Greetings, Crystal Lake campers.
For today's question we look to the world of cinema.
What's a film that is universally loved, but for some reason you can't stand? For me, there are a few, but the one that stands out the most, and one that I'll never concede on, is Scarface. Terrible characters, terrible score, terrible pacing, and a whole bunch of other unpleasantness. Although, because of that film it did give us Cartman getting his ass-kicked at the Special Olympics to the tune Push It Too The Limit.
How say you?
For today's question we look to the world of cinema.
What's a film that is universally loved, but for some reason you can't stand? For me, there are a few, but the one that stands out the most, and one that I'll never concede on, is Scarface. Terrible characters, terrible score, terrible pacing, and a whole bunch of other unpleasantness. Although, because of that film it did give us Cartman getting his ass-kicked at the Special Olympics to the tune Push It Too The Limit.
How say you?
Agree on Scarface. The last hour of that film was horrendous.
ReplyDeleteThe Hangover is really overrated, IMO.
There's two, and both for the reason that the first hour is stunningly brilliant, and the rest sucks.
ReplyDeleteThe Green Mile - a chilling tale of humanity that turns into shit with fairies.
The Matrix - a great sci-fi concept that turns into a lame, faux kung-fu stuntfest.
I thought the Godfather films were so...fucking...boring. This is coming from someone who was obsessed with the Sopranos and loved Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco etc
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm not into kung fu fests in film (and kung fu films in general), which my mates find pretty weird as I'm so into wrestling
ReplyDeleteGreat question today Caliber.
ReplyDeleteI'll stay recent and say Iron Man 3 and ST: Into Darkness. Both have a really high score on metacritic and rotten tomatoes, but I found things within them that made me dislike them. I don't outright hate them, but I have no need to ever see them again.
THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one who didn't like The Godfather.
ReplyDeleteI'd make an exception for Shaolin Soccer. One of the funniest movies I've seen in my life and it happens to have kung fu in it.
ReplyDeleteYep. Only seen the first two, and only once, but I really don't get it.
ReplyDelete"I did not care for the Godfather."
Yeah I feel like a lot of people pretend they liked it more than they really did
ReplyDeleteYeah, comedy kung fu is okay with me
ReplyDeleteScarface was half an hour too long, but it was great. Pure 80s schmaltzfest...
ReplyDeleteI turned Godfather II off halfway through and didn't even watch III. Such a slow movie series. Plus, the second one was mostly in Italian. I don't care for that.
ReplyDeleteInception looks fantastic, but makes no sense whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteThe Sixth Sense is dull and plodding, with a plot twist that can be seen coming a mile away.
And the chainsaw scene. Man...
ReplyDeleteGet out! You don't like it? Fine, no big deal. Don't start making suppositions about other people's taste.
ReplyDeleteI personally LOVE the first 2 Godfathers. The third one stunk, imo.
I also didnt like Rushmore at all. Way too smug for me and just not a good film.
ReplyDeleteInception is the most overrated film ever. Not that isn't a decent movie but when it is put up there with the greats it isn't even close.
ReplyDeletePlus, without Scarface, we don't get Razor Ramon. For that alone, it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteNo you didn't! You hated it! You thought it was slow and plodding.
ReplyDeleteYeah you're right, I was thinking about specific people when I wrote that
Scarface is far from universally loved.
ReplyDeleteI won't argue the merits of Inception to you, that's for you to decide. To say that it didn't make logical sense? That one I'll fight. Within the world they created, it was easy to follow along.
ReplyDeleteSee: Kung Pow
ReplyDeleteTransformers, Lord of the Rings series, Sin City, City of God
ReplyDeleteGone with the Wind for me. I am history teacher and I teach the Civil War so I would think I might like it. I saw the first 2 hours and thought "That was a good movie not too bad." Then I saw that there was a 2nd part and "I'm thinking What the fuck?" That 2nd part is sooooo boring and useless. I want to strangle Scarlett at the end because she was so whiny and bitchy. If you can't tell a story in less than 3 hours, make it into 2 movies ala Kill Bill.
