What highly rated film do you detest?

[formby002]

In the spirit of this tweet, which highly rated film do you detest? Fess up.

I'll start: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

[Journeyman]

What basis are we using for assessing it as "highly rated"? Box office takings? Rotten Tomatoes ranking?

I detest Titanic and Pretty Woman and I simply cannot understand why both are so popular.

 

[formby002]

What basis are we using for assessing it as "highly rated"? Box office takings? Rotten Tomatoes ranking?

I detest Titanic and Pretty Woman and I simply cannot understand why both are so popular.

I think the Tweet is critical consensus (Rotten Tomatoes?) but public opinion is fine...

 

[Dropbear]

Most box office smashes are crap.

critically acclaimed is harder, but I struggled to understand all the love for Appocalypse Now and The Godfather.

 

[formby002]

Most box office smashes are crap.

critically acclaimed is harder, but I struggled to understand all the love for Apocalypse Now and The Godfather.

Yeah, AN is a bit of a slog, has its moments though. The Godfather is very good, the sequel is even better.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

View attachment 34892

In the spirit of this tweet, which highly rated film do you detest? Fess up.

I'll start: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Space Odyssey stands up because of the opening 20 minutes complete with Thus Spoke Zarathustra and the last sequence into hyper-space and back into the womb. The rest of it is quite boring.

Here's two:

Forrest Gump was highly rated at the time. Utterly unwatchable.

Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

What basis are we using for assessing it as "highly rated"? Box office takings? Rotten Tomatoes ranking?

I detest Titanic and Pretty Woman and I simply cannot understand why both are so popular.

Both pretty abysmal. And I add: Dirty Dancing.

Most box office smashes are crap.

critically acclaimed is harder, but I struggled to understand all the love for Appocalypse Now and The Godfather.

Both good, but are you watching Apocalypse Now correctly i.e. on Bluray and wide screen?

The video and DVD versions were crap and it's a film were the last portion in Colonel Kilgore's camp needs to be captured in high-definition and wide screen. I recommend a revisit if you have't.

 

[ballmouse]

Agree with 2001, Apocalypse Now, and Forrest Gump. I like The Godfather though. Never seen Titanic, Pretty Woman, or Dirty Dancing.

I remember watching Ghostbusters as a kid. But it's really difficult to watch now because once you're an adult you realize Bill Murray's character is an unlikable asshole.

 

[formby002]

Agree with 2001, Apocalypse Now, and Forrest Gump. I like The Godfather though. Never seen Titanic, Pretty Woman, or Dirty Dancing.

I remember watching Ghostbusters as a kid. But it's really difficult to watch now because once you're an adult you realize Bill Murray's character is an unlikable asshole.

That would be Bill Murray playing Bill Murray.

 

[formby002]

Space Odyssey stands up because of the opening 20 minutes complete with Thus Spoke Zarathustra and the last sequence into hyper-space and back into the womb. The rest of it is quite boring.

Here's two:

Forrest Gump was highly rated at the time. Utterly unwatchable.

Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.



Both pretty abysmal. And I add: Dirty Dancing.



Both good, but are you watching Apocalypse Now correctly i.e. on Bluray and wide screen?

The video and DVD versions were crap and it's a film were the last portion in Colonel Kilgore's camp needs to be captured in high-definition and wide screen. I recommend a revisit if you have't.

There a fair point here, some film have to be watched in widescreen to be fully appreciated. Lean's Lawrence of Arabia being the obvious example.

Bram Stokers Dracula is one of Ms F. favourite films (along with Dangerous Laisons, Malchovich/Close/ Pffiefer).

 

[Dropbear]

Yeh, Forrest Gump was like some kitschy history ‘documentary’ crossed with an episode of The Wonder Years.

I’ll have to give The Godfather another go, sometime.

But speaking of Viet Nam War movies, I watched Platoon for the first time since it came out, a while ago. Visually it was stunning and the soundtrack is great, but the acting wasn’t that good and the story is pretty cliched.

 

[formby002]

Yeh, Forrest Gump was like some kitschy history ‘documentary’ crossed with an episode of The Wonder Years.

I’ll have to give The Godfather another go, sometime.

But speaking of Viet Nam War movies, I watched Platoon for the first time since it came out, a while ago. Visually it was stunning and the soundtrack is great, but the acting wasn’t that good and the story is pretty cliched.

