17th MoFo Hall of Fame

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@Miss Vicky

Also watched The Libertine today so I only need to finish that Truffaut and I'm done.

Ghostwatch (1992) N

BBC's mockumentary Halloween special about the haunted house and all things related. Not so surprisingly the supernatural forces are let loose in front of the cameras.


Ghostwatch is like a mix of War of the Worlds and found footage films. It's quite hard to imagine if it had been better back in 1992 and being familiar with the BBC people but here and now I wasn't that impressed. In some ways it feels more like an unintentional parody of TV documentaries with experts saying practically nothing worthwhile and the constant avoidance of any depth.

The case used is easily identifiable after seeing The Conjuring 2 (which is way better film, by the way). Ghostwatch doesn't really try to build any suspense and it feels like it's meant to be a one time practical joke for the Brits (which I kinda respect). Acting is not that great by the actual actors (the family and neighbors, experts were kinda fine) and it's hard to judge the presenter and reporters without seeing their normal work.

Respects for the trolling and not being terribly boring. Otherwise it just doesn't have much value (to me, at least). Trolling aspect keeps it barely above bad but I can't say that I enjoyed this one.




I just got to find Rush and watch it. If anybody has a link let me know!
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@Miss Vicky

I had actually seen this before but remembered very little.

The Libertine (2004) r

A story of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester who was a skilled poet, an intellectual and a drunken debauchee in 17th century England.


First hour or little more of The Libertine is very good. It's pure dark comedy built around sex, alcohol and general immorality. Characters are great and dialogue is hilarious (like the introduction scene of Alcock). There's just enough serious undertones to make characters interesting while still focusing on the fun.

Last 30 minutes or so aren't as good. The transition to more serious drama doesn't really work. Wilmot's speech at the parliament comes out of nowhere like there's missing scenes. Pretty much the same can be said about his religious awakening at his deathbed (it seems that this historical fact is questioned by some). I'm not saying the last act is terrible but compared to rest of the film it's just considerably worse.

I like how The Libertine looks; the grainy and dark picture (I read it was mostly shot in candlelight) makes it look positively old. Settings and costumes are splendid. Acting is good and Depp's pompous mannerisms fit Wilmot perfectly.

From great comedy to mediocre drama. Fortunately the former part was longer so I can give this one a good rating.




Women will be your undoing, Pépé
@Miss Vicky





La nuit américaine aka Day for Night

That was quite the enjoyable romp behind the scenes of making a film. With a smooth sailing through the chaotic scenarios and the continual problems that, from our outside understanding, could very well be quite normal for difficulties on set. A not so easy task with so many secondary characters and countless sub stories being juggled about. It went along with a jaunty speed, showing both the hectic and the repetitiveness of creating a movie with a collage of creative voices, individuals and hearts.

ANNND, getting to watch Jacqueline Bisset, whom I've had a crush on as a young pup is always a plus!


With this, I do believe, is my first Trauffaut film -- I just may have to remedy that fact and explore his other films. Having enjoyed the flow and ebb of this and the subtlety of the characters along with the little snippets of dialogue regarding life and the experience thereof.

Surprisingly, I seem to have very little to actually say beyond my enjoyment and newfound intrigue to this film maker I knew of, but never took the time to know.
Thank you, @Nathaniel for that.
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Let the Right One In(2008) is a good movie, it tells the story of a bullied boy and a vampire who seduces him into working with her. The film is in essence about the seduction yet it's given an unsettling undercutting by having the seduction being a pair of children. I feel like the best vampire films create their own world while establishing themselves into the basic lore. This were the film really excels, you see everything you expect from a Vampire film but it's done so with creativity.


The film does have it's issues though, the adults are woefully underwritten even though they are the ones who drive a pretty strong portion of the plot. The actress that plays Eli is very good but Oskar is only passable. In a lot of ways I prefer the remake as they brought in a higher class of actors to help fill in all the pseudo-sexual and horror elements that the film is somewhat lacking. And that would also be a quibble I have with the film, it's a bit to in love with the drama that it feels like it forgets that it's a horror film for 98% of the film. What saves it from being a disappointment is that the final is a horrifying scene and a great set piece, I only wish the rest of the film hit similar high's.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Ghostwatch (1992)

I can't really say if this is a good movie or not.
It kept me entertained for a big part of it, but at the same time looks kind of tack all the time. Even the acting always seems to be making fun of itself.
I guess the style of documentary is pretty well achieved but this had the potential to be way better than it actually is. It kept me reminding me of Rec (which is a waaaaay better film), and how a few jumpscares could actually made it better. Apart from that, it's kind of forgettable.

