18th Mofo Hall of Fame

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ahwell's Avatar
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02-05-19
Split

Wow.
Just, absolutely wow.
When it physically hurts to watch and listen to a movie, it's pretty bad.
Things I liked:
Originality. It was really original, I'll give it that. Never seen anything like it.

Things I disliked:
Everything else. This is pretentious BS, no other way of putting it. It doesn't make any sense, doesn't try to make any sense, doesn't achieve anything worth anyone's time. The visuals hurt to watch, the sound hurts to listen to. The acting sucks, there's no pacing or structure. Someone slapped together a movie that they thought was confusing enough that people would hail it as a masterpiece so they didn't seem like an idiot because they don't understand the movie. Split is not my movie, my apologies.




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Friendo.
02-05-19
18th Hall of Fame
“Bubba Ho-Tep”
2002



The King's back, baby...

The premise is utterly ridiculous but laid out the groundworks for what could be a campy class-act by Bruce Campbell, going balls out (or cock out) in this insane role of a might-be-might-not-be-Elvis-impersonator fighting a mighty Egyptian ex-emperor. It turned out that the best thing about this was indeed Campbell, as the King of Rock n' Roll, though there wasn't much rocking nor rolling going on in this film; it was more about walkers and rocking chairs than anything... and bed snakes... and beetles... and black guys pretending to be John F. Kennedy.

I liked the premise well enough, crazy as it might be, but to my surprise, the director somehow succeeded in creating something rather boring and uninteresting out of an idea that should ignite on arrival – instead it somewhat ignites in the end though appearing dead on arrival. Campbell's character was either bedridden or trying to get rid of beetles for most of the movie, all the while the other half of the (un)dying on-screen duo was introduced surprisingly late in the movie. The two of them did have some great chemistry but didn’t get to confront their common summoned enemy before the last half hour, where the story finally sort of picks up. Honestly if it wasn't for Campbell, this movie would have been even worse than it already is, but thankfully he has such a great presence around him that he can keep this corpse of a movie alive throughout most of the runtime. But only “just”.

The idea of an evil dead Egyptian mummy acting as a menace for ageing old folks at a retirement home is quite "out there" and you would think the premise alone plays the movie along just fine. But the story would rather use its time on showing us bad b-movie beetles or blabbing about Elvis Presley's limp, lubed up leather-stretcher for a decent length of the runtime. Oh, and when on the topic of stretching and length, I was thinking the whole time how this movie would probably have worked much better as a short film, only to find out in the end that it is indeed based on a short story. So yeah, the short answer is, the runtime contradicts with the “funtime”, because while the premise is fun on paper it comes off as paper-thin when presented in feature length, given the amount of wicked weirdness in this undead pharaoh flick does fare well as a punchline, but can’t keep up the punches for 92 minutes.

I could have done with a successful effort of a more toned-down buddy comedy, which it seemingly tries to be, but can’t help but think about how this would have been if it gave me the whole package of its premise (and not just Presley’s package). Why use so much time on waiting to find out whether Presley can press out a boner than playing with the bone-man meandering around the facility? It’s not that I don’t see what it also wants, but there just isn't enough meat on the bone for this old-guy-vs-ancient-guy concept, and in the end, it stands as a fun time at a retirement home but a pretty boring time at the movies…

+

I’m sorry Miss Vicky! I really wanted to like this; actually, I hoped to love it… It’s not that it downright sucks, though sucking souls out the human anubis kind of does, doesn’t it? Oh well, a zombie pharaoh snorefest to me, unfortunately.



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Friendo.
02-05-19
I might suspect though, that a potential rewatch will make me like it a bit more and forgive it for what it wasn't and also look less deep in the mistakes and enjoy what I did enjoy at first watch.

I also forgot to mention, I did like the score and I did like when the movie gave a tiny bit of depth towards the end and gave us a more beautiful send off to Elvis than the real Elvis gave us.


PS: I also rewatched Snow White... review as soon as possible.



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2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
02-05-19
Split (1989)



I can summarize how I feel about this with a lot of one word sentences. Deplorable. Pathetic. Useless. Awful. I'm trying to think of something good to say but the only thing that comes to mind is it's short runtime of 85 minutes.

The acting is atrocious. The screenplay if there even is one is among the worst that I have seen a film have. Even Red Psalms was better. Speaking of Red Psalm this film brought to mind for me a new concept. Maybe we should have a Hall of Trash, this would be a worthy contender for that. I think I should stop because I've nothing but negative to say.




Citizen Rules's Avatar
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Noir Time
02-05-19
Originally Posted by pahaK
After all the reviews of Split this far I'm seriously getting curious. I wonder if I should watch it next.
You should someone needs to like it. I suggest trying to find a better copy of it than what's on Youtube, which was horrible video quality. I think better image quality would translate into a more enjoyable watch.



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Mugen Impersonator
02-05-19
I'm in agreement. The level of negativity is actually making me want to see it more.



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Anti-Woke
02-05-19
Originally Posted by Nathaniel
I'm in agreement. The level of negativity is actually making me want to see it more.
Did you watch Brimstone couple of days ago (I'm pretty sure I saw you posting it to films you watch tonight thread)? I've been waiting for someone's opinion on my nomination



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Mugen Impersonator
02-05-19
Originally Posted by pahaK
Did you watch Brimstone couple of days ago (I'm pretty sure I saw you posting it to films you watch tonight thread)? I've been waiting for someone's opinion on my nomination
Indeed I did...It's such a cheerful light-hearted movie

I'll have some thoughts up for it tomorrow.