ReplyDeleteForrest Gump. I never despised it til I was in the military, and would have to listen to the rednecks I work with recite movie quotes from it all day long for 4 years...now I fucking hate it
ReplyDeleteThe Matrix sequels turned into "lame, faux kung fu 'stuntfests."
ReplyDeleteThe first movie is pretty solid.
Oh, City Of God is superb.
ReplyDeleteFor those that say The Godfather is boring, uh it's not an action movie. It's a character study. Not to get all Grant Morrison fanboyish, but if you don't like The Godfather, you don't appreciate fine film-making.
ReplyDeleteTitanic.
ReplyDeleteHonorable mention: Anything with Sandra Bullock.
City of God was going along great but it had that terrible typical indie movie "ghetto kid makes good by becoming a writer/photographer/fimmaker/artist" ending. Rocket was a cipher, no one really needed him to have a feelgood moment at the end.
ReplyDeleteShe's the worst.
ReplyDeleteNot really sure who you're arguing against. I love the film, but don't know anybody who places it among the greatest films of all time
ReplyDeleteStar Wars. The entire franchise.
ReplyDeleteOr it just fails in keeping one's attention because it's boring.
ReplyDeleteDidn't take to Raiders of the Lost Ark all that much.
ReplyDeleteYou should probably stick to Kevin James vehicles then.
ReplyDeleteOh man, amen. I've watched both films, twice. The first time I saw them I thought "I must have missed something. No, this can't be right. These have to be as good as I've heard". But when I saw them again, nope. They couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Goodfellas, or Casino.
ReplyDeleteAre there some great aspects to the films? Yup. But not enough to say it's better than Shawshank Redemption.
Iron Man 3 is decent, but no way it deserves anything higher than ***3/4.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why comic book franchises can't get the 3rd film right.
Blade Runner. I've tried watching it multiple times throughout my life and every time, I'm just bored to tears and wind up shutting it off within the first half hour or so.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying Paul Blart Mall Cop isn't an all-time classic? If so, then fuck you sir!
ReplyDeleteThis is another reason why I don't dig the Godfather much. Because people absolutely ride you to death if you aren't constantly dying to give the film a verbal BJ.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is the first two almost write themselves. The first movie is the origin so it's mostly setting up everything to come. The second movie is when the character is an established hero doing his 'hero' thing. When the third comes around, they typically want to up the ante but the biggest problem is the best villains are usually used in the first two films so they have a lesser villain for #3.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason why most critics have it as one of the three best films ever made.
ReplyDeleteReally? Wow. I honestly didn't think it was possible for someone not to love Indy.
ReplyDeleteDark Knight Rises.
ReplyDeleteSo is Citizen Kane. Most critics don't choose films based on entertainment value.
ReplyDeleteI am openly avid about hating Star Wars, but that's mostly due to the cult that surrounds it and their insistance on wedging it into every facet of their lives. Still, its just a basic good guys vs bad guuys serial that somehow turned people into frothing fanatics.
ReplyDeleteAs far as really cinephile-y things, I really wasn't wowed by 8 1/2. Typical lazy "let's make a movie about making movies" that got credit because it toyed with reality in a way that apparently impressed movie geeks in its day.
And for a more modern one, its far from universally beloved, but I hated the first Spider-Man movie. Tobey Maguire cannot act, and we all need to stop pretending he can. He either has a dopey stoned smile, a blank wide eyed weepy look, or a crinkly "little kid throwing a tantrum" angry face. Those are his only looks. And the rest of the movie was hokey and overwrought. And Dafoe looked like a Power Rangers villain at the end.
Again, stick to Kevin James vehicles. If you can't get engrossed by The Godfather, Citizen Kane and Casablanca, I honestly feel bad for you.
ReplyDeleteI was going to jump on here and claim the same thing, so it looks like you beat me to it. I have gotten SO much flack for not liking this movie, but I honestly feel like it was a product of its time, and that time was not in the year 2009 at 2AM.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a horrible movie; I just don't get what's so great about it.
