21st Hall of Fame

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Moonstruck (1987)


I'm not a fan of romantic comedies. Considering that Moonstruck wasn't nearly as painful experience as I feared. It's not exaggeratedly sweet, and most of the characters seem distant and flat (except Cage, of course, and he's the only one that annoyed me). Unlike so many of these films, it doesn't resemble sugarcoated fairy tale but, at least to a degree, life.

My main issue with this particular brand of comedies is the fact that they're not especially funny. While there isn't much (anything?) to laugh at in Moonstruck, it's at least an easy watch that keeps a good pace throughout its whole lighthearted 100 minutes. Maybe Cage's character is meant to be funny, but to me, he feels out of place in this film. He's like a mental patient among the normies.

It's hard to come up with anything to say about this film. Moonstruck is the movie equivalent of muzak. It manages to kill time, but there's nothing to remember it by. I can't hate it, but I definitely can't love it either. It just is and draws no emotions whatsoever.
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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I'll try and get The Hunt done sometime soon.
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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Quills

Marquis de Sade: So come... I Dare you... Turn the page...

Ahh, the delights of perversion!

When I first saw this film when it came out, it was my second film seeing Geoffery Rush and it completely confirmed me becoming a fan of his work. I sincerely doubt that anyone else could have pulled off, not only the devilish charm, but the deep anguish of the Marquee as Rush had in this film. I'm sure there are those who could have come close but he had this clinched on so many levels. I remember being captivated in the movie theater at his performance.
And not just with him.
For an antagonist, Micheal Caine brought such a turbulence beneath still waters and for a fellow conspirator, Kate Winslet brought forth equal levels of nuances to her character that could have been a fluff character in someone else's hands.
The same could be said for Joaquin Phoenix. And, having seen quite a number of his films since this, I must say the man is truly at home when expressing anguish. It's astonishing the depths he'll take his emotions to when in that state. Those are the moments he truly shines.

This is a great film that takes such a passionate, decadent subject and the very individual that was the basis for the word "sadism" and brings a variety of emotional states when it could have simply been a sexual vehicle. Expressed by everyone, including the cohabiting insane of the asylum. Running the full gambit of extremes and subtleties quite beautifully in my opinion. As well as balancing the various story lines and bringing them all together quite nicely.

A very wonderful revisit. Thank you, my dear Vicky!
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~Mr Minio



Wedding Crashers

First off, this was hilarious. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have such great chemistry on the screen together, and actually performances are great all around the board. Christopher Walken is awesome as always, Rachel McAdams , Bradley Cooper, etc, etc.

The performances carry hard however. Other than having a pretty damn good script, I think this whole movie could have been cut to about an hour and a half or so. It seemed to drag, especially in the last thirty minutes.

But, hell, this is an entertaining, funny, piece of comedy, and even with it's flaws and parts that I was annoyed by I can't say I disliked it.

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Tree of Life (2011)


Hmm, ah...I don't know what to really write here. I guess that's because I don't know what to really make of Tree of Life. I know it was a really well made film, but I'm not sure to what ends it was trying to achieve?

I've deliberately not read any reviews or summaries of the movie. I wanted my own review to be fresh from my head and not influenced by what others had written. I did see @ahwell and @neiba have already reviewed this and rated it highly, but as temped as I was, I didn't read their reviews, yet. I'm not surprised neiba liked it, as the movie reminded me of the documentary Barak which I think he nominated in a past HoF. It also reminded me of Boyhood and one other film...which I'll mention shortly.

I gather that this is a Christian themed movie? I heard a lot about God and grace and so I believe the film's idea is that: we're all connected through a higher grand plan than stretches back to the dawn of time, everything that happens is because of that master plan...and ultimately that which is lost will be found.

Do I have that right? Is that what the film is about? If so I don't have a problem with that. I can like a film regardless of it's message. Unless that message is hammered over your head repeatedly, but Tree of Life didn't do that.

I liked the narrative part, it was very different in how the cinematography and direction only showed us the moments in the families life and from up close. It was like we were witnessing events without the film taking a all-knowing narrative view. And in that way we're never quite sure what's happening, or will happen, and we really don't need to know that because the film is about the moments that make up a life.

Though I couldn't shake the feeling that writer & director Terrence Malick 'borrowed' the idea of his film from Tarkovsky's Solaris. Some of the visual sequences in the montages were strikingly similar to Tarkovsky's vision of the Solaris planet. And the whole idea/vision of lost loved ones all coming together in the end...with a visual montage climax presenting that idea was much a Solaris thing.

I'd call this a solid HoF nomination. I'm just not sure what to make of the film.



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The trick is not minding
Terrence Malick is a very meditative director. I’ve seen Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line and The New World. Enjoyed all New World, but really liked The Thine Red Line.
I own Days of Heaven, so I feel like I need to give it another view to better a praise it I guess.




Tree of Life (2011)


Hmm, ah...I don't know what to really write here. I guess that's because I don't know what to really make of Tree of Life. I know it was a really well made film, but I'm not sure to what ends it was trying to achieve?

I've deliberately not read any reviews or summaries of the movie. I wanted my own review to be fresh from my head and not influenced by what others had written. I did see @ahwell and @neiba have already reviewed this and rated it highly, but as temped as I was, I didn't read their reviews, yet. I'm not surprised neiba liked it, as the movie reminded me of the documentary Barak which I think he nominated in a past HoF. It also reminded me of Boyhood and one other film...which I'll mention shortly.

I gather that this is a Christian themed movie? I heard a lot about God and grace and so I believe the film's idea is that: we're all connected through a higher grand plan than stretches back to the dawn of time, everything that happens is because of that master plan...and ultimately that which is lost will be found.

