28th Hall of Fame

I want the next Hall of Fame I do to be a specialty one, so I'll skip this one.
Have fun, everybody! I'll be reading.

I'll start today

Also, what's the deadline for this Hall?

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IMDb
Letterboxd

Bummer! Did the computer guy who fixed it say how that happened?

Specialty HoFs are always fun, you should host one

I'm going to need some help locating some of the films.

JustWatch doesn't have listing for 2 and several I can rent from prime.

Which ones do you need help with?

I will send you message

Sent!

Thanks!

Blue Spring (2001)

Blue Spring is a blend of eastern and western films, it tells the story of a group of young men in a failing Japanese boy's school. These boys are in a gang where their leader has to prove his power by playing a sort of suicide game. Obviously by the title you can see the Ozu influence attempting update the social dramas of the 30's/40's with a 90's flair.

The filmmaker was clearly inspired by Tarantino as the film is littered with violence told in small segments that seem to be just tangentially tied together. Don't bother paying attention to any of the characters they all basically do their thing and then are written off as we move onto the next story. It's not a bad idea if the film is well executed but the second more glaring problem with the film is it's technical ability. Because we don't know who these people are we the audience doesn't really care about them. Perhaps we're not supposed to care about any of these kids but the problem is the film is so low budget that any scene of action happens off screen. It's a distraction that truly hurts the work and reminds you that you are watching basically a student film.

Now while I will call this a student film I will point out that it has some strong elements to it. The filmmaker isn't lazy with his shot selections, often times he tries to set up scenes as artistically and "cool" as possible. The film also plays a steady diet of pop songs that gives it a MTV vibe...actually I think that is the best way to describe this film...think of an early 90's MTV music video and that's kinda what you get with this. It wasn't great but it was watchable.

Recovering from stomach flu. I'll sit this one out.

I hope you feel better soon!

I was thinking that @Citizen Rules and I need to do another 80s Teen or a fantasy HOF.

Get well soon.

I just finished watching Cuties (2020). This was my 3rd time watching the film. Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, Cuties is a controversial coming of age drama. Fathia Youssouf stars as Amy, an 11 year old Muslim girl torn between the values and traditions of her family and the Cuties, a dance group of "cool girls" at her school.

First, I want to say that I unapologetically love this film. Cuties is a powerful and beautiful film that isn't afraid to make some bold choices and take risks. It is challenging and provocative. Fathia Youssouf is a revelation and I absolutely loved her beautiful, brave performance. Médina El Aidi-Azouni is fantastic too and the other girls in the film are good too. The film has depth, heart, and is always engaging and compelling. The opening shot is wonderful and captivating and the final shot is fantastic.

There was a lot of controversy that started even before the film was released. Netflix mishandled the marketing and some people got the wrong impression and made assumptions about the film without seeing it. I remember when I posted my review of the film on Facebook in some movie groups and got a lot of insults and called nasty names from people who didn't know me and hadn't even seen the film. Cuties is absolutely not child pornography. It is not an exploitation film. It was not made for paedophiles. Cuties is an excellent, well crafted film that raises important questions and intentionally doesn't provide easy answers.

No reason to apologize for loving it. I really enjoyed it and having a daughter who is now 29, I remember her and her friends wanting to act more mature than they were at that age. I will have a bit more to add about this on my small review.

Now, that,
THAT right there.




So very sorry to hear ya having to go through that sh#t, my dear. But ecstatic to have you here.
Cool Story sharing nicknames.
So, uh, yeah, tell me about "Gangsta"

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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

Not sure if ya need them, but sent you Young Man With a Horn and Rams. Hope it helps.

Feel better, TUS

Nice write-up, @Allaby.

Thanks, Ed.

Your write-up @Siddon has got me even more curious about Blue Spring than I already was. Nice.