The 29th Hall of Fame

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I disagree about Salvation having one good thing...it had quality production values, a clear tone, and an interesting plot.
Eva Green and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are not on the same level as Mads as far as acting., imo.



Also because I couldn't download it I had to use a link and the last twenty minutes went on forever because of buffering issues. Which is why people should pick films that others can see.
You are worried about the government or FBI coming after you about the content of some of the films. You need to worry about them coming after you for downloading more than the content.

If you are in the US, that's a big no-no.



Anomalisa (2015) -


I found this to be a solid film which was enhanced by one great element. For one, I enjoyed it for its representation of alienation and social awkwardness. The conversations Michael and Lisa have with each other feel awkward, but they're also a realistic representation of how people like them actually behave. While I don't think the movie quite gets going until Michael meets Bella, once we get to that scene, the film becomes consistently engaging throughout the remainder of its runtime. While I like this dynamic quite a bit, the unconventional casting choices were what clicked with me most of all. Aside from David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, everyone else in the film (both the men and women) are voiced by Tom Noonan. It's obvious that they all sound like the same person and Noonan doesn't appear to attempt to hide that, but this is the point of the film. Part of why Michael feels alienation from everyone is that they all seem the same to him (represented through their voices all sounding alike). Lisa interests Michael though since she's different from everyone else. This is a brilliant concept and the kind that works best in animation as opposed to live action. I don't think that aspect is quite enough for the film to be great, but it's definitely enough to elevate the material to a higher degree. Overall, I'm glad I finally got to this. Charlie Kaufman has written and directed a bunch of interesting films over his career so far and this one is no exception.

Next Up: Das Boot
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Anomalisa



I am very up and down with the work of Charlie Kaufman. Clearly there's a lot of talent and innovation there, but there's also a lot of awkward and shy characters. I do care about these characters, but in order for these films to reach their highest potential with me, I feel like I need to relate to them. Fortunately I don't. I was absolutely loving this 20 minutes in, and not to be shallow but I was hoping it was going to be more comedy focused the rest of the way. It stayed humorous and was good overall, but I ended up feeling somewhat embarrassed for the characters. The animation was great and necessary, and David Thewlis a brilliant choice to voice the main character. Tom Noonan voicing all of the characters except for two didn't work for me. I understand why that choice was made, but women talking with his voice was distracting and strange to me. Even though I didn't get everything out of it that I wanted to, this was a very fine film. Quite different and a great nomination.

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movies can be okay...
Adams Æbler (2005) directed by Anders Thomas Jensen


I went into the film expecting not to like it as much as everybody else did, but hoping for an enjoyable time nonetheless. I was already planning on never checking out any of this guy's movies ever again, and Adam's Apples just reinforced that even further. At least it wasn't as bad as Flickering Lights.

Once again, Jensen's movie was looking really cheap, and that is due to an overabundance of reasons. The lighting for one wasn't the best, sometimes even so obviously artificial it became distracting. The same music track was constantly being played in the background which would test the strength of anybody's patience. The cinematography was subpar, the acting was unremarkable, the small cast and few locations didn't do any favors either. The only thing that stops this for me from being a straight-to-DVD flick would be the money behind the special effects, I was impressed.

Mind you, the "comedy" was a joke, and that was supposed to be the film's strong suit. I may have audibly chuckled once, MAYBE twice (I only remember laughing during the scene where Mads got brought to the hospital after being shot, and the doctor laughingly exclaiming that "he's definitely not coming back from that one"). The humor is juvenile and is overall just trying way too hard to be quirky and dark at the same time. For example, there was this scene where a woman comes in for the priest's advice, and in the middle of her breakdown Mads and the neo-nazi start off out of nowhere with this stupid argument over some cookies. It was cringe because it was such an obvious attempt at the ol' "look how weird and quirky we are" joke, drawing way too much attention to itself that I immediately saw right through it.

The difference between that scene and another similar one, where Mads gets up after being severely beaten by the neo-nazi and nonchalantly goes about the rest of his day, was that the latter's humor is more successful because such traits from Mads' character are already established and to be expected at that point. Meanwhile, the former was too much of a blatant and jarring attempt to be funny that had nothing to do with the present characters themselves as they could've easily been swapped with anybody else without the scene feeling any different. If there was any single character in this movie that could've been genuinely funny on their own, it would've been the doctor. And that's the other half of the problem, rarely does the "comedy" actually come from the characters personalities, but rather it's always some ham-fisted attempt at being edgy and cool.