Do I have that right? Is that what the film is about? If so I don't have a problem with that. I can like a film regardless of it's message. Unless that message is hammered over your head repeatedly, but Tree of Life didn't do that.

I liked the narrative part, it was very different in how the cinematography and direction only showed us the moments in the families life and from up close. It was like we were witnessing events without the film taking a all-knowing narrative view. And in that way we're never quite sure what's happening, or will happen, and we really don't need to know that because the film is about the moments that make up a life.

Though I couldn't shake the feeling that writer & director Terrence Malick 'borrowed' the idea of his film from Tarkovsky's Solaris. Some of the visual sequences in the montages were strikingly similar to Tarkovsky's vision of the Solaris planet. And the whole idea/vision of lost loved ones all coming together in the end...with a visual montage climax presenting that idea was much a Solaris thing.

I'd call this a solid HoF nomination. I'm just not sure what to make of the film.



Curious to see what you’ll give this for a rating once you post it in your reviews page... this is one of your reviews where I can’t tell if you hated it or loved it haha.



Curious to see what you’ll give this for a rating once you post it in your reviews page... this is one of your reviews where I can’t tell if you hated it or loved it haha.
That's because I don't know myself I did have one weird thought, that I never thought before while watching a movie: the film must have had more sequences (shots) than any other movie I've seen before. And it struck me as financial decadence. I kept thinking what else could have been done with all those scenes. In someways that pissed me off and it seemed like the director was showing off. I'm a firm believer in less is more. The end montage had way too many unnecessary scene shots in it and that for me deluded the ending and made me conclude the directory was indeed singing his own praises. That then put me off and so did my notion that his movie idea is lifted from Solaris. But there's no dening it's superbly made.



Curious to see what you’ll give this for a rating once you post it in your reviews page... this is one of your reviews where I can’t tell if you hated it or loved it haha.
That's because I don't know myself I did have one weird thought, that I never thought before while watching a movie: the film must have had more sequences (shots) than any other movie I've seen before. And it struck me as financial decadence. I kept thinking what else could have been done with all those scenes. In someways that pissed me off and it seemed like the director was showing off. I'm a firm believer in less is more. The end montage had way too many unnecessary scene shots in it and that for me deluded the ending and made me conclude the directory was indeed singing his own praises. That then put me off and so did my notion that his movie idea is lifted from Solaris. But there's no dening it's superbly made.
Interesting. Do you mean the really quick cuts during all the artsy stuff? Like there would be a “forward shot” (I don’t know terminology at all) and then a quick cut but it would look like the same shot? That kind of bothered me too, but only enough to take off a 1/2 star. The beginning and ending were definitely my least favorite parts of the movie.



Interesting. Do you mean the really quick cuts during all the artsy stuff? Like there would be a “forward shot” (I don’t know terminology at all) and then a quick cut but it would look like the same shot?...
I'm not sure what you mean? But now I'm interested in that. Can you find a video clip from the movie with that “forward shot” as you called it, in the clip?


What I meant was there were a lot of different scenes with lots of shots. By shot I mean between edits.



Interesting. Do you mean the really quick cuts during all the artsy stuff? Like there would be a “forward shot” (I don’t know terminology at all) and then a quick cut but it would look like the same shot?...
I'm not sure what you mean? But now I'm interested in that. Can you find a video clip from the movie with that “forward shot” as you called it, in the clip?


What I meant was there were a lot of different scenes with lots of shots. By shot I mean between edits.
There was one in particular, when the camera was like going through a cliff/mountain and through a crevice in the rocks and there were a bunch of quick cuts as it was getting closer and closer, yet it wasn’t cutting to anything, just restarting the same shot at the same place.

I know that doesn’t make any sense, sorry lol. I looked for it on YouTube but couldn’t find it.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
The Breakfast Club



This was my second watch of this film. I wish this was one I had watched a lot growing up but for whatever reason I never saw it till like five years ago.

Anyways it's a really good teen movie character study. I always wished people who are different and have different backgrounds could still be friends. Seems like my high school always had clicks and there were divides everywhere. I imagine it to be very similar elsewhere too.

I liked the acting and characters although admittedly there really isn't a standout to me. The directing was really on point and a nice story was told. Like all things John Hughes, the screenplay is probably the ultimate highlight here.

It's one of those gems of the 80s that always will deserve a revisit.

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Man I feel like I'm slacking here. I just haven't been motivated to watch anything and I have family visiting for the next several days so not sure when I'll get another one watched. Hopefully soon.



There was one in particular, when the camera was like going through a cliff/mountain and through a crevice in the rocks and there were a bunch of quick cuts as it was getting closer and closer, yet it wasn’t cutting to anything, just restarting the same shot at the same place.

I know that doesn’t make any sense, sorry lol. I looked for it on YouTube but couldn’t find it.
I can't remember that exact sequence. It sounds like the red-orange rock formations in Utah. I thought that was cool looking.



Man I feel like I'm slacking here. I just haven't been motivated to watch anything and I have family visiting for the next several days so not sure when I'll get another one watched. Hopefully soon.
Pick a nom to watch with your family, depending on the movie that could liven things up



The trick is not minding
Man I feel like I'm slacking here. I just haven't been motivated to watch anything and I have family visiting for the next several days so not sure when I'll get another one watched. Hopefully soon.
I’m slacking as well, but I’m trying to finish Western HOF first. I might do one this week, but I’m not too concerned considering I have all of February to finish them.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
Man I feel like I'm slacking here. I just haven't been motivated to watch anything and I have family visiting for the next several days so not sure when I'll get another one watched. Hopefully soon.
I literally just watched my second today. You're way ahead.



Pick a nom to watch with your family, depending on the movie that could liven things up
I've got a hunch that my three year old nephew is not going to sit through Being There, Dark City, The Tree of Life or The Hunt and I'm not about to watch Quills with family of any age.