unfamiliar with George Brent, who appears to have made a few films with Bette Davis and had his motion picture heyday in the 1930s and 1940s. A lot of the players in this film reached the pinnacle of their success right here, such as Theresa Harris, who is chided for singing the "St. Louis Blues" - and I laughed when she was, because we'd been hearing a lot of the St. Louis Blues by that time and I'd had enough of it myself. This film seems to be very self-aware, and capable of things that wouldn't be natural for filmmakers to intuit at such an early age of the filmmaking process. Director Alfred E. Green ended up being prolific - but his output has been described as being very "routine", which is the last thing you want to hear before delving into anyone's filmmaking resume. Late in his career, in 1952, he directed Invasion, U.S.A. which is an infamous turkey well-known amongst those who enjoy bad movies.

Baby Face also gives us an interesting look at depression-era America, including the speakeasy of prohibition time and soon-to-be-on-hard-times bankers and financiers that worry so at the whiff of scandal and impropriety. The song "Baby Face" had only just been a hit in 1926, written by Harry Akst and tunefully played over the opening credits making them feel like an introduction to a Warner Bros cartoon. The film is also forward-thinking by elevating African-American Chico to the status of friend to Lily instead of being her servant (as she sometimes plays the role of, however.) The story moves along at a gallop and sustained my interest in the very best sense for it's short 76 minutes (which used to be 71 minutes when censored.) I really think Barbara Stanwyck was powerful, sexy and intelligent while at the same time projecting a sense of innocence and frailty when required for the men she seduced. Without her, the film wouldn't have been as electric or hard-hitting as it was. Stanwyck definitely had that X-factor and would go on to have a remarkable career spanning over half a century. She was gorgeous too. No stranger to controversy at the time, she also starred in The Bitter Tea of General Yen in 1933 - a movie which featured interracial sexual attraction - a taboo in those days.

The ending of the pre-censored version might be seen as a bit limp, but as a whole Baby Face is still razor-sharp - or perhaps I should say Baby Face is now razor-sharp because it's shackles have been lifted and we have the gift of a pristine pre-censorship print of it. I hope there are more out there like this, waiting to be reborn - I fear most have been lost forever though. I enjoyed my voyage through the edgy, booze-soaked, calf-showing winking of the pre-code film, doused in sexuality as it was. I was very surprised to see John Wayne there. Barbara Stanwyck will purr "I can fix that", because she can fix anything. With sex. It's her weapon. Her game-changer. Her stepladder, defensive shield and threat neutralizer. In Baby Face it's taken to such an extreme that it takes on an ethereal quality, and so I don't take it too seriously - that's why I find Baby Face so much fun.

4

[edarsenal]

https://images.justwatch.com/backdrop/249106738/s640/demons-1971
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3r0EMpUEAEw27K.jpg
https://i0.wp.com/broadly-specific.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/img_7655-1.jpg?resize=800%2C584&ssl=1


Demons aka Shura (1971)

What a truly excellently insane film that was - I mean, I had a good feeling I was gonna enjoy this, being a big fan of the genre. I also was excited about where that intriguing off-kilter element of a pahaK nomination would lead to, resulting in a pretty d@mn kick-ass experience for me.

A smartly composited Shakespearean Greek Tragedy with a Grindhouse influence and these crazy premonition moments creating a restart and play out differently made me think of Memento. It had me guessing so that I wasn't sure if the beginning of the blood bath indeed WAS the beginning of the bloodbath. I f@ckin LOVED it.
The reveal of the technique in that first extensive repetitive head turn in the opening scene and the first premonition moment of finding the dead geisha Koman (Yasuko Sanjo), setting my mindset perfecting, strapping in for the ride ahead.

I have to share this: when Gengobei (Katsuo Nakamura) gets arrested, his servant (Masao Imafuku) sacrifices himself for his master. By taking responsibility for the five murders, I paused to take care of some things and told my roommate what I was watching and everything leading up to it, promising to fill her in when I finished.
Well, that's when it truly gets insane and when it was over, I told her, "I'm not saying anything; you NEED to see this. You're going to love this."
Since I don't always get a revisit upon discovering an unknown gem that'll give me reason and the opportunity to rewatch this one sometime soon, that's going to be all kinds of fun.

[cricket]

The Secret of Roan Inish

https://64.media.tumblr.com/c9ce15f1a2bbc7e1b09078431384f911/tumblr_n6d3fhrVXy1rg0doio1_500.gifv

As I've said many times, fantasy films are one of the toughest sells for me, especially when it's family friendly. I watched it and I just couldn't get into it. When it was over, despite my indifferent feelings inside, I realized that I liked everything about it. Curiosity made be read it's Wikipedia page, and then I also realized that I loved the story. So I watched it again.

I went into the 2nd viewing with a different mindset. Instead of looking at the story as fantasy, I looked at it as spiritual. Those can be seen as the same or different depending on who's looking, but it was an effort to lose myself into the narrative. It worked, and I think a big reason is because it's set in the real world rather than some fantasyland that doesn't exist.

Loved the setting and the music as well. There's not a single character or performance that I didn't like. Seals are a top 5 animal btw. I was very pleased that I was engrossed with the narrative because it's a beautiful one. With about 20 minutes left I was thinking the ending was really going to turn me to mush. That didn't quite happen but I still loved the movie.

4

[Torgo]

The Secret of Roan Inish

https://64.media.tumblr.com/c9ce15f1a2bbc7e1b09078431384f911/tumblr_n6d3fhrVXy1rg0doio1_500.gifv

As I've said many times, fantasy films are one of the toughest sells for me, especially when it's family friendly. I watched it and I just couldn't get into it. When it was over, despite my indifferent feelings inside, I realized that I liked everything about it. Curiosity made be read it's Wikipedia page, and then I also realized that I loved the story. So I watched it again.

I went into the 2nd viewing with a different mindset. Instead of looking at the story as fantasy, I looked at it as spiritual. Those can be seen as the same or different depending on who's looking, but it was an effort to lose myself into the narrative. It worked, and I think a big reason is because it's set in the real world rather than some fantasyland that doesn't exist.

Loved the setting and the music as well. There's not a single character or performance that I didn't like. Seals are a top 5 animal btw. I was very pleased that I was engrossed with the narrative because it's a beautiful one. With about 20 minutes left I was thinking the ending was really going to turn me to mush. That didn't quite happen but I still loved the movie.

4Glad you liked it. It took me a couple viewings to fully appreciate it as well. The ending, especially when Jamie whispers "Fiona," doesn't quite turn me to mush, but it always bring a tear to my eye.
Believe it or not, I just watched your movie. I'll post my thoughts shortly.

[Torgo]

Magical Girl - 4

This is one of the noirest neo-noirs I've seen in a long time that, if anything, deserves credit for having such an elegantly crafted story. Like Damián's puzzle - except for that blasted missing piece, of course - it all fits together, and the characters' motivations are justifiable in a way that it reminds me of how well Breaking Bad did all of this. That's not to say the movie is predictable: there are plenty of well-timed surprises and not just the obvious one that despite the typical plot summary for this movie, Luis's Make a Wish Foundation assignment is not all that it's about. What that is, like I said, is tangibly grim from its sun-kissed yet empty aesthetic to the fact that with the exception of Damián's prison buddy, I can't recall anybody smiling. The capper, though, is that when the climactic violence occurs, my reaction was one of satisfaction and acceptance rather than shock.

Nothing that happens in the movie is misery for misery's sake, mind you. Like the reckoning Americans experienced during and after World War II that spawned the noir genre, Spain's similar state of affairs provides a solid basis for Barbara, Luis and Damian's motivations. It would be nice to know more about what was going on in Spain at the time - I know that the ongoing Catalan independence movement came to a head around the early to mid-2010's, but that's about it - mysterious therapist Oliver's bullfighter analogy helps put it in perspective. Despite how well-crafted the movie is and its cultural significance, it is not the easiest movie to watch. It is very deliberately paced, and even though its dearth of emotion is relevant, the combination made it hard to stay awake a few times. I was still pleasantly surprised on the whole and not just because the movie ends up being about much more than an anime obsession. I also didn't expect it to rival the likes of Apocalypse Now, Cure, Demons and Dolores Claiborne in the dark and disturbing department!

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/6pZ8znbS/raiders-of-the-lost-ark.jpg

Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Lawrence Kasdan
Story by George Lucas & Philip Kaufman

Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
John Rhys-Davies & Denholm Elliott

It's straightforward and simple - escapist entertainment and feats of heroism for the greater good, rubbing shoulders with something both ancient and unknowable. It sounds good, looks good - and rarely do lines deviate from the bare essential of what's necessary. First and foremost, and this is telling, I always want to mention John Williams. Not for writing two and half minutes of the most recognizable piece of cinematic music in history - but for the entire score of Raiders of the Lost Ark which I've always enjoyed during every moment of the motion picture. It would never have been the same with any other composer in the world - Williams created half of the sensory impact this film had, and it was something I appreciated both consciously and unconsciously, even at a young age. The other crucial element for me was director Steven Spielberg, whose imprint I can intuitively feel onscreen. From Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this was a spirit in tune with mine.

The others encouraged it more than anything. George Lucas at least kicked it off, and both Philip Kaufman and Lawrence Kasdan lent a good hand - neither getting an enormous amount of credit due to the collaborative effort this was. Harrison Ford was key, looking and sounding as far as my eyes are concerned like someone I'd truly look up to - something like my older brother. The character - Indiana Jones - I didn't see as all good. Determined, on the right side and unafraid - but with a certain dark side to him. As a kid I'd been relatively ignorant as to the import of his previous relationship with Karen Allen's Marion, dating back as it did to when she was only a tender age. I could sense that this is probably someone who has killed another person at some time in his life, or several times. First impressions are essential, and I was certainly impressed at how casual this man was when noticing that he had several tarantulas on his body - something that would no doubt cause me to physically convulse, scream and probably even cry, no matter how old I was. Smart, wise, handsome, strong with a mean streak in there somewhere. No tolerance for nonsense and no interest in games, idle pleasures or daydreams. A cool head in a crisis.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was my first love, and it was a love that has lasted a lifetime. I was seven years old when it hit cinema screens, and it's fair to say I didn't see it coming. My Aunt in Canada had mentioned in a letter how good the film was, and so when my parents took me to the cinema one weekend they wanted to see it. I didn't. I'd seen the poster - and for some reason (the hat, the whip) it looked like a western to me, and at the time I wasn't overly fond of westerns. I dug my heels in. We weren't going to see Raiders. Instead, I forced us all to catch Roar. You may have heard of Roar if you're interested in cinematic trivia, for it's a film that's famous for having injured 70 members of it's cast and crew during it's production. That's not a typo - Roar was filmed amongst a staggering number of lions amongst other beasts and even star performers Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith required surgery after the creatures were finished with them. Roar also happens to be an average movie at best. But I remember it well - because it's the film I made everyone watch instead of catching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cny_D50Rr44
Imagine seeing this instead of Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time because some little kid in your party insisted on it.


The next weekend my parents weren't having it. We were going to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I saw how wrong I'd been about it's potential. Terrified and excited, Raiders spoke to what fascinated and scared me in equal measure. Of course it was also exciting, thrilling and escapist entertainment so good it captured the imagination of the world. But I was different. Nobody loved Raiders of the Lost Ark as much as I did - it was all I ever talked about. Now, instead of seeing a different movie every weekend, I insisted my parents let me see Raiders over and over again. Eventually, they started taking me in turns to even out the fatigue - for I saw that film over a half a dozen times during it's theatrical run, which amazingly went for around 12 months. My obsession with the film dovetailed well into the birth of the video era - so 1983 saw me owning my own copy of the film on VHS - something which was pretty rare at the time. I watched this film over and over again, and it was an inexhaustible source of excitement and awe. I always told myself that one day another film would come along and knock it off it's perch as my favourite - but that time never came.

What is it about Raiders that sets it apart from every other film I've ever seen? How did it look and sound just right? It was both peculiar to me and universal. It's acknowledged as a great film - I didn't discover that, and some people do indeed like it as much as I do. Still, back in those days I was the only kid who just went on and on about it. I was the only one who bought the sleep-inducing and deceptively convoluted board game. I was already fascinated with the old - the only kid who begged to be taken to museums (I wasn't aware of how odd this was) and my parents came from Germany - they were there when the Nazis were in power, and through the war years. Everywhere in Raiders there was some personal connection or interest. The homage that was being made - to the serial matinees of the 1930s and 1940s - I was completely unfamiliar with however. I remember watching it on video at a friend's place, and a stranger came for something and became glued to the television set. "Yeah, that's Raiders of the Lost Ark - you can borrow it some time." I understood why he had become transfixed - and I'll always wonder how much he appreciated it when he did eventually borrow it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4csz_SNloZ4
The Raiders of the Lost Ark board game - nothing can prepare you for how dull and unimaginative this convoluted game is.

It took me quite a while to appreciate what Douglas Slocombe had done behind the camera, a thoughtful choice from Spielberg. Slocombe had made his name in the British system at the famous Ealing Studios and was director of photography on famous films such as Kind Hearts and Coronets - regarded to be one of the best ever made. After Ealing he continued to be associated with top level productions like The Italian Job, Rollerball and, interestingly, Jesus Christ Superstar. He cuts an older kind of character when on location filming Raiders - he was 67 years old and braving the Tunisian sun which was taking a toll even on the younger members of the crew. He lived on to be 103 years of age when he passed away in 2016. Special mention, for the first time, must also go to the second unit director Mickey Moore who directed some of the action sequences - the entire truck chase late in the film was directed mostly without Ford on set and with stuntmen taking his place. Spielberg spliced in his own footage with Ford in an absolutely seamless fashion.

There was something about the sun-drenched visual quality of the movie that always attracted me, and it was noticeable that after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that brighter kind of tone was adopted again in Last Crusade. I don't want to talk about the sequels much, as they exist outside the frame of Raiders - but obviously the build-up to Temple of Doom was the most anticipation I'd ever have for a coming attraction, and I bought every publication that mentioned it and started a scrapbook. I saw the trailer for the first time when going to see Footloose and the film itself was just about the only time I wasn't let down by something I keenly anticipated. It wasn't Raiders, but I loved it all the same, and still have a warm appreciation for the second Indiana Jones film - it was just different enough to be it's own entity, and was still very effective as far as action and excitement go. It had one of the greatest opening credits sequences I've ever seen. Still - I consider all the later films "Indiana Jones movies" and Raiders of the Lost Ark a real film. I don't include any of the character which has since been expanded upon when watching Raiders, as I like to see it as something that stands alone.