A lot of these issues seem to have to do with what age you see a movie. People that don't like Raiders or Star Wars, clearly saw them to late in life. The Goonies and The Karate Kid and Ghostbusters and Back to the Future fall into the same category.
ReplyDeleteI was originally going to speak out about Blade Runner until I saw that someone else posted it, so I'll go with my other choice: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though to be fair, I do know other people that don't enjoy it, so maybe it's not "universally" loved, despite having a very wide fanbase.
ReplyDeleteThe movies are just too slow-paced for me, and no, I'm not one of those guys who likes something to be happening at all times like it's a Michael Bay movie or something. No, I can deal with a long intricate story, but the pacing in those movies, at least IMO, is AWFUL. I just can't get through them, and I refuse to even try anymore.
P.S. The worst excuse I'll continue to hear forever, "Well, if you didn't read the books, then it's harder to enjoy the movie." That means NOTHING. All you're doing in that case is promoting some kind of self-aware elitism that you feel somehow places you on this grand soapbox of superfans. Think about it: there weren't any Star Wars books before the movies. So just don't go there at all, please.
Rant over.
Kung Fu Hustle was awesome and hilarious as well. Also stars Steven Chow from Shaolin Soccer.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see BTTF or Goonies for the first time until I was 25, or Ghostbusters until I was 27, and loved all of them, so it's not always the case.
ReplyDeleteI'll agree with you on Tobey (though being the first ever Spider-Man movie that didn't seem low-budget gives a lot of stuff in it a pass), and the "chemistry between him and Dunst was more like cyanide and dog feces, but Dafoe's work in it was amazing. NVM that he looked cartoony in that suit - the mirror scene redeems just about everything in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI still like it more than the reboot, if only slightly.
I love the trilogy but never read the books. I agree that's stupid elitist bullshit.
ReplyDeleteNuking the fridge.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to make this about actors, but I despise anything made by Vince Vaughn with the fire of a thousand suns. After watching "Couples Retreat", it was like he was practically perfect and the other guys were losers. And I couldn't make it through "The Dilemma".
ReplyDeleteThere's just something about him that makes me want to do a Nailz-Big Bossman rendition on him.
Meh, couldn't care less about any of them. They're simply not entertaining. Well-made, well-written, boring as dogshit.
ReplyDeleteI've always found it silly for people to "feel bad" for others simply because they don't enjoy the same taste in books/movies/TV/music.
I'm not saying its impossible to like them later on, it's just impossible to dislike them when you're young.
ReplyDeleteYou can't appreciate fine film-making. It's okay. The world needs ditch-diggers too.
ReplyDeleteIf she is going to be a boring, unfunny, never in anything good actress, she should at least have the decency to be hot.
ReplyDeleteDamn, Dougie's being a complete douche about this.
ReplyDeleteWhen isn't he a complete douche about everything?
ReplyDeleteDo they hire based on film recommendations?
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the few places I can openyl say I despise Star Wars and think it is crazy over rated... sadly Mrs. Parallax1978 worships it... she has a Darth Maul tattoo (which is how I initially opened negotiations with her) and another that is Anakin Skywalker as a child fading into Darth Vader... so yeah I can't get away from it. Ever.
ReplyDeletenot sure if its universally loved, but i hate chasing amy. hits too close to home.
ReplyDeletealso cant stand a christmas story. you can thank tbs for that by running it a zillion times in a row every holiday season since i was a kid
strangely, though, i dont have a problem with elf, even though its the modern overplayed holiday movie a la christmas story
i hate denzel washington. every character he plays is boiled down to 'angry black man'
ReplyDeleteMy favorite asshole is a tracer?
ReplyDeleteIndy 4 is damn good. People want to talk about the fridge scene, but what about falling out of an airplane on a rubber raft, landing safely, then flying down a mountainside before falling off and falling for about a mile or so and landing comfortably in the water?
ReplyDeleteI can understand that, but Vaughn has had some great movies. He's fantastic in Starsky & Hutch.
