"Great" Movies that Suck

chromeboy007 said:
John,

You certainly have a point, and of course, you are making generalizations. Aspiring filmmakers like us certainly would not fall into this trap, but the flip side of your argument is that the general public has a bad tendency to believe that "new = good". It's a fallacy that new movies have always taken the best of the past and have evolved into something new and better. The truth is it doesn't always happen that way. Even the Oscar best picture last year (Crash) sucks - it did not evolve at all... most characters are 2 dimensional caricatures and plot advances on coincidences and gimmicks and flashy transitions. These things awe the general public but do not fool us for a second.

Good cinema are the ones that, in addition to being innovative, have absorbed/learned from the old masters. Fortunately for us, in this fastfood/Paris Hilton era, film is an art where quality still means something. Definition of what good is varies but there is some true consensus. And good films are still being sort after. Look at pop music, it has descented to the lowerest depth ever with Paris Hilton's new CD. Old but good music is forgotten, for no other reason then because it is not new. There are talented musicians who will never get signed and noticed because of filthy social decadents like her. and that makes me very sad.

My point is, I would rather watch Seven Samurai for the nth time, or pick out a Fellini /Polanski/whatever that I haven't seen from the store, then to watch Superman Returns...

You said so yourself, the only modern filmmaker whos' work you truly can't wait to see is QT. what does that say about the general modern filmmakers?

For me it's Wong Kar Wai... I can't wait for My Blueberry Nights. the rest can wait....

My booze is wearing down....
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That is a great take. :)
 
CallaghanFilms said:
mefipallina_clap.gif
John


You're right on in saying that it would be damn near impossible for these cats to have access to even half of the films of avant garde/abstract/euro/new wave directors (other than those "some professor in film school claims as gospel" that you mentioned.)


On the other hand, I can vouch for the directors on my best of list...especially after spending my lifetime so far screening the entirety of their respective body of works (or 90% in the cases of a few who have had prints tragically lost to time.)
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Spielberg (100%)
Hitch (100%)
Capra (90%)
Curtiz (100% since 1926)
Huston (100%)
Ford (90%)
Welles (100%)
Wilder (100%)
Hawks (90%)
Coppola (100%)
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Obviously we're spoiled that many of these works have been available to us via Video, AMC. TNT ond Bravo (AMC rules)
 
chromeboy007 said:
LOL! All of Godard's work from Breathless to Weekend, before he went crazy, and almost all of Kurosawa's work from Stray Dog in 1949 aaalllllllllll the way to Rhapsody in August in 1991 can be easily found from within walking distance from where I live in Toronto.

I haven't studied their stocks for others on John's list but I have no reason to think that these places are prejudice towards them.

BTW, so that you know, just incase you didn't, almost all of Kubrick work can be found at your local Blockbuster...
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This was the generalization part. Toronto. You are International.

OKay, a hop skip and a jump ..

But even in San Diego, there were not many places to find these works. Yes, there were some stores in the county (mainly in Hillcrest) and the stores had a sectino devoted to Foriegn and/or classics but the stores cater to White Bread America

Anyways

As always mentioned

I enjoy these works as well; I find them extremely valuable to film history and evolution but just havent seen all of them.
 
Hairy Lime said:
A BEAUTIFUL MIND. I would like to know what Polanski would have done with this story instead of Howard. Opie just can't do dark.

BRAZIL. I've tried this movie 3 times now and I still don't understand the hype. And I like Terry Gilliam!
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I really enjoyed A Beautiful Mind, but Brazil...

Yeah, me either.
 
Many people enjoyed A BEAUTIFUL MIND. For me it was a dishonest exploration of mental illness with a saccharine sweet happy ending. John Nash's wife beating was completely left out of the story. Howard's the Cecil B. DeMille of his generation. He should stick with stories of heroism and happy endings and leave the darker recesses of the mind to directors who can explore such material honestly and with a deft touch. guys like Polanski, Aronofsky, even Fincher.
 
Hairy Lime said:
Many people enjoyed A BEAUTIFUL MIND. For me it was a dishonest exploration of mental illness with a saccharine sweet happy ending. John Nash's wife beating was completely left out of the story. Howard's the Cecil B. DeMille of his generation. He should stick with stories of heroism and happy endings and leave the darker recesses of the mind to directors who can explore such material honestly and with a deft touch. guys like Polanski, Aronofsky, even Fincher.
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Also thought it was flawed and overly saccharinized. Plus didn't like how it was rather long and strung out, yet the last 20 years of his life are covered in about a minute's time.
 
Hairy Lime said:
Many people enjoyed A BEAUTIFUL MIND. For me it was a dishonest exploration of mental illness with a saccharine sweet happy ending. John Nash's wife beating was completely left out of the story. Howard's the Cecil B. DeMille of his generation. He should stick with stories of heroism and happy endings and leave the darker recesses of the mind to directors who can explore such material honestly and with a deft touch. guys like Polanski, Aronofsky, even Fincher.
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The reason for all of this is that it still needed to be a commercial success and not strictly an artistic one...
 
i dont see the point of a discussion like this, but while i'm here i might as well contribute:

CLOSER - worst movie ever!
 
organism said:
i dont see the point of a discussion like this, but while i'm here i might as well contribute:

CLOSER - worst movie ever!
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why? I love that film.. mind you I could probably get as much joy out of reading the script but hey it's still good
 
Gosford Park, or whatever it is called.

Robert Altman movies in general, excluding Short Cuts (which I liked)

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (good book, good adaptation, but, sincerely, the story has been told before, in movie form, in the Star Wars Trilogy and other epics, even though these movies where inspired by the book)

Batman Begins (Pretty Average- Better than Batman and Robin and Batman Forever, but that isn't particularly hard)

Schindler's List - trying too much. Good Movie, but overrated.

Traffic- highly overrated. Moralistic, sobbing pretentious crap.


As for 2001, its just one of the best movies I've ever seen. How can you guys bash it like that? Its OUTRAGEOUS, i tell ya!

EDIT- Organism, you didn't like Closer, but you HAVE TO AGREE- "The Blower's Daughter"is one of the best love songs of the decade!
 
Nice list.

Nice list.

John_Hudson said:
The Constant Gardner

The English Patient

2001: A Space Odyssey

Fight Club
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I agree with you completely. I liked every one of these movies but for me, not one of them was a home run.
 
Oh, and the most overrated movie maker of all time? Tim Burton. Awful. Examples.

1. Planet of the Apes. -- A joke.
2. The Grinch. -- Haaated it.
3. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Why?
4. Batman retuns.
5. Pee Wee's Big Adventure.


And speaking of overrated movies. How about Big Fish? Another example of style over substance. I doesn't matter how pretty or trippy Burton makes his movies , it's still about the story, and it always will be.
 
Burton did not do Grinch

But yeah; he pisses me off with his fatal misses

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For every one i love (Ed Wood) he bricks another (Planet)
 
John_Hudson said:
Burton did not do Grinch

But yeah; he pisses me off with his fatal misses

-

For every one i love (Ed Wood) he bricks another (Planet)
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*kkksssssssss* That is the sound of sizzling bacon, frying on my head. I know Burton can screw some stuff up, but give him a chance...

And I dont like Tarantino all that much.... :banned:

Really though, see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. That one is defenitely worth it.
 
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