Editor Michael Kahn has been with Spielberg since Close Encounters of the Third Kind and he recently put his remake of West Side Story together. Kahn was nominated for an Oscar for the first time for Close Encounters but won his first Oscar for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Amongst his eight nominations he has had further wins for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. I'd have to say that Raiders is edited together perfectly - and that George Lucas also had an uncredited role in the editing process. I actually remember the 1982 Oscar ceremony fairly well, which surprises me considering how young I was. Without access to the video yet, it was an excellent source of clips to enjoy. Raiders won a further four Oscars apart from the one for it's editing - Art and Set Direction, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and a special Oscar for sound effects editing. I was disappointed that it missed out on Best Picture (I still think it should have won.) That year Chariots of Fire took out the Best Picture Academy Award - and looking back there is no way you could regard it superior to Raiders - which was also nominated for Douglas Slocombe's cinematography, Best Original Score (should definitely have won - Chariots of Fire took that one as well) and Best Director for Spielberg.

I was surprised to find deleted scenes I'd never seen before while looking for information - seeing new scenes from this film for the first time since 1981 is certainly a surreal experience. Thankfully Raiders is a better film without all the stuff they left out. In one Satipo falls in a hole and Jones helps him out - redundant considering the many similar sequences that are in the film. In another a female student tries to waylay Jones when he's on the way to his important meeting with the government operatives and Brody - it simply wasn't needed. I'm particularly glad that some of the Three Stooges kind of slapstick which John Rhys-Davies' Sallah shares with various Germans in the desert didn't make the final cut - they did remind me of Last Crusade though. Segments of Jones being tied to the submarine's periscope are there, as is Marion telling Jones that being surrounded by corpses in the Well of the Souls was like her worst nightmare - and we finally get to see the part where Jones and Marion exit the Well of the Souls and come across an incredulous scholar. Not seen is the still infamous 'near execution' of Sallah or the part where the Imam tells Jones not to touch the ark. As you can see, I've always been obsessed with the minutiae of this film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUtkNMmVDqU
Some deleted scenes and outtakes which provide an interesting new look for those familiar with the film.

It's interesting to go back and take a look at the piece Pauline Kael wrote about Raiders of the Lost Ark when it was released. You can always count on Kael to give you an opinion at diametric opposites to the general consensus, and there's a wounded sense of being sold out by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Kael thought that Raiders was directed and edited according to how marketable the movie might be, while ignoring the human element in it entirely. She chided Lucas about making a film that he might have wanted to see as a kid, or still want to see now and thought Spielberg was being too careful after the critical drubbing 1941 received. Unlike me, she was looking for something deeper in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it's interesting how often she contradicts herself. She'll talk about a sequence that's so good you want to stop the show and watch it again, but will lament about the very same sequence that she didn't enjoy herself much either. She says that the film "gets your heart thumping" and in the same passage include "there's no exhilaration in this dumb, motor excitement." She says the film is so good it feels like listening to a song you love and singing along with it - but then complains that it's not beautifully made. Mostly she bemoans the fact that the people in it are cardboard cutouts. Perhaps Raiders of the Lost Ark was birthing a new kind of film that had so little comparison that Kael was forced to weigh it up with the likes of Reds and Atlantic City.

So I ask again, why Raiders of the Lost Ark? If someone was talking about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or some kind of soulless action film the harsher points of Kael's analysis would ring true with me - so what makes me love Raiders to the point that sees it as my most favourite of all films? In her article Kael compares Raiders unfavourably in comparison with Gunga Din - so could it be that this was just a film for my particular generation? I hear many from later generations question Raiders of the Lost Ark's place amongst the great movies, and when watching the film in Russia with some people younger than I am, they seemed to think it was a kind of lesser version of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The newness isn't there any more except to those who remember it being new perhaps. Maybe some of the character's less fine points have drifted backwards to taint the original film to some extent. Some of it's successful techniques have become such staples of action and adventure films that a late introduction to Raiders make them seem like clichés. When the film came out in 1981 there had been nothing like it, except for those action/adventure serials it was paying homage to, which lacked the technical finesse Lucasfilm and Spielberg brought to it.

I'm thankful that I initially saw this film before Indiana Jones had become such an identifiable character, and at an age where seeing a movie was such a big deal. After leaving the cinema, there was no youtube to check out a scene again, no video or DVD player or anything except my imagination. The funny thing with imagination is that it plays tricks on you, and initially scenes played out slightly differently than I remembered them - especially those with corpses flying around and faces melting, which I haven't mentioned yet how terrified I was by. Raiders of the Lost Ark came by at such a specific time in film history and I just happened to be a kid during those days - where video, mass media, marketing, toy manufacturing, comics and television played such a large role, or was about to. It was a film that did something to me - whatever part of your brain is stimulated by artistic expression and admiration was touched in a fundamental way which was never again as powerful as it was when I was in that movie theater. Beyond the excitement and the drama, mixed with sound and vision - with words and ideas and emotions. If movies could be compared to a powerful drug, then Raiders of the Lost Ark is that dragon I've been chasing the rest of my life - looking and searching for another film that may come along one day and reach that place in me that hasn't been touched again since 1981.

5

[CosmicRunaway]

I enjoyed reading that, Phoenix. :up:

[cricket]

I think that's the first time I've seen Roar mentioned on the forum. That's a messed up film.

[Thief]

BABY FACE
(1933, Green)

https://i.imgur.com/aKsexQc.jpg


"A woman, young, beautiful, like you, can get anything she wants in the world. Because you have power over men! But you must use men! Not let them use you."



Baby Face follows Lily Powers (Barbara Stanwyck), a young woman determined to "get anything she wants in the world". The film follows her journey from her father's speakeasy in Pennsylvania to the upper echelons of the Gotham Trust bank; a journey she achieves specifically by sleeping with different men. From the hiring employee at the bank to the vice-president, and others in between.

Released during the Pre-Code era, Baby Face is one of the most notable examples of what the Hays Code fought against, like "inference of sex perversion". The above is the advice given to her by a friend, after seeing her grow up being pimped by her own father, and constantly harassed by his clients. This sets her eventual move to New York City, where we see the lengths she's willing to go to achieve her goals.

From a historical and contextual point of view, it's really interesting to see a film's attempt to push the boundaries set by the system, and Stanwyck revels in the role. She manages to build a compelling character that even if you don't condone her actions, you understand where she's coming from and the reasons for what she's doing what she does. The supporting cast is effective, but this is Stanwyck's show all the way.

I still think they wrapped things in too neat a bow in the end. The whole last act felt too conveniently played for Lily. In the version I saw, things ended a bit too well for Lily, and I think I would've preferred a bleaker ending. As much as I like to see a woman flip the tables on the male-centric manipulation of the times, that doesn't make her actions any better and I feel like the way things unfolded, there was little to no consequence to it all.

Grade: 3.5

[SpelingError]

Thunder Road (2018) - 3

Man, this is one difficult film to rate! Watching more of Jim Cummings' films might make this an easier film to talk about, though I did enjoy a couple things about it. I've seen a few people argue that Jim is so incompetent and buffoonish that it's hard to root for him. To me though, his erratic behavior worked as scenes like his awkward funeral sermon and his breakdown outside the police station were products of Jim's mental state and his feelings of being overwhelmed. He's a try-hard who has difficulty processing his emotions and does whatever he can to get into the good graces of people he feels he wronged. I don't know much about mental health, so I'm not sure how I'd classify his character, but he did appear to have something which made him act the way he did in the film. Given this, while his character can be challenging at times, I wouldn't describe him as annoying. While Jim's mental state is made as clear as day though, I felt a significant disconnect in feeling anything for him. Torgo mentioned in his review how you're often unsure whether to laugh or cry during his breakdowns and, while I agree, I think this was why the film left me cold. Since I was unsure how I was supposed to react to Jim's breakdowns, I didn't find them funny nor emotionally powerful. I was just left kind of indifferent to Jim throughout most of the film (granted though, there are a couple mildly powerful moments near the end). Normally, I'd argue that the film should've toned down on the awkward bits so that it would be easier to feel a connection towards Jim, but again, they were part of the point of his character, so that wouldn't be a good idea. And this brings me back to the first sentence of this review. This is a difficult film to rate as, while I had difficulty feeling much towards Jim, I'm not sure I could improve the film without diluting his characterization. Therefore, I'll say that, while I was left cold by this film, I still understood and appreciated what it was going for.

Last Up: True Romance

[Takoma11]

Thunder Road (2018) - 3

you're often unsure whether to laugh or cry during his breakdowns

I think that you can do both, and the film leaves room for you to do both, and that's kind of why I love it.

The other day a child said (loudly!) "Just so you know, I'm not exactly wearing underwear today. But don't worry, it's just because there were no clean ones."

This makes me laugh and cry. I laugh because, come on, it's funny. But I cry because I think about how the world is going to treat him. The people in my life who give me that laugh/cry feeling are some of the most interesting and engaging presences in my life, even if they sometimes put me through the emotional wringer.

[SpelingError]

I think that you can do both, and the film leaves room for you to do both, and that's kind of why I love it.

The other day a child said (loudly!) "Just so you know, I'm not exactly wearing underwear today. But don't worry, it's just because there were no clean ones."

This makes me laugh and cry. I laugh because, come on, it's funny. But I cry because I think about how the world is going to treat him. The people in my life who give me that laugh/cry feeling are some of the most interesting and engaging presences in my life, even if they sometimes put me through the emotional ringer.

Yeah, and that's fair and all. I just didn't feel the same connection you did with this film, so I suppose the humor comes down to a matter of taste.

[Takoma11]

Yeah, and that's fair and all. I just didn't feel the same connection you did with this film, so I suppose the humor comes down to a matter of taste.

Totally.

But I always think it's interesting when people are like "I'm not sure if this is funny or dramatic" or "Am I supposed to be laughing or crying?". Like, BOTH! BOTH! It can be both! You can do both!

It can be off-putting when a film itself seems confused, but in this case I feel like Cummings knew exactly the line he was walking. (Though of course you're still welcome to not click with or like what he did).

[SpelingError]

Totally.

But I always think it's interesting when people are like "I'm not sure if this is funny or dramatic" or "Am I supposed to be laughing or crying?". Like, BOTH! BOTH! It can be both! You can do both!

It can be off-putting when a film itself seems confused, but in this case I feel like Cummings knew exactly the line he was walking. (Though of course you're still welcome to not click with or like what he did).
I think the film knew what line it was walking as well. I think that, in my case though, I wasn't able to feel either emotion profoundly enough to really get into the film. It wasn't until the final 10 or so minutes where I found the film emotionally powerful. I don't know what Cummings other films are like, but maybe if I watch some more of them (and assuming they're similar in tone), I may warm up to this film some more. Who knows.

[StuSmallz]

https://i.postimg.cc/6pZ8znbS/raiders-of-the-lost-ark.jpg

Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Lawrence Kasdan
Story by George Lucas & Philip Kaufman

Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
John Rhys-Davies & Denholm Elliott

It's straightforward and simple - escapist entertainment and feats of heroism for the greater good, rubbing shoulders with something both ancient and unknowable. It sounds good, looks good - and rarely do lines deviate from the bare essential of what's necessary. First and foremost, and this is telling, I always want to mention John Williams. Not for writing two and half minutes of the most recognizable piece of cinematic music in history - but for the entire score of Raiders of the Lost Ark which I've always enjoyed during every moment of the motion picture. It would never have been the same with any other composer in the world - Williams created half of the sensory impact this film had, and it was something I appreciated both consciously and unconsciously, even at a young age. The other crucial element for me was director Steven Spielberg, whose imprint I can intuitively feel onscreen. From Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this was a spirit in tune with mine.

The others encouraged it more than anything. George Lucas at least kicked it off, and both Philip Kaufman and Lawrence Kasdan lent a good hand - neither getting an enormous amount of credit due to the collaborative effort this was. Harrison Ford was key, looking and sounding as far as my eyes are concerned like someone I'd truly look up to - something like my older brother. The character - Indiana Jones - I didn't see as all good. Determined, on the right side and unafraid - but with a certain dark side to him. As a kid I'd been relatively ignorant as to the import of his previous relationship with Karen Allen's Marion, dating back as it did to when she was only a tender age. I could sense that this is probably someone who has killed another person at some time in his life, or several times. First impressions are essential, and I was certainly impressed at how casual this man was when noticing that he had several tarantulas on his body - something that would no doubt cause me to physically convulse, scream and probably even cry, no matter how old I was. Smart, wise, handsome, strong with a mean streak in there somewhere. No tolerance for nonsense and no interest in games, idle pleasures or daydreams. A cool head in a crisis.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was my first love, and it was a love that has lasted a lifetime. I was seven years old when it hit cinema screens, and it's fair to say I didn't see it coming. My Aunt in Canada had mentioned in a letter how good the film was, and so when my parents took me to the cinema one weekend they wanted to see it. I didn't. I'd seen the poster - and for some reason (the hat, the whip) it looked like a western to me, and at the time I wasn't overly fond of westerns. I dug my heels in. We weren't going to see Raiders. Instead, I forced us all to catch Roar. You may have heard of Roar if you're interested in cinematic trivia, for it's a film that's famous for having injured 70 members of it's cast and crew during it's production. That's not a typo - Roar was filmed amongst a staggering number of lions amongst other beasts and even star performers Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith required surgery after the creatures were finished with them. Roar also happens to be an average movie at best. But I remember it well - because it's the film I made everyone watch instead of catching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cny_D50Rr44
Imagine seeing this instead of Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time because some little kid in your party insisted on it.


The next weekend my parents weren't having it. We were going to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I saw how wrong I'd been about it's potential. Terrified and excited, Raiders spoke to what fascinated and scared me in equal measure. Of course it was also exciting, thrilling and escapist entertainment so good it captured the imagination of the world. But I was different. Nobody loved Raiders of the Lost Ark as much as I did - it was all I ever talked about. Now, instead of seeing a different movie every weekend, I insisted my parents let me see Raiders over and over again. Eventually, they started taking me in turns to even out the fatigue - for I saw that film over a half a dozen times during it's theatrical run, which amazingly went for around 12 months. My obsession with the film dovetailed well into the birth of the video era - so 1983 saw me owning my own copy of the film on VHS - something which was pretty rare at the time. I watched this film over and over again, and it was an inexhaustible source of excitement and awe. I always told myself that one day another film would come along and knock it off it's perch as my favourite - but that time never came.

