23rd MoFo Hall of Fame

Join dammit!!

I know! Ugh. The struggle is real

It's the same reason why I've been absent from the Hall of Fames lately. But you find the time when you need it.

Crick, didn't your last longer than expected?

Christiane F. - I didn't know anything about this film before reading cricket's write-up. I'm most looking forward to this film now.

The Fisher King - I love Gilliam's Munchausen and Time Bandits, but I'm not that fond of Robin Williams. I don't know what to expect with this one.

Gangs of New York - I like Scorsese well enough, but I just haven't ever made the effort to see this one. Sometimes I think I really want to see it, other times I don't care if I do or not. I guess I'll just have to pull the trigger now.

The Great Mouse Detective - Not that I have reason not to watch this one, I doubt I would have if it hadn't been nominated.

Hunger - Is this the movie where we found out Fassbender has a big hog?

Jojo Rabbit - I didn't know anything about this film other than vaguely remembering somebody comparing to Wes Anderson films. Reading CosmicRunaway's review had me intrigued because of the potentially "offensive" material, I was a little disappointed seeing some say that they thought that it didn't get "offensive" enough.

Late Spring - I saw this several years ago, but even though I remember liking it, I don't remember all that much about it. I think I will like it even more now that I think I'd be more open to Ozu than before.

Le Samourai - I saw this too, but I love this one. It's cool as hell.

The Reflecting Skin - I know nothing about this one. It's a vampire movie?

Schindler's List - Obviously, I've seen this one too. I'm curious about how I'm going to feel about it. On one hand, it's clearly a very important film. It's a bold, brave film, because it wears its heart on its sleeve and steps out and that branch and bears itself to the world. It would be easy to be snobby to this film and pretend that the black and white with the few moments of red weren't brilliant moments since it's been parodied so many times, but I hope I don't feel that way when I watch it again.

The Skin I Live In - I saw this a long time ago too, and I really liked it. It will be nice to revisit this one. It inspired me to watch Eyes Without a Face too, which I also really like.

Stand By Me - This film has the me the most worried. I don't know all that much about it other than it is pretty well known. I am worried because it might be the film that reminds me that I am cynical and I don't really want to be a cynical snob. I also sometimes have a hard-time with well-known and popular 80s films.

It went a month past due date but it was good. Everybody got to finish without too much stress.

I believe that’s Shame.

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This looks and sounds like a hidden gem, i'm intrigued, will be watching it soon.

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Al-mummia (The Mummy, a.k.a. The Night of Counting the Years) (Chadi Abdel Salam, 1969)
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Date Watched: 08/08/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 23rd MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by jiraffejustin
Rewatch: No

I don't think I've ever seen an actual Egyptian film before. Every film I've seen on the subject has been some Hollywood version, either glamorized like Cleopatra or else turned into action-adventure tripe like The Mummy series, so this was pretty refreshing.

It was also beautifully shot with a very brooding, moody atmosphere and speaks of the need for understanding one's past and of the value of knowing about our ancestors without plundering the artifacts they've left behind. It's very impressive in that way and I have nothing but respect for it.

However, respect can only take me so far and it was perhaps a bit too brooding and too slow-paced for my liking and after awhile I struggled a bit to stay with it. Still, I think its positives outweigh any issues and - though I doubt I'll watch it again - I'm glad to have seen it.

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I don't personally think that it's even remotely offensive, but there are people out there who adamantly believe that some things should never be made light of. The fact that Jojo Rabbit intentionally doesn't take Hitler and the Nazis seriously did upset some people.

I would've been fine with the film pushing the limits much farther like pahaK mentioned, but that would probably clash too much with Jojo's coming of age story.

Which one? I finally got around to watching Hunt for the Wilderpeople not too long ago. I get the feeling that's one you'd like more than say, What We Do in the Shadows.

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The 4 of these films that I have previously seen I have really liked.

Looking forward to experiencing the others for the first time.

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"I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me" (Frank Costello)

This is a very different type of film from Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. If I had to compare it to one of his other films, it's closest to The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The Fisher King is fairly serious with only minor fantasy elements, and none of the other Pythons appear in it.

As I just clarified, its only offensive if you think any jokes about Germany circa 1945 is disrespectful to history, or those who lived through it. It doesn't mock the treatment of the Jewish people or anything, but rather the blind patriotism that caused many Germans to follow Hitler.

Film: JoJo Rabbit
Year of release: 2019
Directed by: Taiki Waititi
Run time: 1hr 48
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson.

Every now and then a film comes along that just takes your breath away. This is one of those. A special film that has everything.

A story of a young German boy whose imaginary best friend is Adolf Hitler.
I had no idea how a film with that plot could gain such high acclaim, but now I understand how.

This film was beautifully shot with so much clever and beautiful cinematography. It was tremendously acted - especially from the then 11 year old Roman Griffin Davis in what was amazingly his first professional acting role.

A film that brings about belly laughs, whilst bringing the horror of war into the foreground, JoJo Rabbit is exceptional. Tender moments, harrowing moments, tension and the power of love and the human spirit are all wrapped up in this special piece of film.

One of those films that has jumped straight into my favourites list. Another masterpiece from Taiki Waititi

Simply brilliant!

Glad you like the film Sarge!

Loved it!

Watched it two weeks ago for the first time and bought the blu ray half way through watching it.

Didn't really need to watch it again but really wanted to

I love Yorki

Gangs of New York (2002)


Ok... I watched this for the first time when I was 14 and remember loving it. Daniel Day Lewis' character, in particular, left an impression to this day. I didn't watch it since then, so when I chose it as my nom it was with the intention of rewatching what I was expecting to be a great film. I mean, it's a Scorcese and it features the two greatest actors alive, so I couldn't see where it could go wrong.

Well, now I do. The ratio of hollywoodesque cliches per minute is way too big, the script is subpar to say the least and the acting doesn't make justice to the cast. I mean, Daniel Day Lewis is excellent because he doesn't know how not to be and he's the one who carries the film for the most part, but the rest is just not good enough. Leo seems to be doing a parody of himself, and Diaz is all looks and no talent. There's a few of secondary characters that seem cool but they don't get enough screen time.
The ending is just beyond ridiculous, the movie loses track of itself and it gets totally anticlimatic. And that last scene with New York changing as the burial ground gets diluted... What the f* is that?

Now, there are surely some great moments (almost all of them around the character of Bill the Butcher) and for an almost 3 hour film the pacing is quite well done because it rarely drags. Particularly when no voice-over is involved (it almost never worked in a Scorcese film yet the man insists), the dialogues loosen up and the film flows. I also liked the social critique behind all this and how uptodate its message is, especially in the States, but I feel a lot more could have been done in that regard. The setting is also extremely well built and the soundtrack goes from impressive to "what is this song doing here?".

This is without a doubt my least favourite own nom in the history of these HoFs. I'll stand behind my choice but this won't do well here.

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EDIT: The write up is a bit more negative than the rating but that's because I know this had the potential to be glorious and it's not, which is so annoying!

I was very surprised when I saw that you nominated the film, neiba.

After reading your write-up I forgive you.

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I was going to apologize for jokingly saying that the Devil must have nominated Gangs of New York, but it seems that you're not too happy with it either neiba. It's too bad you didn't like it more, and changes of opinion like that are why I'm sometimes afraid to rewatch old favourites.

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It was the Hunt for the Wilderpeople that I'd seen. I just read my old review of it and the last sentence is kinda funny as now it's coming true. My review of: Hunt for the Wilderpeople.