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And that would also be a quibble I have with the film, it's a bit to in love with the drama that it feels like it forgets that it's a horror film for 98% of the film.
In my opinion it's primarily a drama and horror elements just come along from the fact that Eli is a vampire. At some point I even considered excluding this from my future top-50(?) horror list but I've come to think that it just barely passes the criteria. Anyways lack of horror material doesn't affect (for me) its value and it's easily a top-5 movie ever for me.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Let the Right One In (2008)

I had an idea of how this film was but because I watched it many years ago, I remembered very little.
It's overall a very decent film though I wouldn't rate it as an horror film, but as a drama. The atmosphere is really well buil and it makes you expect something scary but what we see is actually a very beautiful story about two outcast kids. It's a very beautiful metaphor that lends a fresh take on vampire films. That scene where Eli is at the door insisting to be invited in is very powerful!

About the acting, I really liked Line Leanders but the rest of the actors is just ok. I didn't think any of the adult actors is very good also because they don't really have anything to work with scriptwise.

+



Keep your station clean - OR I WILL KILL YOU
8/14 Incendies (2010)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

I was very excited to see Villenueve's name pop up in HoF as he has been one of the most arresting directors working today, I adore Prisoners, found Arrival to be mind-boggling, and appreciated the beauty of Blade Runner 2049, so I was very curious to see this. I thought this one was enticing in more ways than one. The concept is bonkers, the film follows a pair of twins after receiving a puzzle game from their mother after her death regarding the dark secrets of their past.

I thought it was a very smart choice to tell the story in a back and forth storyline progression between their mom's life of horrors and their stressful navigation through the footprints she left. I found both storylines to be just as engaging as each other and I really found myself rooting for the characters' victory in the middle of the jumbled mess. I did have a bit of a problem connecting to the twins as much as I did to their mother, and while their journey was captivating, I was especially moved by the hardships she was forced to endure. Overall, the film does a great job at establishing a straight-forward mystery in the beginning and stretching it in complexity in that present-past narrative I praised earlier and twist after twist, I was pretty happy with how everything resolved and I was very pleased that I never knew which direction the film would go in. Overall, I felt the storyline connected quite well in the end, and this is a worthy entry in Villenueve's library as a filmmaker.

SCORE - 80/100


@Miss Vicky



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Watched Hawks and Sparrows just now and absolutely adored it. Write-up later today, but thanks to whoever nominated it



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Uccellacci e uccellini (1966)

It's my first ever Pasolini, and I have to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. My incursions on italian cinema of the 60s are basically summed up with Leone (who I love) and a couple of works by Fellini (who I don't like at all). Knowing Pasolini is more similar to the latter, it's easy to guess my expectations weren't high.

That being said, from the moment the amazingly funny and creative opening credits started right till the funny homage (?) to the ending of Chaplin's Modern Times at the end, this is a freaking masterpiece.
It's really funny, the religious, social and political criticism is simultaneously very agressive and subtle, it has many unique characters (the crow is simply genius) and the use of music is one of the best I remember seeing in a movie.

I like when I finish a film sensing that there's more to it than what it meets the eye and I'll probably revisit this in a near future cause there's a lot of metaphors I think I got but need to confirm.

+ (might go up with subsequent watches)



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
The soundtrack was very good, as is to be expected from Morricone.
I actually disliked the music too which was strange since it was by someone pretty critically acclaimed.

Actually, most of the music here is not by Morricone. You have 4 recurring themes, two from Mozart's Magic Flute (which is about sacred and non-sacred, and the two melodies actually represent those two sides), then you have Katyusha which is a russian folk song (it makes the connection to the comunism talked about in the film) and finally Scuola di ballo al sole, which is Morricone's (that fast paced song the kids are dancing in the begging of the film.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
The Libertine (2004)

Finally a movie where I see Johnny Depp going beyond Jack Sparrow. By that alone, I thank Miss Vicky for nominating this one.

Overall, it's a very good movie. Perfomances are great by Depp and Malkovich. The rest the cast it pretty good too. I loved the opening monologue and the first 20 minutes were very very good. However it didn't hold as well as I was hoping, and I'm not sure why.
The script looks nice, it's very well shot, well acted and somehow it managed to be a bit boring.

A nice watch nevertheless.