What is it about Raiders that sets it apart from every other film I've ever seen? How did it look and sound just right? It was both peculiar to me and universal. It's acknowledged as a great film - I didn't discover that, and some people do indeed like it as much as I do. Still, back in those days I was the only kid who just went on and on about it. I was the only one who bought the sleep-inducing and deceptively convoluted board game. I was already fascinated with the old - the only kid who begged to be taken to museums (I wasn't aware of how odd this was) and my parents came from Germany - they were there when the Nazis were in power, and through the war years. Everywhere in Raiders there was some personal connection or interest. The homage that was being made - to the serial matinees of the 1930s and 1940s - I was completely unfamiliar with however. I remember watching it on video at a friend's place, and a stranger came for something and became glued to the television set. "Yeah, that's Raiders of the Lost Ark - you can borrow it some time." I understood why he had become transfixed - and I'll always wonder how much he appreciated it when he did eventually borrow it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4csz_SNloZ4
The Raiders of the Lost Ark board game - nothing can prepare you for how dull and unimaginative this convoluted game is.

It took me quite a while to appreciate what Douglas Slocombe had done behind the camera, a thoughtful choice from Spielberg. Slocombe had made his name in the British system at the famous Ealing Studios and was director of photography on famous films such as Kind Hearts and Coronets - regarded to be one of the best ever made. After Ealing he continued to be associated with top level productions like The Italian Job, Rollerball and, interestingly, Jesus Christ Superstar. He cuts an older kind of character when on location filming Raiders - he was 67 years old and braving the Tunisian sun which was taking a toll even on the younger members of the crew. He lived on to be 103 years of age when he passed away in 2016. Special mention, for the first time, must also go to the second unit director Mickey Moore who directed some of the action sequences - the entire truck chase late in the film was directed mostly without Ford on set and with stuntmen taking his place. Spielberg spliced in his own footage with Ford in an absolutely seamless fashion.

There was something about the sun-drenched visual quality of the movie that always attracted me, and it was noticeable that after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that brighter kind of tone was adopted again in Last Crusade. I don't want to talk about the sequels much, as they exist outside the frame of Raiders - but obviously the build-up to Temple of Doom was the most anticipation I'd ever have for a coming attraction, and I bought every publication that mentioned it and started a scrapbook. I saw the trailer for the first time when going to see Footloose and the film itself was just about the only time I wasn't let down by something I keenly anticipated. It wasn't Raiders, but I loved it all the same, and still have a warm appreciation for the second Indiana Jones film - it was just different enough to be it's own entity, and was still very effective as far as action and excitement go. It had one of the greatest opening credits sequences I've ever seen. Still - I consider all the later films "Indiana Jones movies" and Raiders of the Lost Ark a real film. I don't include any of the character which has since been expanded upon when watching Raiders, as I like to see it as something that stands alone.

Editor Michael Kahn has been with Spielberg since Close Encounters of the Third Kind and he recently put his remake of West Side Story together. Kahn was nominated for an Oscar for the first time for Close Encounters but won his first Oscar for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Amongst his eight nominations he has had further wins for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. I'd have to say that Raiders is edited together perfectly - and that George Lucas also had an uncredited role in the editing process. I actually remember the 1982 Oscar ceremony fairly well, which surprises me considering how young I was. Without access to the video yet, it was an excellent source of clips to enjoy. Raiders won a further four Oscars apart from the one for it's editing - Art and Set Direction, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and a special Oscar for sound effects editing. I was disappointed that it missed out on Best Picture (I still think it should have won.) That year Chariots of Fire took out the Best Picture Academy Award - and looking back there is no way you could regard it superior to Raiders - which was also nominated for Douglas Slocombe's cinematography, Best Original Score (should definitely have won - Chariots of Fire took that one as well) and Best Director for Spielberg.

I was surprised to find deleted scenes I'd never seen before while looking for information - seeing new scenes from this film for the first time since 1981 is certainly a surreal experience. Thankfully Raiders is a better film without all the stuff they left out. In one Satipo falls in a hole and Jones helps him out - redundant considering the many similar sequences that are in the film. In another a female student tries to waylay Jones when he's on the way to his important meeting with the government operatives and Brody - it simply wasn't needed. I'm particularly glad that some of the Three Stooges kind of slapstick which John Rhys-Davies' Sallah shares with various Germans in the desert didn't make the final cut - they did remind me of Last Crusade though. Segments of Jones being tied to the submarine's periscope are there, as is Marion telling Jones that being surrounded by corpses in the Well of the Souls was like her worst nightmare - and we finally get to see the part where Jones and Marion exit the Well of the Souls and come across an incredulous scholar. Not seen is the still infamous 'near execution' of Sallah or the part where the Imam tells Jones not to touch the ark. As you can see, I've always been obsessed with the minutiae of this film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUtkNMmVDqU
Some deleted scenes and outtakes which provide an interesting new look for those familiar with the film.

It's interesting to go back and take a look at the piece Pauline Kael wrote about Raiders of the Lost Ark when it was released. You can always count on Kael to give you an opinion at diametric opposites to the general consensus, and there's a wounded sense of being sold out by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Kael thought that Raiders was directed and edited according to how marketable the movie might be, while ignoring the human element in it entirely. She chided Lucas about making a film that he might have wanted to see as a kid, or still want to see now and thought Spielberg was being too careful after the critical drubbing 1941 received. Unlike me, she was looking for something deeper in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it's interesting how often she contradicts herself. She'll talk about a sequence that's so good you want to stop the show and watch it again, but will lament about the very same sequence that she didn't enjoy herself much either. She says that the film "gets your heart thumping" and in the same passage include "there's no exhilaration in this dumb, motor excitement." She says the film is so good it feels like listening to a song you love and singing along with it - but then complains that it's not beautifully made. Mostly she bemoans the fact that the people in it are cardboard cutouts. Perhaps Raiders of the Lost Ark was birthing a new kind of film that had so little comparison that Kael was forced to weigh it up with the likes of Reds and Atlantic City.

So I ask again, why Raiders of the Lost Ark? If someone was talking about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or some kind of soulless action film the harsher points of Kael's analysis would ring true with me - so what makes me love Raiders to the point that sees it as my most favourite of all films? In her article Kael compares Raiders unfavourably in comparison with Gunga Din - so could it be that this was just a film for my particular generation? I hear many from later generations question Raiders of the Lost Ark's place amongst the great movies, and when watching the film in Russia with some people younger than I am, they seemed to think it was a kind of lesser version of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The newness isn't there any more except to those who remember it being new perhaps. Maybe some of the character's less fine points have drifted backwards to taint the original film to some extent. Some of it's successful techniques have become such staples of action and adventure films that a late introduction to Raiders make them seem like clichés. When the film came out in 1981 there had been nothing like it, except for those action/adventure serials it was paying homage to, which lacked the technical finesse Lucasfilm and Spielberg brought to it.

I'm thankful that I initially saw this film before Indiana Jones had become such an identifiable character, and at an age where seeing a movie was such a big deal. After leaving the cinema, there was no youtube to check out a scene again, no video or DVD player or anything except my imagination. The funny thing with imagination is that it plays tricks on you, and initially scenes played out slightly differently than I remembered them - especially those with corpses flying around and faces melting, which I haven't mentioned yet how terrified I was by. Raiders of the Lost Ark came by at such a specific time in film history and I just happened to be a kid during those days - where video, mass media, marketing, toy manufacturing, comics and television played such a large role, or was about to. It was a film that did something to me - whatever part of your brain is stimulated by artistic expression and admiration was touched in a fundamental way which was never again as powerful as it was when I was in that movie theater. Beyond the excitement and the drama, mixed with sound and vision - with words and ideas and emotions. If movies could be compared to a powerful drug, then Raiders of the Lost Ark is that dragon I've been chasing the rest of my life - looking and searching for another film that may come along one day and reach that place in me that hasn't been touched again since 1981.

5Great ****ing review Phoenix, and needless to say, I 100% agree with it: https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/raiders-of-the-lost-ark/

[SpelingError]

Yeah, Phoenix's reviews here are always well-detailed and interesting to read. I wish I could write that good.

[SpelingError]

Also, does anyone hate it when it when you're writing a sentence online and only one word continues to the next line? That's always been a pet peeve of mine for some reason.

[CosmicRunaway]

You can always try adding in superfluous words, or cutting something out to make it more visually appealing. An extra comment works too*.

*-I added this unnecessary comment to avoid having just one word on the last line lol

[cricket]

My Dog Skip

https://irs.www.warnerbros.com/gallery-v2-jpeg/my_dog_skip_photo_0-328670510.jpg

I actually do think I've seen this before. That would make sense since my wife and I watch all the dog movies that come out, even before we had our dogs. I am a total sucker for these movies even though they are practically torture for me to watch. I'm not minimizing anybody's love for their pets, but rather just speaking for my wife and I. Our two dogs are our first dogs and we never had any children. They are everything to us. Just the thought of anything happening to them is just too painful to take. If my Randy in my avatar didn't completely recover from his recent issue, there's no way I would've been able to watch this, and it would've been some time before anyone saw me on the forum again.

Spoilers

My eyes teared up the second Skip appeared in the film. That's how vulnerable I am to this stuff. All of these movies are cliched and manipulative, and I accept that. This particular movie had a chance to be a Stand By Me type of classic except with Skip instead of friends. There was potential with the era with everything that was happening at the time, but I'm afraid it mostly failed. I just didn't care for the way most of it played out, and I especially didn't like how it wrapped up. Having the boy get angry at Skip was enough, but to have that dirtbag hit him with a shovel was way too much. Then, the kid goes off to college and leaves his dog. Under no circumstance would I ever leave one of my dogs. I know this is probably normal for a lot of people but it made me sick.

2.5

[edarsenal]

And now, a personal greeting to our Single Digit Premium Members' After Hours Lounge
jiraffejustin, pahaK, Siddon, Thief, TheUsualSuspect

And WELCOME to the final month of this, our 27th HoF.
At this time I'd like to inform our Members of one of the Exclusive Benefits of this Membership - just recently added - we will be Featuring a NO REMINDER Zone and hope your journey - that I shall be accompanying you with, be a relaxing one as we make our way to the Deadline Date.

***Exclusive to Premium Members Only and, maybe their pets, I don't know, we'll see


As ALWAYS, A downright DEElight to take this stroll with you and a Special HowDiddley to my dear fellow Late Night Last Nighters.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/5350b4957c5238484ec0e16b1df072de/fd4165c0ad831453-54/s400x600/7bd6b057b003824df4c943bf8ac1792a113b9007.gifv


Also, should anyone need the occasional hydration during our saunter, this Exclusive Membership DOES include an Unlimited and at ZERO cost to you, so be sure to partake from our AWARD WINNING (Nonexisting) Refreshment Center

https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-13-2018/Mp-bnd.gif



Let me notify the staff to dim the lights, just a bit, to kind of set the mood. . .

https://c.tenor.com/Bl3_KyyrhHkAAAAM/cat-kitty.gif

--Aw f@ck, the dogs told me this sh#t would happen--


Um, yeah, so, anyway,

So, SIT BACK,
RELAX as we meander our way to the Deadline.

https://acegif.com/wp-content/uploads/gif-bowing-7.gif

[SpelingError]

Aw, I wanted to be in the single digits club. This is such an abuse of hosting power.

[SpelingError]

Also, I'll watch True Romance tomorrow.

[Thief]

:laugh: I have a mad dash to the finish line planned for the first week of April :laugh:

[Thief]

BTW, edarsenal, it doesn't make any difference, but you still haven't updated my count on the first page to include Baby Face (and I still owe a Midnight Cowboy review) :D

[pahaK]

In reality, I'm in the two-digit club as I've watched My Dog Skip a couple of days ago. I just haven't written about it yet.

[cricket]

In reality, I'm in the two-digit club as I've watched My Dog Skip a couple of days ago. I just haven't written about it yet.

I think we can all guess the outcome

[pahaK]

I think we can all guess the outcome

I suppose, but at least it wasn't as bad as Thunder Road.

[edarsenal]

Aw, I wanted to be in the single digits club. This is such an abuse of hosting power.
::insert mad with power bouts of laughter and slightly sinister but more comical snickering here::

but, yeah, pretty much
:devil:

BTW, edarsenal, it doesn't make any difference, but you still haven't updated my count on the first page to include Baby Face (and I still owe a Midnight Cowboy review) :D
I forgot to post about this, had gone off to eat, and forgot. But, yeah, about a week behind due to a brand new job and different schedule, but I'll get all caught up tomorrow (Sunday)
Sorry for all of that.

In reality, I'm in the two-digit club as I've watched My Dog Skip a couple of days ago. I just haven't written about it yet.
Perhaps we can adjust to a two-drink maximum and some toiletries swag from our Sponsors instead? And on behalf of Management, this coupon for: Buy something and if you like, buy something else.
;)

[Thief]

I forgot to post about this, had gone off to eat, and forgot. But, yeah, about a week behind due to a brand new job and different schedule, but I'll get all caught up tomorrow (Sunday)
Sorry for all of that.


Look at you, apologizing to me for being "behind" on this :modest::D

[edarsenal]

Look at you, apologizing to me for being "behind" on this :modest::D

LOL
Ahhh the beautiful nuances of ironic scenarios, I so do enjoy them.:)

[Thief]

MIDNIGHT COWBOY
(1969, Schlessinger)

https://i.imgur.com/Blg9SkD.jpg


"Uh, well, sir, I ain't a f'real cowboy. But I am one helluva stud!"



That's the "letter of presentation" of Joe Buck (Jon Voight), a Texan dishwasher that leaves everything behind and moves to New York City with illusions of becoming a male prostitute. But success on any field requires more than illusions and a change of scenery.

Midnight Cowboy follows Buck's journey as he struggles to make ends meet. We don't get a lot of background on him and why he decided to follow this path, but coming from a rural town, you get the idea that he probably was a "big fish in a small pond". However, moving to the biggest city in the US certainly puts him in a much bigger pond; one that he has trouble navigating in.

At some point, he meets "Ratso" (Dustin Hoffman), a street con man, and despite a shaky start, they quickly become friends as they both struggle to survive in the harsh environment of the Big Apple. Buck is naïve and perhaps not that clever, while Ratso's health is quickly deteriorating, and both performances successfully convey the sadness beneath their exterior surfaces.

I have to say that this film was absolutely nothing like I was expecting. Based on its reputation because of its rating and the few promotional pictures I had seen, I was expecting something more... aggressive and cold. But what I got was a tragic and heartfelt look at the unlikely friendship between these two men looking for literal and figurative warmth.

Grade: 4

[Thief]

I want to rewatch Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Apocalypse Now for this, but just to get ahead a bit, I will probably write something about them in the next few days. I mean, I've seen them several times (or a loooot of times, in the case of Jaws and Raiders), but if I do rewatch them, I'll add something then.