ReplyDeleteThat's just ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAnd accurate.
ReplyDeleteIf you get into a serious movie discussion and say you can't stand The Godfather, Casablanca and Citizen Kane, you will be deservedly mocked and derided.
ReplyDeleteProbably not for Scott Hall...
ReplyDeleteFlight?
ReplyDeletelol i had to look that up b/c i was so turned off by the movie i never watched it again, and that was like 10 years ago (yeah i know its from the 90's)
ReplyDeleteall the weird relationship stuff is what did it for me
Grease. I would rather pierce my own eardrum than watch that again. Actually, anything with Travolta except Pulp Fiction and The Punisher.
ReplyDeleteTaking of Pelham 123? The Bone Collector? Fallen? Devil in a Blue Dress? The Pelican Brief?
ReplyDeleteMeh. Maybe it's because I didn't see it until years after it came out, and all the best bits were spoiled. Not to give too much away on a thirty year old movie but I was underwhelmed by the ending.
ReplyDeleteGet Shorty is great. And that's the worst of the punisher movies.
ReplyDeleteThe Mighty Quinn
ReplyDeleteFlight
Unstoppable
Mo' Better Blues
I mean, when I think "Angry Black Man", he does not come to mind.
Actually, Last Crusade is usually the movie I use to introduce people to Indy who aren't familiar with the the films. I love the original trilogy, but Crusade's sense of humor is what non-fans seem to like more than Raiders.
ReplyDeleteBecause if critics say so, it must be true!!
ReplyDeleteTitanic
ReplyDeleteIndy 4 is OK. Not "soul-crushingly terrible" like Godfather 3 or Rush Hour 3, but OK. Repeated viewings on Spike have changed my mind.
ReplyDeleteBut really, the rest of the stuff you talked about is par for the course for Hollywood. Nuking the Fridge was a whole 'nother level of shark-jumping.
Still a good movie, even today.
ReplyDeleteWorse than the Dolph Lundgren one? Not so sure about that. And yes, Get Shorty is pretty awesome.
ReplyDelete100, 97 and 100% fresh. It's time to ask yourself, am I wrong or is the whole rest of the universe wrong?
ReplyDeleteKung Pow is no Shaolin Soccer. Not even in the same hemisphere.
ReplyDeleteAt least Dolph Lundgren has screen presence.
ReplyDeleteDKR is probably the closest, but it still has massive flaws. If it weren't for Bane, and all the awesome he brought, the film would be God-awful.
ReplyDeleteI mean, where's the deleted scene where Talia explains the plan to Bane?
Talia: So, Bane, you're a total bad-ass, and you saved my life when I was young, and when I grew up you fell in love with me, and were always there for me.
Bane: Yes
Talia: Well, now we're gonna go to Gotham and destroy it, because it's what my father wanted. Now, I'm going to pretend to be a good guy, and live in really nice motels, and go to awesome places and eat good food and everything. You hang out in the sewers and put your life on the line.
Bane: Uhh...
Talia: Oh, and the guy who killed my father, I'm gonna fuck him.
Bane: *if I do everything she tells me, she's bound to respect me!*
Then we have a film that's suppose to be super serious and grounded in reality, but then we get that stupid nuke plot that's out of a James Bond film. Not to mention Batman fixes his broken back with a rope, and the film has about 20 different "saved at the last second" type moments.
Love Steven Chow, dude's got sick comedic talent.
ReplyDeleteI wait until George Reeves shows up, think "Hey, it's Superman!" and then turn the movie off.
ReplyDeletehis characters always come across as intense, agitated, and with a chip on his shoulder, even when he's the hero
ReplyDelete+1 for Get Shorty. That movie rules. I also list Swordfish as a personal guilty pleasure, but I'd completely understand if someone didn't like it. It's kind of bland aside from all the craziness.
ReplyDeleteTransformers =/= universally loved.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty much done with Vaughn as a whole, but if you want a quality Vaughn movie, go watch Swingers. At the time, he was still young and trying to make it, so the effort was there. Granted, he was still pretty much playing himself, but at least his attitude was age appropriate, and it's a great movie anyway. Easily in my personal Top 10.
