The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame

Tools    





Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Opening Title Card: This song of the Man and his Wife is of no place and every place; you might hear it anywhere, at any time.
For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city's turmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet.


Placing 3rd in our Pre-30s Countdown and winning the Best Picture Oscar, directed by a visual genius, FW Murnau, this WAS one of those great films I needed to see.
Like many, I had known of Nosferatu and, with the Pre-30s Hall of Fame, I had nominated another of his, Faust. Setting the bar high for the visual magick of Murnau in this romantic fairy tale. And It was easily met and easily cleared.
From the double exposures to setting the couple in traffic and transforming the backgrounds, there is some amazing innovative photography tricks that express emotion far more than dialogue could.
I thought George O'Brien did exceedingly well as The Man. Some of his more tortured moments, such as out on the rowboat had futures shades of Frankenstein's Colin Clive to his performance.
Playing his wife, Janet Gaynor whom I was introduced to in Lucky Star and 7th Heaven is at her most adorable, most kind and loving, to the point of sainthood.

Even though the story is incredibly simplistic, it is the imagery that delves so deeply and illustrates the emotions and thoughts so beautifully that places this film to its well deserved heights.

In its time, I have heard a number of people recommend, praise and insist on me watching this, so I am a bit hard pressed to guess who nominated this.
But, like all of the previous ones so far, THANK YOU
__________________
What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes
~Mr Minio



Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

I am a bit hard pressed to guess who nominated this.
But, like all of the previous ones so far, THANK YOU
I thought for a moment it was me who chose it, but nope I chose a much newer film for you. I'd guess Raul but he didn't join. Glad you liked it!






Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Opening Title Card: This song of the Man and his Wife is of no place and every place; you might hear it anywhere, at any time.
For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city's turmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet.


Placing 3rd in our Pre-30s Countdown and winning the Best Picture Oscar, directed by a visual genius, FW Murnau, this WAS one of those great films I needed to see.
Like many, I had known of Nosferatu and, with the Pre-30s Hall of Fame, I had nominated another of his, Faust. Setting the bar high for the visual magick of Murnau in this romantic fairy tale. And It was easily met and easily cleared.
From the double exposures to setting the couple in traffic and transforming the backgrounds, there is some amazing innovative photography tricks that express emotion far more than dialogue could.
I thought George O'Brien did exceedingly well as The Man. Some of his more tortured moments, such as out on the rowboat had futures shades of Frankenstein's Colin Clive to his performance.
Playing his wife, Janet Gaynor whom I was introduced to in Lucky Star and 7th Heaven is at her most adorable, most kind and loving, to the point of sainthood.

Even though the story is incredibly simplistic, it is the imagery that delves so deeply and illustrates the emotions and thoughts so beautifully that places this film to its well deserved heights.

In its time, I have heard a number of people recommend, praise and insist on me watching this, so I am a bit hard pressed to guess who nominated this.
But, like all of the previous ones so far, THANK YOU
iirc it was me that chose this!!! I too sadly watched it after the countdown, but loved it and it would have made my list. Glad you enjoyed!



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I thought for a moment it was me who chose it, but nope I chose a much newer film for you. I'd guess Raul but he didn't join. Glad you liked it!
I considered you as well and then thought: naw, that'll be TOO easy of a pick lol
iirc it was me that chose this!!! I too sadly watched it after the countdown, but loved it and it would have made my list. Glad you enjoyed!
THANK YOU ahwell!!



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
well, no one claimed Straight Story or Night of the Hunter. . . did you nominate either of them?

If not, out of the remaining I would think The Graduate or Dazed and Confused



well, no one claimed Straight Story or Night of the Hunter. . . did you nominate either of them?

If not, out of the remaining I would think The Graduate or Dazed and Confused
I got unlazy and went and checked the first page...nope you haven't seen it yet. BTW Straight Story & Night of the Hunter...loved both of those.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I got unlazy and went and checked the first page...nope you haven't seen it yet. BTW Straight Story & Night of the Hunter...loved both of those.
very much so. Been very happy so far in the films I've watched in this.






Day of the Jackal (1973)


If film is just a visual medium than Day of the Jackal is a masterpiece, the composition of shots in this film is remarkable. But man was this film a slough to get through. Jackal is the story of a group of french resistance fighters who fail to assassinate the french president. For a second attempt they decide to hire an English assassin called "The Jackal"...and well the film basically completely falls apart. You can tell the film was adapted from a novel because we get these chapters and episodes of the Jackal...problem is we don't see much of a point with the overarching story.


You don't really care about the characters and the film is just so long. Also everyone in this film is British though they are supposed to represent different countries for the story to work. It's limits like that that take you out of the story. Each one of the scenes is great but it doesn't work as a cohesive story.