[TheUsualSuspect]

I will have a few done soon.

[edarsenal]

I will have a few done soon.
Always appreciated, and I know ya all. We done this many a time and will, hopefully, many more.
I know we'll hit the deadline and if one or two need a bit o' time. . . I gotcha.
We're good. ;)

[SpelingError]

True Romance (1993) - 3

This film was a mixed bag for me. For one, I don't know what it was going for with the characters. Clarence and Alabama's flaws are left out in the open, but given the weird 'they live happily ever after' ending, it seems like you're meant to root for the two of them, and that connection just wasn't there for me. Like, Clarence's Elvis Presley hallucination in the first act screamed "This guy needs serious help!" and I kept that impression all throughout the film. Alabama didn't prove much better in this regard as the way she shrugged Clarence's violence off (the line "I think what you did is so romantic" made me cringe so hard) also annoyed me. As per Tarantino style, the action is highly stylized, but I found very little of it exciting. Those scenes really could've used some tightening up in terms of editing and cinematography. Even the final shootout, though interesting on paper, suffered from this to a degree. With that being said, I liked a few aspects about this film. Tarantino's writing style isn't for everyone, and while a couple scenes like the n word conversation are cringe inducing, I enjoyed most of the dialogue and felt it brought enough style to the film to keep it entertaining from beginning to end. Tarantino has a talent for writing catchy and witty scripts and this film was no exception to that. The film also lives up to another of Tarantino's strengths as it has a strong ensemble cast. Slater, Hopper, Walken, Rubinek, Rapaport, and even Arquette, though her acting occasionally annoyed me, ranged from good to great. Finally, while the story didn't interest me much, I did enjoy a few smaller scenes within the larger story, like Elliot being pulled over by a cop. Issues aside, I enjoyed my time with this film and, while I doubt I'll ever end up loving it, I might watch it again if I'm in the right mood.

I'll dm my ballot in a bit.

[pahaK]

My Dog Skip (2000)

I suppose most people have nostalgic feelings towards childhood. I definitely remember being happier as a kid. Growing up eats away the wonders of life and reveals the cesspool that lies behind the facade of humanity. My Dog Skip is nostalgia on overdrive. In fact, there's nothing else in the whole movie (except a few heavy-handed lessons about morality).

I like my coming-of-age stories to be dark and twisted. These family-friendly versions feel like Stephen King character introductions; we have these kids, but we lack all the horrible things that'll happen to them. Where's the fun in that? I didn't watch these "kid and animal" films even as a kid. I'm not baffled by their popularity, but they're not for me.

I can't really hate My Dog Skip, but it was a tiring experience. There's no conflict per se, and it's formulaic to a point you can predict dialogue before it's spoken. It's like a film made for a teacher to show to a class; something an adult would fancy a kid to like, but most kids would find boring.

1.5

[TheUsualSuspect]

Safety Last!

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51p-qHrTdAL._AC_SY445_.jpg

I'll admit, the opening shot got me. Ha.

I feel like for silent films especially, if it's not somehow famous, people will never watch it. I haven't seen too many silent movies, just the well known ones here and there and this was kind of a delight to watch. All I knew of it was the famous clock hanging stunt, nothing else. It didn't have the striking imagery of Dr. Caligari or the defying stunts of Keaton. It had charm, it had laughs and it was a quick 1hr15min.

Comedies of late have relied too heavily on the line-o-rama style rapid fire jokes. Hope one hits and choose in the edit. Edgar Wright's comedies are mostly visual, so they are able to get the joke across different language barriers. Dialogue jokes don't always land for everyone. So when a silent film produces laughs, it's purely visual and it's well done.

Yes, the film has problems...every film does when looking at it through a 2022 lens. While I certainly didn't appreciate it, it did not ruin the enjoyment of the film for me. It doesn't reach the heights of Chaplin or Keaton, but it's nice to see someone else in the mix.

Thanks for nominating this piece.

[Torgo]

You've seen the movie. Now, eat the cereal!

https://i.imgur.com/FdtLfUC.png

Which one would you try?

The artist is Cris Shapan, by the way. Google him for even more brilliance.

[Thief]

Starting my mad dash and there's already another one in the bag, My Dog Skip. Gonna try to tackle another one tomorrow.

[cricket]

Baby Face

https://emanuellevy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/baby_face_4_cook_stanwyck.jpg

Was looking forward to this even though I knew nothing about the story. I love the oldies and Barbara Stanwyck, who along with Marlene Dietrich would be in contention for my favorite actress from this era. I got a chuckle out of the dude emphatically telling her to USE MEN early on, but I didn't expect her to go full slut mode so quickly. It's a sad reality of life, women selling their souls to get somewhere with the help of men. The movie makes this all look much more simple than it is. There are times when I viewed her as a horrible person, but then I'd have to think back and understand her questionable upbringing and what she knew as right or wrong. It's also important to remember that men who fall for her charms aren't all the same. They can range from deviant predators to naive fools to everything in between, but it became hard for her to see any difference in them. Good hearted and well intentioned people can be caught in the crossfire, and the overall message is a sad one for women. Stanwyck easily pulls off her part with skill and charisma. The ending could have been better and the runtime longer, although restrictions of the era may have put a cap on the possibility of more complexity. Could have used more Theresa Harris who was so good. A very good watch.

3.5

[edarsenal]

Felt the same way about Theresa Harris who never seemed to be given her due beyond bit parts throughout her career. Love her voice.

[pahaK]

Dolores Claiborne (1995)

Broken, miserable, and detestable people, coping with their own hardship and spreading their own suffering into the world around them. Yep, it must be a Stephen King adaptation. The fact that he can't write a likable adult is not always an issue in his horror stories, but a drama like this would benefit from someone to root for. The flashbacks with young Selena aren't enough, and the transitions often feel awkward.

Except for the King issue above, Dolores Claiborne is a solid but predictable drama. Visually it's a bit too horror for what it truly is (especially some flashbacks seem to go over the top). Maybe that's for marketing with King's name. Acting is great, too (and I had google who plays young Selena 'cause she looked so familiar, and it turns out she's the Toilet Seat Girl).

So, there's nothing clearly wrong with the film, but it feels so unremarkable. I saw it in a theater back in the day and remembered almost nothing; I'm afraid that'll be the case again in a few years.

2.5

[Thief]

Alright, just finished Thunder Road so that's one step closer for me. Also checked the 2016 short film afterwards. But anyway, that means I'm down to 10. I can do it, I can do it.

[edarsenal]

Alright, just finished Thunder Road so that's one step closer for me. Also checked the 2016 short film afterwards. But anyway, that means I'm down to 10. I can do it, I can do it.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/xT4ApmfvO9u0fg0aA0/giphy.gif

[jiraffejustin]

Dolores Claiborne

I feel pretty bad about this, but I kinda hated everything about this movie. I don't dislike as much as I dislike the dog movie, but only because this movie doesn't have the aftertaste that movie did. But I hated the way this film looked: just blah, I hated the music: just overbearing and never adding anything, I hated the story: predictable, boring, I hated the acting: those accents were grating, I have no knowledge of whether or not people really sound like that up there, but if the actors were focusing on the accents, maybe they should have instead focusing on getting their characters and the story over. This is not an all-time bad film or anything, I just don't like any part of it.

[cricket]

Dolores Claiborne

I feel pretty bad about this, but I kinda hated everything about this movie. I don't dislike as much as I dislike the dog movie, but only because this movie doesn't have the aftertaste that movie did. But I hated the way this film looked: just blah, I hated the music: just overbearing and never adding anything, I hated the story: predictable, boring, I hated the acting: those accents were grating, I have no knowledge of whether or not people really sound like that up there, but if the actors were focusing on the accents, maybe they should have instead focusing on getting their characters and the story over. This is not an all-time bad film or anything, I just don't like any part of it.

From someone who is familiar with the area and it's people, some of the accents were bad.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Cure

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Cure-618672879-large.jpg

I nominated this movie because I like thinking of films that I know a few people have never seen or even heard of. I was delighted to see that those who had seen it already were big fans of it.

I loved the aspect of this being a whodunnit mystery that solves itself for the viewer pretty early. We see the guy, we just don't know the why. Those layers are peeled back in an unsettling as we progress through the series of murders.

The film looks great, is acted strongly and has a great ending. The quick cut to black after the woman walks by with the knife if a nefarious way is such a memorable way to leave the viewer.

It is on the long side a little bit, I'll admit, but I was just as wrapped up in the investigation this time as I was the first.

[Thief]

Took a break yesterday, but I'm back now, striking The Secret of Roan Inish off my list. Reviews for these batch will come soon.

[cricket]

Took a break yesterday, but I'm back now, striking The Secret of Roan Inish off my list. Reviews for these batch will come soon.

No breaks

[Thief]

No breaks

https://i.makeagif.com/media/4-17-2018/UNv7pL.gif

[TheUsualSuspect]

Baby Face

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DX4rDtOAL._AC_SX466_.jpg

I didn't know what to expect from a movie that had a plot line involving a woman sleeping her way to the top, especially one from the 30's.

Lily works for her father in a speakeasy during Prohibition. She has slept with numerous men at a young age and it's not until a friend of hers tells her to move on to greater things does she move on to "climb the corporate ladder". Sex was thrust upon her at a young age and now she uses it as a weapon to make a better life for herself. She first uses this power on a train ride when she is caught hopping it. A simple unbuttoning of the blouse and asking to talk things over is enough to get a free ride.

Men are dogs. Ha, willing to sleep with anyone at the drop of a hat. I believe that.

I enjoyed the movie, I was expecting the female characters to be somewhat shallow and objectified. While the objectified portions are part of the story, it never felt like it was belittling anyone. I'm definitely surprised at how open the film is about sex. Decent performances help an otherwise flat looking film.

[pahaK]

Magical Girl (2014)

This movie reminded me of my own nomination, Demons, but done without skill, style, or emotion. Everyone exists only to be a plot device, and there are almost no why's revealed. It's like the film was made from an early brainstorm for a script with most details still missing. There's an outline of what, but the reasons exist only as early sketches. I guess the story itself has potential.

Especially the first half of Magical Girl drags terribly and fails to build an emotional connection between the father, the daughter, and the viewer. The following darker turns lack impact because of this. The same applies to everyone; the movie tells us there's a connection between the people, but I'd rather see that connection myself. The end result is as shocking and heartbreaking as an obituary of a stranger in a newspaper.

The potential is there, but the execution doesn't deliver. There's maybe half a point extra for that potential.

2

[pahaK]

Just to let edarsenal know, the link to Takoma's Magical Girl review in the OP is kinda broken (it opens a reply to the review). And I also watched Baby Face today, so review up in a day or two.

[Thief]

Fate has thrown a monkeywrench at my schedule. There was a total power outage in the island last night, just when I was starting True Romance, so :shrug: They are saying power might return during the day, or the next days so c'est la vie. Let's hope I can get back on track.

[TheUsualSuspect]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/85/ee/d2/85eed2f7fdcbf405e240727085002a52.jpg

What at first I thought was going to be a children's movie turned out to be a nice little gem filled with enough mystery to keep my attention. I went to Ireland for my honeymoon and watching this made me want to go back. The film captures the feeling of Ireland, if that makes any sense.

10 year old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small coastal town in Ireland. She discovers a legend involving a Selkie and decides to uncover the secrets of Roan Inish.

I wanted a bit more magical whimsy from the film. I feel like it scratches the surface, but I wanted a really good long scratch for that itch. The performances felt a little wooden to me and most films with children in them tend to annoy me. This one did not, so that's a plus. I would never have ever watched this if not for this HoF. So I'm glad for that.

[Thief]

MY DOG SKIP
(2000, Russell)

https://i.imgur.com/nPUAPHe.jpg


"I was an only child. He was an only dog."



Dogs are man's best friend, they say. But there's also a rather profound bond between a child and a dog. I had two dogs during my childhood and youth; one that we got when I was like 8, and another one we got when I was around 18, and I loved both very much. Dogs are unrelenting friends, and for a kid that's having a hard time blending in and making friends, that's something infinitely valuable.

My Dog Skip follows such a friendship between lonely outcast Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) and Skip, the friendly Terrier that his mother gives him for his birthday. Willie's father (Kevin Bacon) is a well-intentioned, but stern veteran that lost his leg in the war, who seems unable to connect with his son or comfort him as he's bullied. So the bond with Skip comes to fill a certain void in the kid.

The film is based on a book written by the real Willie Morris, an author who wrote numerous books. In My Dog Skip, he recollects of the impact the dog had on his life, his family, and the town they lived in. Unfortunately, the film skims over many of the more interesting aspects, like the effect of war on certain characters, or the racial situations in the town. Granted, it is supposed to be told from the perspective of a child, but I still think they could've done a better job.

When it comes to the focus of the story, which is the relationship between Willie and the dog, the approach might be too sappy and melodramatic for some tastes, with several crucial and emotional moments lacking any subtlety, with swelling score and slow motion. In focusing on that relationship, it underserves what I thought were more interesting and important human relationships between Willie and his dad, his friends, his girlfriend, and the traumatized veteran that lives next door (Luke Wilson).

But again, the focus is the relationship between the kid and the dog, and I do think it succeeded in showcasing how important that bond is. I know, because it brought back fond memories of the times when I had a dog. The dog I had when I was 18 – Lady – stayed with us for 12 years. My then-girlfriend gave her to me when she was a newborn puppy, much to the chagrin of my mom, who had swore she didn't want another dog after losing our previous one (the one we had when I was 8).

But much like Skip, Lady earned her place, and my mom eventually came around. When I married at 29 and moved out of home, Lady stayed with my mom. Much like Skip, she started having some health issues, and died at 12 years old, while I was away. Even though I wasn't an only child, when I got her, I was the only one still at home, so we were kinda "only child, only dog" as well. With all its flaws, the film fondly reminded me of those times, so what more can I ask?

Grade: 3

[Thief]

Just finished True Romance, so that means I only need to watch at least four (Mad Love, Magical Girl, Demons, Dolores Claiborne) before the deadline.

If I have time, I'll get to Apocalypse Now, Jaws, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I might skip those.

[pahaK]

Baby Face (1933)

A Nietzsche reading cobbler enlightens a young woman pimped by her father that she's sitting on a purse and should put it to use. It's a simple plot and a simple movie, unlike Nietzsche. Often films this old are a bit naive, and they put too much effort into ensuring that everyone gets the point. Baby Face isn't an exception. Yeah, I get that Lily is a bitch, but I don't get how these men can't see that when she's doing everything she can to put it on display.