Adam is the main guy we follow and see the events through, and yet he's so damn bland and lackluster. I get that he's supposed to be a shell for the audience, but you would think that with him being fresh out of prison, and a damn neo-nazi, he would bring something to the table. It also didn't help that his performance was just as dull. Remember that chick I mentioned earlier, Sarah, well she comes back later on and sticks around with the crew for literally no reason. It straight seemed like the director wanted to add more characters to the mix so he can spice it up more I guess, but instead he just shined a bigger spotlight on the overall cheapness of the movie.

The saving grace has to be the allegorical aspects to the film. Even though most of the symbolism was on the nose, i.e. the Bible falling open a billion times to the Book of Job or everything that has to do with the apple tree for that matter, it was still the department that delivered most of the positives during this mess of an experience. It made me wish the main characters were developed more properly, specifically Mads' and his backstory since he was the target of many of the metaphors. However, the lack of coordination and coherence between all of these added garnishments ultimately muddled the final message. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the director didn't fully understand what he was saying with his film. I'm also not sure how to feel about the negative portrayal of the priest's delusions, and especially how they got fixed up in the end. Trauma is a serious subject, and it's not fair for the movie to have it be the excuse to pull your heart strings in one minute, and then the next minute it's the source of another cheap gag. The director is simply not talented enough to successfully pull such a thing.

The only thing that's left to talk about is how in the hell did that skinhead survive being shot in what seemed to be his heart at first, and then his spine?! He not only got up and walked away afterwards, but he also came back the next day looking for another fight. Jeez.
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"A film has to be a dialogue, not a monologue — a dialogue to provoke in the viewer his own thoughts, his own feelings. And if a film is a dialogue, then it’s a good film; if it’s not a dialogue, it’s a bad film."
- Michael "Gloomy Old Fart" Haneke



movies can be okay...
Yeah it's a funny film. Not sure why some don't get the humour. It's about how positive Mads character was in times that everything was going wrong.
I wouldn't describe him as positive, more delusional for sure. I mean it's not like he was consciously being positive in the face of hardship, it seemed like he was incapable of reacting in any other way considering his mental state.



movies can be okay...
I may pick a classic in a future Hall of Fame and I'm happy to re-watch the ones that other people choose, but I think it's more fun to choose something the majority haven't seen. It adds more uncertainty and it's always nice to see someone be pleasantly surprised. The exception is the Twilight Zone one since I was pretty unfamiliar with the series going in.
This. Looking at the wall of winners of the past HoFs can be a bit disappointing personally, as it's majority classics or the more popular critically acclaimed films. I strictly only join these from time to time for the sake of the suspense before the nominations reveal, and the hope for some hidden gems.



movies can be okay...
Welp, since everybody's doing it I'll join too.

Virgins HoF (who remembers this haha, it's not even mentioned in the archives thread) - The Return by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Foreign Language HoF - Benny's Vidéo by Michael Haneke
16th HoF - Three Monkeys by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Sci-Fi II HoF - Coherence by James Ward Byrkit
Personal Rec IV HoF - this doesn't count, but it's probably my fav hof.
And now the 29th HoF - La Promesse by the Dardennes

I guess all of my noms would fall under the umbrella of "esoteric" foreign films if we have to, at least I'm proud I've yet to nominate 2 movies from the same country, but really my criterion is always nominating something I know most of the participants haven't seen and I want to see more discussions on period.



Welp, since everybody's doing it I'll join too.

Virgins HoF (who remembers this haha, it's not even mentioned in the archives thread) - The Return by Andrey Zvyagintsev
I sure remember it! It was one of my best HoF ideas and I was the host I always considered you and Siddon to be my protégés as I found both of you in the Rate the Last Movie You Saw and invited you to join as HoF virgins I must have PMed a could dozen people trying to get them to join. No one knows how much effort I've put into promoting these Hofs, hint it's alot!

Oh, the reason the Virgin HoF is not mentioned in the archives thread is by design. Seeing how only three people ended up finishing, that didn't seem like enough to officially call it an HoF. But it was still very worth while.



I did only the 80s teen hof hosting with CR . I don't know how to do the technical parts.

The film I would want to nominate would be bashed in a new 80s teen hof on so many levels.




