Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame VI

Sean watching his 2 comedies right off the bat. Yearning for laughs or just getting them out of the way? I'm big on Pryor and Wilder but never been a Silver Streak fan. More of a Stir Crazy type of guy myself.

You know what kept me up last night?

Curious to see how you react having seen the grittier (uncensored?) remake first.
I was VERY impressed with the remake and consider the original an excellent film.

Yeah I watched them both during the same week both films were impressive but I'd give the edge to the remake for going in darker areas.

8 1/2 (1963)
Annihilation (2018)
City Lights (1931)
Come and See (1985)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Magnolia (1999)
Marathon Man (1976)
The Lives of Others (2006)
Red Beard (1965)
Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Sansho the Bailiff (1954)


Knocked it out of The park guys!

Surprised there isn’t any horror, docs, westerns and animated films but that’s ok. *Love the selection as is. *

I did not look any of these up yet.

The Age of Innocence (1993)
Think this is a historical pic, which isn't my thing, but I also believe it's Scorsese, which is definitely my thing. I believe it's on the Ebert list.

The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
I saw an older movie by the same title and didn't like it, but I think this is the same director as Vengeance is Mine and Black Rain, 2 movies I loved. I think Ebert list?

Chop Shop (2007)
Doesn't ring a bell. Documentary list?

CODA (2021)
Know zero about it, never heard of it until I heard it won best picture.

The Draughtman's Contract (1982)
I recognize the title which makes me believe it's about a beer distributor who enters into an unwise agreement. British list?

Life is Sweet (1990)
Neiba picked this for me last time but he dropped out. I think it's the same director as Naked, and I'll guess British list.

Naked Lunch (1991)
I don't always like Cronenberg but I'm always interested. I'd guess 90's list or Cannes.

Nomadland (2020)
I know it won best picture and stars Frances Mcdormand. I assume she roams the country smoking dope and getting laid.

The Servant (1963)
I think this is on the British list but I know nothing about it.

The Square (2017)
Don't know what it's about. Think it's Iranian or Saudi Arabian? Cannes list?

Tank Girl (1995)
I know this is on the female directors list. I always assumed it was goofy but obviously it has fans and another member picked it as second choice for me.

Tsotsi (2005)
Know nothing about it. Cannes list?

Akira (1988) - First time this has ever happened but was kinda hoping this one would get recommended. Been watch-listed for a decade or so.

Amour (2012) - Remember when this was released. Wanted to see it but it disappeared from my radar pretty quick.

Autumn Sonata (1978) - Started it a few years ago but didn't finish it.

Departures (2008) - Never heard of it but it sounds like I'm either going to REALLY like it or not.

Fail-Safe (1964) - Never heard of it - looks good

Five Easy Pieces (1970) -Can't believe I haven't seen this yet. It's about time.

The Hidden Fortress (1958) - Already on my HBO watch list

Moonlight (2016) - Just one of them BP winners I never got around to watching. Have to admit that the BP winners I have seen from the last decade or so have been pretty eh. But a couple have been excellent as well

The Red Shoes (1948) - Never heard of it. Is it the prequel to The Red Violin?

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - Heard of it but know nothing about it.

The Wages of Fear (1953) - Never heard of it

The Wild Bunch (1969) - Started it awhile back but never finished it. Don't remember why. I've been waiting for somebody to pick this for me since the days of PRHoF number one.


Nice selection and it looks like I'll be able to stream them all except for The Wild Bunch, which I couldn't find,but we have months for it to show up someplace.

Pretty amazing list across the board for all. Great noms all!

All That Jazz (1979) Ever since getting Cabaret Recommended in one of these, this has been a Must See!

Another Round (2020) Another opportunity to enjoy Mads Mikkelsen.

Belle De Jour (1967) Ahhh, Catherine Deneuve! I've bounced back and forth on whether or not to see this and knew it would take a push for it to happen. So thanks for the push.

Brief Encounter (1945) I've seen a few Trevor Howard, and this looks pretty worthwhile with some great cinematography from the trailer.

In the Heat of the Night (1967) A long time Must See and never seem to. THANK YOU.