It's short enough to never become dull. On the other hand, its pace makes it impossible to build any characters; Lily just screws her way to the top (quite literally), and all males oblige. Baby Face tells its story too hastily, so focused on the big picture that individual scenes become hastily drawn caricatures. And the ending was lame (it felt like a post-code ending to me, but isn't the film pre-code).

2

[pahaK]

I also watched Midnight Cowboy yesterday, so I only have two more films to watch (and one more review to write - I think I'll keep them short like Baby Face above).

[edarsenal]

https://www.fernbyfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/tumblr_n4gzv4Q5Yl1ry77wyo1_r1_250.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/MasculineAgedBaleenwhale-max-1mb.gif

https://i.gifer.com/BvoI.gif


Safety Last! (1923)

What a Boy WON'T do to cover up a few inaccuracies to the girl he wholeheartedly loves. lol

I have only ever seen one, Harold Lloyd, due to an HoF, and I was appreciative but lackluster.
I was raised on Sir Charles Chaplin and have endeared myself completely. I only recently watched and was quite impressed by Buster Keaton - also HoF setting my course to explore more of him.
And now, watching Lloyd's most iconic short due to hanging off a clock outside a building, I did enjoy myself watching The Boy maneuver to uphold a successful business career that he does not have. Some of them in an amusing way. Like when the call buttons send everyone to his office, he quickly steps in line with them, pretending he has no idea why they've all been called. Or the above hiding in hanging coats to avoid the landlady did put a grin on my face.

Not sure if it's my old age or fear of heights that caused my concern during the climb up the building and thinking, "F@ck that, I'd confess before climbing up that." Still, it made for an engaging climax to the film and an enjoyable watch.

[edarsenal]

Just to let edarsenal know, the link to Takoma's Magical Girl review in the OP is kinda broken (it opens a reply to the review). And I also watched Baby Face today, so review up in a day or two.

VERY much appreciated! Fixing it now

https://i.gifer.com/embedded/download/19pn.gif

Um, well, not quite, hold on, gimme a second.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/2-20-2015/iQ65CR.gif

That should do it. I THINK.

[rauldc14]

You guys aren't done yet!?!

[edarsenal]

You guys aren't done yet!?!

https://c.tenor.com/mJRTRqognDIAAAAC/ryan-reynolds-kiss.gif

[pahaK]

You guys aren't done yet!?!

No. I still need to watch one film and write 2.5 reviews.

[Torgo]

Well, I'm done. Thief, on the other hand...

[SpelingError]

I say we shorten the deadline to one hour. Let's teach Thief a lesson.

[Takoma11]

I say we shorten the deadline to one hour. Let's teach Thief a lesson.

Agreed, but in dog years.

Thief, you have a little less than 9 minutes!

[rauldc14]

Just finished True Romance, so that means I only need to watch at least four (Mad Love, Magical Girl, Demons, Dolores Claiborne) before the deadline.

If I have time, I'll get to Apocalypse Now, Jaws, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I might skip those.

Oh please. There's no way there's time.

[Miss Vicky]

Slackers.

[Thief]

What do you all mean? The deadline is in 12 days and I only need to watch 4 films :shrug:

[Thief]

Speaking of which, I just started L'Amour Braque, uhhh, and this opening is quite something :laugh:


EDIT: Well, I see now that it's not just the opening.

[Citizen Rules]

What do you all mean? The deadline is in 12 days and I only need to watch 4 films :shrug:Ha:p I could watch 12 more movies before the end of the deadline. You can do it!

[Thief]

Yeah, I mean. I have my schedule set to watch the three I need to and some time to spare for my own monthly challenge before the deadline.

[Thief]

Of course, I still owe a bunch of reviews, but those are in progress.

[CosmicRunaway]

Is Siddon still in this? I feel like I haven't seen him around in awhile. Hope he's okay. I don't check that many threads though, so maybe he's been active somewhere else, while I'm off in my own little bubble lol.

[SpelingError]

Is Siddon still in this? I feel like I haven't seen him around in awhile. Hope he's okay. I don't check that many threads though, so maybe he's been active somewhere else, while I'm off in my own little bubble lol.

He's still active on this forum.

[Siddon]

https://i0.wp.com/oldaintdead.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/secretofroaninish-5.jpg?resize=800%2C446&ssl=1

Secret of Roan Inish (1995)

Well it wouldn't be a MOFO countdown with child nudity, at the very least the camera doesn't focus on the child nudity or sexualization of children this was more of a fairy tale type thing. So it was better....still not great but better. A lot of movies like this came out in the 90's and they all kinda bleed together. The film is shot on location in Ireland and the vista's were gorgeous though I feel like I missed a lot because of the very thick accents. You'd think I would be used to it being Irish myself but I do feel like I missed a bit.

The lead female gives a solid performance it's really about her journey to get her lost brother Jamie, but I was always kinda left cold by the story. It was inoffensive and alright but nothing special.

[Siddon]

https://coldfeet-space.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wsb/2020/06/one-cut-of-the-dead-1-e1567000164384.jpg

One Cut of the Dead (2017)

What's better than 1 bad cheap Zombie movie...2 bad cheap Zombie movies what's better than 2 bad cheap Zombie movies....three of them. And I say that with love because small little trashy horror movies are fun and this is fun. We start off with one film crew on a filtration plant.

Unfortunately when you have a gimmick like this all the parts are sort of judged against each other. The filmmakers do a pretty good job with the split of the two films, they do feel differently but still like most films like this the characters kind of all blend together and it feels about twice it's run time for me.

Also as someone who watches a lot of cheap Zombie films they sort of miss the mark for the first one. It feels a bit cheaper than it needs to be...but still it was fine.

[Siddon]

https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/16241_4.jpg

Dolores Claiborne (1995)

In the eighties and early ninties Hollywood was littered with femme fatale neo noir. Urban cities, well to do victims suave cops and sexy killers. Dolores Claiborne is very much the antithesis of those films...this isn't basic instinct. Unlike the previous films I've watched I actually have things to say about the film.

Every person in this film is vile but never in a cartoonish way. Bates might ham it up a bit at times but she centers herself enough to still feel like a human being. For me the star of the film is Judy Parfitt a narcissist and bully who is isolated and dying yet we see through flashbacks all the nuances and different shades of her character. One of the more conflicting and well written characters I've seen from Stephen King and this era. Christopher Plummer is also good in this one playing a cop who has a virtual les mis style hunt against Dolores. He knows she's guilty and he wants her to be. In a normal film he would be a hero but his dogmatic and wrong approach makes him the villain of sorts.

What makes this film so good is that the villains are kind of everywhere. Jenifer Jason Leigh is the estranged daughter of Dolores and in some ways she's the worst of them all because she completely abandoned her mother for 15 years. King definitely has something to say about the burden of family and the effects of neglect.

My only criticism with the film is that when you do a novel adaptation you don't want to be able to spot the chapter breaks. This film has one of the worst cases of chapter breaks I've seen. But still this was a very good watch and I think it'll move up my King adaptation list.

[Siddon]

Is Siddon still in this? I feel like I haven't seen him around in awhile. Hope he's okay. I don't check that many threads though, so maybe he's been active somewhere else, while I'm off in my own little bubble lol.


No clearly I'm out ;)


I take a break from these halls during certain periods of times (October, February) though this time it was March. I was mostly watching TCM and trying to keep my DVR from filling up. I also like to watch films in groupings so my rankings are fair.

[Siddon]

I also need a link for Magical Girl

[pahaK]

Is Siddon still in this? I feel like I haven't seen him around in awhile. Hope he's okay. I don't check that many threads though, so maybe he's been active somewhere else, while I'm off in my own little bubble lol.

It's just become his trademark to binge the majority of the HoF in the last week or so. I guess it balances out the ones who finish in the first week or so :D

[TheUsualSuspect]

I'm just glad I'm not the only one holding things up this time.

[PHOENIX74]

The 27th General Hall of Fame Recap

Well, I mean to do a quick recap during every Hall of Fame so I won't get lazy and scrap that idea just yet. It's been another good one, with quite a few films I never would have come across really impressing me. Shura (or Demons or Pandemonium or whatever you want to call it) sticks out in my mind as something I'll watch again and recommend to others. I can't think of many other films like it, with dark shadow being used to such great effect and a harrowing depiction of what revenge does to a person's soul. Magical Girl, which has had something of a mixed reception here, was also terrific in my estimation. Very Pedro Almodóvar-like, it hits a few nerves and tells a compelling story that's hard to predict when you're watching it. I still think about Thunder Road, even though my rating for it wasn't particularly high - and I'll keep an eye out for Jim Cummings in the future. I noticed him playing a cop in Halloween Kills and that struck me as strange - as if this down-to-earth character had suddenly been planted in a horror film. Cure is a great counterpoint to have after enjoying Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse, seeing the similarities and differences, and getting some kind of grasp on his style.

One Cut of the Dead had a huge surprise in store for me that I really enjoyed - I didn't see it coming, so it worked really well. Im glad to have finally seen Safety Last! My first Harold Lloyd film. It holds up pretty well after 99 years. L'amour braque was a massive challenge I tried to meet, with Andrzej Zulawski's style forcing me to look at a film in a different manner. My anxiety is rising just thinking about it - a film speaking in a cinematic language I haven't yet learned, and as such being sometimes incomprehensible to me. All that shouting and jumping up and down, crazy facial expressions and absurd action. I was introduced to two family films, My Dog Skip and The Secret of Roan Inish - has there been a Hall of Fame featuring kids movies? Notice how I skipped giving my verdicts on those again. Average to slightly above average for those two.

Then there's the heavy-hitters which I'd already seen. True Romance I was reintroduced to after seeing it an age ago. It held up really well - but like nearly everyone else, I have to say the two leads paled into insignificance compared to the supporting cast in that film. That shouldn't happen - but it doesn't stop the film from being a great ride. Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark are classics, and two of the greatest films ever made. I don't think I've mentioned it, but Andrzej Zulawski hated Steven Spielberg and his films with some passion. There's a reason so many of us have seen them many times though, they are truly great. That goes for Midnight Cowboy as well, a film I'd already rated in my mind as 4½ popcorn boxes - but watching it again and doing a bit of research led me to go the full 5 - it's such a great movie, and even though I've seen it a few times I really enjoyed watching it again a lot. With Apocalypse Now I watched the Redux version for something new, and I didn't mind - especially the French Plantation segment of the film being restored - because I thought that part said a lot. Dolores Claiborne was visually clever, and something of a departure for Taylor Hackford and Tony Gilroy - I second what Siddon said about Judy Parfitt in his review - she was really great in that film.

Nearly forgot Baby Face - the uncensored version which is really good, but still needed a better ending than it got. I don't think a botched ending should wreck a person's enjoyment of a film. If I watch something I really enjoy, and it has an ending I hate, sometimes I just go on and ignore the ending to preserve what was good about the film. Barbara Stanwyck really was a stunner in her day - a real old time star.

[SpelingError]

I also need a link for Magical Girl

Sent!

[Thief]

Sent!

https://media3.giphy.com/media/mpQkJpBMbSxMs/giphy.gif?cid=790b7611e0806edefdbf9042f2352dddbac2bbcb27284f63&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

[pahaK]

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

I liked this a little more on a rewatch than on my first time. It's not the kind of film I usually watch, but it's so well made that this mismatch never becomes an issue. I especially like the use of flashbacks and dreams. Joe is running from nightmares of his past, while Ratso dreams about an escape from his present. These little glimpses into their souls make them, if not likable, then at least relatable.

The setting is a mixed bag, though. The "wrong" side of NYC has the looks with its abandoned buildings and dirty flats with broken furniture and sweaty, unkempt Ratso. But other than the looks, Midnight Cowboy appears to turn a blind eye to the issues already rearing their heads in NYC. Its misfits are the sorry souls, and the worst crime done is stealing fruits for hunger. Yet, in reality, the violent crime was already steeply rising. It gives us a picture to pity for, maybe even take some of the blame, but hides away the unwanted ugliness.

3

[pahaK]

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Maybe it tells more about me than The Secret of Roan Inish, but the first thing that comes to my mind is a cute, family-friendly version of Lovecraft's Innsmouth. Such fishy mental images aside, it's a moderately entertaining coming of age with a hefty dose of a fairytale. It's not the most unique and inventive film, but it has a heart, and it does its nostalgia with more honesty and warmth and feeling than My Dog Skip could ever dream of.

The settings are just so beautiful, and the whole imagery of life is like an idyll from an old painting. I guess there's not much behind this facade, but one could waste time more poorly than watching pretty pictures and dreaming of the better days. Not a great movie, but I'm happy to have seen it.

3

[SpelingError]

https://media3.giphy.com/media/mpQkJpBMbSxMs/giphy.gif?cid=790b7611e0806edefdbf9042f2352dddbac2bbcb27284f63&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

Sent!

[SpelingError]

Just as a heads-up, I won't be able to join the 28th Hall of Fame, but I'll join the 29th Hall of Fame for sure once it goes up.

[Siddon]

Just as a heads-up, I won't be able to join the 28th Hall of Fame, but I'll join the 29th Hall of Fame for sure once it goes up.


So you are saying I should save the start of the Fred series till 29


2 is the best


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MJd-RSHTqs

[ueno_station54]

speaking of the 28th hall, it will have to be someone else's duty to nominate some dumb left-field garbage because my pick will be grade-A normie shit.

[SpelingError]

So you are saying I should save the start of the Fred series till 29


2 is the best


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MJd-RSHTqs

Darn, I was planning on nominating that one. Guess I have to go with The Garbage Pail Kids instead.

[pahaK]

speaking of the 28th hall, it will have to be someone else's duty to nominate some dumb left-field garbage because my pick will be grade-A normie shit.

https://media2.giphy.com/media/12yR7vvdm3T3YhnZLX/giphy.gif

[Thief]

Just finished Dolores Claiborne (my pick!) so now I only have two to go. I have a couple of podcast interviews in the next two weeks, but I'm sure I can squeeze those before the deadline

https://media.giphy.com/media/MDft37M58j8281uSAm/giphy.gif

[Takoma11]

speaking of the 28th hall, it will have to be someone else's duty to nominate some dumb left-field garbage because my pick will be grade-A normie shit.

But why? And how?

And why?

[Thief]

THUNDER ROAD
(2018, Cummings)

https://i.imgur.com/tM9dWba.png


"I don't know what I'm doing anymore."



Thunder Road follows Jim Arnaud (Jim Cummings), a police officer in a small town struggling with a number of issues; the potential divorce from his wife, the rejections from his young daughter, and the recent death of his mother, which is what the film starts with and sort of what frames the events of the film, to the point that he feels like he doesn't know what he's doing anymore.

