The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame

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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
yes it was.
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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





Classic monkey's paw tale, a man finds an easy solution to all his problems, but it backfires hard. The acting in this film is fine, but I took a real liking to John Randolph even though he isn't in the film for very long. The film is very well edited, it's very frantic and unsettling, whoever edited the film clearly loves Eisenstein. The black and white cinematography is very good, lots of lights and shadows that heighten the mysterious mood of the film.

There's lots of interesting ideas explored here: The Company and its workers are likely inspired by Kafka's stories of people in terrible situations that are never given the full picture and never know how much control they have of the world. The idea of rich people paying to go to these exclusive places where they have weird sexual parties feels like an allusion to how disconnected the Hollywood elites are in their alien world from the rest of the working class world. Obviously the idea of changing bodies could be about how people try to find easy solutions to difficult solutions/try to hide from the truth.

Also holy s*it that ending was absolutely terrifying.







Dazed and Confused

[repeated line]
Slater: Shotgun!

During the 80's Teen Movie Hall of Fame I never actually felt any nostalgia for when I was a teenager while watching them. Just nostalgia for those films and watching them, back then.
But this, this brought up all kinds of memories of those dazes.
Probably because this is set on the Last Day of School and the first day of Summer vacation in 1976. At that time I was in 6th grade, in '79: a freshman in high school and a senior in '82, and our class were the final puffs off a nearly dead roach of that life before MTV became a thing, the drive-in burger joints were already becoming things of history and people started congregating in malls.
Suffice to say, I have more connections to the high-schoolers in this film; how they acted, the music they enjoyed, the way they dressed, than the MTV crowd that came afterwards.
So, when I previously stated I had lived this film and had no need to watch it, it was exactly it. Which is in no way a negative thing, having now watched it and enjoyed both it and all the memories that came flooding back with it. It was quite the beautiful thing seeing so many characters and personas that clicked regarding people I hung and partied with, back then.

The only confusion I had and it sort of put me out of the movie, was when I realized that this wasn't the senior class (like a lot of high school films normally focus on) but the junior class and that, on the last day of school they began hazing the graduating 8th graders before they even made it out of the parking lot of school.
I have no recollection of such things.
Seniors hazed freshman from the first day of school in September. Not back in June.
I even asked my older siblings about it. One brother who did graduate in '76 and one sister who graduated in '73 never heard of it. Only one sister who graduated in '70 said there was a little bit of it as summer vacation started. So. . . who knows.
But I do recollect how the hazing was the beginning of a lot of partying, so, like so many other scenarios in this film, that rung very true.

All in all, a very pleasant experience that shook loose so, so many cobwebs bringing back all kinds of memories triggering both smiles and some tears. All out of joy.
How beautiful is that?
That was my pick for you, Ed. One of the best hang-out movies ever made. My teens were during the 2000's, and often I found myself fantasizing about how much cooler it would've been to be a teenager during the 70's. I know movies like Dazed and Confused are looking back on that time period with rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, but I've always felt like I would've had a lot more fun as a teenager back then than I did during my own teenage years. Everything just seemed so much cooler back then. The music, the movies, the clothes, the attitudes. So I love Dazed and Confused because it lets me live out that fantasy for the 102-minutes of its runtime.

I know you actually lived all that, though, which is why I picked it for you. Based on your personality and how you come across on here, you very much exude that chill, laid-back, 70's vibe. Happy to read that you enjoyed the movie and that it triggered good memories for you. Just don't bogart that joint, my friend!
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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The person I was going to initially guess for Deep Red doesn't even have it checked off his lists, so I've had to recalculate. I went back and read the reviews for it in the Horror HOF II and saw that @cricket did a 180 on his opinion. He loved the film so much the second time that it made the top ten on his ballot for the Horror Countdown. That makes me wonder if it might be his nomination, but I've had my mind made up that he nominated Hud for me and I'm not changing now.

@TheUsualSuspect also thought highly of Deep Red, and since the other candidates don't appear to have even seen the film, I'll make him my official guess, though I don't feel confident.

Also, for the record, I love the hell out of Argento's Suspiria. One of the best audio-visual experiences horror has to offer. Not technically a giallo, either, so that probably helps my enjoyment.

Yes it was me.


In retrospect, I don't know why really nominated it for you, Since I don't particularly love the movie but think it is good.



Seconds is a damn fine movie. I voted for it for something, had to be either 60's or Sci-Fi. 3 more for Hash!