ReplyDeleteRush Hour 3 is considered a soul crusher? I figured it was kind of just more the same Brett Ratner-helmed buddy cop nonsense that it always was.
ReplyDeleteWow, I HATE Indy 4. There are so many things wrong with that movie, I could write an entire article. Flying Monkeys, death eating ants, Lebeef, the debacle of a scene at the artifacts warehouse, the ending. That's off the top of my head. Pure and utter garbage.
ReplyDeleteNo, but the box office definitely helps. Not saying I'm a fan; quite the opposite, I loathe those movies. But it's definitely one of those cases where money talks. :/
ReplyDeleteEntertainment is subjective, not objective. There is no right or wrong.
ReplyDeleteOk, so you don't like Star Wars, but what about Jaws? Is that your scene?
ReplyDeletehttp://nickpiers.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/why-im-tired-of-star-wars/
ReplyDeleteThis sort of goes along the lines of the discussion. I wrote an article recently about why I'm tired of Star Wars in pop culture. And funny enough, it has nothing to do with George Lucas or the LucasFilm products themselves.
I get what you mean, but his work in the 90s is pretty damn good. Clay Pigeons and Return to Paradise are supremely overlooked and damn good movies.
ReplyDeleteIf there's one film I just don't know how I feel about, it's Forrest Gump. I've gone all over the board throughout the years--liking it, loving it, thinking it's overrated.
ReplyDeleteI love the trilogy AND the books. They are very different animals and I would never argue the merits, or lack thereof, of the movies based on my knowledge of the books. In a lot of ways, I prefer the books, they really take their time to develop the characters; but then again, books are usually better than movies made from them.
ReplyDeleteI love Made, Old School and Swingers. That's it. Everything else Vaughn has made as a leading guy has sucked, imo.
ReplyDeleteNo love for Wedding Crashers?
ReplyDeleteDo you even think before you type sometimes? Check Dougie's list.
ReplyDeleteGone with the wind. A jaunty tale about two terrible and selfish people who jerk each other around for what feels like 7 hours.
ReplyDeleteI was so soured by the final 15 minutes of that movie, that I've never revisited it.
ReplyDeleteWow that was pretty insulting.
ReplyDeleteOh but the soundtrack! It's so awful!
ReplyDeleteDAMN YOU UNIVERSE!
ReplyDeleteI think Rush Hour 2 is worse than 3. I don't know who thought having Jackie Chan say, "I'll bitch slap you back to Africa", but whoever did can go fuck themselves.
ReplyDeleteFight Club. Its aimed at 17 yr old boys.
ReplyDeleteJust for kicks, I think there's some merit into categorizing movies with some objectivity.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't say that a 2 year old's doodle is equal to the Sistine Chapel or say, Saw 8 is equal in quality to Goodfellas no matter how much you may prefer the 2 year olds drawing or Saw 8, would you?
Yes, that's an extreme example, but my point is that certain works of art transcend subjectivity despite different opinions. They may still be polarizing, but its greatness is rarely debated.
Hating on Forrest Gump has become the cool thing to do, but I like it. It's like a modern day American fable...like Paul Bunyon for the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteVery few people still like it.
ReplyDeleteThin skin?
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree with you, but I'm not talking about their *quality*. I didn't say they were terrible; they're extremely well-made and well-written. Citizen Kane innovated a lot of film techniques that are still used today. But they don't entertain me one bit.
ReplyDeleteI tried really hard to like them because I've been told my entire life how great they were. They're just not entertaining to me.
Wes Anderson is a taste all of his own. He's not universally loved. He's just Wes Anderson.