This project started when Cummings released a 2016 short film of the same name, that features Arnaud offering an awkward eulogy at his mother's funeral. The short film, which lasts 13 minutes, is done with a continuous shot. As part of his eulogy, Arnaud tries to awkwardly dance and sing Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road", which was one of his mother's favorite songs. It is such an odd scene in how it balances comedy and drama, but somehow it works.

Cummings manages to sustain that same vibe in the feature film, opening with the same funeral scene (with some slight but key differences), but expanding it to see all the issues that are plaguing Jim's life. Despite being a decorated and seemingly respected officer, his life is crumbling around him, leaving him powerless and not sure of what to do. There are also hints at potential mental health issues that, even if not explored at all, are apparently there.

But that is where the film's strength is. As both writer, director, and actor, Cummings succeeds in transmitting those feelings of mental instability, anxiety, insecurity as a parent, frustration, bottled up anger, the uneasiness of things unraveling, the impotence against circumstances and not knowing what to do. Even if I'm not going through all the issues that Jim is, I can certainly identify with a lot of those feelings.

Again, there is skill in how Cummings walks that fine line between drama and comedy, and how he makes us feel for Jim. His direction is confident and purposeful, with a couple of long takes that are not necessarily done for technical flash, but rather to let the emotions of Jim build up. Aside of the opening funeral scene, there is a really good one where Jim has an emotional breakdown on a parking lot.

There are some things that seemed unnecessary, like some exchanges with a young teenager that Jim tries to help stay away from trouble, and other things that I think could've been explored a bit more, especially regarding his wife. But there's a good anchor with Jim's relationship with his young daughter (Kendal Farr) and his friendship with his partner (Nican Robinson). Jim Arnaud might not know what he's doing, but Jim Cummings certainly is.

Grade: 3.5

[ueno_station54]

But why? And how?

And why?
because a safe, agreeable pick is what i thought i was doing with Daisies so i'm trying again lol.

[Takoma11]

There are some things that seemed unnecessary, like some exchanges with a young teenager that Jim tries to help stay away from trouble.

I think that the teenager serves the story because she is what Jim is worried will happen to his own daughter, something that he thinks is already beginning and he doesn't know how to stop it.

Something I like about information about the wife being withheld is that we only understand later that Jim actually knew that she had a drug problem but didn't want to use that as a weapon against her in the custody dispute. Watching that court scene again with this knowledge is kind of heartbreaking. His ideas of loyalty and decency shoot him in the foot..

[Takoma11]

because a safe, agreeable pick is what i thought i was doing with Daisies so i'm trying again lol.

"I'm going to make these basic b****** happy if it's the last thing I do!"

[Thief]

I think that the teenager serves the story because she is what Jim is worried will happen to his own daughter, something that he thinks is already beginning and he doesn't know how to stop it.

Something I like about information about the wife being withheld is that we only understand later that Jim actually knew that she had a drug problem but didn't want to use that as a weapon against her in the custody dispute. Watching that court scene again with this knowledge is kind of heartbreaking. His ideas of loyalty and decency shoot him in the foot..

Yeah, I really don't mind both "issues" that much. And I agree with what you say about Jim knowing; I actually noticed it more as I was reading a bit of the script yesterday. I just think that even though the focus is always on Jim, she could've been more of a character and less of a plot device.

[ueno_station54]

"I'm going to make these basic b****** happy if it's the last thing I do!"
went to the "movies my mom likes" well for this one.

[Siddon]

https://eofftvreview.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/cure-2.jpg

Cure (1997)

Cure is one of those strange serial killer movies that came out in the 90's. This one features a random group of people who all leave an X on the back of their necks. This is a weird one for me because it's a film that should have tension but all the violence is done rapidly and then it's just a lot of stillness and talking.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, the detective felt like he was just playing stoic sad guy for the entirety of the film while the killer was just annoying. Nobody else really stood out to me and I feel like this is one of those films you forget about a month after watching it.

The movie does have strengths though...visually it's a delight. The compositions of the shots are very nice. When they touch on the old time hypnotist stuff it's interesting but so much of it is just talking. This might be one of the sleepiest dullest serial killer film I've seen. This is a shame because the visuals are great, a number of scenes have a symmetrical look like it's a Wes Anderson film, and the death scenes are varied and shot well they are just bereft of any sort of tension. It was like walking through a museum and seeing the images of the killings and putting your own story together. Which is nice but not really satisfying for a horror/mystery film.

[Siddon]

https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/03/hires.png

Magical Girl (2014)

A desperate father finding out that his daughter is dying decides to do what it takes to buy her special dress. What happens during the course of the story is a winding journey of character introductions and frankly just weirdness. I really didn't know where this story was going at points or really what type of genre it was. It was almost like a Spanish David Lynch film but unlike Cure I was sucked into the story and the characters.

Visually it's nothing special, it seems like it was shot fairly basically which is my biggest issue with it. But so many of these characters were weird and distinctive, while the main story point is about the father trying to get this dress for his daughter...he's not really the lead. The story just sort of bounces from character to character how the actions of one man moves through these other figures. You had scenes in the film that were just weird, I don't think I got everything but I did like what I saw.

The last 30 minutes or so, my jaw was on the floor because that is not something to expect to see in a film like this. And while I have a number of questions I was still satisfied with what I saw. This was a good film I would actually recommend it to others.

[Takoma11]

went to the "movies my mom likes" well for this one.

I'm sure we'll all have a blast watching Somethings Got to Give or Mamma Mia! in the next round.*

*I do not mean to cast aspersions on your mother's taste.

[CosmicRunaway]

went to the "movies my mom likes" well for this one.
"Films For Mom" can be our next specialty HoF, just in time for Mother's Day. :p

Though for me, that would mean nominating a horror film or something Star Trek, since those are my mom's favourites haha.

[Wyldesyde19]

because a safe, agreeable pick is what i thought i was doing with Daisies so i'm trying again lol.

Daisies was easily one or the more interesting and rewarding films I watched last year. It wasn’t trash for the sake of being trashy, it wasn’t pornography, and it wasn’t in bad taste. Some people couldn’t get the allegory behind it, or didn’t care to look deep enough past its structure to see it, and that’s on them if that’s the case. I recognize it isn’t for everyone, but the reactions to it were way over the top.

Don’t let them deter you from nominating what you like.

[Citizen Rules]

Daisies was easily one or the more interesting and rewarding films I watched last year. It wasn’t trash for the sake of being trashy, it wasn’t pornography, and it wasn’t in bad taste. Sown people couldn’t get the allegory behind it, or didn’t care to look deep enough past its structure to see it, and that’s on them if that’s the case. I recognize it is t for everyone, but the reactions to it were way over the top.

Don’t let them deter you from nominating what you like.I'll second that! I enjoyed Daises, a neat nomination.

[Wyldesyde19]

I'll second that! I enjoyed Daises, a neat nomination.

Yeah, and I’ll throw in Pahak’s nominations as well as being interesting, even if I didn’t care for them all.

[Citizen Rules]

Yeah, and I’ll throw in Pahak’s nominations as well as being interesting, even if I didn’t care for them all.I've liked some of his noms. Some of my noms have been hated, I suspect my nom for the 28th will be one of them:p

[SpelingError]

I also enjoy ueno's nominations for the most part. Some of the backlash she's received in these threads is ridiculously overblown, imo.

[ueno_station54]

lmao i should clarify that i'm not being bullied into changing the things i want to nominate or anything. i'm picking an old high school fav that i've wanted to revisit for awhile. don't worry i've got some real doozies planned for later halls.

[pahaK]

I've watched all the films now. One more review, then ballot, and I'm done.

[cricket]

Cure

https://jojud265nia2bj9sy4ah9b61-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cure_01-1-1600x900-c-default.jpg

I first watched this a couple of years ago and I believe I feel about the same, even though I couldn't remember it until it started.

I get sucked in right away and I really like the story and how it plays out. For whatever reason it begins to wear on me after the first hour. I think I just get a little tired of the main villain and how he's presented. Like Siddon I find him a bit annoying. On the other hand I do like the other characters.

I feel like if I saw this as a Japanese youth, I may look at this film in a similar way as to how I look at The Shining and The Exorcist. It is scary, it's just that horror movies don't quite have that effect on me now.

Great nomination and I think a much better movie than I'm rating it. I think this is a good example of why I now favor horror movies that are on the violent side.

3.5

[Siddon]

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image16/babyface4.jpg

Babyface (1933)

Man these pre-code lady films are always a hoot. Barbara Stanwyck plays a woman who after her father dies goes to the city and uses her sexuality to climb the corporate ladder and become wealthy. I loved this movie...it even had John Wayne playing against type as a romantic sucker.

This is one of those films where I think the short run time hurts it. 70% of the film is the climb which is great but the ending feels rushed like they didn't really know what to do with the character once she reached the top. Of-course the film isn't really shot that well...but that's more a product of the time the cinematography isn't a huge selling point for a film like this.

[Siddon]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/9d7cde55104694a53c02c60284871bc9/tumblr_phs3gbuwuc1v4a8wfo6_1280.png

Thunder Road (2018)

I've now seen Jim Cummings body of work and it's impressive the man has a tone and note and walks a great line between being a douche and hero. In Thunder Road we start with a funeral of a cop's mom and for the first third of the film you aren't sure where we are going with the story. Life just gets worse and worse for our lead. Now does the guy have it coming...meh not really.

A number of the scenes are a masterclass in escalation, the breakdown at the station is truly insane. You don't know how far the scenes going to go and then when you get to the end you have to think...what the hell did I just watch.

I think the thing that really helps the story is how the lead is anchored by his daughter. He's not a bad dad but he's also not a great one. We the audience know his salvation is with his daughter. I wasn't crazy with how they got to that point but still I liked the film.

[pahaK]

Cure (1997)

My second favorite Kurosawa after Pulse (possibly counting both directors bearing the name, I'd need to rewatch a couple from the more famous one). I liked this a tiny bit more on a rewatch (the rating remains the same, though), as the odd main antagonist didn't draw so much of my attention. He's a kind of annoying interpretation of the abyss staring back at you.

What Cure does the best is evoking a feeling that something is terribly wrong with the world. It has this cold, Lovecraftian feel to it. To understand is to go insane. The whole film seems to be about projecting this unsettling emptiness beyond human understanding, and I assume the film only gets better the more you can ignore the police procedural as a conventional story and embrace the cosmic horror beyond.

4

[pahaK]

Also, sent my ballot and I'm officially done.

[edarsenal]

Cure (1997)

My second favorite Kurosawa after Pulse (possibly counting both directors bearing the name, I'd need to rewatch a couple from the more famous one). I liked this a tiny bit more on a rewatch (the rating remains the same, though), as the odd main antagonist didn't draw so much of my attention. He's a kind of annoying interpretation of the abyss staring back at you.

What Cure does the best is evoking a feeling that something is terribly wrong with the world. It has this cold, Lovecraftian feel to it. To understand is to go insane. The whole film seems to be about projecting this unsettling emptiness beyond human understanding, and I assume the film only gets better the more you can ignore the police procedural as a conventional story and embrace the cosmic horror beyond.

4
I watched this yesterday and I was searching for a good description and this nails it for me.
Nicely done.

[jiraffejustin]

I've got a few things left to watch, but the plan is to binge them tonight and tomorrow. I watched True Romance, just need to write about it.

[edarsenal]

I'm with ya on that, got My Dog Skip and Cure, (enjoyed that one) and if anyone has it I need a link for Mad Love, I am very much in the mood to see that today.

Oh, and One Cut of the Dead, please - THANKS

[SpelingError]

I'm with ya on that, got My Dog Skip and Cure, (enjoyed that one) and if anyone has it I need a link for Mad Love, I am very much in the mood to see that today.

Sent!

[edarsenal]

You Rock AND Roll
THANKS Speling!

[SpelingError]

:cool:

[CosmicRunaway]

Oh, and One Cut of the Dead, please - THANKS
Not sure if you still need a link for this or not, but I'll send one just in case!

[edarsenal]

Not sure if you still need a link for this or not, but I'll send one just in case!

EDIT -- I meant yes, I do, so THANK YOU!

[SpelingError]

Oops, sorry. Forgot to send you a link for One Cut of the Dead as well.

[edarsenal]

no worries but thanks

[edarsenal]

Also, my apologies, but the link for Mad Love continually lags every few minutes and I'm only twenty minutes in, so, if there is another link for it, please and thank you.
And BTW, I am enjoying the insanity of this one so I'd rather continue to do so sans, lagging ;)

[SpelingError]

Also, my apologies, but the link for Mad Love continually lags every few minutes and I'm only twenty minutes in, so, if there is another link for it, please and thank you.
And BTW, I am enjoying the insanity of this one so I'd rather continue to do so sans, lagging ;)

Sadly, that's the only solid link I'm aware of. If you go to the #F player below the video though, it gives you an option to save the video to your computer (I've done this before and I can confirm it's safe). You might have to download subtitles separately, but there's some sites you can do for that, too. Let me know if you need help with it.

Or, if you don't want to go through all that convoluted stuff, there's a Dailymotion link to the film. Only thing to note about it though is that it's divided up into two parts and has a couple ad breaks throughout, but if you're cool with that, check it out (I'll send the Dailymotion link to you in a minute).

[Citizen Rules]

The #F player rocks, but the #M player blows:p I'm guessing we're talking about the same movie site? If so I've been watching Batman the 1960s TV series there and it's always the #F player that I choose.

[edarsenal]

Thanks for everything. I'll try daily first and if it becomes a hassle I will try the #F.

[SpelingError]

I'm guessing we're talking about the same movie site?

Yeah, it's the link you sent me at the start of this Hall, I believe.

[edarsenal]

Switching it to #F made a HUGE difference and finished it off this afternoon along with Thunder Road.
So, again, THANKS

[edarsenal]

https://www.horreur.net/sites/default/files/upload/lamour_braque_4.jpg
https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/25484/cache-36468-1639673267/image-w1280.jpg?size=800x
https://64.media.tumblr.com/6a59d90dd28e8a285368acce315085a9/d1172eda35976610-a6/s500x750/6d158209d1c8942d618a59e96a55a46b26db0afa.gifv


L'amour Braque aka Mad Love (1985)

One would imagine becoming insane as simple as falling. It does not.
It takes great dedication, focus, and strong will to accomplish true insanity.
And even more so to comprehend and thereby reside in such a state.

