Reply to Topic
I realize I can just use google for that last question. I think I only asked because it came to me while reading CR's post. Apparently he was only 9!
__________________
25th Hall of Fame
I'm curious to know how you would have changed the ending, if you don't mind sharing.s.
WARNING: spoilers below
I would have had him get away with stealing the bike. I like the ethical dilemma of that. It’s still there, I just like the idea of the cycle perpetuating
X
Favorite Movies
Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)
I don't really know anything about the man but I always pictured Welles as a grumpy bastard on set so seeing so much genuine mirth radiating from the film was a pleasant surprise. Everyone is having a blast here spouting Shakespeare gibberish and myself being rather smooth-brained was able to interpret very little of it. Not that I minded at all since I don't care about narrative in the least anyway and also it just sounds cool. Not only does it sound cool but lucky me the movie looks cool too! Bouncing between some decently intricate tracking shots and fairly quick, dynamically framed static shots, the film has a lot of life too it and is a bit rough around the edges which adds an air of spontaneity to it as well. Of course the standout scene,
Now, that rough around the edges feel I mentioned earlier does occasionally result in some not great feeling cuts and me not grasping the language at all did lead to the mind starting to wander from time to time. Very minor complaints. This was a real pleasant surprise in that a) its great and b) that Welles shot a movie where he dunked on himself the entire runtime.
Off to a great start so far. Guess I should watch something bad next so I'm not stuck with all the duds at the end.
I don't really know anything about the man but I always pictured Welles as a grumpy bastard on set so seeing so much genuine mirth radiating from the film was a pleasant surprise. Everyone is having a blast here spouting Shakespeare gibberish and myself being rather smooth-brained was able to interpret very little of it. Not that I minded at all since I don't care about narrative in the least anyway and also it just sounds cool. Not only does it sound cool but lucky me the movie looks cool too! Bouncing between some decently intricate tracking shots and fairly quick, dynamically framed static shots, the film has a lot of life too it and is a bit rough around the edges which adds an air of spontaneity to it as well. Of course the standout scene,
WARNING: "Description of said standout scene" spoilers below
the large battle in the middle of the film, deserves its own special mention. For one I wasn't even expecting a battle at all (again, smooth-brain) let alone one that was so visceral and bordering on horrific at points even and then to have that inter-spliced with Welles in his big dumb suit of armour running around like a doofus was a brilliant roller coaster of feelings.
Off to a great start so far. Guess I should watch something bad next so I'm not stuck with all the duds at the end.
X
Favorite Movies
Themroc
I now find it funny that I spent time searching for a version with English subtitles. I wonder what came first, the story or the idea to have no real language used. It's a perfect match and a very unique and effective idea. It's hard for me to say exactly what it's about or if there's a message. It seems to me that the lead gets fed up with his mundane roots and decides to go all primitive. It's an odd role to play and I think the actor did a fantastic job. It's a good bit of fun watching it play out especially when others join him. I loved the look of the movie and very much appreciated the still shot at the end. The biggest saving grace might be that the movie has an edge to it. It's not for children. For me the issue is that it seemed to be a one note movie, and perhaps could have used a wee bit of trimming. Due to the competition it won't do well on my ballot but it's a very unique watch. A cool nomination that I'm glad to have seen.
I now find it funny that I spent time searching for a version with English subtitles. I wonder what came first, the story or the idea to have no real language used. It's a perfect match and a very unique and effective idea. It's hard for me to say exactly what it's about or if there's a message. It seems to me that the lead gets fed up with his mundane roots and decides to go all primitive. It's an odd role to play and I think the actor did a fantastic job. It's a good bit of fun watching it play out especially when others join him. I loved the look of the movie and very much appreciated the still shot at the end. The biggest saving grace might be that the movie has an edge to it. It's not for children. For me the issue is that it seemed to be a one note movie, and perhaps could have used a wee bit of trimming. Due to the competition it won't do well on my ballot but it's a very unique watch. A cool nomination that I'm glad to have seen.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
...Do you (or anyone else) happen to know how old that kid was at the time? He had this look about him that made him appear wise beyond his years.