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
That was my pick for you, Ed. One of the best hang-out movies ever made. My teens were during the 2000's, and often I found myself fantasizing about how much cooler it would've been to be a teenager during the 70's. I know movies like Dazed and Confused are looking back on that time period with rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, but I've always felt like I would've had a lot more fun as a teenager back then than I did during my own teenage years. Everything just seemed so much cooler back then. The music, the movies, the clothes, the attitudes. So I love Dazed and Confused because it lets me live out that fantasy for the 102-minutes of its runtime.

I know you actually lived all that, though, which is why I picked it for you. Based on your personality and how you come across on here, you very much exude that chill, laid-back, 70's vibe. Happy to read that you enjoyed the movie and that it triggered good memories for you. Just don't bogart that joint, my friend!
Very much appreciated, Cap!!!
Speaking of wishing of living in a previous decade or time; we all do that. When I was a kid and pre-teen I dreamt about the Sixties. I felt like I was missing so much not being there.

And as for rose-tinted, maybe. It definitely stuck with the partying and not the "sh#t going sideways" of so many others set in the 70s. It did have a realistic feel to Time, Place and People just Hangin Out, Getting High, and Digging on Tunes and Friends, that I really enjoyed.
And, rather relieved that it didn't get dark or cynical and go down a bad road.
I got worried at the very end with everyone driving down a road and the way it was shot I momentarily thought it was going to be one of those when the car crashed - as a cautionary tale of teenage partying and was VERY relieved when it was just a segue.

Oh, and NO Bogarting allowed. That is sacrosanct!! lol
Hell, I don't even believe in that whole "puff, puff, pass" nonsense. Just hit it, pass it while you hold it in, let it out slow.



Dazed and Confused...if I come across it on tv I'm watching it. Can't help it, its pull is too strong. I saw it in theaters (not with a bud however) and liked it, didn't love it until I saw it a couple more times. Also makes me wish I was a mid 70's teen like American Graffiti makes me wish I was an early 60's teen.



Doesn't appear I'm going to be able to watch Amadeus or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I kept hoping that they'd show up on a streaming service or air on one of the movie channels, but no such luck. Neither is available through Netflix's DVD service, either, which is surprising to me. I could rent them for $3.99 apiece, but I'd rather not spend any money. Between my satellite bill and various streaming services, I spend over $200 a month on entertainment, and I'm not a rich clown.

I know most of you just comb through the internet until you find a link, but that's not something I do. The legality issue doesn't bother me, but I believe in giving every movie the best possible chance to make a strong impression since re-watches are never guaranteed, and watching some lackluster copy on my laptop severely handicaps my potential enjoyment/appreciation. Besides, my laptop is piece of sh*t. Just watching YouTube videos can sometimes be a pain in the ass.

My lists should be up to date, so hopefully alternative nominations can be made ASAP. My other remaining movies won't be a problem. I've watched Hud twice now, and I also watched The Taking of Pelham One Two Three over the weekend. It's just a matter of writing reviews. Funny Games is on my DVR and Naked is on the Criterion Channel, so I can watch them anytime this week.



...I spend over $200 a month on entertainment, and I'm not a rich clown...
Wow, that's $2,400 a year, ouch! And you still can't find those movies?Jeez I don't spend a penny on entertainment and I could find them easily and good copies... and watch them on my TV too. Try a Roku device or just stream the internet to your TV/Blu-Ray player.



Doesn't appear I'm going to be able to watch Amadeus or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I kept hoping that they'd show up on a streaming service or air on one of the movie channels, but no such luck. Neither is available through Netflix's DVD service, either, which is surprising to me.
Me too. Bummer. I was really looking forward to your review of Amadeus.



Wow, that's $2,400 a year, ouch! And you still can't find those movies?Jeez I don't spend a penny on entertainment and I could find them easily and good copies... and watch them on my TV too. Try a Roku device or just stream the internet to your TV/Blu-Ray player.
75% of that is DirecTV. If I didn't follow so many sports, I would've cut the cord long ago.



75% of that is DirecTV. If I didn't follow so many sports, I would've cut the cord long ago.
Your replacement for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is from 1988 and the docs list-




I will find out your replacement for Amadeus



And another thing, for the slackers I'll be extending the due date until the time that's needed. You've all finished these before and I'm confident we all will this time. Don't take forever!