I like Platoon, think it one of the best, if not the best of the 'nam films that came out in the late 80s. Full Metal Jacket was crap.

 

[Dropbear]

I like Platoon, think it one of the best, if not the best of the 'nam films that came out in the late 80s. Full Metal Jacket was crap.

I loved it when I first saw it. I watched it with my dad (USMC Vietnam infantry 67-68) , who was really impressed with how accurate the gear and ‘look’ was. Dale A Dye, was the military advisor - someone who appears in the Full Metal Jacket book, since he was in Hue during Tet.

I thought the FMJ film was ok. Hamburger Hill was also good. Or The Odd Angry Shot. All would seem pretty dated compared to today’s war movie hyper-realism.

 

[formby002]

I loved it when I first saw it. I watched it with my dad (USMC Vietnam infantry 67-68) , who was really impressed with how accurate the gear and ‘look’ was. Dale A Dye, was the military advisor - someone who appears in the Full Metal Jacket book, since he was in Hue during Tet.

I thought the FMJ film was ok. Hamburger Hill was also good. Or The Odd Angry Shot. All would seem pretty dated compared to today’s war movie hyper-realism.

I don't like Kubrick's films, I think he's was a fantastic cinematographer (he was a photographer earlier in his career) but he can't direct people. His films have a cold, sterile quality to them, you can't connect with the characters.

Often visually stunning mind.

 

[Dropbear]

That pretty much summed up the book, too. No great pathos, just a series of anecdotes that give a sense to the utter weirdness of war.

 

[formby002]

That pretty much summed up the book, too. No great pathos, just a series of anecdotes that give a sense to the utter weirdness of war.

Well, Heller's catch-22 is the perfect book for showcasing the madness of war. What a comedy creation Lt Milo Minderbinder and his syndicate is...

 

[Dropbear]

I know it’s a film thread, but when it comes to Viet Nam war books, it’s hard to go past these three:

 

[Arnathor]

I think most Tarantino films blow. Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill were hard to watch.

 

[Dropbear]

I think most Tarantino films blow. Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill were hard to watch

I liked True Romance, which I think he wrote or had some role in. But I agree as far as the films he directed and had a big hand in.

 

[Journeyman]

I think most Tarantino films blow. Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill were hard to watch.

He has a certain style. Some people like the style, others don't.

I haven't liked all of his movies, but I did enjoy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

 

[Thruth]

I loved it when I first saw it. I watched it with my dad (USMC Vietnam infantry 67-68) , who was really impressed with how accurate the gear and ‘look’ was. Dale A Dye, was the military advisor - someone who appears in the Full Metal Jacket book, since he was in Hue during Tet.

I thought the FMJ film was ok. Hamburger Hill was also good. Or The Odd Angry Shot. All would seem pretty dated compared to today’s war movie hyper-realism.

Have you seen Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan? Australian film. So many "best ever" IMDB quotes but it was poor quality, bad acting and disappointing.

 

[formby002]

He has a certain style. Some people like the style, others don't.

I haven't liked all of his movies, but I did enjoy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I enjoyed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood but mainly because in had Margot Robbie in it, and she is VERY easy on the eye.

 

[Dropbear]

Have you seen Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan? Australian film. So many "best ever" IMDB quotes but it was poor quality, bad acting and disappointing.

Historically accurate, boring as shit. The only thing significant for me is there is a scene depicting my uncle getting shot while leading his APC through the rubber plantation with the relief force. He died of wounds about a week later.

 

[Thruth]

Historically accurate, boring as shit. The only thing significant for me is there is a scene depicting my uncle getting shot while leading his APC through the rubber plantation with the relief force. He died of wounds about a week later.

that was him, eh? puts a whole different angle on the film for you.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

I like Platoon, think it one of the best, if not the best of the 'nam films that came out in the late 80s. Full Metal Jacket was crap.

Never took to Full Metal Jacket either. It was filmed entirely in a warehouse/docks in the UK. I've never watched it fully through. Just doesn't connect.

I don't like Kubrick's films...

Not even Barry Lyndon?

I think most Tarantino films blow. Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill were hard to watch.

He suffers terribly from the pornography of violence.

 

[formby002]

Never took to Full Metal Jacket either. It was filmed entirely in a warehouse/docks in the UK. I've never watched it fully through. Just doesn't connect.



Not even Barry Lyndon?



He suffers terribly from the pornography of violence.

