Overly appreciated movies?

[Worf]

My only hard and fast rule is to NEVER castigate a film I've not seen. That's small minded and ignorant. An informed opinion is the only opinion that truly matters. You can only dislike Fellini if you've SEEN Fellini to do otherwise is to betray honesty and logic.

Worf

 

[vitanola]

I must admit to not caring at all for post-war Hitchcok. As far as Kubrik is concerned, well I greatly enjoy "Barry Lyndon", and "Strangelove" has its moments.
As far as so-called "Classic Films" are concerned, "Dr. Caligari" leaves me utterly cold. I'd much prefer to spend the time watching a DeMille romantic comedy of the period, say "Why Change Your Wife". Same thing is true of "Nosferatu". I'd much rather see a mid-'Twenties a programmer such as, say "The King on Main Street", or perhaps would prefer to watch Walter Slezak playing Hans-Georg or Horst-Juergen in one of his UFA vehicles of the period.

My only hard and fast rule is to NEVER castigate a film I've not seen. That's small minded and ignorant. An informed opinion is the only opinion that truly matters. You can only dislike Fellini if you've SEEN Fellini to do otherwise is to betray honesty and logic.

Worf

Absolutely! An informed opinion is one thing. An uninformed opinion is merely cheap tribalism. Oh, and the Fellini pictures that I've seen, "8 1/2", "Satyricon" and "City of Women" left me feeling confused, disturbed, and a little bit angry. Being a typical member of the American Booboisie, I goto the pictures to be entertained, not annoyed.

 

[AntonAAK]

I think that you can easily dislike (or like) the entire canon of a director, particularly a director with a strong personal style (Baz Luhrmann springs to mind as someone whose movies many would either love or hate). Checking a filmography I think that I have seen about 90% of Kubrick's features, so fair enough I retract my comment for the other 10%. Or do I? I have seen enough similarity in the films that I have seen to be able to make an educated guess about the others and whether they would appeal to me. I would still not rule out watching them however. I like movies and I like to learn. If I found that I was wrong it would delight me.

I guess it could be likened to music. If you don't like a band or singer you might just not like the style of the music or the voice in which it is sung. Hearing more of the same is unlikely to convince, however much people might want to do so.

Directors have a voice too. The more distinctive it is the more likely it is to polarise opinion.

 

[Nobert]

That isn't something about cinema.

No, it's called trying to act clever and original by pretending to dislike anything that is objectively well-made.

...Come at me, bro!

In a thread that is devoted to movies that are highly thought of that some people don't like or think have gained more praise than they deserve, there's going to be a certain amount of feelings being rent a bit out of shape as opinions collide into each other. Likes and dislikes are very personal, and it can be dispiriting when one is faced with proof that your own favorites are not universally loved. It's to be expected that there will be a few fender-benders of offended sensibilities, but that's no reason we can't be civil, admit it as a no-fault situation, and not get the cops involved.

I for one am baffled as to how people could not like Woody Allen (his comedies, anyway), but there you go. Thank heavens people are different.

 

[AntonAAK]

Such as whenever you look into a mirror? :eusa_doh:

Nice one!

 

[p51]

I wonder, though, if people can truly appreciate (or dislike) a movie based on it's actual merit and not be clouded by their opinions of the director's other works or personal views on the director as a person.
I can't freaking stand Baz Lurman's movies, the only one I've ever thought was decent was "Romeo and Juliet", and for me is his use of what cartoonists call, 'wild takes' where the actor does a double take with an outrageous facial expression. I've never understood him using that in so many of his films. That, and his ADD-addled editing style gives me headaches.
Now, all that said, I know I go into watching any of his films with that in mind. I can't help it. I was quite aware of my bias against the director when i watched the Gatsby remake. I must admit I tried to watch it on it's own merits and I didn't dislike it nearly as much as I probably would have otherwise.

 

[herringbonekid]

life's too short to sit through every film you're sure you'll dislike just in case you're proved wrong.

 

[Two Types]

life's too short to sit through every film you're sure you'll dislike just in case you're proved wrong.

That's why I use my built in prejudices - it leaves me time to watch films I'm convinced I will enjoy (obscure British musicals of the 1930s) and experiment with areas I know little about (Russian war films being a recent example). If that means never watching Woody Allen, films about the British Royal Family or anything starring Jack Nicholson - then so be it.

 

[jamespowers]

life's too short to sit through every film you're sure you'll dislike just in case you're proved wrong.

:clap:

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

I give most anything a chance, even if I've hated a particular director's or cast members' other efforts. For instance, I'm no fan of Tom Cruise, but I really liked "Valkyrie". I like Kubric films in general, but not all of them. "Full Metal Jacket" was excellent, "The Shining" ,...ehn, just ok.
I can usually tell I'm hating a movie before the first half hour, so I just turn it off then.
Sometimes I will revisit a movie I've not seen in a long time, and my original opinion changes. Like, "The Terminator", just not as good as I thought in the 80s.