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Friendo.
02-05-19
Originally Posted by Joel
I own the blu ray. It looks great. It's a very low budget film. 16mm. 4:3 ratio.
Can’t you rip it and upload it? Maybe I will love it because of the better quality

I’m excited now. I can’t wait to watch Split. I’ll probably regret this statement a few seconds into the movie but hell... let’s see.



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02-05-19
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation
Can’t you rip it and upload it? Maybe I will love it because of the better quality

I’m excited now. I can’t wait to watch Split. I’ll probably regret this statement a few seconds into the movie but hell... let’s see.
Ive tried ripping bd's before. Not very good at it. Lots of windows 10 roadblocks or lack of workable software on that platform, sadly. Wish I had a bd player on my win7 machine.

I saw it on vhs in poor quality and liked it a lot so...i doubt quality will make ALL the difference. ;P



Citizen Rules's Avatar
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Noir Time
02-05-19

The Little Stranger (2018)

I'm very pleased with this film, so far this was the most surprising nom that I've watched. I'd never heard of it before and after it was announced I looked it up on IMDB and seen it had a fairly low rating and being a horror I expected not to like it. But I did!

The Little Stranger plays like Pride and Prejudice (2005) meets Winchester (2018)...only it's head and shoulders above Winchester. While Winchester was hyperbolic with demonic ghost and silly fright scenes...The Little Stranger is done up in proper British style which keeps everything reined in which then adds to the tension that grows under the seemingly benign surface.

Dr Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson) was a bit of a creepy ass...but that casting choice worked perfect for the movie as he created a quiet tension. Ruth Wilson who played Caroline Ayres is also odd and once again that helps the narrative as we're never sure what's going on in that creepy old mansion...and in that way the film reminded me of The Innocents.

I for one loved the drama that occurred as the good doctor courts the reclusive heiress...and the resulting human drama is where the themes of class elitism our examined. It's interesting in that the Ayres family who are heavily in debt and live in what once was a stately manor, now decaying old house, still act as blue nosed as ever, and no matter how educated and well mannered Dr Faraday is he can never make the grade, so will never truly belong at Hundreds Hall.

And that's where the story lies and not in the horror. I suspect those who like gore horror were disappointed that there weren't heads rolling and ice picks in the eyes...and so gave it a low IMDB rating. Which goes to show that the only real judge of a film's merit is one's self.


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02-06-19


The King Of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1982)
Imdb

Date Watched: 02/05/19
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 18th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Yam12
Rewatch: No.

Well that was quite the unsettling commentary on fame and obsession.

Robert DeNiro turned in a phenomenally creepy performance as Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comedian who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Sandra Bernhard was impressive as well in her role as his mentally unstable and equally obsessed accomplice. The film was also masterfully directed and is overall a very well crafted piece of art.

The only trouble is that I felt nothing for any of its characters, which makes staying engaged a difficult task for me. I fully acknowledge that this flaw lies with me and not the film, but the end result is that I respected and admired The King of Comedy far more than I actually enjoyed it. Still, I expect it'll rank pretty high when it comes time for me to vote.

-



Citizen Rules's Avatar
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Noir Time
02-06-19

The Florida Project (2017)
I tried watching this after it came to DVD but shut if off after 15 minutes. In those first few minutes I found the kids and their mom annoying as they hammed it up for the camera.

So, I watched the entire movie last night and found out the first 15 minutes was just like the rest of the entire movie...The Florida Project plays like a 2 hour long selfie or some home video where little kids act way more silly than usual.

You know that photo to me defines the movie: overdone & hammy without any real substances. It's like the director wanted to make a cross between Boyhood (2014) and a reality TV show where people act anything but real. One would have to really like watching shrill small children acting 'cute' to enjoy this movie.

I've seen films centered on small kids that do work, such as the ground breaking Boyhood. But The Florida Project felt fake...not only the kids but the mother too. She so over exaggerated all her actions that she seemed like an actress trying way too hard. She never seemed to be the person she was playing. Even when she was smoking she so over done the smoking movements as if she was trying way to hard to draw attention to herself.

All of that hamming it up took me right out of the story and made me accurately aware that this was a movie. Now I believed Elvis was the real deal in Bubba Ho Tep, as the actor sold me on that fact despite the far fetched nature of the story plot, but here all the colorful buildings couldn't convince me what I was seeing was real.

*Spoiler*
I hated the last few minutes of the ending at DisneyWorld. Just when the film was getting interesting as the child was being removed by child protection services, we get the scene of the two girls at DisneyWorld. I would've went with a long shot of the little girls sad face as she stared out the cars rear window.
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do you respect wood?
02-06-19
Originally Posted by rauldc14

Even Red Psalms was better. Speaking of Red Psalm this film brought to mind for me a new concept. Maybe we should have a Hall of Trash, this would be a worthy contender for that. I think I should stop because I've nothing but negative to say.

Red Psalm is atleast well made though.
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Originally Posted by Sexy Celebrity
Oh my god. They're trying to claim another young victim with the foreign films.



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Mantis Toboggan, MD
02-06-19
I think that's the first negative review for The Florida Project I've seen. Still looking forward to watching it though.
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Originally Posted by Iroquois
To be fair, you have to have a fairly high IQ to understand MovieForums.com.



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Friendo.
02-06-19
Originally Posted by Yam12
I think that's the first negative review for The Florida Project I've seen. Still looking forward to watching it though.
It's gonna be a rewatch for me. And I wasn't too keen on it either, though I didn't necessarily hate it. I do see and somewhat agree with some of CR's point and do remember thinking something along those lines...

I definitely didn't understand the massive praise for it, though I did like the ending that CR didn't.

I loved Willem Dafoe in it though. Huge plus for the movie. I'm looking forward to a revisit though. I hope to like it more.

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