The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame IV

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The trick is not minding
I was talking about Santa Sangre--haven't gotten around to Better Days yet.
I didn’t even read the quote and that is on me. I’ll delete to avoid anything spoilerish



Women will be your undoing, Pépé

The Full Monty (1997)

Reaction: Pleasantly surprised

I was a bit dubious going into this movie, as male strippers aren't my forte. The first 10 minutes was overly zany and had me dreaded that this might turn out to be another Withnail and I.

Then the down and out guys decide to earn some needed quids (money?) by putting on a strip show...and low & behold the film got a lot better It got better because it got heart. The characters were people who had life challenges that was easy to relate to. Yes this was a feel good movie, but what's wrong with that?

I did end up liking it, mostly, at least there was nothing I hated about it. Not a remarkable movie but a fun diversion.

This will probably hit my ranked list about in the middle.



I remember seeing this and feeling the same way about it having heart. Definitely need see it again. I do know I can't hear the song "Hot Stuff" without thinking of the scene in the Unemployment Office lol


Also considering you average enjoyment for Alice in Wonderland I think it's safe to say Classic Disney just isn't for you and Ghibli definitely is
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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I watched Little Big Man (1970). Directed by Arthur Penn, the film stars Dustin Hoffman as a very old man looking back on his life and experiences including being raised by Native Americans. For me, Hoffman was the best part of the film. His performance is fantastic. The film itself is somewhat uneven. There are some interesting moments, but sometimes the story meanders and feels repetitive. It goes on for too long and could have easily been at least 20 minutes shorter. This is the 3rd Penn film I have seen and although it is not as good as Bonnie and Clyde and Night Moves, it has enough good points for me to rate it a
.
I've seen this a number of times throughout the years and I do agree. Hoffman IS the highlight, and while a great film, it does meander a bit.
Sunrise: The Song Of Two Humans Maybe I shouldn’t have a favorite silent director yet, but it’s hard for me to imagine I will respond to anyone the way I do Murneau. His films are just visually stunning. He seems to have a contrast in his B&W that others don’t.

He also tells really cool stories in an engaging way. I was pretty stunned from the start how dark this was willing to go. Awesome middle third that makes the finale pack a punch. Perfect film.

I don’t think it passed Metropolis for my fave silent, but it’s pretty damn close.
I feel exactly the same when it comes to Murnau.



I watched Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). This dark comedy is directed by Robert Hamer and stars Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, and Alec Guinness. A poor distant relative of a wealthy royal family decides to kill off the other heirs ahead of him so he can become Duke. I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable film. The screenplay is witty and sharply clever, with some good twists along the way. Performances from the actors are quite good, most notably Alec Guinness, who plays 8 roles in a humorous, yet convincing way. Kind Hearts and Coronets is an entertaining and amusing film. I'm glad I got around to watching it. Thanks to whoever suggested it for me.



Well, I just saw High Noon so I'm unofficially on the board. Will try to post a review tomorrow.
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The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Point Break (1991)

Damn, this is a bad one... Acting is horrible by absolutely everyone involved, the script has some The Room'like moments, the sound editing is amateurish, the pacing is all over the place, and it's the kind of cheesy that makes the 80s and early 90s the worst period for film, in my opinion.
At least I know now where did the Fast and Furious franchise come from. And that's not a compliment.

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Point Break (1991)

Damn, this is a bad one... Acting is horrible by absolutely everyone involved, the script has some The Room'like moments, the sound editing is amateurish, the pacing is all over the place, and it's the kind of cheesy that makes the 80s and early 90s the worst period for film, in my opinion.
At least I know now where did the Fast and Furious franchise come from. And that's not a compliment.

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I've not seen that and have no desire to watch it, crime thrillers are not my thing. I looked at the cast: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves & Gary Busey no wonder the movie blew. Could any of those guys even act?