Yellow Sky
(William A. Wellman, 1948)


The first half of Yellow Sky is compelling, atypical and psychologically rich. A bank robbery occurs and a chase ensues, horses racing at breakneck speed across the visually-striking salt flats, the pounding of their hooves in sync with the pounding of viewers' hearts. Tense, exciting, edge-of-your-saddle stuff. This thrilling introduction soon transitions into a tale of survival: parched cowboys sweating interpersonal conflicts under the scorching desert sun. Canteen whiskey, diminishing water, no refuge in sight. A cast of black hats, their pouches stuffed with meaningless wealth: who lives, who dies? I would've been happy if the entire film had orbited this dilemma; but lo and behold: on the horizon -- a town! Death is delayed. Thirsts are quenched. An abandoned town provides respite. The only inhabitants here are ghosts, tumbleweeds . . . and an old prospector and his feisty granddaughter. Lust bubbles to the surface over swaying hips. Testosterone-fueled tensions threaten to tear apart the outlaw gang. It seems that viewers are in store for a dynamic, unpredictable game of sexual politics among morally bankrupt bank robbers . . . only for the film to shift in yet another direction. Now we're in well-trodden territory about greed and hidden gold. The rest of Yellow Sky plays out like a disappointing, inferior version of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (coincidentally released the same year).

Throughout most of his career, Gregory Peck was the on-screen personification of dignified virtue, so it's no surprise who among this cast of thieves is the first to find a conscience (which was apparently hiding beneath Peck's beard, as his character's shift toward righteousness occurs shortly after a shave). Though a bit miscast, he's fine in the lead role, especially in moments that require his trademark stoicism. Richard Widmark seems more at home in the alleyways of noir than on horseback, but he puts his weaselly smirk to good use, even if his talent is underutilized by the script. The supporting cast do well with their eccentricities --- John Russell, in particular, who seems the horniest of the bunch, staring longingly and lustfully at the painting of a woman in a bar during an early scene that exemplifies his lecherous nature. Anne Baxter is possibly the standout as a strong-willed woman uncharacteristic of the genre. Plant one on her lips, she'll sock you in the jaw. Too bad that by the end "love" has eroded much of what made her character interesting. The prolific William A. Wellman, known for his no-frills approach to direction, proves equally adept at subtle sexuality as he does with shoot-outs. The lack of a musical score is likely meant to mirror the barren desert landscape, but I could've used a lonesome harmonica or a few acoustic plucks to complement the on-screen emotions.

As the saying goes, it's not how you start a race, but how you finish. Yellow Sky should have heeded that advice. Despite coming out of the gates hot, the film unravels as it goes along, eventually limping to the closing credits. What starts as a fresh, unique take on the western with numerous interesting avenues to explore, disappointingly settles for the most predictable path already well-worn by previous films. Don't get me wrong: Yellow Sky is a good movie and it's certainly worthwhile for fans of the genre; but fair or not, last impressions are strongest impressions. To that end, Yellow Sky underwhelms. I rode away from this ghost town feeling that it was a missed opportunity at something special.

__________________



As for who nominated Yellow Sky, @Citizen Rules is an easy guess. It wouldn't surprise me if this is one of the many westerns he reviewed and I was like, "That looks good!" It also doesn't seem to be a particularly well-known western, so it wouldn't surprise me if he and cricket are the only two in this HOF who have seen it.



As for who nominated Yellow Sky, @Citizen Rules is an easy guess. It wouldn't surprise me if this is one of the many westerns he reviewed and I was like, "That looks good!" It also doesn't seem to be a particularly well-known western, so it wouldn't surprise me if he and cricket are the only two in this HOF who have seen it.
Good guessing. I thought you might have chose to watch Yellow Sky before sending in your western ballot. But oh well, it doesn't sound like it would have made your ballot anyway.

For me I love Yellow Sky for three things:

The ultra cool western ghost town out in the middle of a dessert. What a mood setting set!

The stand off between the desperadoes at the water hole and the old miner and the girl in the cabin. The water hole set and cabin were both important elements to the film.

But mostly I like Anne Baxter in this. I've seen her in other stuff of course but she never really stood out like she did here in this role. Glad to see you thought well of her performance too.

I will say the very last scene is not to my liking, so I just tend to ignore that brief scene.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I remember a lot of talk about Yellow Sky during the 40s HoF and at the time, I watched it once hearing that Widmark was in it.
Can't remember a lot of it, but I do remember the ending shoot out and the conflicts around the pond/water hole and that I did enjoy it quite a bit.




Oldboy (2003)

Did Quentin Tarantino dirty up the rest of the world's cinema with pulpy, cheesy torture fluff? Oldboy is like Pulp Fiction meets Disney mass entertainment...

It starts off very promising with Dae-Su (Min-Sik Choi) doing a damn funny drunk...then it gets even cooler when it goes psych-surrealistic with Dae-Su mysteriously imprisoned in a curiously decorated room. That all too brief first act reminded me of The Truman Show. I'd give that first 45 minutes a 4/5. But once he's out of his personal prison the reveal of what was going on bored me. I had hoped we'd find out that his prison room was all in his own head, or perhaps he was in a mental ward and had hallucinated the other life. But the revenge, action, torture stuff is crap to me and reminded me of Pulp Fiction. I'm not generally a fan of Korean movies, the ones I see seem like Korea's version of the Hollywood blockbuster, big on action and cheap thrills. I like movies that feed the soul and the mind. I don't care for movies that are the equivalent of deep fried pork rinds.

Attachments
Click image for larger version

Name:	tumblr_po1khsA6iR1wzrtjp_540.jpg
Views:	654
Size:	23.6 KB
ID:	64966