Your replacement for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is from 1988 and the docs list-


Interesting choice. Not the audible I was expecting. Availability won't be an issue since it's on the Criterion Channel. I keep meaning to watch more documentaries. It's just that I almost always settle for narrative films when given the choice.

And another thing, for the slackers I'll be extending the due date until the time that's needed. You've all finished these before and I'm confident we all will this time. Don't take forever!
I'm going to pretend you didn't say that and still do my best to finish by the end of the week.




The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
(Joseph Sargent, 1974)


When it comes to film-making, the 70's always seemed to do it better. Prime example: the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three versus Tony Scott's 2009 remake. The latter is glossy, hyper-kinetic, faster paced, yet despite its attempts to modernize the story and make it more exciting, the remake fails to leave an impression. Conversely, the 1974 version is coarse, drab, patiently paced, yet it laps the remake in terms of suspense, intrigue and tension. There's no replicating the authentic grittiness of 70's crime films, especially those set in the urban jungle of New York City, with its jostling hordes of humanity, idle taxis burping exhaust, horns, sirens, incessant noise. Everyone's already perturbed and short-tempered even before news of the hijacking breaks. The thought of terrorists holding commuters hostage aboard a subway is viewed more as a nuisance than a threat. (Demand my ransom some other time; I've got appointments to keep!) Such is life in the Big Apple, circa 1974.

The color-themed code names in Reservoir Dogs are lifted from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. (Quentin Tarantino is my favorite writer/director, but as I continue to discover the films that inspired him, I find myself wondering if he's ever had an original idea.) Here we have Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Mr. Grey and Mr. Brown -- names that double as the film's primary color scheme. You'll find no candy-coated modern-day sheen among the subterranean tunnels and crowded office spaces -- just grimy leftover residue. Hangdog centerfold Walter Matthau puts his basset-hound face to great use. He's all wrinkles and slumped shoulders, negotiating with the hijackers as if it's an unusually hectic 9-to-5. He's tired and annoyed and needs another coffee. The terrorists are an amalgam of personalities. Their matching disguises make it difficult to tell them apart physically, but they each have their own distinct methods and personalities. The stand-out and unspecified leader of the group is Robert Shaw as Mr. Blue: professional, uncompromising, extremely dangerous. Martin Balsam as the sneezing Mr. Green is the softest of the villains, but perhaps the savviest as well. It was also a pleasure to see the recently deceased Jerry Stiller in a notable side role.

A wry sense of humor runs through the film, mostly in the form of sarcastic quips. Though many lines made me smile or chuckle, the humor never punctures the ongoing tension. The portrayal of authorities and people in power is noticeably cynical. I read a review that suggested the mayor's flu is symbolic of the government's corruption/incompetence, and I think that theory bears weight. The score is quite distinctive: jazzy, propulsive, even a bit funky. The story feels grounded and realistic. Suspense builds like a ticking time bomb. If I had one complaint, it's that the climax occurs a bit too soon, leaving a lot of downtime until the last culprit is sought and discovered. It's been said that the film ends with the most famous sneeze in movie history. It's an unusual ending that's perhaps a bit too telegraphed with all the previous "Gesundheit"s, but the final reaction shot is the perfect cap to this seminal seventies thriller.




Who nominated it? My guess is @John-Connor since it's #54 on his all-time favorites list.





A mentally disabled man who was sent to a mental hospital for murder is released, and has to adjust to the outside world and develop relationships. This is a very relaxed film set in Southern America that also deals with heavy heavy topics. Our main character is used to show how bigoted some people in these areas can be. The gay character played by John Ritter is used alongside the main character to emphasize this. The film shows though that there will always be people that will accept the unaccepted (How the main character are good friends with John Ritter) or how people can learn to overcome their prejudices (Karl getting a job and adjusting to society, 'I don't reckon you have to go with women to be a good daddy to a boy.').

On a technical aspect, the film has a nice, quaint outback feel with it's authentic sets and appropriate soundtrack (The track 'Omni' may seem out of place but I absolutely loved it). Billy Bob Thornton gives a great performance as our mentally challenged main character, some films that try to tackle this issue come off as comical, but Thornton's performance is very realistic and respectful. (Reminded me an awful lot of the Irish film Garage, about a mentally challenged man who's life is dedicated to working at a petrol station, which I would highly recommend).

WARNING: spoilers below
Also probably has the most relaxed and laid-back murder scene I've ever seen lol