I actually love that cast and there's some coolness to the movie, but even back in the day when I really went for movies like that, I just thought it was ok. I don't get the love.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
Haven't seen Point Break since it came out and amongst its genre of films of the time it sat around mid level. Not bad, but not something I would revisit.

Pretty curious to read thief's thoughts on High Noon.

And I'll be posting by review and coinciding Thank You for my first "Hidden Gem" of this HoF , later today.




The Full Monty (1997)

Reaction: Pleasantly surprised

I was a bit dubious going into this movie, as male strippers aren't my forte. The first 10 minutes was overly zany and had me dreaded that this might turn out to be another Withnail and I.

Then the down and out guys decide to earn some needed quids (money?) by putting on a strip show...and low & behold the film got a lot better It got better because it got heart. The characters were people who had life challenges that was easy to relate to. Yes this was a feel good movie, but what's wrong with that?

I did end up liking it, mostly, at least there was nothing I hated about it. Not a remarkable movie but a fun diversion.

This will probably hit my ranked list about in the middle.



I remember one of my older brothers gave me this DVD for a birthday back in the day and I was "WTF?" cause at the time (I was 20, maybe?), it didn't seem like my thing (British dramedy about middle-aged men becoming strippers?) but like you said, I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I haven't seen it since and I barely remember anything. Should probably pop in that DVD again one of these days.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I remember one of my older brothers gave me this DVD for a birthday back in the day and I was "WTF?" cause at the time (I was 20, maybe?), it didn't seem like my thing (British dramedy about middle-aged men becoming strippers?) but like you said, I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I haven't seen it since and I barely remember anything. Should probably pop in that DVD again one of these days.
A revisit DOES seem in order.



This is something I wrote about Point Break when I rewatched it back in 2016...

I hadn't seen this film since the 1990's, but for some reason, I thought today might be a nice day to revisit it. The only things that were in my memory were bank-robbers with Presidents masks, Gary Busey joke-surfing on top a desk, Angry Keanu shooting to the sky, and the ending.

Point Break indeed follows a group of bank-robbers that use the money to fund their extreme surfing and parachuting escapades. So when the FBI decides to track them, they put a rookie agent with no knowledge of surfing on the job. So he goes out to learn how to surf, and the first beach he goes, he almost drowns; and the first person that rescues him? the ex-girlfriend of the leader of the bank-robbers (Patrick Swayze), who goes on to teach him how to surf while he befriends Swayze and Co.

I could go on and on with all the plot contrivances and ludicrousness of the story, not to mention Keanu Reeves' awful performance... but somehow, it kinda works. Sometimes the dialogue is cringe-worthy, but, Keanu aside, most of the cast goes from serviceable and competent to pretty good (most notably Swayze). IMO, what holds it together is Kathryn Bigelow's direction, who manages to keep the pace brisk.

Point Break is as uneven and as choppy as the waves these dudes surf in, but it's still a pretty cool ride.
I gave it
*shrug*



Heavenly Creatures: Add another really good movie to my favorite movie year. Very cool performances by the young leads. Winslet went in to be one of my faves and I always think Lansky is interesting.

Cool looking film, always appreciate how Jackson mixes in the fantastical in an interesting way, but doesn’t over do it. The tone of the film is fantastical anyway, so you always feel like you are in another world. He does a great job of putting us in the girl’s POV. Which draws much empathy…till it appropriately doesn’t.





Sullivan's Travels, 1941

Film director John Sullivan (Joel McCrea) has made a series of frivolous comedies and wants to try his hand at making a serious, moral piece (an adaptation of Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?). When everyone from his studio head to his butler points out that he doesn't have the real-world experience to understand the point of view of those who are impoverished, Sullivan decides to disguise himself as a down-on-his luck worker and get some first-hand experience. During the course of his travels he meets a young woman (Veronica Lake) who decides to accompany him on his travels.

This was a very charming, funny, and at times powerful film. I'm really surprised it hasn't been more prominently on my radar.