Director Andrzej Zulawski exhibits and expresses just that with L'amour Braque.
Features two French actors I love and have scarcely skimmed the surface of their films, Sophie Marceau and Tchéky Karyo, we traverse the full extremes of madness. From the nonsensical foolishness to tormented anguish. Every gesture, dialogue, and facial tick runs the exaggerated gambit to the point that insanity IS normality for everyone in this film.

I am unsure if I am "primed" by previous nominations or if my appreciation for the two previously mentioned actors allowed me to immerse myself into the poetic gibberish and emotional outbursts interspersed with sex and violence. Still, while, at times, I sat scowling, I did remain engaged and curious about how this rabbit hole would collapse upon itself and its residents.

I could easily see myself viewing this again to catch every character's "craziness" on exhibit.
A dark, volatile, sexually driven themed excursion with moments of exuberant folly, L'amour Braque is shot well, performed exceedingly well, and could either be an enigma to examine or merely an absurdity to appreciate and experience. Either way, I am glad to have it nominated.

[Thief]

THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH
(1995, Sayles)

https://i.imgur.com/SACw2zE.png


"Ah, he isn't lost at all. He's just with another branch of the family."



Set in 1946, The Secret of Roan Inish follows Fiona (Jeni Courtney), a young girl who, after the death of her mother, is sent to live with her grandparents near the coast. It is there that she learns about the island of Roan Inish, where the family used to live before the war, as well as the mysterious disappearance of her little brother, Jamie.

This is a film I hadn't heard of before; my experience with John Sayles is limited to Eight Men Out. But I thought it was a pretty solid and charming family film. Most of the performances were good, but I gotta give it to Courtney, who I think did a pretty good job of carrying most of the film on her own.

Still, there are some things as far as the mythology goes that are brushed over or not addressed at all, and the way the plot unfolds feels a bit scattered or meandering. There's a simplicity to how the film operates that can be seen as a strength or a weakness. Sayles' direction is not flashy, but it gets the job done.

I saw the film about a week or two ago, and already there are things that have vanished from my mind. But there's such a gentleness and a charm to its innocence that kinda stays with you. If there's something to it is that I can see myself showing this to my kids when they get a little older.

Grade: 3

[TheUsualSuspect]

Hope to get a Thunder Road review up tonight.

[Thief]

TRUE ROMANCE
(1993, Scott)

https://i.imgur.com/NI192If.jpg


"If I'm with you, then I'm with you, and I don't want anybody else."



True Romance follows Clarence and Alabama Worley (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette), a loner and a prostitute that get married after meeting one night. But when Clarence tries to settle things with Alabama's pimp, they find themselves on the run from both the Mafia and the cops.

This is a film I remember seeing and enjoying back in the 90s, but that for some reason, I hadn't revisited in around 20 years. It also features a huge cast that, even though most of them were not big stars yet, it still makes for an interesting and impressive ensemble. From Dennis Hopper, James Gandolfini and Christopher Walken to Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, and Michael Rapaport, among many others.

The film is written by Quentin Tarantino and is directed by Tony Scott, and it features both their distinctive trademarks of tense yet cleverly written dialogue, as well as excessive hyper-violence and slow motion action scenes. I found myself enjoying the Tarantino-esque bits of it more than the uber-violent excesses of Scott. The scene between Clarence and Drexl (Oldman) is incredibly tense because of the dialogue, and so is the one between Walken and Hopper. It's a pity that Tarantino and Scott had to rely on racism, though. That "punchline" from Hopper is certainly an unfortunate one.

There does seem to be an overload of subplots that seem to be unnecessary or that don't necessarily pay off, like how Clarence and Alabama end up together, or his hallucinations with Elvis, but the parts that hit, hit extremely well. It also requires a good amount of suspension of disbelief not only to believe that a "nerd loner" like Clarence would have the guts to pull off everything he does, but to do it with the bravura that he does.

That mostly falls on the chemistry between Slater and Arquette, both of which make you believe that such different characters could pair up and end up working together so well. Much like Tarantino and Scott, they learn to work around their differences while balancing each other to work around their flaws, resulting in something "so cool".

Grade: 3.5

[edarsenal]

nice write up, Thief

[Siddon]

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrmbttnZAe1qj6v7uo1_500.gif

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Inspired by the 50's serials of Speilbergs youth and his inability to do his own James Bond film we get one of the great franchises of our time. Raiders of the Lost ark tells the story on Indiana Jones a college professor in the 1930's who goes on adventures to find treasures for museums.

Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, and Paul Freeman star are Jones, Marion Ravenwood (a bar owner and former lover) and Rene Ballocq a frenchman employed by the Nazis and Indy's main rival. Everytime I watch this film I try and focus on a different character and Freeman is so good in this. He matches a degree of charm and evil that you sort of end up rooting for him...until he combusts in a massive fireball.

But the charm of Raiders is it's 15-20 minute action sequences that are perfectly paced and put together. The film covers so much but has practically no filler or exposition if you have ADD it's the perfect film for you. Visually I love the look of the film, it's expertly shot with practical effects yet each scene is still given proper composition. Every scene has a bit of humor in it and the jokes are earned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3IFVERSQkA


One of my favorite bits. Also it should be said how great the casting was in a film like this. You've got three actors that aren't really stars so they play the roles to perfection (something a certain Crystal Skulls should have learned from). You believe Ernst is a real wormy Gestapo Nazi because he looks like one and you haven't seen that actor in a bunch of other films. Quality casting a lost art.

[Thief]

I've had some pretty intense days on various fronts, but my goal is to watch the two remaining films I have between tonight and tomorrow, and then post reviews the next day.

I also have a couple other pending reviews, which I'll try to get to today.

[Thief]

MAD LOVE
(1985, Żuławski)

https://i.imgur.com/ifGIfNF.jpg


"Here, with you... is not like a movie or in books, where everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose. Everything is chaos... unexpected, pain, disorder."



That's how Mary (Sophie Marceau) describes things as she struggles with her feelings for two different men. This is not like a movie, where everything is clear, expected, organized, with a clear purpose. Ironically, this is a case where the movie is indeed chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder... and yet, much like Mary, one can't help but be drawn to it.

Mad Love follows Mary's boyfriend, Micky (Tchéky Karyo), a bank robber that, along with his gang, stumble upon León (Francis Huster) and take him under his wing, only to have him fall in love with Mary starting a complicated love triangle. But if that's complicated, so is director's Andrzej Żuławski's approach to the film.

Chaos, unexpected, and disorder are definitely ways that can describe the film. There is a frenetic and chaotic energy to it that can certainly be off-putting. I remember thinking "Wow, this scene is crazy!" as I saw the opening heist, thinking it would be a one-scene thing, and then 20 minutes later realizing "Oh, so the whole film is like this". Much like León, who decides to jump in with the gang and follow them, you have to jump in and surrender to it.

It has been a couple of days since I watched it and, like Takoma said, I'm still not entirely sure that I understood *everything* that happened. Still, there's a mesmerizing quality to the film; a combination of that manic "disorder" and a dance-like harmony to the direction and the actors movements. The performances, especially Marceau, also help you hold your attention.

But being honest, despite some qualities I appreciated, it was a challenge and a bit of a chore to get through. It's the kind of film that I just couldn't vibe with, and I pushed through only to get it done for this. However, I can see myself going back to it again sometime, with a different mindset, and see if everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose, or if what I get again is chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder.

Grade: 2

[SpelingError]

However, I can see myself going back to it again sometime, with a different mindset, and see if I everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose, or if what I get again is chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder.

Out of curiosity, was the awkward phrasing here intentional to match the vibes of the film?

[Thief]

Out of curiosity, was the awkward phrasing here intentional to match the vibes of the film?

There's a typo there that I just fixed, but other than that, it was meant to be a play on the quote I put at the start of the review.

[CosmicRunaway]

When I was thinking of what to write for that film, I actually did consider writing my entire review in a vaguely nonsensical manner, but I didn't want anyone to think I'd had a stoke or something haha.

Also, it would probably get irritating to read after the first few sentences.

[Thief]

Have already started writing reviews for the three films which I didn't "rewatch"; Raiders, Apocalypse, and Jaws. Will try to post them tomorrow. Tonight is either Demons or Magical Girl.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Thunder Road

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/lFETbC4ezILwJnrzr61dLNy4p83.jpg

3.5

Balancing comedy with drama is hard and Thunder Road does this with the punctuation of the awkward. The film is based on a short, which is primarily a one-shot take of his mother's eulogy. Jim Cummings wears many hats, including writer, director, actor, editor, and music. So with all that in mind, this is pretty impressive for a debut film.

I watched The Wolf of Snow Hollow last year and was impressed enough with it that I wanted to see what this film had going on. So I was glad to see it nominated because that would be the kick in the butt I needed to watch it. You know what? I vibe with this style of filmmaking. I know it rubs some people the wrong way and others just don't find it funny, but I found that Cummings balances everything rather tightly. You are sitting there feeling bad for him for one second, then the film does a 180 and you don't know how to feel about him anymore. He had my sympathy for the most part.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Mad Love

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/gpx4txRDngGZ6Q3pDyoUiUkrZ4Z.jpg

2

Am I crazy in thinking I would have loved this if it weren't a crazy comedy? It's hard to say since the absurdity is so ingrained in this film. There are a lot of aspects to like here, I definitely appreciated the craziness of the opening, but once it kept that pace it kind of lost me a bit. Did I understand it all? Not really.

After a successful robbery, a man hopes to win back his girlfriend. On his way, he meets up with Leon aka The Idiot and despite not understanding what his intentions are, Leon follows him around and eventually falls for the man's girlfriend.

It looks great, Sophie Marceau is really striking in this but the dialogue really took me out of it.

[Takoma11]

You know what? I vibe with this style of filmmaking. I know it rubs some people the wrong way and others just don't find it funny, but I found that Cummings balances everything rather tightly.

I'm glad you liked it. I knew some people would think it was terrible and unfunny, but I was hopeful that at least a few people would click with it.

I have yet to see his latest, The Beta Test. From what I gather, it's unlike his other two in that his character is not meant to be at all sympathetic.

[Citizen Rules]

I've been done for such a long time that I can hardly remember the noms now:p I do remember rewatching a large part of Mad Love in .85 speed which to me made the film so much better. At the breakneck speed it plays at, it's like watching the Keystone Cops at 50 frames a minute. Still I liked a lot about the movie, but it's so hyper.

I liked Thunder Road too but I feel like the film makes fun of mentally challenged people as the lead character is IMO clearly emotionally or mentally challenged and yet we're suppose to laugh at him. Seems unethical for the film to do that.

[Thief]

I liked Thunder Road too but I feel like the film makes fun of mentally challenged people as the lead character is IMO clearly emotionally or mentally challenged and yet we're suppose to laugh at him. Seems unethical for the film to do that.

I don't know. I didn't feel like we were supposed to laugh at him at all. I mean, there are some situations that are funny or funny-adjacent, but I found him a very sympathetic and tragic character, amidst all his awkwardness.

[Citizen Rules]

I don't know. I didn't feel like we were supposed to laugh at him at all. I mean, there are some situations that are funny or funny-adjacent, but I found him a very sympathetic and tragic character, amidst all his awkwardness.I found him to be a sympathetic and tragic character too, but it seemed to me that his personality disorder was suppose to be entertaining to us, I mean it is a comedy and not a straight drama. It's a fine line having comedy coming from someone's PD in a movie.

[jiraffejustin]

Hand on the Bible: For sure finishing this up and writing everything up tonight when I get off of work.

[crumbsroom]

I found him to be a sympathetic and tragic character too, but it seemed to me that his personality disorder was suppose to be entertaining to us, I mean it is a comedy and not a straight drama. It's a fine line having comedy coming from someone's PD in a movie.


The humor is not targeting his emotional breakdown in some kind of vacuum, to be viewed as some completely alien thing we have only derision for. While his behaviour is obviously exaggerated and pushed towards the grotesque at times, we never lose sight of empathy for his breakdown. Laughter is most often about some kind of recognition, some kind of light being shone on the human condition. And while we might not all behave as outrageously as Cummings does when our own lives are thrown into chaos, we innately understand what is running underneath his increasingly volatile state. His character is articulating the madness that happens inside of us when we experience trauma. It's not mocking to laugh at what is happening to him, it is more an acknowledgement of the a human experience most of us have likely shared to some degree, and which we can emotionally relate to, even if we don't all end up doing impromptu dance recitals at our mothers funeral.

[Thief]

APOCALYPSE NOW
(1979, Ford Coppola)

https://i.imgur.com/Ghvs4E6.jpg


"You're in the a-sshole of the world, Captain!"



That's how a soldier describes part of the journey that Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is undertaking. Bombs exploding left and right, shots fired all above them, dead people below them. That's the reality of war, and Willard embraces it like a drug.

Apocalypse Now follows Willard's mission, brought up "like room service", to find and "terminate... with extreme prejudice" Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a highly decorated officer that has gone rogue and is secluded deep into the Cambodian jungle. To get to him, Willard takes a boat crew of young soldiers which he will lead into this, well, a-sshole of the world.

Based on Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, the film makes similar points about the contrast between the "civilized" and the "uncivilized". Willard's journey is framed as a gradual descent into hell, but a hell that's either caused, embraced, or at the very least supported by the so-called "civilized" side, which we can see in the gusto with which some of the characters he encounter treat the conflict.

On the other hand, his final encounter with the Colonel is marked by a seemingly peaceful atmosphere with a Kurtz that seems to be more interested in philosophizing than he is in "terrorizing". The widely known, but still interesting fact, is that Coppola had to readjust and rewrite most of the ending because of Brando being overweight and not knowing his lines. But I would argue that this "problems" made for a better ending.

But the problems with Brando were not the only ones faced by Coppola. He and co-star Dennis Hopper didn't get along, a typhoon wrecked most of the sets during filming, Sheen was dealing with alcoholism and even suffered a heart attack, among many other issues that put the film over budget, and drove Coppola to illness and multiple suicide attempts. These issues are documented by his own wife in the excellent documentary, Heats of Darkness.

I think the film is great in and of itself, but knowing of those issues and how Coppola managed to make something coherent, let alone as great as it is, out of it just makes it more impressive to me. It takes real skill to be so close to hell, in the "a-sshole of the world", and still turn up one of the best war films ever.

Grade: 4.5

[Thief]

JAWS
(1975, Spielberg)

https://i.imgur.com/y6vKT3s.jpg


"You know the thing about a shark? He's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites you."



That's how war veteran turned shark fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) describes the creature after his deadly encounter with them during the war. "Eleven hundred men went into the water, three hundred sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest", he says. That encounter has haunted him to the point that he's hellbent on capturing or killing a shark, any shark, perhaps as a way to exorcize his own demons. But he's not the only one.