X
Favorite Movies
Bicycle Thieves / Ladri di Biciclette (1948)
Directed By: Vittorio De Sica
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell
I first saw this film around a decade ago, but it didn't exactly leave an impression on me. Since I didn't find it engaging at the time, over the years it became difficult to recall the film's finer details. Despite not remembering much about it, I was always surprised by how much love I saw for Bicycle Thieves online. Whenever someone called it a masterpiece, it made me wonder if there was another film with the same title.
Watching the film again, the opening scenes were far more intriguing than I had found them before. The realistic portrayal of poverty and desperation was quite impressive, and it was a wise choice to use amateur actors who didn't exactly have to imagine the living conditions depicted in the film. There was some odd dubbing to many scenes that I found distracting, but overall I thought the story was rather interesting.
However that all changed about halfway through the film, around the time Ricci and his son started following the old man. The chase and subsequent badgering went on for far too long, and it completely disengaged me from the film. I lost sympathy for the father, which his behaviour afterwards certainly didn't help, and I no longer cared about what happened at all. As such, the final scenes fell completely flat. I do at least see why some people really appreciate the film, but it's just not something that resonates with me.
Watching the film again, the opening scenes were far more intriguing than I had found them before. The realistic portrayal of poverty and desperation was quite impressive, and it was a wise choice to use amateur actors who didn't exactly have to imagine the living conditions depicted in the film. There was some odd dubbing to many scenes that I found distracting, but overall I thought the story was rather interesting.
However that all changed about halfway through the film, around the time Ricci and his son started following the old man. The chase and subsequent badgering went on for far too long, and it completely disengaged me from the film. I lost sympathy for the father, which his behaviour afterwards certainly didn't help, and I no longer cared about what happened at all. As such, the final scenes fell completely flat. I do at least see why some people really appreciate the film, but it's just not something that resonates with me.
X
Favorite Movies
I just finished rewatching BlacKkKlansman. I saw it at the theater when it first came out and I loved it then and I love it even more now. Spike Lee brilliantly stick it to the man in this powerful film which is more relevant than ever. John David Washington is fantastic and I really enjoyed his performance. Adam Driver does a great job here too. The rest of the cast were very good too. The screenplay was really smart and effective, managing to be laugh out loud funny at times and also sad and disturbing in other moments. I liked that Lee was not afraid to tackle racism and hatred head on and make parallels to contemporary individuals and events. For me, it worked really well. I think Blackkklansman should have won best picture and best director at the Oscars and that it was better than any of the other films nominated for best picture that year. My rating is .
X
Favorite Movies
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Robert Altman has always been a directer I either loathe or love it varies based upon the work. The Long Goodbye is my favorite of his work and the film that fits his style the best. See the thing about Altman is he believes in a natural approach to filmmaking, characters trip over their words, we don't get direct answers, people talk over each other. If you are doing a drama or a comedy it pretty much just sucks the life out of you...but when you have a point and good story it's magic.
The film starts with a pair of friends, broke loser of a PI in Phillip Marlow (Elliott Gould) and his friend a gambler Terry Lennox. Lennox needs a ride across the border so he asks his friend Phillip for the help. Marlowe is then arrested when it's revealed that Lennox's wife was murdered. Three days later Marlowe is released when the police announce that Terry is dead in Mexico. What follows is a set of densely packed scenes that are confusing and haunting.
Altman manages to not waste a scene and does an expert job with casting. The biggest star in the film is a cameo from future governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sterling Hayden who came off his pivotal role in the Godfather shines in this as a manic writer Roger Wade. It's a surprise to me he never received a supporting actor Oscar nomination during his career as it's littered with a such variety of legendary supporting performances.
Mark Rydell who is better known as director (on Golden Pond) and Henry Gibson (Wilbur from Charlotte's Web) play a pair of heavies in the story. They are both slight and tiny men that manage to bring fear into the scenes they are in. Nina van Pallandt plays the female lead and naturally she's best known for...a lot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_van_Pallandt
Altman deserves a lot of credit for casting non-stars it improves the mystery because typically the killer is the bigger star in the group, but when everyone is on the same level you don't get the tip off.
