Another one. Saw an ad for Meet the Parents...It reminded me that I hate every movie that Ben Stiller is in.. I don't find him funny at all.
Titanic. It was OK but not great. Way too long and overwrought... not to mention that they should have gotten hypothermia from swimming around inside the ship. That wouldn't make the water much warmer than it was outside. Anyway, it was supposed to be pulling on your emotions and had no subtlety. Oh yeah, and don't even get me started on Leo standing on the bow of the ship, like there's any way he could have gotten up there. "I'm king of the world!" (shut up and die already) There were some good things about the movie (Kathy Bates). Others that are overrated - Shakespeare In Love (for some reason just made me want to hurl) American Beauty - I won't pick on it as much as some of these, but the message kind of disturbed me. "As soon as you get your life straightened out, you will die. Everyone finds underaged girls attractive sooner or later. And the drug dealing psycho next door might actually be good for your daughter." (I will not complain about the type of women guys find attractive because, when it comes down to it, y'all will be happy with most any of us as long as we're nice to you. )
Man, I've lost respect for a lot of people on this board...now I will take my respect away from everyone else: I hated Memento. I was probably the only sucker in America who didn't get fooled by the different way the story was told and realized that the story wasn't that great.
I thought he was real. Pulp Fiction and American Beauty are both awesome. Here are mine: TRAINSPOTTING -- I thought this sucked more than anything that has sucked before. In the Company of Men -- got rave reviews, and some of my friends think it was funny, but I thought it was sexist as hell and just too disturbing. Never saw Titanic or the English Patient, although I'm sure they'd be on this list. AUSTIN POWERS. Just not funny to me. Although I can watch it just to see Liz Hurley. Jeff, I hear what you're saying about mobsters. I don't get the fascination. I can't get into the Sopranos. I look at Pulp Fiction as more of a comedy though, and I think it's hilarious.
Trainspotting falls into that whole "Drugs will mess up your life" genre. Similar to Basketball Diaries, Boogie Nights, GridLock'd, Traffic, Blow. I actually liked it, never saw it until about 6 months ago late at night. I just don't understand how people let drugs take over their lifes... When they found the dead baby, man that sucked. ROXRAN - American Pyscho is just crazy, I liked it. You really feel the insanity. Austin Powers - are your fricking kidding me? It ruled!
What, exactly, is wrong with this? Most people go to the movies for one reason...entertainment. I totally understand what you are saying about movies like <I>Requiem</I> or <I>Pi</I>, but to insult people who go to movies for the main reason they are made is just plain arrogant.
titanic pearl harbor mummy 2 the fisher king american pie 1 + 2 exorcist Star Wars episode 1 There's something about Mary Bottle Rocket Toy story Desperado(think that's the one with antonio banderas) there's probably more but that's all I can think of right now.
Do we want to start this? My point is valid. I realize that most people go to the movies to be entertained. So do I. But when you go to the movies looking for nothing but that same thrill of entertainment that you've gotten before, that simple distraction from reality, then you've closed your mind to better things. You've handicapped your ability to be surprised, to learn something about yourself and the world around you. I'm not just talking about movies like Requiem , this can come in any genre. I want to be entertained as much as the next person, but I'm always open and even looking for something better. Something surprising. Something new. When I complain about the lowest common denominator, I'm complaining about the fact that Hollywood has a formula. We all know this. The only reason, the only way a formula can exist is if it gets the desired result most of the time. I am so sick of the formula. I've had my fill of it. My mind has a reflex against it now. I have to grind my teeth and bear it when I see an otherwise brilliant film throw in an episode (aka, a love interest) just to adhere to the "Hollywood Formula". Give me a break. Is it arrogant to be discriminating in my taste? Fine. I'm arrogant, then. Is it wrong to be annoyed with my seeming arrogance and rush to slap that label on me? I guess not. A little insecure and defensive, maybe, but not wrong. If it's important to you that you label me arrogant in such a way that everyone can see it, fine. I hope you feel better. You win. I stand by my views and I respect yours. I'm not offended, just a little annoyed. You felt it was important to defend some sort of percieved attack on what I can only assume is either your person or a cherished ideal. Fine. Great. Have at it. I hope you don't expect me to respond in the same fasion. I'm beyond it. Maybe that's arrogant of me. Oh, yes, and as to Memento ...... Why don't you try to sit down and write a screenplay that advances in plot, dramatic action, and tension, yet goes backward in time. A fairly stunning achievement and, if I may be so bold, worthy of a little arrogance from that particular screenwriter.
I almost agree with everything you say, except your last point. In reality, a good many do not recognize the formulas that Hollywood uses. In this country, most people are ridiculously uneducated when it comes to the arts. They don't read, they rarely watch anything more challenging than sitcoms and they have no concept of what's been done before. So the entertainment business can get away with repeating themselves over and over again because there's a new generation completely ignorant of the past. Of course, there's no such thing as an utterly original work of art. Even the most avant-garde, experimental movie, film or music has traces of something that's been done before. American Beauty had the influence of John Updike's Rabbit, Run written all over it, and Memento, despite it's very innovative story-telling technique, was still just a mystery story. That's okay. But it's not okay when art is turned into some kind of fast food that's completely devoid of genuine meaning. Art should make you see the world a little bit differently. But it's hard to be enlightened by watching the exact same story (with different actors) over and over again. The only way to remedy this practice is to find better-read movie-goers. But that's a whole new can of worms.
I agree with nearly everything you said Gascon, I just don't like it when people criticize what other people like. I happen to be the same kind of movie goer as you (except I may like mainstream Hollywood popcorn pics more than you), but I don't talk down to people who don't like movies that don't instantly entertain them. I'm lucky enough to be able to go see just about every movie that comes out, so I expect different things from different flims, but most people go for entertainment, and if they're entertained by <I>Gone in 60 Seconds</I>, so be it. BTW, why don't you go write and sell a script similar to that movie, bet you couldn't do it even though I'm sure you hated it.
Dude, American Psycho was hilarious! Trainspotting was solid also, I think the main reason I liked that movie was because of some of the characters like Begbie and Sick Boy. Also the soundtrack really went well with the movie, in my opinion. My movie is American Beauty. I really wanted to get into it, but it was just boring to me. The only good parts are when he's applying for a job at the fastfood place, and when he's in the garage smoking pot and working out. (IIRC) I'm looking at imdb.com now and it's the #15 movie in their top 250 ahead of such classics as Silence of the Lambs, Saving Private Ryan, and 12 angry men. That's pretty overrated in my opinion... Then again, Lord of the Rings is currently #1, which also displays the power of the geek...
SEVEN Pitt and Freeman's characters sucked. Not that they weren't portrayed well, but they just weren't good enough detectives to create conflict in my opinion with the serial killer. BRAVEHEART Cool battle scenes. I watch it alot for the battle scenes. I knew the ending already. Love story blew. Mel Gibson's portrayal of Wallace was wierd. He was too PC for my taste. Rocky Horror Picture Show Sucked. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as fallen angels. Can't remember the title of Kevin Smith's one miss in my opinion. I disagreed on a lot of the interpretations of this movie which made the plot, jokes, etc. meaningless. A pretty good theological discussion starter though. American Beauty, I concur. Titanic......does this count because not enough people love it? I have never been around when someone has suggested popping in Titanic. All girls own it, but the copies seem to collect dust.
