Lord of The Rings- Fans of Lord of Rings are like fans of Queen. No one who is actually into films or music likes them and their fans give you a look of total disdain like its impossible not to like them.
The Shape of Water Fight Club Citizen Kane All the Star Wars films apart from the original Shutter Island North By Northwest 2001 a Space Odyssey The Matrix The Exorcist
Not having this list. Fight Club, Shutter Island and The Matrix were all great films.
What the Swedish Butler Saw (circa 1978) in 3D. Saw it in the West End but lost the bloody cardboard 3D glasses after 15 minutes, everything else was a blur!
I saw Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life a while back. Over three hours long, it's typical Malick. Long, sweeping shots of people looking sad, full of introspection. It's intentionally ponderous and (mind-numbingly) repetitive. Sure, some bits were beautifully shot, and some plot beats were tough to watch. But I came out angry that it took so much of my time to learn so little.
I listened to someone on the Kermode podcast explaining how they had been reduced to tears by Malick's beauty. I just don't get it. Malick makes some insanely boring stuff, I don't rate any of it and yet he's revered. Must be missing something. Either that or there are some insanely pretentious people out there.
Still, there are some amazing films in this thread, so I guess that's the point.
On the surface it's a basic horror movie premise, but its popularity comes from subverting expectations and having a subtext around racism. It's also got a dry wit about it. I really like it but can see why it might not appeal. US is the same, but even more overt with its social commentary.
I think Peele's movies get a boost because there aren't enough movies being made by black directors who have something to say. For instance, Black Panther, to me, is a really average and flawed superhero movie. But it's rated higher because it's a rare instance of African culture being depicted in a non-patronising way (which is obviously a good thing).
The Shape of Water Fight Club Citizen Kane All the Star Wars films apart from the original Shutter Island North By Northwest 2001 a Space Odyssey The Matrix The Exorcist
Kane and 2001 are more revered for what they did for cinema than how entertaining they are today. I wouldn't want to watch either one again any time soon. Same probably applies to The Exorcist to some extent.
Shutter Island, I had to watch that a second time to get into it, and glad I did.
Much sci-fi and certainly all comic book films, anything shot in 3D, all musicals, anything that places car chases, shoot-outs or explosions above good story-telling. Anything where you can hear the voice of the Odeon man talking absolute bollux in his deep gravelly voice over a trailer made of 'the best bits'. All of the Star Wars catalogue and the James Bond money-making phenomena. I would say anything that contained a sequel number (with a couple of exceptions), but I guess they aren't usually rated that highly. In reality most films are over-rated though, it's basically just expensive tv. The most over-rated film of all: It's A wonderful Life.
Shutter Island is two and a half hours (seemed like 4) I'll never get back. Only watched it through cos I was on a promise. Even the "writers" had no faith in what passed for plot so they threw in the unresolved BS about Leo C's character 'was he a nutjob or did he get locked up?' The Empire Strikes Back: 2 hours of filler, 4 minutes of plot; critically lauded by the credulous presumably cos they're scared to feel left out and they missed what was any good about it - in short very very little. It's much better than episodes 1, 2, 3 and 8 but that's not praise, is it? The Usual Suspects: aimless drivel more holes than actual plot that is all then gratuitously dismantled with the ludicrous ending. Wanked over by total pseuds who choose to ignore the final scene that sneers at us that we just wasted our time watching it. Shawshank Redemption; more tedious inaction and exposition in place of actual cinema, made totally fatuous by the massive sidestep at the end. LA confidential: nasty violent and pointless
The Shape of Water Fight Club Citizen Kane All the Star Wars films apart from the original Shutter Island North By Northwest 2001 a Space Odyssey The Matrix The Exorcist
Kane and 2001 are more revered for what they did for cinema than how entertaining they are today. I wouldn't want to watch either one again any time soon. Same probably applies to The Exorcist to some extent.
Shutter Island, I had to watch that a second time to get into it, and glad I did.
I watched The Exorcist recently and it's surprisingly funny. Lot of dark humour. I guess it's only remembered for its horror elements.
Team America 2001 Space Odyssey Return of the Jedi Rear Window The Princess Bride The Social Network American Beauty The Godfather, both part and one and two (I must revisit these, as it's been many, many years since I saw them)
Really didn’t understand the fuss over Hell or Highwater.
Jesus Christ now you've crossed a line!!
Sorry mate, I just found it really dull.