The Year My Voice Broke (John Duigan, 1987)

Not typically my bag but there's a lot to like here. Lots of good natural lighting especially the moonlit and golden hour-type scenes and the colour looks great too. The camerawork isn't anything crazy but its doing enough to keep my attention and there's a few pretty standout shots throughout. The casting is also great, everyone suits their character like a glove imo. I was really into the supernatural flavouring and like that the leads kind of have this intangible connection but I personally would have liked that element to be a bit more concrete, would have liked some kind of profound moment in that regard but I totally get why they didn't go that way. It kind of hits some cliche ideas towards the end but I don't think its a bad thing necessarily. I think the biggest issue I have is that the main dude doesn't really grow and he's fairly unlikable throughout. Like, the worst shit is happening to Freya and it always feels like he's trying to make it an opportunity for himself and by the end I don't think he's gotten out of nice guy incel territory though I think the film wants me to think he has. Quite enjoyable overall and with a few little tweaks (specifically to my tastes and no one elses) and this could have been something really special I think.



movies can be okay...
I sure remember it! It was one of my best HoF ideas and I was the host I always considered you and Siddon to be my protégés as I found both of you in the Rate the Last Movie You Saw and invited you to join as HoF virgins I must have PMed a could dozen people trying to get them to join. No one knows how much effort I've put into promoting these Hofs, hint it's alot!

Oh, the reason the Virgin HoF is not mentioned in the archives thread is by design. Seeing how only three people ended up finishing, that didn't seem like enough to officially call it an HoF. But it was still very worth while.
It definitely had its own unique vibe, way different from all the other HoFs I've participated in. I do remember it with fondness so I would love to see a second attempt at it, at least to bring some new blood to these things. Although, I do recognize how tough it could be to successfully pull off haha, but it would be worth it.



I forgot the opening line.


Das Boot - (1981)

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

Written by Wolfgang Petersen
Based on a novel by Lothar G. Buchheim

Starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Martin Semmelrogge
Erwin Leder & Klaus Wennemann

War is hell, and there are quite a few places you wouldn't have wanted to be in during the Second World War - one of my greatest fears would have been having to serve in a tank, which had the habit of erupting into flames without providing an easy escape route. But perhaps the worst of all places to be was the U-boat - with the crushing pressure of the ocean threatening to implode your environment, scaring your wits out of you, but still being preferable than it filling with water as you ponder your last few moments alive. As the war turned against Germany, you were most probably going to die at some stage in those narrow confines - the North Atlantic had become killing fields, first for merchant shipman and then for German sailors, and no film will ever give you as accurate a gauge on what it was like than Das Boot, an absolute classic account based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim's time as a war correspondent onboard one of those vessels. It has become a timeless, well-known and enduring war film, and a must-see for any film fan.

The film takes place late in 1941, when the Battle of the Atlantic was turning in the Allies favour. After enduring an unacceptable rate of loss in shipping, the Allies had learned how to detect and destroy U-Boats through code-breaking, sonar (ASDIC) and radar for surfaced submarines. At the same time, convoys were being escorted by more British warships with better arms. Everything that had been happening was now completely turned around, and the submarines who once preyed on ships were themselves being hunted, and spending more time evading and hiding from the enemy than hunting and destroying them. Into this situation, war correspondent Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer) is given an assignment on U-96, captained by Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow) - 30-years-old, and thus nicknamed "Der Alte" (The Old Man). During their time on the Atlantic, and attempting to break through to the Mediterranean, they'll undergo stresses that seem beyond the human limits of endurance.

Das Boot has expanded a little over the years, especially for me. The film was re-cut and had it's audio completely revamped in 1997, and was released as a 'Director's Cut', increasing it's running time from 150 minutes to over 200 minutes, and just now I've watched the German television version which runs close to 300 minutes. I'd say that the version that the film will be remembered for will be the Director's Cut, which was vastly improved upon from the original theatrical version. It was fun seeing all of the various parts I'd never seen before, but none of what has been added as far as the 5 hour television version is concerned has any large bearing on the film as a whole, and just pads everything out. Interesting to me though, was Otto Sander's Thomsen displaying a little PTSD in La Rochelle, the submariners letting their frustrations out on the religious sailor onboard - plus the 2nd Watch Officer (Martin Semmelrogge) using a punch bowl, fruit pip and orange to give some German non-submarine men an example of what being hunted is like.