 

[skydog757]

Too many people equate an opinion with a judgement. It's fine to say "I didn't care for any of blank's films that I've seen"; it's a different matter to say" I think blank's movies are over-stylized garbage". The former states your position in a non threatening manner and allows for discussion. The latter is a flat statement that implies that, by extension, anyone who enjoys blank's films is a tasteless dolt; it only invites argument, insults and defensiveness. It's a matter of presentation, tact and approach.

To me, opinions are just that - a personal position on a subjective matter. A differing opinion is (hopefully) not intended as an attack, just another viewpoint which should be given the same respect as yours.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

Wholeheartedly agreed! That one is so bad it doesn't even enter the realm of bad movies that are so bad they become comedy classics. Lauded and acclaimed for what?? Probably because John Travolta was in it, nothing more.

Grease

Just shoot me in the freakin head.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Grease is one of those movies that just irritates the crap out of me -- not for the music or the casting or the concept but for the message: "Hey girls, wanna get your guy? You gotta be a tramp!" The movie is bad enough, but when I see high schools putting it on for their class musical, I want to scream.

 

[jamespowers]

Grease is one of those movies that just irritates the crap out of me -- not for the music or the casting or the concept but for the message: "Hey girls, wanna get your guy? You gotta be a tramp!" The movie is bad enough, but when I see high schools putting it on for their class musical, I want to scream.

A singing tramp you mean. That makes me want to scream louder.

 

[Zombie_61]

I wonder, though, if people can truly appreciate (or dislike) a movie based on it's actual merit and not be clouded by their opinions of the director's other works or personal views on the director as a person...

I'm fairly certain I can. For example, I rather like several movies directed by Steven Spielberg, but don't particularly care for others. The same is true of movies written/produced/directed by the Coen brothers, whose movies are more "miss" than "hit" for me. Generally speaking, I'm attracted to the subject matter and story of a movie far more than who directed it or who is starring in it.

That said, you won't catch me watching an M. Night Shyamalan movie any time soon. I saw The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, and didn't care for any of them even though I like the actors that appeared in them and thought the subject matter of each movie sounded interesting (before I saw them, that is). Conclusion: I don't like M. Night's movies, so I don't watch them.

Of course, these are only my opinions. I would never say someone is "wrong" for liking movies I don't like; I'm simply saying I didn't like them.

 

[Denton]

I prefer British Hitchcock to Hollywood auteur Hitchcock. I am delighted to see that LizzieMaine and Vitanola agree with me -- most viewers, it seems, do not.

Hitchcock's Hollywood movies are great too. I used to dislike Vertigo, but now I enjoy the illogic of the plot. Bernard Herrmann's score is my favorite part. If the movie were reduced to about six minutes, just the opening titles and the kiss, it would be perfect.

I'm not a Kubrick worshipper. His movies are good examples of what Manny Farber called "white elephant art."

I am tempted to defend movie musicals and Orson Welles -- Citizen Kane just isn't good enough for you guys? -- but I understand that such defenses would be contrary to the purpose of this thread, which has been a lot of fun to read, even the posts attacking movies that I dearly love.

 

[celestial]

Cinema Sins
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYUQQgogVeQY8cMQamhHJcg

 

[Two Types]

The Coen brothers are also on my 'avoid' list. I admit to only having seen two of their films (Blood Simple & Miller's Crossing) but I disliked both enough to put me off watching their other films.

Of course, applying that logic to Hitchcock would mean that, having watched the dreadful Family Plot or Topaz (which i can remember absolutely nothing about), I would then miss out on Frenzy, Psycho, Marnie etc. Which would be bad.

I'm not saying I'm right to avoid films by the Coen brothers, but I doubt that i'll live to regret it.

 

[HudsonHawk]

The Coen brothers are also on my 'avoid' list. I admit to only having seen two of their films (Blood Simple & Miller's Crossing) but I disliked both enough to put me off watching their other films.

Of course, applying that logic to Hitchcock would mean that, having watched the dreadful Family Plot or Topaz (which i can remember absolutely nothing about), I would then miss out on Frenzy, Psycho, Marnie etc. Which would be bad.

I'm not saying I'm right to avoid films by the Coen brothers, but I doubt that i'll live to regret it.

That's a shame, especially because you're missing out on their true genius...comedies. Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Oh' Brother Where Art Thou...

 

[herringbonekid]

The Coen brothers are also on my 'avoid' list. I admit to only having seen two of their films (Blood Simple & Miller's Crossing) but I disliked both enough to put me off watching their other films.

how can you not like a movie which includes the line "take your flunky and dangle" ?