I'm trying to come up with an argument as to why it's great, and it's really hard!
I seem to like anything that Taylor Sheridan is involved in (Sicario, Wind River). I think his scripts are intriguing stories that are teased out really nicely. With HOHW, it's basically a bank robbing western told in modern times, with something to say about the hard times that have befallen small town America. And the arsehole brother reminds me of a few people I've met over the years, I thought Ben Foster played that guy brilliantly. I dunno. I just like the storytelling I guess. Sheridan likes to deal with grey areas, rather than binary good v evil stories which makes it more interesting.
Really didn’t understand the fuss over Hell or Highwater.
Jesus Christ now you've crossed a line!!
Sorry mate, I just found it really dull.
I'm trying to come up with an argument as to why it's great, and it's really hard!
I seem to like anything that Taylor Sheridan is involved in (Sicario, Wind River). I think his scripts are intriguing stories that are teased out really nicely. With HOHW, it's basically a bank robbing western told in modern times, with something to say about the hard times that have befallen small town America. And the arsehole brother reminds me of a few people I've met over the years, I thought Ben Foster played that guy brilliantly. I dunno. I just like the storytelling I guess. Sheridan likes to deal with grey areas, rather than binary good v evil stories which makes it more interesting.
I think Ben Foster has been type-cast over the years. I remember seeing him in a couple of films many years ago and thought wow this actor is really good and is going to be big some day. But that has not happened! I put him in the same category as Ryan Gosling at that time and look where Gosling is now? So much more successful than him. Well, I was thinking the same about Sam Rockwell in the late 2000's, that 'this actor is really under-rated and deserves more credit than he has been given' and more than 10 years later now he's finally getting the recognition! Maybe the same will happen to Ben Foster some years later.
Comments
All superhero films
I listened to someone on the Kermode podcast explaining how they had been reduced to tears by Malick's beauty. I just don't get it. Malick makes some insanely boring stuff, I don't rate any of it and yet he's revered. Must be missing something. Either that or there are some insanely pretentious people out there.
Still, there are some amazing films in this thread, so I guess that's the point.
I think Peele's movies get a boost because there aren't enough movies being made by black directors who have something to say. For instance, Black Panther, to me, is a really average and flawed superhero movie. But it's rated higher because it's a rare instance of African culture being depicted in a non-patronising way (which is obviously a good thing).
Ridiculous waste of food.
American History X
Shutter Island, I had to watch that a second time to get into it, and glad I did.
The Empire Strikes Back: 2 hours of filler, 4 minutes of plot; critically lauded by the credulous presumably cos they're scared to feel left out and they missed what was any good about it - in short very very little. It's much better than episodes 1, 2, 3 and 8 but that's not praise, is it?
The Usual Suspects: aimless drivel more holes than actual plot that is all then gratuitously dismantled with the ludicrous ending. Wanked over by total pseuds who choose to ignore the final scene that sneers at us that we just wasted our time watching it.
Shawshank Redemption; more tedious inaction and exposition in place of actual cinema, made totally fatuous by the massive sidestep at the end.
LA confidential: nasty violent and pointless
I watched The Exorcist recently and it's surprisingly funny. Lot of dark humour. I guess it's only remembered for its horror elements.
Team America
2001 Space Odyssey
Return of the Jedi
Rear Window
The Princess Bride
The Social Network
American Beauty
The Godfather, both part and one and two (I must revisit these, as it's been many, many years since I saw them)
I seem to like anything that Taylor Sheridan is involved in (Sicario, Wind River). I think his scripts are intriguing stories that are teased out really nicely. With HOHW, it's basically a bank robbing western told in modern times, with something to say about the hard times that have befallen small town America. And the arsehole brother reminds me of a few people I've met over the years, I thought Ben Foster played that guy brilliantly. I dunno. I just like the storytelling I guess. Sheridan likes to deal with grey areas, rather than binary good v evil stories which makes it more interesting.
I think Ben Foster has been type-cast over the years. I remember seeing him in a couple of films many years ago and thought wow this actor is really good and is going to be big some day. But that has not happened! I put him in the same category as Ryan Gosling at that time and look where Gosling is now? So much more successful than him. Well, I was thinking the same about Sam Rockwell in the late 2000's, that 'this actor is really under-rated and deserves more credit than he has been given' and more than 10 years later now he's finally getting the recognition! Maybe the same will happen to Ben Foster some years later.