ReplyDeleteGladiator. Horrible visual effects (and it won the Oscar for them!), lame wimpy villain, awful dialogue...just not a good movie.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's a little more divisive, but I despise Batman Returns. I think it's worse than Batman & Robin (which I have a soft spot for); the plot and tone are a clusterfuck, Bruce Wayne is a non-entity (all he does is watch TV and squint), and I think Michelle Pfeiffer was a weak Catwoman. She's basically doing what Uma Thurman did as Poison Ivy (vamping like crazy), only Thurman knew it was supposed to be funny, and Pfeiffer is really trying (and failing) to be sultry. It's just a miserable experience; the sets and look is ugly (it lacks the scope and style of the first Burton film), the characters are ugly and uninteresting...it just depresses the hell out of me, and not in the intended way.
Aww, gotcha.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification.
I don't understand the downvotes for this. It's right on the money. She can't act and she looks like a dachshund. What's the appeal?
ReplyDeleteYeah, if you saw all the bits on Family Guy and a million other parodys I can imagine it wasn't as great.
ReplyDeleteKinda like me with The Exorcist. Just didn't terrify me, but I knew all the bits.
Ditto. I cringe when people of my age champion this movie as something deep and thoughtful. I also cringe when people say the same thing about The Matrix, but at least that's still a great action film outside of the story.
ReplyDeleteTemple of Doom sucked too. There I said it.
ReplyDeleteSee, I like the movies (I used to love them, but they aren't really that rewatchable), but can't stand the books. I'm an AVID reader to the tune of reading a couple of books a week, but those 3 books took me 5 YEARS to read. I loved The Hobbit, but the actual LotR books were just too much.
ReplyDelete"It insists upon itself."
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I loved the Godfather, but that FG scene was fantastic.
Thank-you. Can't stand this film
ReplyDeleteAre you generally into fantasy books? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteAnd a couple of books a week? Wow dude, that's pretty wild. Do you hold a job and get outside? :-)
I wouldn't say that at all. As a kid/teen/twenty-something, I couldn't STAND the Star Wars series. A few years back (early 30s), I watched them again, and can appreciate them more. I still don't love them like most guys my age, but don't actively dislike them like I used to.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we should have a QOTD where it's the opposite: Generally reviled movies that we would stick up for.
ReplyDeleteI second this idea.
ReplyDelete@Caliber_Voorhees , take note.
Much like the cushions are the essence of the chair, the soundtrack is the essence of Scarface. That synthesizer score fucking rules.
ReplyDeleteI also hated Gladiator's fight scenes. It was the beginning of the shaky cam smash cut edit BS that too many films still use.
ReplyDeleteForrest gump is a piece of shit movie that should be run over by a tractor trailer. What a sappy, unbelievable piece of garbage it was. I can't believe it got best picture over pulp fiction. Fuuuuck forest gump
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that was his next intention...
ReplyDeletehttp://boardforpeople.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=moviesbaby&action=display&thread=173
I agree. Tried really hard to enjoy them, but they just aren't my cup of tea. Don't find them interesting enough to truly hold my attention. I have spoken to others who feel this way.
ReplyDeleteAmending that into my original post, I knew I was forgetting something. I felt like Ray Charles watching the arena scenes: couldn't see shit.
ReplyDeleteThe sequel is even worse.
ReplyDeleteI don't hate gladiator but its really overrated
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one here who give Godfather four out of four stars, but give Part II just barely 3 out of 4 stars? The entire Michael arc, Sonny being a totally hotheaded badass, the montage climax, and, well, Brando--the first one is just amazing.
ReplyDeletePart II felt a bit more bloated (just wasn't feeling about half of the flashback scenes) and was ruined long before I ever saw it with all of the Michael-Fredo climactic scene parodies.
Totally agree on Maguire. He sucks.
ReplyDeleteClerks. I hate that movie. Actually, most Kevin Smith films (though I find him hilarious in many of his "hour with Kevin Smith" type things like "Too Fat for 40")
ReplyDeleteI also don't really like Indiana Jones or any Bond films.
Want to hear something even more mind blowing? I've never seen any of the Indy movies.
ReplyDeleteFor me, although this is getting off topic, I read the book "The Exorcist." Easily the scariest book I ever read.