The Iron Giant (1999) When it came out, I never thought to bother with it. Heard a lot of love for it through MoFos and seriously thought about trying it out. So, another Thank You.

The King of Kong (2007) Looks like a very fun Doc to check out.

Paris, Texas (1984) A Must See that I never directly sought out.

Peeping Tom (1960) Heard a few messed-up things about this one that kept me away. Time to dive in.

The River (1951) Curious about this one

Secrets & Lies (1996) A Mike Leigh film. Looks intriguing, good cast.

The Trial (1962) This is looking very much like a Hidden Gem. Pretty fascinated by the set-up with Anthony Perkins as the lead.

Pretty excited about this. NO IDEA what to watch first. lol

I'm excited about this bunch - there's some great noms in there for sure, and a few films that I've never heard of before that I'm intrigued by.

Dances with Wolves (1990) - Have this on DVD and have been meaning to watch it for ages - so now I've got the impetus. Good pick - it's not a Criterion, but that matters little when it's a film that's been in my sights.

Dead Man (1995) - I really like Jim Jarmusch, but I haven't seen this yet. Knowing how I react to his films, this will rate highly.

Double Indemnity (1944) - I bought the Criterion online, blind, just last week so this is one I would have been watching in the next few weeks (when it arrives) - obviously that's a good selection.

Forbidden Planet (1956) - Here's an interesting, well-known science fiction film I haven't seen - all I now is Leslie Nielson is in it. And (*remembers the Rocky Horror Show Song*) Anne Francis - yeah.

Laura (1944) - A complete and utter mystery to me.

Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) - Another complete and utter mystery to me - but it's on Criterion, so extra points for that.

Nashville (1975) - I've been wanting to see this film so much, for quite a long time now. It's one my most anticipated non-seen films, so great pick whomever did this one.

Paper Moon (1973) - Yeah, I was talking to a friend the other day about this one - I've only really become aware of it's potential greatness to me over the past 6 months or so - so it's another top nomination.

Pepe Le Moko (1937) - Pepe Le what? But Criterion, so awesome.

Strange Days (1995) - Oooh - never heard of it. I'll bring this one up with my Ralph Fiennes obsessed ex, and see what she says about it.

Videodrome (1983) - Great one. I really should have seen this by now - a huge oversight not to have, and I've been meaning to.

The Wicker Man (1973) - Would you believe I've seen the wacko remake a few times? I've been meaning to see this as well. I love the story. I know I'll like it.

8 1/2 (1963)
Fellini is hit or miss for me. For every La Strada and La Dolce Vita, there has been the occasional Satyricon and I, Clowns. That said, 8 1/2 is one of those films I need to see.

Annihilation (2018)
This is Garland, right? With Natalie Portman as I recall. Have not seen any of his films yet, but I’ve been meaning to.

City Lights (1931)
I mean…It’s Chaplin. Enough said. Highly anticipated.

Come and See (1985)
Very excited for this, as it’s been on my watch list for about 15 years now. About slightly less time than the above 8 1/2.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
I remember when this first came out and I saw it was getting good reviews. Never actively avoided it, but never really went out of my way to seek it out. Might as well watch it finally, right?

In the Mood for Love (2000)
I’m so ready to be sad over this.

Magnolia (1999)
Another film I remember being released in cinemas but I just never got around to it, mostly because Tom Cruise is hit or miss. Still, it is about time I finally finish off PTA filmography.*

Marathon Man (1976)
I was going to watch this soon anyways, since it’s on Prime.

The Lives of Others (2006)
Like Magnolia and Hedwig, it’s a film I’ve been meaning to watch since it’s first release in cinemas.

Red Beard (1965)
Kurosawa has never disappointed me, and there aren’t many directors who I can say that about.

Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Kobayashi, right? I’ve seen his Kwaidan and Harakiri and loved both. I know Ebert held this in high regard as well.

Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
I’ve only seen one Mizoguchi, so far, and that was his 47 Ronin. Enjoyed that, so this will be interesting as well.

As I said before, very strong crop of films.

Glad to see that no one (so far) seems worried about my pick for them, and that a few of the alternate choices I had ready were actually nominated by other people, meaning I wasn't completely off base with my guesses. As for the films chosen for me:

Being John Malkovich (1999)
As I mentioned during the Comedy Countdown, I had previously avoided this film, but what people said about it in that thread made me really interested in finally checking it out. It did seem like the kind of film I'd be into.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
I've heard of the film before, but I'm confident that I have not seen it.