The sound, for which the film was nominated for two of it's total of 6 Oscar nominations, is probably the first feature I always think about praising. This was even further improved upon for the Director's Cut release, and includes the groaning of the ship, the rush of water, the exploding bolts that fire like pistol shots when the ship is being crushed and other effects. It puts you right down into that submarine with the poor sailors, and gives you an uncomfortable feeling during tense moments. For Sound Effects editing the film was beat by E.T. The Extraterrestrial, and was beaten again by the same film for Sound - but I can't really judge this aspect any more because I'm listening to a much enhanced version whenever I watch the film. Perhaps the Das Boot of today would beat out E.T. - I'd like to think so, because it's rare that I sit and watch a film and actually think to myself that the sound of it is actually amazing. I can't imagine a more realistic sensory experience (but then again, put in a submarine about to implode I might be thinking "this sounds and feels a lot different to Das Boot.") Mike Le Mare, the pre-eminent one amongst the people nominated, would later work on The Terminator and other prominent films. I should also mention the rousing score from German composer Klaus Doldinger.

Next would come the cinematography, by Jost Vacano (who would later be DoP on Robocop and Starship Troopers) - a miracle within itself which garnered an Oscar nomination (where the deserved Oscar went to Gandhi) - filming Das Boot not only involved the design of a whole different kind of hand-held steady-cam to be used rushing from compartment to compartment in the film's set, but had to work and produce shots from those tight confines, which I can't even imagine attempting. U96 was recreated, as writer/director Wolfgang Petersen was fond of pointing out, "down to the last screw", and was exactly the same as the real thing. Actors had to train for weeks at running and diving through the submarine interior before they were ready for filming - which makes the cinematography in the film amazing, and so tricky to pull off. I'm guessing it didn't win an Oscar because it's not as beautiful when viewed as an end-product. The interior of a submarine is an ugly place, full of machinery, pipes, bunks, lockers, screws, knobs and hatches - and our only relief is when the sub surfaces and we start to feel ill following the rolling roiling sea. Other than that, there's a brief prologue in La Rochelle, which I always enjoy - and the sub's homecoming.

Rounding out the nominations this film received was one for editing (Hannes Nikel), it's adaptation and it's direction from Wolfgang Peterson. Certainly unusual for a foreign film, but this film kind of crossed that barrier, and became a household name everywhere since it's release. It manages to completely de-politicize the sailors in it, and actually create a mostly anti-Nazi crew, led by Der Alte, who rages against the powers that be for the way young lives are being wasted. I always shudder when we get to a scene where a fly walks across the face of Admiral Doenitz in a photograph on the wall - a picture really is worth a thousand words. Originally, this film was going to be a production led by an American director, with either Robert Redford or Paul Newman in the lead role, which sounds a lot less desirable than the film we ended up getting - nothing against those two actors, but having Germans in it gives it a very much-needed authenticity. All of the performances hit their mark, and were pressured out of them by Peterson, and the film was shot in sequence, which means the beards and the white, ragged, worn out and tired faces were real. By the end of filming all of these people had first-hand experience of what working in those tight confines for months was like.

Das Boot is described as a kind of 'psychological film' - the tagline notably said "A journey to the edge of the mind." It creates the kind of contemplation about death that must eat away at the minds of all those who are at the front lines in a war, and that becomes much more direct when the adrenaline and fear are pumping. It also manages to get us to feel the long stretched-out period of tedium and waiting that plays on the mental state of our characters, and this is also a part of war-time experience. There are brief moments of absolute terror, surrounded by mind-numbing boredom and listlessness. This movie is fantastic in it's realism, cramping us in this boat with no extra space, with steam, fire and darkness surrounding us, while we know at times that we're running out of oxygen and need to make urgent repairs to have any hope of surviving. The set the actors were working on could be tilted 45 degrees and shaken, and the conning tower was buffeted by tons of water. None of us know how we'd cope in the situations these people find themselves in - but to varying degrees it would probably be "not well".

The effects were old-school, but great. Karl Baumgartner, affectionately known as "Boom Boom" by actors and crew, had plenty of experience. A full-sized mock-up of the submarine could actually be powered through water (this was at one stage borrowed and damaged by Steven Spielberg while he was in the process of shooting Raiders of the Lost Ark) and for long shots an 11 meter replica was driven by one person laying inside of it (conforming to the ratio 6:1 - any smaller than that and the relative size of splashes, waves and water drops make it look unrealistic.) The rest of the production was all taken care of in studios. At certain times this realism doesn't quite fool our eyes - and the fact that models are being used in some scenes is apparent, but when sized up as a whole I can't find much to really complain about, and would actually be pretty upset if Peterson was to take to his film with computer graphics and alter even one frame of it. I'm completely against people changing films in this manner.