ReplyDeleteWhat's weird to me is that the synthesizers in the Terminator still hold up fine to me. But they kill me in Scarface.
ReplyDeleteAlso american beauty is horrific. Geez could you cram in some more ham handed symbolism...it reminds me of something a Jr high kid would write
ReplyDeleteKevin Smith is vastly overrated. Cannot do anything outside of the Jersey schtick and even that hasn't held up over time.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. You know what, I'm just going to come out and say it: Fuck the Godfather, Mario Puzzi (I think that's his name) is a shitty writer and there's far better mob movies out there.
ReplyDeleteDitto. If they cut out the last 20-30 minutes, it gets a thumbs up from me. As it stands, it seemed unnecessary, like a Del Rio title reign.
ReplyDeleteI actually like his movies a bit, nothing mind blowing though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jimbob though, he is incredibly entertaining doing his Q&A's. His retelling of his experience trying to write Superman and working with Prince is fucking hilarious.
Bond. Yes every Bond movie is way too over the top and corny for me to enjoy... I've never understood the appeal.
ReplyDeleteYour POV on Batman Returns is WRONG. WWWRRRONG.
ReplyDeleteBut I respect it.
I've never seen The Green Mile, but the book sucked.
ReplyDeleteAnd not to insult a bunch of Americans who came from the South, but give me a friggin' break with the glamorizing and glorifying the southern way of life. These great gowns and galas would not be possible without the sweat and blood of people treated as property or 3/5 of a person for a couple of centuries. Sorry. I just know a few people that are in love with this movie and how beautiful the South was and it pisses this Yankee off.
ReplyDeleteI don't love fantasy books, but enjoy some more than others (mainly I read horror/suspense). It isn't the length -- I've read many books that are much longer. But to me, LotR was just a slog.
ReplyDeleteAs for the number of books, I generally read about 1 a week. But a couple of weeks ago, I read 3. And, yep, have a job (software engineer), wife, kids, social life. Just when I start reading a good book, I'll keep going as long as possible.
If they champion it as something deep and thoughtful they were watching it wrong.
ReplyDeleteI've tried hard to get into it based-on some recommendations but I just can't enjoy it
ReplyDeleteThis movie is not universally loved at all, but I couldn't disagree more with the opinion. One of my favorite films of all time.
ReplyDeleteThe humor and whimsical-ness wasn't there, like it was for 2. It just felt like "Oh noes, we're gonna owe Chris Tucker $25 million dollars if we don't make a movie RIGHT DURN NOW, so we might as well try to recoup some of it".
ReplyDeleteI mean, 2 left it open for 3, and it was just........blah.
You get the Captain Obvious award today! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt won a whole bunch of Oscars... which I think shows what a weak field there was that year because I don't know anyone that talks about Gladiator like they do other big Oscar winners... rightfully so since it was terrible.
ReplyDeleteI hate the Kevin Smith cult more than the guy himself.
ReplyDeleteGrave of the Fireflies. Oh don't get me wrong, it's a great movie. But I can't stand watching it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't get that either. I find the guy really funny, but don't worship at his altar or anything.
ReplyDeleteI just wish it were a bit more obvious to some of the people I know.
ReplyDeletePeople who don't like godfather 1 & 2 are like people who think the earth is 5000 years old. I have to just smile and walk away no point in talking to them.
ReplyDeleteI hate Tombstone. Take Kilmer out of it and it is worthless. Plus everyone seems to forget he's not in it that much anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty awesome. I drive about an hour to work each way, so I've turned to audiobooks and I get through about a book every two weeks or so.
ReplyDeleteSince you bring up horror, I'm a huge King fan (just finished Joyland). I figure since you read so much, you've gone through a good portion of his catalog or at least "the hits". Who do you recommend that's in that style? And please don't say Koontz. Also, have you read anything from his son?
Sorry for all the questions.
My initial answer was The Godfather, but that's already been done to death. So I'll go with Reservoir Dogs. Just don't get why it's so loved.
ReplyDeleteAlso, while not universally loved, all the American Pie movies are total shit.
