15th Hall of Fame

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You guys didn't get much about the American Revolution? I just assumed some of that would've been taught there because of how many people stayed loyal to the British and moved up there because of that fact.
Maybe that was touched on in High School, but I took Geography instead. Actually, now that I think about, I don't think we actually covered the War of 1812 at all. I'm just remembering the "Heritage Minute" about Laura Secord that often played during commercials.



And now her name is used to sell chocolates!





Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I've seen all but two of those films - Out of the Blue and The Station Agent. The Station Agent is one I've been meaning to watch for a while, I recognise the poster for Out of the Blue but know nothing else about it.

In the Mood For Love is my nom. I'm surprised more people haven't seen it, really. It was quite high on that TSPDT list Camo posted a few days ago. I haven't seen it for a while though and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

The Elephant Man is a film I really like, looking forward to that rewatch too.

Glory - I saw this due to people on this site liking it but it didn't do much for me. Definitely did not see it at school - don't think we studied the US Civil War at all.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Another one I really liked. Can't believe Miss Vicky hasn't nominated this before!

Shallow Grave - I remember being disappointed with this when I watched it.

Rebecca - I think I liked the film better than the book - it's all about the atmosphere.

American Graffiti - Lucas's love letter to being a teenager in the 50s.

L'Avventura - A strange, hazy sort of film; I'm not quite sure whether I liked it or not.

Aguirre The Wrath of God - This has been nominated for a hall of fame before and I absolutely hated it! But then I've seen things I really like from Herzog since so perhaps I'll have a fresh perspective on it this time around.



I had a look through your review thread last night and it is nothing like the films you seem to be drawn to.
Ah, gotcha. Well, I mean, I've liked quirky films that mix sexuality, crude elements and showbiz aspects together. A movie like La Cage Aux Folles I like...I think when I saw Hedwig, I was strangely reminded of The Rose meets My Beautiful Launderette, and I know it was wrong to think that but, I was only about 23 years old ha.



Nothing good comes from staying with normal people
I've only seen two of these, Glory and Rebecca. I saw Rebecca for the first time about six months ago and I really liked it. Hadn't red or even heard about the book before watching the film, but from what I've heard since, it isn't probable that I'll ever bother reading it.

As for Glory, that was a total blind grab from a bargain bin if memory serves, based on the amount of famous actors on the front. I wasn't disapointed, it was quite good.

Glory - My nomination. Oh, boy, am I looking forward to rambling on about this film! If any of you ever thought I was crazy before, just wait until the Glory review.
Well, colour me intrigued.

As for the rest, I've seen Hedwing and the angry inch on several of the list and always wondered what kind of movie could lay behind such and odd title. Reading Vicky's review got me curious though, so I might just try to track that one down.

I've heard of The elefant man, but never really felt any interest to watch it. I think I'll wait for a few reviews to pop up before I decide if I'll take a look or not.

The rest are more or less unknown to me. I've heard the title of Aguerre, but I have no idea what it's about, and the rest are total unknowns. Will be interesting to see what you'll make of them.
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Why not just kill them? I'll do it! I'll run up to Paris - bam, bam, bam, bam. I'm back before week's end. We spend the treasure. How is this a bad plan?



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
American Graffiti Haven't seen this since my late teens, early twenties. Should be a lot of fun to revist.

Glory Love this film! Been WAAAY too long since seeing it and glad to see it now.

Shallow Grave My nom, looks like I'll be at the bottom of list this time around - sorry folks

Out of the Blue sounds vaguely familiar but pretty sure I haven't seen it.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch On that list of Must Sees, and one my room mate insists I should and would enjoy; so looking forward to this one

The Station Agent Never heard of this one but it stars Peter Dinklage, so I'm sold.

The Elephant Man SO sad, but so amazing. Been a couple of decades since my last viewing.

Aguirre, The Wrath of God Never saw this, looks like I'm going to now

L'Avventura Haven't heard of this one.

Rebecca Good film. Quite beautiful visually.

In the Mood for Love Can't remember if I've seen this or not. Did see 2046 and while confusing, was still pretty impressive film so I'm very curious about this one.



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Out of the Blue



For the most part, I hated this. I went back and forth on hating the character of Cebe and I most definitely hated both of her parents. Don and Kathy were two despicable people that I felt no remorse for. Would have been better suited if the film ended up being some type of redemption story for Don in my opinion, instead it's more of a spiral out of normality that just quite frankly did not work for me. I will say that the soundtrack was really awesome though and some parts of the film with the music were well done. But like I said I'm not a big fan of Hopper and I think he failed to execute on his screenplay. Some times I can like tragic movies, but this one wasn't one of those instances. As an added non-bonus, the ending was absolutely despicable and terrible IMO.




Too bad that you didn't like it but understandable. You're supposed to hate the characters and everything about it, it's a punk, everything is terrible type of movie, although i get that some people aren't into that sort of thing.




