26th Hall of Fame

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Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)

So this is good enough for what it is, and I do like it, but it pretty much lacks everything I find exciting about film. Nothing exciting at all visually, like it looks fine just nothing of note. The editing (apart from one memorable cut), nothing of note. The music, its fine, forgettable. It never really has a strong mood or atmosphere going. The characters seem interesting but we don't really get all that much from them. The film is pretty much just the script and that's the least important part of any film. It just barrels through the narrative as quickly as possible with everything else being an afterthought. But hey, it is an entertaining script. It's a digestible and fun bit of pulp and nothing else. Probably one of the better films of this ilk that I've seen but that's not saying all that much.



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One of the better films but that's not saying that much.....

What are you trying to get out of watching these films if 95% of what you see on these you don't like?



What are you trying to get out of watching these films if 95% of what you see on these you don't like?
Don't know what you're talking about, I've liked most of the films I've watched for these HoFs and this current one is 3/3 so far.



ueno_station seems fine to me, personally. Rather, the impression I have is that he's a really tough critic.

Out of curiosity ueno, who are your favorite directors/what are your favorite styles and things to see in movies? From what I gather, you seem interested in surreal and weird films.
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Well, the aspects of film I'm most into are aesthetic and like vibe. So things with like interesting, expressive camerawork/editing and vivid imagery tend to do a lot for me. Music is also big, of course and I also love things that have like a lot of texture if that makes sense. Like films you can like, feel aesthetically. I'm usually not super big on films that are like heavily narrative-focused as I find them claustrophobic and poorly paced a lot of the time. Also have a soft spot for good schlock and overly-sentimental melodrama type stuff. Thank for asking

he's a really tough critic.
Oh btw I'm a girl lol.



Well, the aspects of film I'm most into are aesthetic and like vibe. So things with like interesting, expressive camerawork/editing and vivid imagery tend to do a lot for me. Music is also big, of course and I also love things that have like a lot of texture if that makes sense. Like films you can like, feel aesthetically. I'm usually not super big on films that are like heavily narrative-focused as I find them claustrophobic and poorly paced a lot of the time. Also have a soft spot for good schlock and overly-sentimental melodrama type stuff. Thank for asking
Aye, I see. I'm also into expressionistic camerawork/editing and movies with vivid feels. My nomination (The Celebration) might appeal to you in that case as it ticks some of those boxes off. We'll see though.

Oh btw I'm a girl lol.
Haha, gotcha. Sorry about that.



And Then There Were None (2015) -


While I normally don't watch mini-series and television shows, I was still happy to check this one out. Though I had a couple issues with it, I found it to be an effective and tense thriller. The cinematography was a big highlight and enhanced the claustrophobia of the show. The shots of the coastline which seemed to go on forever, the barren landscapes on the island, and the occasional shots of the island being battered by thunderstorms helped to build tension. Speaking of which, I appreciated how different kinds of tension occurred amongst the characters on the island. Of course, there was the surface level tension of the characters growing distrustful of each other, but I also appreciated how, in some ways, they strangely seemed comfortable with each other. The bacchanal in episode three was effective at showing how much the events on the island had warped the characters. They had their differences and were still distrustful of each other, but they were all running out of hope of being rescued, so why not make the most of what may be their final days alive? As strong as this show is, I wasn't that big on the flashbacks. They worked well in the first episode, but not so much in the latter parts of the show. They often slowed the show down and killed the tension a handful of times when the show would cut away from the main action to them. To make matters worse, most of the flashbacks shown in the latter parts of the show (mainly the ones involving Claythorne) either repeated what we already knew about her or provided unnecessary details to her backstory. I also thought that the final reveal, while not bad per se, felt a bit lacking given all the buildup. In spite of these flaws, however, I enjoyed my time with the show and I'm glad it was nominated.

Next Up: Angel-A




All the President's Men (1976)

Now I feel sick...

I thought I'd seen this but maybe I hadn't. Maybe I just blotted it out of my mind. Now that I viewed the film, I know all great empires do indeed sink under the weight of their own power lust. And I have to say this movie showed me a very depressing truth and if I ever thought politics was the religion of hell, I thought right. I also know nothing has really changed since Watergate only the perpetrators have grown more skilled and I doubt American's will ever catch them with their swollen hands in the proverbial cookie jar, again. Hell current Watergates get cheered by 52% of the population and if anything real was done about it, like it was back under the Nixon administration, civil war would break out in the streets. Giving 52% of the population a chance to get their Confederate flags out of hiding and cram them into their sweaty, waiting hands.

Yeah, that about sums it up.



BooBooKittyFock has now joined us!

His nomination is Cinema Paradiso (1988).



Also, I'll extend the deadline from December 8th to December 15th.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
BooBooKittyFock has now joined us!

His nomination is Cinema Paradiso (1988).



Also, I'll extend the deadline from December 8th to December 15th.

@BooBooKittyFock, Great nom.

I recently watched Cinema Paradiso for the Foreign Language countdown, and it took a while for me to get into the movie, but by the end of the movie, I loved it.
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OPEN FLOOR.



Let the night air cool you off
I feel like Cinema Paradiso is fresh enough in my mind that I don't need to rewatch it. I may still, but it'd probably be at or near the end of proceedings. Here is what I said about it in the 19th HoF:

Cinema Paradiso


The main criticism that gets tossed around at this film has to do with sentimentality, but personally I'm not so cynical that I can't enjoy something this warm. Especially considering that underneath a lot of the warmth is a man looking back at not just the good things, but also a lot of hurt and missed opportunity. Even with the glow of sentimentality attached to nostalgia, it's hard to argue that the film doesn't properly nail that feeling of longing you get when you look back at a time that you wish you could go back and visit. All you are left with is memories and your choices.



I forgot the opening line.
BooBooKittyFock has now joined us!

His nomination is Cinema Paradiso (1988).



Also, I'll extend the deadline from December 8th to December 15th.
Hurrah! Cinema Paradiso is already high on my watchlist.
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BooBooKittyFock has now joined us!

His nomination is Cinema Paradiso (1988).



Also, I'll extend the deadline from December 8th to December 15th.
Welcome BooBooKittyFock! Great nomination. I just recently bought the Arrow special edition blu ray of Cinema Paradiso and have been planning to rewatch it soon.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
WELCOME INDEED BBKF!!!
D@mn good choice! Been curious to do a rewatch of this film since seeing it in a General Hall of Fame some time ago.
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Here’s looking at you, kid.
I tried picking something not many ppl have nominated in the past that I have actually seen. I knew most of you are dedicated cinephiles and most of you had probably had seen this already, but maybe some of y’all haven’t. Either way, I hope this film will bring you a happy feeling of nostalgia, it being a first watch or rewatch!