Kilmer's an interesting act by himself. I thought he could've made more out of Batman Forever.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, Batman Forever had a lot of squandered potential. There, I said it.
The monkey scene killed it for me. I did not give a fuck about the movie after that. I would have walked out had I not had my wife with me. I stand by and applaud the South Park interpretation of it.
ReplyDeleteThat second tattoo sounds pretty bad ass.
ReplyDeleteI mean, if you accept the Nuking the Fridge, then the other stuff just seems silly by comparison.
ReplyDeleteThat was the first movie I was ready to turn off within the first 10 minutes. I mean, that was just terribawful.
People love glamorizing the past no matter how fucked up it was. It happened with the 50s. My generation thinks the 80s is the greatest time evah! It'll happen with 00's and so on and so on...
ReplyDeleteI love Tombstone, but I admit it's a dumb western/action film. And yes, Kilmer absolutely steals that movie in every scene he's in.
ReplyDeletePerfect example and would have been my choice. I want to get into it, I do, but even after four viewings, I can't understand the draw. It's SOOOO cheesy.
ReplyDeleteSee, I liked the first American Pie movie. It was stupid, but had heart (and most of us could remember that time of being a teenager -- it sucked).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, all the sequels really remembered was pie-screwing and gross antics
Quantum of Solace. Not a great movie or anything, but not nearly as bad as some people make it to be.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing really good about Batman Forever was Jim Carrey as The Riddler. If he'd tone down the campiness (quite) a bit, I would love to see him take that role in another Batman movie.
ReplyDeleteThe Dark Knight Rises. I own it on Blu ray for its unintentional comedy value. I feel that anyone who liked that movie more than The Avengers is nuts.
ReplyDeleteWhen has Carrey toned down anything?
ReplyDeleteI thought the first American Pie was great. Every teenager could relate to the awkwardness of crushes and losing their virginity, and the characters were for the most part very likable. But as Jimbob Jones said, the sequels forgot everything that made the original a success and went for the lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteWho thinks the 80's were great? The 80's sucked.
ReplyDeleteReally two down votes? How lewd.
ReplyDeleteI also feel the same way about The Boondock Saints.
ReplyDeleteWait... theres people shitting on the godfather...wow! Iconic film that is just great scene after scene and what quotable lines. I don't know what there is to criticize. I get saying citizen Kane or Casablanca is boring but the fucking godfather... I'm shocked. Its the randy savage of movies in that its indisputable in its awesomeness (I thought)
ReplyDeleteYou are quite welcome.
ReplyDeleteI might be the only person outside of Dennis Quaid's family that loved Quaid's interpretation of Doc in Costner's Wyatt Earp much more than Kilmer's.
ReplyDeleteOkay, part of me will always hate Kilmer just that little bit for being a part of Batman Forever.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the most boring and overrated movie I have ever seen. This film got tons of praise for being a masterpiece, so I decided to check it out on DVD one day and it was numbingly painful to watch and it was 2 hours of pure boredom.
ReplyDeleteI liked how (I think) DKR's director bashed Avengers' choice of direction during the film, and Whedon's response was basically "I can't hear you because the cash registers keep ringing" or something like that.
ReplyDeleteSaid no one ever.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Championing "Fight Club" as deep and thoughtful is like championing "Scarface" as an example of how to be a super cool guy.
ReplyDelete2000-2002 were very weak years for film, just not a lot of depth for great films. There were some great films, but nothing to the extent of 1994 (Pulp Fiction, Shawshank, Gump) or 2007 (No Country, There Will Be Blood, Once, The Assassination of Jesse James, Ratatouille, Atonement, Gone Baby Gone, and more)
ReplyDeleteI believe it was an art director or something. Reminds me of Patrick Roy's "Stanley Cup rings plugging my ear" comeback.
ReplyDeleteMost rappers fail to see the message of Scarface.
ReplyDeleteI consider it to be a Shakespeare Tragedy when viewed a certain way.
That whole FG scene exactly describes how I feel about the movie.
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