Jaws mainly follows Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), the police chief in the beach town of Amity Island who happens to "hate water". "I guess it's a childhood thing", says his wife, even though it is never fully explained. But the threat and subsequent attacks from a great white shark on the beaches forces him to face his fears, whatever they are, in order to protect his family and the townspeople, but perhaps, much like Quint, to exorcize his own demons as well.

Joining them on the adventure is Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a young oceanographer that quickly finds out that what he learned in books doesn't necessarily equate to the reality in the water. The three form an unlikely alliance to try to stop this shark. But can they overcome their own fears, agendas, and obsessions to do it?

This is a film I've been watching ever since I was a kid. I must have seen it dozens of times and my appreciation for it has only grown more and more as I grow older. Not only is it well acted, but it's exceptionally well directed, which is more impressive when you consider it was only Spielberg's third feature film. Much like Coppola in Apocalypse Now, one can say that the production issues made him a better filmmaker and made the film more effective than it would've been.

Jaws and Spielberg went on to define the blockbuster trend of "big budget" summer films, but it did so with a lot of craft and skill, a lot of care, and yes, maybe a bit of luck. And unlike many other big blockbusters of past and recent years, lifeless ones, when this one "bites" you, you're eyes are gonna roll over from how thrilling, scary, and fun it is.

Grade: 5

[Thief]

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
(1981, Spielberg)

https://i.imgur.com/u7z8k19.png


"All your life has been spent in pursuit of archaeological relics. Inside the Ark are treasures beyond your wildest aspirations. You want to see it opened as well as I. Indiana, we are simply passing through history. This, this *is* history."



Set in 1936, Raiders of the Lost Ark follows Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), an archaeologist and adventurer that goes around the world recovering ancient relics. But when he is recruited by the US Army to find the Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself caught between rival and arch-nemesis Belloq (Paul Freeman) and the Nazis that hired him.

This is yet another film I've seen dozens of times since I was a kid. I consider it to be the epitome of what an adventure film should be. From the iconic opening with the booby-trapped temple and the rolling ball in Peru to the underground hunt in Egypt, Spielberg creates numerous memorable setpieces that set the template for future adventure films. But he anchors them with a charismatic performance by Ford.

He is joined by an excellent ensemble with Karen Allen being a tough and spunky companion and John Rhys-Davies as his loyal Egyptian partner. Freeman is pretty good as Jones counterpart, and does well in portraying the contrast and similarities between the two, but I've always enjoyed the hell out of Ronald Lacey's performance as Toht, the evil Nazi agent that joins Belloq.

That is just an example of the great things the film has in its favor. Spielberg does right everything that he needs to do right, along with a talented cast and crew, which is why this film has stood the test of time. Numerous adventure films have come after, but in my opinion, none have managed to surpass it. Films like The Mummy or The Avengers are good, but this, this *is* history.

Grade: 5

[Thief]

Was on my lunch break and managed to finish Magical Girl and that was something. Started it last night, but after one hour, had to bail out because it was past midnight... but it certainly stuck with me that I had to make time to finish it as soon as possible. Good stuff.

Now I just have to do Demons and if anybody has a link for that one, that would be swell.

[SpelingError]

Now I just have to do Demons and if anybody has a link for that one, that would be swell.

Sent!

It's on YouTube, btw, for anyone else who hasn't gotten to it.

[Thief]

Thanks!

[Thief]

I need for edarsenal to update the first post for my peace of mind :laugh:

[Thief]

Ok, just finished Demons, and after that one and Magical Girl, I feel like I should watch something like Requiem for a Dream or Irreversible :laugh:

Seriously, though, I'm finished so tomorrow is review-writing time.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Magical Girl

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/k4wEvvSIqfYVdOQ3oQSkUFPzJ9K.jpg

Three different stories that intertwine with each other in a rather natural way makes this film a pleasant watch. Coupled with a really good script and some beautiful cinematography, Magical Girl is a film that I never heard of before but was really glad I watched.

The film leaves a few things up to interpretation and it treats the audience with a respect that not many films possess. There is a sense of dread in many scenes, much like the film Uncut Gems. Great performances lift an already great film to a higher standard.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Dolores Claiborne

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/gfCh3TEQNEoro8lq21y4zYIic4D.jpg

King's books always focus on characters. At the end of the day, he wants to tell a story about the characters. The so-called "horror" aspect always seems to come second. So how does a horror-less story from King fare? Pretty well actually. Dolores Claiborne is accused of killing her husband but doesn't go to jail. 20 some off years later, she is accused of killing another person and her daughter comes back home to cover the story.

Bates rocks, she's really good in this role. Despite having a good cast, and a recognized name in Stephen King, this film kind of flew under the radar and it's a shame because it deserves to be seen by more people. While the mystery itself isn't particularly interesting, the way the film reveals key elements is. I appreciated my time with this one.

[TheUsualSuspect]

I think I'm done. I'll sort them into a ranking tomorrow at work.

[jiraffejustin]

I've got all the watching done. The only things I need to do are the writing and the voting.

[edarsenal]

Great job all!!

For myself, I'll watch One Cut For the Dead tonight and I'll be done except for write-ups.

Depending on how it all comes down it should be this Sunday evening for reveals. I'll post a more accurate time frame as it draws closer.

[Siddon]

I need a link with subs for Mad Love, I should have a Demon's write up tonight

[Siddon]

https://jeffstafford76.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/group-tableaux.jpg?w=848

Shura (1971)

Sometimes people make noms and you just wish they would have waited until a good print was out. Shura or Demon's tells the story of a samurai who hooks up with a Geisha and when his honor is ruined he goes crazy in a violent rage. If it sounds cliched and derivative of 200 other Samurai films you wouldn't be wrong.

Shura isn't a bad film, it's actually a stylized cheap little exploitation flick. The filmmaker uses shadows to cover up it's budgetary weaknesses which makes the film and viewer feel like they are watching a film in perpetual night. The tone of the film is great it's claustrophobic and tense and while it deals with very graphic subject matter it has a degree of restraint.

With that said this film is two plus hours and it drags on and on. Every death scene seems to feature an actor chewing up scenery and getting the most out of every minute the director gives them. One character gives a monologue after being stabbed but before being decapitated...it just gets silly at times. The bones of a great story are hear but the first hour could have been condensed to 15 minutes. Often times I was dozing off while watching as I felt like the writer wanted to get in every samurai cliche as possible into the story.

[Siddon]

https://www.retrozap.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Jaws-Making-a-Monster.jpg

Jaws (1975)

Part of what I hate about Steven Spielberg is when I watch Jaws and note how good he once was and how far he's deteriorated in his later years. Jaws is a masterpiece, a perfectly balanced three act structure film that covers the denial, the hunt, and the trip into the sea. Each act is perfect and tonally different. The characters go through journey's nobody starts and ends at the same place in this film and it manages to get done in a quick manner.

Martin Brody is the Sheriff of a small fishing/vacation town. During his first year and first summer a girl ends up getting eaten by a shark. The townspeople don't want to believe that this is happening because it would economically devastate their community. A small boy is then eaten and Matt Hooper a local scientist shows up. After a series of other shark attacks the mayor decides to pony up the money for an expert Shark hunter Quint.

In the third act Quint, Brody, and Hooper go out and fight the shark. Part of what makes the final act so great is it's a passage of time. It's not one big action set piece but a series of rising incidents. One of the things I forgot is the scene where they are just watching the Shark swim near the boat knowing that their is nothing they can do.

I love this movie, I like how Hooper is written, he's obnoxious at times but not evil. I like how Quint is flawed, crazy but is always respectful towards Brody and antagonistic towards Hooper. Finally he comes to terms with Hooper at the end and decides to maybe try the technology, I love the humor in the film and the one liners. And I love how the film is cast so that nobody looks/acts like a movie star. It's all character actors and normal people...a number of best pictures could learn from that.

[SpelingError]

I need a link with subs for Mad Love, I should have a Demon's write up tonight

Sent!

[Thief]

DOLORES CLAIBORNE
(1995, Hackford)

https://i.imgur.com/ZIbY0A3.png


"Hell ain't something you get thrown into overnight. The real hell comes on you as slow... and steady as a line of wet winter sheets."



Set in a small island in Maine, Dolores Claiborne follows the titular woman (Kathy Bates) after she is accused of murdering her wealthy yet elderly employer, Vera. The inquiry by obsessive Detective John Mackey (Christopher Plummer) brings Dolores' estranged daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) reluctantly back into the island, which in turn stirs up memories about the death of Dolores' husband and Selena's father 18 years ago.

This is a film I saw some time during the late 1990s, maybe even more than once, and that somehow stuck with me. Not only because of the intrigue of how the story unfolds its mystery, but also because of the dynamics between the "no shit taken" Dolores and the bitter and resentful Selena. Both elements remain probably the most interesting aspects of the film, although rewatching it made me more aware of its flaws.

My first issue is more of a "story" issue (i.e. Stephen King) and not necessarily the film's, but I don't think the whole "Did Dolores murder her employer" angle was either necessary or well executed. I understand it is a way to put us a bit against her and keep us guessing a bit, but I thought there was enough with the mother/daughter conflict and the flashbacks about the father to hold the film, and the flashbacks about the father. Also, as much as I love Plummer, the character of Mackey is not that well written. The final inquiry where he lashes at Dolores only to have Selena swoop in to the rescue wasn't very well written or handled.

Thankfully, Bates is an excellent actress and she puts so much into this character that you can, at the most, feel for her or at the very least, understand where she's coming from as a woman trapped by the circumstances. By contrasting who she was with who she is, we can understand the "real hell" that has come over her slowly. Jason Leigh does her best with an underwritten character, but despite that, her moments with Bates are pretty good, thanks to both actresses. I just wish we could've gotten more inside Selena's mind and her feelings since she's the most vulnerable character after all.

But the focus of the story is Dolores, a tragic character that slowly gets thrown into a figurative hell; from an abusive relationship to the subsequent harassments, suspicions, and humiliations from townspeople, she has seen hell coming at her slowly through the years, and has embraced her role as a "b-itch", perhaps to shield herself. The film is a solid example of two women choosing to finally face that hell, not to automatically fix their lives, but to start to walk away from it together.

Grade: 3.5

[Thief]

Two more reviews to go.

https://c.tenor.com/isiLRnxz3zwAAAAM/cat-driving-serious.gif

[Torgo]

Two more reviews to go.

https://c.tenor.com/isiLRnxz3zwAAAAM/cat-driving-serious.gifhttps://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/7e/86/ac7e86fd8c6a6953b686cc0e7b9a8900.gif

[Thief]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/7e/86/ac7e86fd8c6a6953b686cc0e7b9a8900.gif

The tough part (watching the films) is over, thankfully!

[edarsenal]

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
(1981, Spielberg)

https://i.imgur.com/u7z8k19.png




He is joined by an excellent ensemble with Karen Allen being a tough and spunky companion and John Rhys-Davies as his loyal Egyptian partner. Freeman is pretty good as Jones counterpart, and does well in portraying the contrast and similarities between the two, but I've always enjoyed the hell out of Ronald Lacey's performance as Toht, the evil Nazi agent that joins Belloq.

Grade: 5
A to the Men, Sir. A to the Men. LOOOVE the "hanger" scene; THANK YOU, Siddon, for posting it or that slithering, "You're fire has gone out."

[edarsenal]

https://www.retrozap.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Jaws-Making-a-Monster.jpg

Jaws (1975)

I love this movie, I like how Hooper is written, he's obnoxious at times but not evil. I like how Quint is flawed, crazy but is always respectful towards Brody and antagonistic towards Hooper. Finally he comes to terms with Hooper at the end and decides to maybe try the technology, I love the humor in the film and the one liners. And I love how the film is cast so that nobody looks/acts like a movie star. It's all character actors and normal people...a number of best pictures could learn from that.

And another Amen

[edarsenal]

Allaby, Citizen Rules, jiraffejustin, Miss Vicky, pahaK, PHOENIX74, Siddon, SpelingError, Takoma11, Thief, TheUsualSuspect, Torgo, ueno_station54

and ESPECIALLY cricket and CosmicRunaway for me somehow deleting them when removing "Nomination Sent" when I copied the list from the front page -- SORRY!!

As we draw to a close of yet another prolific set of iconic, newfound gems and an assortment of surprises, the Staff wished to come out and express their thanks to you, the--
https://64.media.tumblr.com/f86ec86666b295a9f84504b688e1139e/4ae005a4857a1dcb-dd/s540x810/3f088def91d69d8d4137875a88db800f81a9e52f.gifv

What? Yeah. Well --

Okay, fine, look, that ain't them.

Anyway, they wanted to thank ya all fer comin' out and hangin' out
https://c.tenor.com/fkzKdOIrJbcAAAAC/bow-end-of-the-play.gif

Especially Larry.
He's shy, but he means well.

[Citizen Rules]

Thanks to you Ed for hosting!

BTW who's hosting the 28th?

[edarsenal]

Thanks to you Ed for hosting!

BTW who's hosting the 28th?

ALWAYS a Pleasure!
Thank YOU

[SpelingError]

Thanks so much Ed for hosting. This was an enjoyable Hall.

[ueno_station54]

thanks Ed and thanks to everyone who participated. i haven't been in many of these but this was probably the best one yet <3

[CosmicRunaway]

@Allaby (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=110465), @Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637), @jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459), @Miss Vicky (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=55955), @pahaK (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=100614), @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080), @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448), @SpelingError (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=91134), @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735), @Thief (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109353), @TheUsualSuspect (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=9280), @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334), @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569)
https://cmepalooza.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/giphy-14.gif?w=300&h=209
(me and cricket)

[edarsenal]

https://cmepalooza.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/giphy-14.gif?w=300&h=209
(me and cricket)


Aw crap!
Alrighty, firstly: fixed



and ESPECIALLY cricket and CosmicRunaway for me somehow deleting them when removing "Nomination Sent" when I copied the list from the front page -- SORRY!!

As we draw to a close of yet another prolific set of

[edarsenal]

Secondly,
Thanks so much Ed for hosting. This was an enjoyable Hall.
D@mn honored and very glad to have ya, speling!
thanks Ed and thanks to everyone who participated. i haven't been in many of these but this was probably the best one yet <3
That is all kinds of kind, THANK YOU ueno! I kinda feel the same regarding your nomination this time around. It's been the best for me and curious to see others.

[Takoma11]

Yes, thank you for an interesting collection of films, everyone. It made for a splendidly odd marathon.

And thank you for hosting, Ed.