My favorite part of the film though is the work of the cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. When I was watching this I kept thinking how it reminded me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. How the houses all felt lived in, the stories could be told in the back of the shot, or the foreground. Your eyes are always moving around and you are constantly stimulated. Unlike most noirs this isn't a story in the shadows but rather in the light, with glares and sunny beaches and LA parties with leftover hippies. Zsigmond helps create a world you want to live in...and you really want to know whats going on with those topless hippies across the complex.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Whiplash (2014)
Directed By: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser
I never have, and never will understand jazz. It always just sounds like a cacophony of random noise to me. The fact that I wholeheartedly hate brass instruments certainly doesn't help, as they tend to feature very heavily in that genre of music. I can't tell good jazz from bad, and I also can't comprehend why banging on the drums like a madman is somehow “better” than playing at a sustainable speed. Yet despite all those obstacles, I actually enjoyed Whiplash.
The performances in the film are phenomenal. Andrew is quite full of himself, but Miles Teller manages to make him seem endearing, even when his ego erupts into teenaged tantrums. J.K. Simmons completely steals the show however. Fletcher is a grossly exaggerated character that could've seemed ridiculous, yet Simmons is absolutely terrifying in the role. His back and forth, hot and cold manipulation of his students is very compelling to witness.
I may have gotten some sort of second-hand exhaustion watching those drummers, soaked in sweat with their hands bleeding, push themselves to the limit trying to land that core position. While I agree with the film's assertion that you cannot expect greatness if you completely coddle your students, abuse certainly isn't the answer. I was worried that the film was sort of justifying Fletcher's behaviour, but it's more so about Andrew's sheer determination than anything else. It's certainly an interesting experience, and the headache that drum solo gave me was worth it.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Blackkklansman (2018)
I really don't get the hype about Spike Lee...
The theme being depicted is terribly important, but when there's no subtlety, then it's just propaganda. Everything is on the nose, there's no artistic thought behind any directorial option. And it doesn't lack subtlety in the style of Tarantino, who can actually pull it off, it's just preaching.
Apart from that, solid acting, especially from Adam Driver, and the whole thing is nicely paced. But, after a second watch, I still ended the movie thinking: "is that it?" and this time that feeling was even stronger.
I really don't get the hype about Spike Lee...
The theme being depicted is terribly important, but when there's no subtlety, then it's just propaganda. Everything is on the nose, there's no artistic thought behind any directorial option. And it doesn't lack subtlety in the style of Tarantino, who can actually pull it off, it's just preaching.
Apart from that, solid acting, especially from Adam Driver, and the whole thing is nicely paced. But, after a second watch, I still ended the movie thinking: "is that it?" and this time that feeling was even stronger.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I really wanted to join this, because there are so many interesting films here, but I already have 3 HOF I am in and with OT on Saturdays and a wedding coming up next weekend, which requires me to travel out of state....my time is limited.
Ugh.
I’ll see you guys at the 26th
Ugh.
I’ll see you guys at the 26th
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I really wanted to join this, because there are so many interesting films here, but I already have 3 HOF I am in and with OT on Saturdays and a wedding coming up next weekend, which requires me to travel out of state....my time is limited.
Ugh.
I’ll see you guys at the 26th
Ugh.
I’ll see you guys at the 26th
X
Favorite Movies
You didn't join? I thought you did! I guess I just assumed you did as it seemed like a natural....Bummer you won't be a part of this, but it's understandable.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I thought about this past week. And there are a few films that really interest me here that made me really think twice. Definitely next time though.
X
Favorite Movies
I think we have the best bunch of noms that we've had since the early days of HoFs. I was impressed as the noms came in. Oh, and all the noms are shorter between 2 hours and 90 minutes so an easier watch than usual...no 3 hour plus movies this time! So what have you seen out of the noms?
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I think we have the best bunch of noms that we've had since the early days of HoFs. I was impressed as the noms came in. Oh, and all the noms are shorter between 2 hours and 90 minutes so an easier watch than usual...no 3 hour plus movies this time! So what have you seen out of the noms?
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
The overall quality seems to have gone up the past couple HOFs. I'd say there was a lull when things like Contratiempo and Station Agent were winning. And I didn't mind either of those, but stuff like that would certainly be in the middle of the last couple HOFs we've had.
X
Favorite Movies
X