An old gasworks in East London IIRC.

I struggle with Barry Lyndon because of the way the film is lit. Its now considered his best work...

 

[Dropbear]

that was him, eh? puts a whole different angle on the film for you.

If you blink, you’d miss him - not exactly a pivotal character in the movie. He died before I was born, but I heard some family stories about him and we studied the battle when I was in the army. I think my mum was pretty upset when she saw the film and realised that that little three second scene was him.

I think I posted here about it before, but his APC has been restored to its 1967 incarnation and is on display somewhere. I’ll have to go see it, someday.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

An old gasworks in East London IIRC.

I struggle with Barry Lyndon because of the way the film is lit. Its now considered his best work...

Allegedly only natural light and candle light for the Hogarth inspired scenes, with all those cameras he used for the fake/if they don't come back from the moon cameras.

I think it's magnificent.

 

[formby002]

Allegedly only natural light and candle light for the Hogarth inspired scenes, with all those cameras he used for the fake/if they don't come back from the moon cameras.

I think it's magnificent.

I think they place muslin or some other fabric over the lights to give the effect of candlelight.

 

[ter1413]

-The Maltese Falcon
-No Country for Old Men



Some that I have never seen:

-Forrest Gump
-Lord of the Rings
-Raging Bull...strange as I am a HUGE boxing fan
-The Matrix
-Schindler's List
-Good Will Hunting
-La La land
-Gladiator

 

[ter1413]

-Traffic
-Blow blew

 

[QuandoDio]

I find Terrence Malick's films to be tedious and Moneyball was the only film I have ever fallen asleep to in the cinema.

 

[formby002]

I find Terrence Malick's films to be tedious and Moneyball was the only film I have ever fallen asleep to in the cinema.

Even Badlands?

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

-The Maltese Falcon
-No Country for Old Men

Some that I have never seen:

-Forrest Gump
-Lord of the Rings
-Raging Bull...strange as I am a HUGE boxing fan
-The Matrix
-Schindler's List
-Good Will Hunting
-La La land
-Gladiator

No Country for Old Men - rather tedious and over rated.

Forrest Gump - dreadful. That was the first time I realised that Hollywood had deserted me for sure, or had I strayed from the path of common culture?

The Matrix unwatchable. I note the Warchowski sisters now say it's all about transgenderism. Really?

Lord of the Rings - brilliant.

Raging Bull - excellent. Although De Niro's present persona of I'm talking to you/fuck trump is a laughable caricature.

Schindlers List - well worth watching.

Good Will Hunting - never watched it either.

La La Land - at the level of LaLa in the Teletubbies. Dreadful. Compared to the MGM musicals and Gene Kelly's oeuvre it's evidence of degeneration in the film musical form. Or is it in the culture?

Gladiator is my brother's favorite film. I know this, as he's told everyone a number of times. I found it overrated. Would never had made my top 10 or 20.

Even Badlands?

Badlands is brilliant.

 

[Rambo]

The Matrix unwatchable. I note the Warchowski sisters now say it's all about transgenderism. Really?

the matrix is unwatchable?

Lord of the Rings - brilliant.

now these movies are overrated dogshit

 

[The Shooman]

the matrix is unwatchable?

now these movies are overrated dogshit

I tried to watch the Matrix once after a friend talked about the story line. It was complete and utter dog poo. Couldn't handle the stupid outfits and guns and fighting...so silly. I had to switch it off.

I rarely watch movies because they go for too long, and l don't have the patience to spend so much time watching them because l usually find them boring. Very occasionally I will watch a family movie from the 70's or 80's. If anything has guns and swearing l instantly switch it off. I like innocent family movies.

As a lad l used to watch a lot of horror movies. The 80's was the best period for those. I would not watch modern films; l have had a quick peak at them from time to time, but they seem to have silly modern effects and seem to lack any entertainment value.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

the matrix is unwatchable?

For me, yes.

 

[Rambo]

For me, yes.

Different strokes

 

[sirloin]

Goodfellas. Wanted to turn it off, half an hour in.

 

[formby002]

Goodfellas. Wanted to turn it off, half an hour in.

Whoaaa...That's sacrilege. Goodfellas is film making as high art.

 

[Arnathor]

Lord of the Rings is unwatchable - I am very pedantic about it. Should've been two or three movies per book and stuck to the canon.

I have even less hope for the Amazon production.