Black Narcissus (1947)
This is a film that whenever I see it come up on the forum, I wonder why I haven't watched it. Then I promptly forget about it until it gets mentioned again. The cycle seemed never-ending, but now it will finally be broken!

Children of Men (2006)
I don't think a single film has been added and removed from my watchlist more than Children of Men. I flip flop between "I should finally watch this" and "I probably won't bother now" very often. What I really needed was a push to watch it, but I never got one...until now.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
When this showed up on the recent Horror Countdown, I thought it looked really interesting. Loved the screenshots I saw of it at the time. Haven't watched it yet, but am excited to.

Heathers (1989)
I keep hearing good things about this, but I don't know, maybe it's the poster that keeps putting me off it? I'm not super into "teen" films, but I imagine there's something about this that sets it apart, and who knows, maybe it'll really surprise me?

Mulholland Drive (2001)
I actually have seen this, but I literally remember next to nothing about it. It's up to whoever nominated it if they want to pick something else, but it is something I've been meaning to revisit for awhile, because I couldn't even tell you the basic plot without googling it first.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)
I'm always a little uncertain about which noirs I have or haven't seen, but given how striking the images that come up on a quick search are, I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I had seen this.

The Player (1992)
The name didn't sound familiar, but I've definitely seen one of those posters somewhere before. I read the words "satirical black comedy" and stopped there, since that's all I needed to see to be interested.

Predestination (2014)
I keep getting this title mixed up with another film, and I can't quite figure out what the other film is. It was at least a couple years older, it starred a woman, and I think the poster was mainly white, perhaps with a tree in the background. I keep thinking this is that film, then getting surprised when Ethan Hawke appears in the google search. The plot of this does sound like something I'd really enjoy, but whenever it comes up, instead of adding it to my watch list, I just want to figure out what the hell that other film is.

Ratatouille (2007)
Whenever Miss Vicky brings this film up, I feel like I should check it out, but I never bother. A certain part of Everything Everywhere All At Once made me want to watch it as well, but again, not enough to bother.

The Seventh Seal (1957)
This is another film that I've been meaning to watch for what feels like forever, but keep putting off and/or forgetting to. Happy to have the push to finally watch it.

I'm happy to be at a site like MoFo where a group of people can work together and do something special like this PR and I really appreciate everyone putting in the effort to find films. I know it's not easy picking movies for someone who you don't know...Here's my honest reaction.

Army of Shadows (1969)
An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France. +for that synopsis, +for being a French 60s film.
Good choice.

Body Heat (1981)
In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman persuades her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.
Not my favorite subject But being from 1981 and being more stylish than brutal is a + also + for a younger Kathleen Turner + for William Hurt.
Good choice.

Collateral (2004)
A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.
I really dislike watching innocent people being held hostage for the length of the movie when that movie is a R rated crime thriller. I don't generally like modern crime thrillers. But + for Tom Cruise, I like Cruise as I find I can usually relate to him.
Risky choice.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Animation is usually a risky choice for me, however sometimes I've loved them. I have wanted to see this one, so + for that.
Even odds choice.

In Cold Blood (1967)
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
I might have seen a documentary about this as I'm aware of the crime and that Truman Capote wrote about it. So interesting for those reasons and for being a 60s film.
Even odds choice.

Magnolia (1999)
An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
That synopsis works for me! So does being a PTA film and hey it's Tom again. ++ for the lovely Julianne Moore.
High expectation choice.

The Madness of King George (1994)
When King George III goes mad, his Lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation.
I like that synopsis! Bless whoever picked a historical, comedy, pg-13 movie from the 90s, I think my wife will like this one too.
Good choice.

A New Leaf (1971)
When a playboy learns he's broke, he intends to marry a rich woman and - murder her.
Luckily this one is a G rated comedy romance. The early 70s were an interesting time in American film making, so glad to see this one chosen. I like what I read about it.
Good choice.

