Most overrated film of all time...

[Mcphisto]

Eric Mc said:

So you don't recognise its importance and its influence on the basis that "you don't like it"?

No .........It's overrated (see thread title) In My Opinion ( I am allowed an opinion am I )

[Eric Mc]

Mcphisto said:

Eric Mc said:

So you don't recognise its importance and its influence on the basis that "you don't like it"?

No .........It's overrated (see thread title) In My Opinion ( I am allowed an opinion am I )

Of course you are allowed an opinion. Everybody is. I just wanted to know if your opinion was based on something more sophisticated than "I didn't like it".

Obviously it isn't.



There are lots of films (and other artistic endeavours) that -

a) I don't like

b) I don't probably understand

c) I would never pay to watch, listen to or read

But I will accept that some of these artistic endeavours have been influential and therefore are rated highly.

I think I do have the capability of separating personal likes from importance in art and culture.

[yellowjack]

otolith said:

Apart from the specific matter of Star Wars, influence is not necessarily an indication of how good a film is. The Blair Witch Project had a lot of influence too, but I didn't like it and I don't like the "found footage" genre of films it has influenced.

The Blair Witch Project was mentioned early on in this thread. I totally agree, too. It was the biggest pile of poo I've ever wasted my time watching. In fact, while my wife shuddered with every turn of the camera, apparently taken in by it, I laughed my head off through the whole thing. I genuinely thought it was a comedy, or some kind of parody. It held me in no form of suspense, nor did it terrify me in any way. It just fell flat on it's face for me, and I don't get why it's accepted as important, influential, or groundbreaking in any way when there are so many underrated movies released every year that do what they do better than a lot of the guff that wins awards.

[Mcphisto]

[Eric Mc]

The cinematographical techniques first used in "Blair Witch" are seen all over the place - but mainly on schlocky low budget ghost hunting "documentaries" (I use the word "documentaries" very loosely here).

"Star Wars" WAS influential and demonstrated what could be done with new technology (computer guided cameras, fast travelling matte work etc).

It also tapped into a market that wasn't really being exploited up until that time (kids). I wan't quite in that demographic when it came out (I was 19) but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it in the cinema on its first release. The opening shot(now something of a cinematic cliché) was just awe inspiring and extremely dramatic.

Like a lot of things, over time it may have lost some of that impact and maybe not all of its influences have actually been all that positive - but it certainly impressed at the time.

[otolith]

Yes, they were both influential, the only difference is that you like the influence of one and not the other. Which is the point, influence is not a factor in whether one ought to think a film was good or not. I'm sure Michael Bay's movies have been influential too...

[otolith]

(A film can be important without being good)

[Eric Mc]

And what does "overrated" (or even "rated") mean?

In the context of the original "Star Wars", then I think it is highly rated because of the technical ambition and use of what was then state of the art technology. The story was fairly mundane to be honest - although it was laced with a certain amount of self deprecating humour which is what gave it a charm that was lacking in later iterations of the "fable" - especially the three "prequels".

Also, I would suggest that a "rated" film is a film where those in the industry recognise something important about it. It isn't a simple "like/don't like" equation.

[marcosgt]

Eric Mc said:

I would suggest that a "rated" film is a film where those in the industry recognise something important about it. It isn't a simple "like/don't like" equation.

I disagree - Those 'in the industry' have a slanted (maybe more accurate, but less globally recognisable) view of what makes a good film.

The ones which are 'rated' are those the average film watcher will say "Oh, that's a good film" whenever it's mentioned.

Titanic is rated, Star Wars is rated, Saving Private Ryan is rated, clearly The Shawshank Redemption is rated.

The Prestige, despite being a great film, isn't rated, it's a bit of a cult film (as was Fight Club and Shawshank once, but the latter seemed to be jerrymandered into some polls and is now often cited as "bestest film 'eva!" despite being really rather dull and derivative if not exactly bad...)

M

[otolith]

I would say that one considers a film to be "overrated" if one disagrees with critical and/or popular opinion of its merit.

[GetCarter]

marcosgt said:

Shawshank often cited as "bestest film 'eva!" despite being really rather dull and derivative

Takes all sorts I guess. Rachmaninoff was okay on a pub piano I heard.

FYI One million, six hundred and eighty nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty nine film enthusiasts disagree with you. (Plus me) >>> http://www.imdb.com/search/title?groups=top_250&am...

Edited by GetCarter on Friday 12th August 14:37

[Cotty]

GetCarter said:

marcosgt said:

Shawshank often cited as "bestest film 'eva!" despite being really rather dull and derivative

Takes all sorts I guess. Rachmaninoff was okay on a pub piano I heard.

FYI One million, six hundred and eighty nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty nine film enthusiasts disagree with you. (Plus me) >>> http://www.imdb.com/search/title?groups=top_250&am...

That's the total number of votes, you need to look at the breakdown as some people did not rate it highly. Although 946,969 gave it a 10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/ratings?ref_=t...

