RIP mark f

First of all, my condolences to @sarah f and all of Mark's family. This thread itself shows just the influence that he had to everybody who knew him. When we talk about how Mofo is still ticking, I'd say that he's a huge reason for that if not the biggest reason. His passion for films was like no other. I'd always joke to people about how insane it was how he was basically 100% on every list here, and that's one of my biggest goals too so I have him to thank for that.

Like many, the Oscar podcast coming out was last waiting for Santa to arrive on Christmas morning to me. I always loved hearing his insight and what he had to say. Hell I'm still ashamed I haven't seen CODA after how emotional Mark responded to it.

The mafo top 100 was a serious baseline for me when I first came to this forum in regards to knocking out some of the most well versed movies. There's a bunch there that have become favorites of mine as well.

When my jokes went too far and pestered others he was the one to always send me back down to earth. Which is good because then he saved me from possibly getting banned. I remember some of his PMs to me and they made me chuckle and get over whatever my issue was.

He won't be forgotten.

I've only been here a year and a half, but mark f had already become an important part of my time here and I'm incredibly sad that he's gone. My condolences to his family - it's good to hear he had people close to him there, and had that support, love and comforting presence to the end. I'll miss him one hell of a lot.

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Very saddened to hear this. While I knew all about his ill health it still came as a bit of a shock when I was told of his passing. He was a wonderful ambassador for the forum, and I don't mean just in his unrivalled film knowledge. He was an extremely warm and welcoming presence, always happy to lend an ear or respond to any query

While I hadn't done so for a while due to getting caught up with my own issues, I would periodically check in with Mark to ask about a film perhaps but largely to ask how his health was. I was always saddened to hear of his struggles and that no improvement was on the horizon really as he seemed like such a genuinely good guy

Due to health problems of my own (mental and phsycial) my time spent on here has become pretty sparse. However the one thing I would do on every visit was make sure to head to the 'Rate the last movie you saw' thread and search for Mark's posts to catch up on what he had been watching and what he had enjoyed. I wanted to see what we agreed or disagreed on and I wanted recommendations. In fact a few years back I actually started work on a database of sorts of films he had rated to keep track of what he thought was worth watching; anything over a 3 really

He was one of the people on here whose opinion I most agreed with; rarely taken in by arthouse films, not afraid to love superhero films or big Hollywood productions etc. I feel that subconsciously I also changed the way I rated films because of him. In contrast to what I used to be like it's pretty rare now for me to rate anything over a 4. And if I do it's in with a shout of making my top 100 list. On a purely selfish level that's one of the things I'm most sad about. While it has largely been abandoned now, several years back I started work on a new top 100 list and I wanted him to see it. I felt he'd be one of the most appreciative of it perhaps and I also just wanted him to see it

In terms of movies he was probably my guru in a sense. The man whose opinion I would seek out, whose recommendations I would listen to, whose thoughts I'd respect. I wasn't someone who ever had a go-to critic really, so in a way he was like my Roger Ebert

Anyway I've sort of just waffled away there with random thoughts so I'll leave it at that, and just send my deepest condolences to Sarah and the rest of his friends and family. I hope he left you with a host of wonderful memories to look back on and enjoy

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Also for at least a while I imagine any time I see a new film I think to be really good I'll think of Mark and how it's unfair he's no longer able to watch and enjoy it. He would undoubtedly be able to appreciate it more than myself. Also films like the forthcoming Indiana Jones film - Mark should have been able to see how Indy bowed out before he himself did too

When logged in to MoFo and read the title of this thread, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Mark was one of the people who made me feel welcome here when I joined.

It took me a while to understand his ratings because he rated so many movies to that it seemed like there were very few movies that he actually liked. When I asked him about it, he explained that he liked those movies, but he saved the higher ratings for the best of the best movies. I always watched for any movies that he rated or higher because I knew that those were the movies worth watching.

MoFo just won't feel the same without him.

@sarah fMy condolences to you and your family. Mark will be missed.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

I just looked at the first page of the Movie Forums Top 100 of the 2010s - Preliminary Thread, and I noticed that Mark didn't send in his list for the countdown.

This is going to be the first countdown without his input, and it's going to feel strange not reading his thoughts about the movies as they are revealed. I always looked forward to what he had to say in the countdowns.

My condolences to Mark's family and friends and everybody who knew and loved him. I've corresponded with Mark on many occasions over the years. Sad to know he is gone.

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“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” ~ Rocky Balboa

Now Id like to know all the ones he rated 4 or higher so that I could watch them, but it would probably take me years to do so.

