The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame IV

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I was so excited to see this get nominated and I'm glad you liked it. I think you had a more positive view of the mother than I had, I must watch it again and see if my opinion changes.
I mean, she is an alcoholic and despite wanting to do right by her daughter, she frequently doesn't. But I loved the performance.

I see what you are saying but I think it is asking a lot for 1961.
I know. It's more just a general thought. The habit of "neutering" gay character in film is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I mean, I get it. They can't demonstrate any of that taboo lust or they wouldn't be "safe" to put on screen. It's just that leaving this aspect out flattens the character a bit. It's still neat seeing an obviously gay character with a positive portrayal in an older film.

Similar to A Taste of Honey I would also recommend The Leather Boys (1964), also starring Rita Tushingham.
Queue'd, thanks!



Seven Up!

I now want to know what happens next to these children. I feel quite sympathetic to almost all of them - especially Bruce, who went to such a horrible school, separated from his parents so young and comes across as being so thoughtful, and Neil, who is so bright and cheerful and I'm now horribly afraid will somehow be crushed by life. And the ones who don't come across so well like John, or the girl who does ballet I feel for too, because they are just children.

A great choice, I'm glad to have started watching this series.
This series is incredible and also at points it will destroy you.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
And allaby gets it all started!
Haven't seen Dead Man since I saw it at the Movies when it first came out. And since there are numerous snippets that, even now, still pop into my head, I really should revisit it.

VERY happy to hear you enjoyed A Taste of Honey. I did too in the 2nd Personal Rec HoF when Thursday gifted it to me. But then, Thursday's hidden gems come from such undiscovered trails for me, making a HUGE plus to the joy of them.
Such as this one. I loved how what could have been a dour, tragic scenario had all these, well, "Tastes of Honey" throughout, including a bad mom who wasn't really a bad person, just someone who had made bad choices. And that extended to each of the main characters. Well, except for Helen's latest hubby - selfish tw@t.
But, generally, even the cinematography found beauty in the dirty city of Manchester. While still retaining a realistic perspective of the characters instead of one-dimensional tropes.
I do agree about your general thought regarding Geoffery being allowed just one solitary glance of longing would have been nice. And understand why not since at that time, it was still against the law in England to be gay. I've seen a similar film from 1963, The Servant that hints but never reveals the "true" hidden agenda of the newly hired manservant. Though, knowing it going in, really highlights the hints beautifully. I'll be adding The Leather Boys to my list as well.

I don't normally seek out Docs, but Seven-Up DOES seem like a very enjoyable one to add to the few I've enjoyed in these various HoFs and the rare times I've stumbled across one myself. Which I'm sure will include the one nominated for me as well.


Also, when it comes to revealing who nominated something for me, PLEASE DO. Considering the gushing thank yous I've consistently expressed, I do enjoy being able to, at the time of said gushing, knowing who, specifically, to thank.
In that spirit, I'm also taking note of who prefers not to know and will keep my trap shut.

And since there's been a bit of kismet in the opening of this (first person, first review of their first nom), I decided to go with cricket's accurate third from the last position for me of how we'll all finish watching to decide WHICH ONE to see first. So, I will go with the third from the last nomination to start this off: The Searchers.
__________________
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



It appears I may need a link for The Searchers (1956) or I may just rent it from youtube
If you still need it later, I'll get you one. I'm mowing the lawn now sweating my tail off.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
The Red Shoes



What I just watched is movie making at it's finest. The story told here was so well done. The packing of the film is perfect. The way that the characters are crafted into the story is so well done. The main 3 all do such a great job, but it was the sensational performance of Moira Shearer as Vicky Page which really blew me away. And a pretty damn good dancer too. When you can turn a movie about ballet into one of the more intriguing movie storylines ever, I have to give credit to all involved. This is also one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, and that would still be true even if you take Shearer out of the equation. The Technicolor is so well done. It was real good in Black Narcissus too but even more here. Seems to be a nice Powell and Pressburger trait. The score is absolutely sensational too, the ballet scenes are just so damn well done. And what more can be said about that bat**** crazy ending? This was just a great film and it far surpassed every expectation I've had. An instant top 100 candidate, thanks to whoever nominated it (I'm thinking either Thursday or Citizen).




The Red Shoes
....This was just a great film and it far surpassed every expectation I've had. An instant top 100 candidate, thanks to whoever nominated it (I'm thinking either Thursday or Citizen).

Wow! I'm surprised you liked it that much. Someone knew what they were doing when they chose it for you. I'm not conforming or denying any movies...until after the reveal...I once read that The Red Shoes was one of Martin Scorsese's favorite films. I need to see it again.





Cabaret, 1972

Cambridge scholar Brian (Michael York) arrives in 1931 Berlin and quickly strikes up a friendship with quirky cabaret star Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli). The two of them attempt to navigate love, sex, and friendship, as the city around them transforms under the rise of the Nazi party.

This is one of those films that I've been meaning to get around to for ages, and I'm not tremendously familiar with Minnelli (outside of her work on Arrested Development and, um, this sketch that I watch way too much).


In any event, I really enjoyed it and in particular the way that the musical numbers were filmed. The camera alternates between an audience point of view, an over-the-shoulder view from the performers, and a sense of being inside one of the dance numbers. I also enjoyed the song and dance numbers themselves, with their mix of highbrow and lowbrow elements and the sense of confidence and community among the performers. The dynamic of having the MC (Joel Grey) serve as this interesting mix of performer ("one of the girls") and as the lone male audience surrogate was neat.

And the anchor of the performances serves as an intriguing background to what is happening in the city at large. The performers strut and dance and sing, even as fascism is creeping up on the country. We get a musical interlude outside of the cabaret, and it is a performance of a chilling patriotic song ("Tomorrow belongs to us") that rouses the adults and even the children. Sometimes it is strange to look at entertainment--especially comedies or other "light" stuff--that was produced during intense global upheaval. In this film, the performers go on doing their thing despite the growing tide of change. And the fact that the cabaret itself is home to many people who would be harmed under fascist rule (the gay MC, a transgender performer) creates a neat tension. How long will this cabaret and its performers hold out? The chilling final shot of the film--in which the distorted reflections of Nazi officers are seen in an on-stage mirror--adds an ominous note.

Surprisingly, the least interesting or compelling part of the film for me was the central story between Brian and Sally. And don't get me wrong, Sally's bold-as-brass personality and the curious relationship that develops between her and Brian is a lot of fun. There is something really appealing about the intersection between her larger than life antics pushing up against his more reserved personality. It's also really nice to see Brian's matter of fact bisexuality just be a normal part of the plot. Sally herself is in this weird carpe diem downward spiral as she waits to break into something bigger. There is certainly something magnetic about Minnelli's Sally, especially when she is performing. I just found that the various romantic plots and squabbles lost my interest as the film went on.

Glad I finally checked this one out!