Aguirre, The Wrath of God
(1972)

One of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen! I was hooked at the very first scene. All those men coming over the Peruvian mountains on those steep narrow paths, and in the background is more men snaking up the mountain side far into the distance. Talk about depth in the composition. That scene went on a long time....and I'm so glad it did. Werner Herzog gives the viewer ample time to just 'be there' on the mountain side where time seems to stand still. That intentional slowness by holding the shots makes then the journey by those 100's of men carrying tons of weight seem all the more arduousness. Such brilliant direction & cinematography.

I loved the first river scene with the camera mounted low on the raft... we can feel the muddy river spinning the raft around and around. It all seems so hopeless for the men as the river looks as it will swallow them up at any second.

The jungle scenes too added to this foreboding feeling that the men were heading deeper into this beautiful hell...and it's all because of a driven mad man, Aguirre played with equally contorted madness by Klaus Kinski.

In the last part of the movie we can feel the weight of this doomed journey, as the raft is battered and the surviving men are forced to eat algae that they pluck from between the water soaked logs of the raft. We see hope is lost as the men drift deeper into the unknown, all for the lust of the golden pipe dream of El Dorado.

Very impressive film, one that I want to watch again.


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2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
On the bright side I figured Raul would be the one least likely to like my nomination.
Sorry Cricket. I don't expect many to like mine this go around so I'm ready for it.



Sorry Cricket. I don't expect many to like mine this go around so I'm ready for it.
Our nominations are so different yet they are probably both love it or hate types.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
Hedwig and the Angry Inch



I basically hated this as could have been expected. I will say that I did like the performance of Hedwig by John Cameron Mitchell. He did a great job and his singing was actually pretty good. Then, that's about where I end the praise for the film. The rest of the characters I either disliked or had no opinion for. I didn't really care for the story at all. I wish we were to feel a little more sympathy for Hedwig, but I really don't. His relationships with Luther or Tommy didn't seem all that genuine to me. And that ending song was a real pain, that's the second film in a row where things completely crumble at the end. I don't have a lot more to say because I didn't care all that much about what was going on. Musicals are often a big hit or miss category, especially for me. This one ends up as a big strikeout.




Nothing good comes from staying with normal people
The Station Agent Never heard of this one but it stars Peter Dinklage, so I'm sold.
Wait, what? Dinklage? Ok, adding it to the list as well.



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
American Graffiti



Surprisingly, the only one of these films which I own, besides my own nomination.

American Graffiti is George Lucas’s love letter to being a teenager in the early 60s, cruising cars, diners, neon lights and all.

In some ways it’s like Happy Days: The Movie, and not just because both have Ron Howard in. It’s the same kind of nostalgia tinted spectacles look back at an era. In some ways it’s all very era-specific, dated and grounded in the time it depicts (and the time it was made) but there are some things about being a teenager about to leave school that are more universal - do you leave the town you grew up in? What if you don’t want to? What if you want to but can’t? What do you do about your hometown girlfriend or boyfriend when you move away? And of course, the fact that leaving school doesn’t instantly turn you into a responsible adult as many of the kids in this film demonstrate.

I think there’s an additional layer of nostalgia here for a kind of innocence that existed in this post-war generation - these teens would have been born right at the end of WWII - over shadowed by the knowledge that US involvement in the Vietnam War is right on the horizon and these kids’ bright futures may not be all that bright. This is alluded to briefly at the end.

The film cruises along like the cars, without much drama, but that's OK. I like the idea that this film is an ensemble and we get to follow lots of different characters, stories and threads which intersect. It does mean that none of them individually is particularly memorable, and there is a certain lack of diversity in the main characters which is a little disappointing and makes it less rich than it could have been.

I think if you cared about cars at all or had more of an interest in the era this would be more appealing, but even so its a pretty good film.



It's only been a day since the nominations were revealed, and we already have 5 reviews up (if I'm counting right). I actually just finished rewatching Rebecca, so if I can get something posted about it tonight, that'll be an even half dozen haha.





Rebecca
(1940)

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson

Rebecca is a film that inhabits multiple genres during different parts of its story. It takes its time setting up a typical, slightly comedic romantic drama, before subtly working in elements during the second act that gradually transform the film into a psychological thriller, before shifting focus again just before the finale. It could easily have become a mess under a different director, but the various parts blend together really well, with a particularly smooth transition between the first two acts.

Throughout the film, the suspense builds incredibly slowly and organically without relying on blind twists, though the full details surrounding the central mystery are not revealed until it's necessary for the plot to progress. The haunting memory of Rebecca, who presence can always be felt lingering over the Manderley, helps establish a dark atmosphere that complements the story very beautifully. For a character that is never seen, Rebecca leaves a remarkable impression in her wake.

Judith Anderson was great as Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper who is perhaps slightly too obsessed with the former Mrs. de Winter. She stole every scene she was in, which is quite the accomplishment considering the talented actors she appeared with on screen. While the film was quite a bit more subtle than I remembered it being, I rather enjoyed the pace this time around. I wish I had more to say, but since it's not my typical nomination, I don't really know much about the backstory or history of the film. It's still not my favourite Hitchcock film, but it is certainly masterfully crafted.


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