Gonna miss his Dodgers in our Fantasy Baseball league, Mark knew his baseball and really wish he had won the Fantasy Baseball league at least once. He deserved it.

Damn this just sucks so much

If you're interested in his ratings, here's his IMDb page with almost all of them, sorted from highest-rated to lowest-rated. 42,022 in all.

He had a link to the IMDb page in his signature, too.

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

So incredibly sorry to hear. You must know how much he was loved and respected around these here parts, Sarah. And will remain so.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

I'm at a loss for words on this one, but I felt the need to say *something*. Mark is MoFo. When I think of MoFo, it's Yoda and it's Mark to me. I lost my mother five years ago now, and I cried about her just Friday night. It's something that never goes away, there will be things that remind you of him at seemingly random moments that will probably overwhelm you, Sarah. I don't know how you mourn or how you will process this type of event, but if you ever want to talk to somebody who has gone through something similar, I'd be more than willing. I don't expect you to, but just know that offer is always on the table.

Rest in peace to a real one.

mark f is MoFo.

So sad to hear this. Condolences to you Sarah. Mark was so valued on this site. I would read every single word of his posts on this forum whenever I saw one, and try to digest what was on the page infront of me. I think that's a sign of both knowledge and respect. I've lost count of how many films I've watched solely because Mark brought them to my attention.

This place will simply not be the same without him. However, more than just being one of the most knowledgeable film persons I've ever encountered. Mark just seemed one of the nicest human beings too.

Rest easy Mark.

I am sad to hear this

As I've thought about this, I've remembered Excalibur, a film that Mark included on his top 100 list and I had never heard of before but instantly watched simply on the basis of his glowing recommendation. Now I find myself thinking about how its approach to Arthurian myth - the once and future king being one with the land on which he ruled - feels comparable to how much Mark was so much a part of this site. Enough so that I feel like posting the film's final scene, stirring enough on its own but now feels like it's going to be inextricable from my memory of the man.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

@sarah f

Sorry for your loss. Mark was great person and he knew almost every movie. I knew I could rely on him.

I would get reps from him on things I would never think he would rep me on. Even got messages when least expected it.

I knew your dad was a fan of Last American Virgin as am I.

Now mark can watch his films 24/7 and never be tired.

Sorry to repeat from the Shoutbox, had to put this here so it's not lost in the depths of the Shoutbox's dungeons.

You know, a lot of the time people don't realise what they have until it's gone.

But with Mark, we knew exactly what and who he was.
Literally a legend in his own time...

We were lucky to have known him, and we knew that when he was here, not after he was gone.

And what made that even more special, was we would actually tell him that often, and Mark being Mark, would shrug it off.

Dude had absolutely no hubris.

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Oh, Sarah, I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for your beautiful tribute. It was so kind of you to include us in this way.
Your father will be greatly missed here at MoFo.

Saw this float by on the sidebar and my stomach just dropped.

Like many on the site, I knew about Mark's declining health, and with his recent ramping up of posting RIP messages in the Shoutbox, I had a feeling he was getting close. Although Mark was an old school MoFo like myself, I never got to know him personally. We would discuss film, especially back during my Lynch-obsessed phase on the site. I recall Mark posting that he didn't care for Inland Empire, and I attempted to convince him he was mistaken. Instead of just brushing me off or repeating his dislike, the guy went and watched the film again multiple times. His opinion of the film didn't change, but I remember being blown away that he would sit through a 3 hour experimental mess of a film like Inland Empire multiple times in an effort to see what I was seeing. Turns out Mark was right, as my like for that film has faded to the point that I don't watch it anymore.

I always thought of Mark and Holden as being the twin towers of cinematic knowledge on the site. Sure, there are plenty of other knowledgeable MoFos on the boards, but these guys just seemed like they had seen pretty much every film ever made. Reading or listening in to one of their discussions on a podcast always felt like I was sitting in on a lecture from two eminent film professors who were just hanging out shooting the shit. As was mentioned earlier, Mark had an almost childlike, boundless love for film, and he seemed unfazed by other people's opinions on which films he liked and why: he loved the films that he loved, even if others considered them cheesy or too mainstream. His was a pure love of the artform, and we are all better for knowing him.

Godspeed Mark F. I will miss you, MoFo will miss you, and the world of cinema will miss you.

Sarah F, please accept my family's condolences.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
-TS Elliot

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Holy crap

42,022 movies.
If every movie was exactly 2 hours long...
That's as near as makes no difference 10 years, minimum.

I just let that sink in for a moment before I posted.

The fact that Mark was able to remember details of almost all of them so he could smash through the Questions Tab on a daily basis, is absolutely insane.

God, I'm gonna miss him.