Raising Arizona (1987)
When a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.
I was hoping this one would be picked for me. I think people have avoided well known films as you might guess I avoided them, truth is I just never got around to them.
High expectation choice.

Rome, Open City (1945)
During the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape.
A classic foreign film that I've wanted to see that's a big plus for me.
Good choice.

A Separation (2011)
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Could be interesting, all I know about it is that it once won an HoF.
Outside odds choice.


T-Men (1947)
Film noir from the classic American era.
This is by far the most sure thing choice made for me. You couldn't go wrong by picking an American 40s 50s noir.
Best chance choice.

3 Women (1977) - This is one of those films where I recognise the title (probably from scrolling through the lists) but know next to nothing about it.
Alphaville (1965) - I've only seen a couple of Godard films and didn't like either of them, but this has always looked fascinating so I'm intrigued to see it.
The American President (1995) - I think I've always, in my mind, confused this with the film Dave, which is also a film about the American President and has a remarkably similar poster/dvd cover/vhs cover (we are talking about the 90s, here). I have seen Dave, but I have not seen this. I've been watching a lot of The West Wing recently, though, so definitely in the mood for it.
The Bridges of Madison County (1995) - I've heard of this, I think it's romantic and probably sad and has Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep in it. It has never made it onto my watchlist but definitely feels like a film I ought to have seen by now.
CODA (2021) - I watched so many of the Oscar nominated movies before the Oscars last year... just not this one, because I don't have Apple TV. I know it's a remake of La Famille Belier.
Mrs. Miniver (1942) - I know the name, but that's about it. Determined to watch all the Oscar winners, though, so good pick.
Nightmare Alley (1947) - I think this is the one I'm most excited about. I've seen the recent remake but never seen this version.
Nights of Cabiria (1957) - Another movie I always got confused with a different movie (La Strada).
The Quiet Man (1952) - I saw quite a bit of discussion about this on another thread where people were recommending it, so I'm glad this was picked.
Raw (2016) - saw a lot of buzz about this when it came out and always meant to see it. It's just that horror never quite finds its way to the top of the watchlist...
The Scarlet Empress (1934) - I know this is Marlene Dietrich. I have to say I'm quite happy with the range of decades I've got to watch.
Titane (2021) - I've seen this on lists of best films from last year but I don't really know anything about it apart from that it's directed by the same person as Raw.

Naturally my list is the one that always sticks out...lets run through the blind noms.

Body and Soul (1947)
- This was done by one of the blacklisted writers, this is one of those if it was on TV I would have seen it but I never see it on TV.

Brother's Keeper (1992)
- Always stuck out in the Video Store but I never pulled the trigger to check it out. The Paradise Lost documentaries are masterpieces and this is their first work.This might be a contender for the win

Caged (1950)
- John Cromwell(James Cromwell's father) was a prolific filmmaker who I don't think I've ever seen any of his work. Agnes Moorehead is a favorite of mine from this generation so optimistic.

Cry of the City (1948)
- Oneof two Siodmark filmsman on the run noirs are always hit or miss. This one looks a little midrange for me.

Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)
- I might have seen this one but I'm not sure I did watch a Brooks documentary so I could be aware of this film without having ever watched it.

Ida (2013)
-Pawlikowski this is a big risk, I tried watching this one and kept putting me to sleep so now I have motivation to dissect it.

It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
- Part of why I push for noirs and documentaries is because I was overtaken with animated films in a previous one of these. This is one of those stylistic films that's I'm either going to love to loathe it.

Little Caesar (1931)
-I can't believe they made a documentary about the pizza place. Edward G Robinson is one of those actors I always have difficulty taking seriouslybut high hopes for this one.

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
- Much like Man on a Wire I saw the drama version(Rescue Dawn) first so this might be difficult for me to really engage in.

Man of the West (1958)
-When you can't get John Ford you get Anthony Mann...I do like Cinemascope films if I have to watch a Western I like it to be pretty.

A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
- I actively avoid Altman films because they are so hit and miss for me. Short run time and solid reviews helps but this might be the last place one.

The Suspect (1944)
- Charles Laughton is a favorite actor of mine and this is Laughton at the height of his powers so this might be a contender for a top spot.

I almost picked this for you before switching to something else, Ed