When Das Boot opened in Germany, it did so to much controversy and anger - this was the first post-war film in Germany which treated any of the fighting Germans as ordinary human beings, capable of any kind of goodness. Ironically, the film didn't really start to become recognized as great until it opened in the U.S. - where Peterson and the Germans were most fearing a backlash. I find that over the years this good reputation has only increased, and the film itself has become iconic. It would be an absolute certainty to fit somewhere inside my top 10 war films of all time, if not at the very top spot. It does everything a film of that nature should do, for these people and what they do isn't at all glamourized (you can nearly smell the putrid air) and they spend all of their time in some kind of discomfort - either bored or scared to the point of going mad. They end up facing up to the fact of what they've done when they sink a tanker and slink away from the survivors begging for help - unable to give help even if they wanted to. The absurdity of it all is highlighted over and over again, but hits an absolute height in the final scene.

The only other really interesting fact about the people involved in the production is the fact that Herbert Grönemeyer (who played the war correspondent) became a big rock star in his home country - which seems hard to believe (he really doesn't look the type.) Wolfgang Peterson's subsequent career is very well known. For me, my appreciation of Das Boot came in the early 2000s when I watched the Director's Cut, and there has never been a time since where - seeing all of or a portion of the film - I haven't admired it's technical and narrative brilliance. To actually film this inside that confined space, without opening the sub up for easier camera access, was an inspired choice from Peterson and Jost Vacano, and it translates as a really confined feeling that the audience gets. It was a super difficult thing to do, but worth it, and I'm guessing most other directors, cinematographers and filmmakers would have done this the easy way. Vacano had to learn how to run through a real sub interior, dive over hatches and avoid all the obstructions while holding his camera and shooting a major feature film. Incredible.

At the end of the day, this film was never about the Second World War itself, but about war in general, and about the way people respond to the situations that war throws at them. It's about the psychological impact, transferred to us as spectators. It's about a lot of positive aspects regarding humanity, in the worst of all possible situations - who work for each other and fight to live, longing to be with loved ones again and never wanting to let that go. It's also about the absurdity of sending young men away to face near certain death in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, and the absurdity to sent them out there to kill. It's about the relationship between man and machine - and the relationship between the men who use the machine, and those who make it. It's about human endurance, and the psychological limits of men. It's about leaders, and those who are old before they were ever meant to be old, and the fact that war is often fought by those who were just yesterday children. Those with the most to lose, are often those who are sent to die. More incredible is that most of it is true, and that 30,000 young men felt that awful fear moments before thier life, love and soul was suddenly and violently snuffed out.

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movies can be okay...

The Year My Voice Broke (John Duigan, 1987)

I think the biggest issue I have is that the main dude doesn't really grow and he's fairly unlikable throughout. Like, the worst shit is happening to Freya and it always feels like he's trying to make it an opportunity for himself and by the end I don't think he's gotten out of nice guy incel territory though I think the film wants me to think he has.
Eh, didn't feel like the kid was unlikable at all, and he was just a kid after all. I even specifically remember him running to tell Freya about Trev vs. the police, and realistically he had nothing to gain and everything to lose by immediately rushing to deliver that information. That showed to me that his loyalty and friendship towards her trump his own personal feelings and selfish benefits.



Eh, didn't feel like the kid was unlikable at all, and he was just a kid after all. I even specifically remember him running to tell Freya about Trev vs. the police, and realistically he had nothing to gain and everything to lose by immediately rushing to deliver that information. That showed to me that his loyalty and friendship towards her trump his own personal feelings and selfish benefits.
yeah no that's definitely where the film wants me to be and it does things to get there, i just didn't get there y'know?



Going to finish Das Boot. I have a little over 2 hours to go get.
Heh, I've seen the director's cut twice and watched it all in one sitting both times. It was rather easy to get through for me.



I forgot the opening line.
I’ll be starting up Das Boot tonight. Probably won’t finish it right away, as I’m likely to divide it into two viewings.
Going to finish Das Boot. I have a little over 2 hours to go, yet.
Heh, I've seen the director's cut twice and watched it all in one sitting both times. It was rather easy to get through for me.
I watched the German television version that goes 5 hours and it took me 3 days - I love Das Boot but I'd never seen that version before. Usually I'll watch the Director's Cut, but just once in my life I wanted to see the extremely long version, which I've had on DVD for ages (a German import) - this Hall gave me the impetus to finally do it.