The film demonstrates a really fun sense of humor about the film industry itself, beginning with the very opening sequence of Sullivan's conversation with the studio heads. Even the fake titles of Sullivan's films are hilariously on point: Hey Hey in the Hayloft and Ants in Your Pants of 1939. From there, it lampoons people who want to make "serious" or "real" art about life experiences completely removed from theirs.

The first two-thirds of the film are a lot of fun and slapstick as Sullivan goes out on his first few ventures. There's a bouncy little setpiece where Sullivan hitches a ride with a 13-year old child in a speed racer and attempts to elude the bus of studio employees who have been hired to follow him around and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble.

Once Lake enters the picture as the world weary young woman, the picture picks up even more pep. Lake and McCrea have good chemistry, and Lake is practically luminous.

Where the film gets really interesting is in the last third. After a series of escapades where Sullivan goes out on the road then retreats to the comfort of his mansion or the well-equipped studio bus, Sullivan finally ends up in a situation where he cannot just fall back on his wealth and reputation.

It was in this 20 or so minutes that the film takes a turn and, for me, became genuinely really interesting. Sullivan experiences first hand the inequities and prejudices of those in poverty and without resources. He endures verbal and physical abuse--including torture--at the hands of the man running the hard labor camp. (The use of prisoners as slave labor historically and presently is something I've always found fascinating in a sort of repulsive way, and it's interesting seeing it presented so starkly).

This part of the film also includes what I considered the most fascinating moment: the prisoners are allowed to attend a movie night at a Black church. The pastor running the church addresses his congregation, telling them that they must not show judgement against the prisoners and must not look at them in a way that would make them feel lesser. It's a moment where class and wealth trump race when it comes to privilege, and it's a jarring moment to see a group of middle or lower class Black people having to show kindness and acceptance to a group of white people. "Remember," the pastor tells them, "we are all equal in the eyes of God." The whole sequence was really interesting and deftly handled by Sturges, who lets the moment be a bit light, a bit serious, and empathetic to all involved. It's also nice seeing Black character played by Black actors, and it's a nice counterbalance to a very caricatured portrayal of a Black cook from earlier in the film.

I had two complaints with this one. Well, one complaint and one think-about. The think-about had to do with the idea of how art intersects with social awareness and social change. The film pushes the message that poor people do not want films made about their lives, and that it's more useful to make art that will entertain people than raise consciousness. I had a mixed reaction to this message. I did really appreciate when one of Sullivan's servants talks about the idea that only the "morbid rich" would want to watch films about poverty. I do think that there is something to the idea of treating poverty as some sort of freak show. But on the other hand, I think that movies can be agents of change, or at the very least important historical/artistic documents in terms of showing certain realities. I think that movies like Gentleman's Agreement are important.

As for the actual complaint, well, I understand that this was mainly meant to be a comedy. But the sequence where Sullivan is convicted and serving time is head and shoulders better than the whole rest of the film. I didn't need it to drag out too long, but I enjoyed it far more than everything else and felt that it could have lasted a bit longer. I just kept thinking the whole movie that Sullivan wasn't really doing what he said he would, because every five minutes he was back in nice clothes or a nice car. I think that is intentional and it's part of the point, but the way that the film quickly resolves and then wraps around to him deciding to stick to comedies felt a bit off. He's just personally experienced torture and injustice, and he decides that his next course of action is to make more comedies.

I would also say that Lake's character is . . . kind of pointless. She's really strong in her first interaction with Sullivan in the diner, but after that she's just reactionary eye candy. I know that the film lampshaded this a bit--"with a bit of sex!"--but it does mainly feel like Lake was in the movie to fall in the pool and for a long, risque shot of her in a shower. She's capable of witty, comic timing, and I felt that she was a bit underused. (But, again, her character isn't really necessary to the plot.

A fun little film. (With a little sex in it!).