The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame IV

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2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ

City Lights (Charles Chaplin 1931)

Reaction: I so needed to see this!

I swear that every single time I looked at my MoFo movie list I'd see City Lights and think, 'damn this movie made every list.' OK, maybe it's not on every list, but it's on 10 MoFo list! I don't think any other movie appears on so many of our list.

I enjoy silent films and I've loved a number of Chaplin's greats: Modern Times, The Kid, The Gold Rush and others. I wish I could say I also loved City Lights, but I found it only OK. I wasn't really impressed with it and maybe that's because I was really, really tired that night. Or maybe because subconsciously I was comparing it to Buster Keaton's The General which I recently watched and was impressed with.

When the film started I noted that it was 1931, that's into the sound era. Odd that Chaplin decided to stay with a silent film when sound was the thing at that point.

Unlike The Kid and other of Chaplin's earlier films, I felt like the story here didn't earn it's pathos. It was like Chaplin was burnt out and just went to the same movie well one too many times. I mean you get the Tramp falling in love with the poor blind girl who's about to be evicted out of her home. The Tramp then helps her. That all seemed kind of hackneyed and pandering to the audiences emotions. Where as other of his films earned the audiences accolades.

I'd call City Lights middle of the road, BUT very glad to have watched it finally.


I felt the same. I don't love it after two watches. I like Chaplin overall though



I think I prefer Chaplin to Keaton but it's close. My favorite is Modern Times and City Lights is a good one to.

I was also surprised Sexy Beast was nominated for Raul but it is a favorite of mine. My wife still calls me a c**t even though it's been several years since she's seen it.



Field of Dreams



I knew this was about baseball, starred Kevin Costner, and I knew the tag line, but I really knew nothing of the story. Sean thought I would hate this and I can understand why. It leans heavily on fantasy which isn't my thing, but it's at least fantasy in the real world rather than talking trees or something of that nature. As corny and sappy as this movie is, it's equally nostalgic and enchanting. It's an easy movie to like, made even more easy by the very likable cast. An extremely nice watch.

+



Sexy Beast

Thematically both as a heist film and a black comedy this movie didn't really do a whole lot for me. I did have to have a chuckle at that beginning Boulder scene though, I thought that was pretty funny. Seems like Kingsley is pretty highly praised for this but I didn't really care for his character, who seemed more focused on dropping as many F bombs as humanly possible. I got nothing against it, I love Scorsese movies after all but it all just seemed a bit overboard and really ruined the dialogue and flow of the film for me. The underwater scene was pretty cool. Overall, just really not my kind of film, surprised it was nominated for me.
The overuse of potty mouth ruins a lot of movies for me. And yes I swear in real life occasionally but not like every F'ing five seconds



I forgot to mention to issues with Field of dreams. First of all, it doesn't matter how old you are, you have to show identification to get a beer at Fenway park. Second, Lansdowne Street is a one-way going the other way! Damn Iowa tourists.



I like to see Field of Dreams...I'd guess it would place in the middle of my PR list. So not a high point movie for whoever picked it for me, but not dead last either, so a safe bet for a personal recommendation choice.



Field of Dreams



I knew this was about baseball, starred Kevin Costner, and I knew the tag line, but I really knew nothing of the story. Sean thought I would hate this and I can understand why. It leans heavily on fantasy which isn't my thing, but it's at least fantasy in the real world rather than talking trees or something of that nature. As corny and sappy as this movie is, it's equally nostalgic and enchanting. It's an easy movie to like, made even more easy by the very likable cast. An extremely nice watch.

+
Glad it worked for you, even if you did have to go all local on us. Damn Sox fans.



Room At The Top: I liked what this movie was doing thematically with the class distinctions and the working class angst. I am going to use a critique I hate though, so get ready for some hard core hypocrisy. Joe sucks as a character and totally ruined any chance for me to enjoy the relationship aspects of the story. Who is falling for this guy? Simply led me to not have any empathy in moments I certainly should have. Either for him or the women who should have ran the other way from him. Also, made the pillow talk scenes, which there are probably less of than it felt like, insufferable for me.

I get why this was picked for me but it came up short for reasons I am annoyed with myself for.



Room At The Top: I liked what this movie was doing thematically with the class distinctions and the working class angst. I am going to use a critique I hate though, so get ready for some hard core hypocrisy. Joe sucks as a character and totally ruined any chance for me to enjoy the relationship aspects of the story. Who is falling for this guy? Simply led me to not have any empathy in moments I certainly should have. Either for him or the women who should have ran the other way from him. Also, made the pillow talk scenes, which there are probably less of than it felt like, insufferable for me.

I get why this was picked for me but it came up short for reasons I am annoyed with myself for.
I had that movie picked for me too, I thought it was a French movie probably because I seen that Simone Signoret is in it (but it's English language). Think I'll try and watch this one next so I compare my reaction to yours.



I Walked With A Zombie: Cool concept, a little mix of Noir and horror. I was excited to have a 70 minute movie among my picks but this felt severely under developed. The mystery of the island, what happened to the wife, the developing romance, the mother’s involvement with voo-doo. All these plot lines hooked me, but they all left me wanting more. Some cool visual stuff as well. Fine watch, but definitely lacking for me.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
The overuse of potty mouth ruins a lot of movies for me. And yes I swear in real life occasionally but not like every F'ing five seconds
I never, EVER swear. EVER! I abhor such language. Because I am a f@ckin angel!
And Sexy Beast was my faux pas. For some reason or another, raul is a near impossibility for me to pick for. I am continually surprised by what he likes and doesn't. So I attempted to go with something that had a similar awkward, off-center pretense to a film he does love, After Hours, and sorta blew it. Mea culpa, bro.

With the whole Chaplin vs Keaton thing, I grew up with Chaplin shorts, and The Tramp is forever endeared to me. It isn't till very recently during the Pre-30's Countdown and the HoFs that occurred along with it did I truly get actual, complete viewings of Keaton films and appreciate the mastery of the man and the skills of his dangerous comedic stunts. So, it's hard to make a comparison between a lifelong love and a budding romance.

Haven't seen Field of Dreams since it came out back when I was a Blockbuster whore. Renting stacks of films every single week. When it comes to Costner's Sport flicks, I always go with Bull Durham. Which I had intended to nominate for the Sports HoF that never occurred.

I remember watching In Cold Blood soon after Capote that showed a lot of the subtext/backstory of his interviews and writing of the book. Good film. But not very memorable, unfortunately.

Never heard of Viridiana.
__________________
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



...I always go with Bull Durham. Which I had intended to nominate for the Sports HoF that never occurred...
Sports HoF, bring it on! I'd be in and I've not seen Bull Durham...I do like Kevin Costner's films.