[BRR]

The Horse Whisperer, IMDB only scores it 6.5 but that's far too generous, it's basically about 6 hours of crying, staring and Redford interfering with a horse

[GetCarter]

Cotty said:

GetCarter said:

marcosgt said:

Shawshank often cited as "bestest film 'eva!" despite being really rather dull and derivative

Takes all sorts I guess. Rachmaninoff was okay on a pub piano I heard.

FYI One million, six hundred and eighty nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty nine film enthusiasts disagree with you. (Plus me) >>> http://www.imdb.com/search/title?groups=top_250&am...

That's the total number of votes, you need to look at the breakdown as some people did not rate it highly. Although 946,969 gave it a 10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/ratings?ref_=t...

It's number 1. Every other film in history scored less. HTH

[Eric Mc]

marcosgt said:

I disagree - Those 'in the industry' have a slanted (maybe more accurate, but less globally recognisable) view of what makes a good film.

The ones which are 'rated' are those the average film watcher will say "Oh, that's a good film" whenever it's mentioned.

Titanic is rated, Star Wars is rated, Saving Private Ryan is rated, clearly The Shawshank Redemption is rated.

The Prestige, despite being a great film, isn't rated, it's a bit of a cult film (as was Fight Club and Shawshank once, but the latter seemed to be jerrymandered into some polls and is now often cited as "bestest film 'eva!" despite being really rather dull and derivative if not exactly bad...)

M

I do think "those in the industry" do know a bit about film making. Funny that.

[dorme]

some posts on the thread must be for a rise surely....

pulp fiction? the dark knight? shawshank? the godfather? alien? Overrated?

Some of you guys are so avant-guarde, i am so jealous of your optimal cinematic taste, let me guess, instead of alien i should be watching some korean sci-fi cartoon?

[Moonhawk]

dorme said:

some posts on the thread must be for a rise surely....

pulp fiction? the dark knight? shawshank? the godfather? alien? Overrated?

Some of you guys are so avant-guarde, i am so jealous of your optimal cinematic taste, let me guess, instead of alien i should be watching some korean sci-fi cartoon?

Different strokes for different folks.

I like Shawshank and Alien - but Pulp Fiction and TDK are rated amongst my least favourite movies - I just don't get what all the gushing fanwk is about.

The godfather was also pretty meh! if i'm honest.

Edited by Moonhawk on Saturday 13th August 10:34

[yellowjack]

Antony Moxey said:

Rush. If only the pre Nurburgring bit was as good as the post Nurburgring bit, and they didn't have the annoying reporter explaining everything pre race and Simon Taylor commentating during the race. I guess that's what happens when an American makes a film for an American audience about a subject they largely have no interest in.

Some of that was filmed locally to me, at Blackbushe Airport. Along with Criminal, which I haven't seen yet but I want to, to see where the locally filmed scenes fit into the story...

[yellowjack]

grumbledoak said:

Full Metal Jacket. 'Everyone' raved about it. I can name the music played when Barnes shoots Elias in Platoon, but I couldn't give you even the name of the soldier who kills himself in FMJ. Rubbish.

Avatar & 2001 as mentioned.

Pte. Leonard Lawrence kills Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Although he'd been 're-christened' as Gomer Pyle by the senior drill instructor in one of the most watchable scenes in cinema (IMHO).

"I don't like the name Lawrence, only faggots and sailors are called Lawrence. From now on you're Gomer Pyle."

...preceded by this endearing little exchange:


Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Do you suck dicks?
Private Pyle: Sir, no, sir.
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Bullst. I bet you could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
Private Pyle: Sir, no, sir.

'Gomer Pyle' is systematically bullied from the moment we're introduced to him, far more so than the rest of his platoon. He's almost a metaphor for all that's 'wrong' in wider society, as seen through the eyes of a professional soldier. It comes as no real surprise to find out that he 'wants out' but also wants to take his chief tormentor with him.


Full Metal Jacket is up there with the greats as a piece of film making for me. It's almost two movies for the price of one, it's drama, satire, social and political comment and almost a documentary for the first half. Then the war film that makes up the second half comes as a bonus. Bizarre as this sounds, it's NOT my favourite war film, but it's right up there with my favourite fims of all time. I don't think I will ever get to the point where I don't enjoy watching it over again.

Oh, and I've fired my APWT several times in "Pte Pyle's lane" on Barton Road Ranges in Cambridgeshire. Lane 11, filmed at the 300 metre firing point in the prone, unsupported position...

[checkmate91]

dorme said:

some posts on the thread must be for a rise surely....

pulp fiction? the dark knight? shawshank? the godfather? alien? Overrated?

Some of you guys are so avant-guarde, i am so jealous of your optimal cinematic taste, let me guess, instead of alien i should be watching some korean sci-fi cartoon?

If you prefer Japanese to Korean, I still vividly remember watching Akira one Christmas on BBC2 back in the late 80s. A fantastic film and the antithesis of this thread, I think it highly under-rated!

Edited by checkmate91 on Friday 12th August 20:32