Movies you've changed your opinion of.

The Royal Tenenbaums- first time I saw it was at a friends house and I was dead tired. I had never heard of Wes Anderson and was so confused/put off by the style that I gave up on the film 10 minutes in and fell asleep.

A few years later and a few Wes Anderson films under my belt a second viewing put it in the list of my favorites and now I'm a huge fan of Anderson


Syriana- the first time I saw this in the theaters I had hardly seen any previews and I don't remember if the previews made it look more "action-y" than it was, but I went into the film totally expecting a big action/thriller and that totally screwed up my viewing experience. I really didn't know what to make of the film and thought it was anti-climatic. However, a year or so later I bought the DVD on sale and now I think the film is excellent.
 
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THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
Like many others in this thread, I didn't particularly like it upon my first viewing (or even 2nd)....but there was something there (that I couldn't put my finger on) that made me want to watch it again....and again....and again, etc. The Coen bros LAYERED this movie better than most, it's truly GENIUS. Now, I do believe this might the film that I personally consider to be the BEST EVER.

THE ROYAL TANNENBAUMS
Another movie I didn't like at first, however, unlike Lebowski, I think I almost hated this film upon my first viewing. After a couple more passes, it grew on me and now I like it (but don't LOVE it like TBL). I can understand why people hold it with such regard (although I do prefer Rushmore).

NATURAL BORN KILLERS
I thought this movie was great when it came out. A good story, shot crazily, a great take on the media, etc... A month ago I tried to watch this again and couldn't even force myself through half of it. Maybe it was the 18 different film formats or the 3000 cuts.....something! I don't know. Maybe it's one of those movies you only should watch once.
 
The Sixth Sense - the first time I saw it I thought it was the most amazing movie ever. Then I watched it again and felt like the whole purpose of the film was to just trick and tease me.

Raising Arizona - this movie made me HATE Nick Cage...I thought he was such a putz. Then I saw it again and realized the brilliance of this comedy, and even how well Cage performed! Now it's my fav comedy of all time...and I can at least put up with Cage.

Akira - this was my first real try at watching a Japanese animation movie, and when I initially saw it I was way underwhelmed. I saw a couple other Japanese animations and then saw it again and started to see how facsinating the story of this movie really is.
 
THE BIG LEBOWSKI was the movie that first popped into my mind when I saw this thread. My brothers saw it at the movies and hated it (still do till this day). As a result I didn't really give it a full chance. When I first saw it I thought it was ok. It wasn't as bad as they made it out. Now I think its fantastic with some of the best lines in any movie.

Same thing happened with the first Austin Powers movie. They hated it, I avoided it for awhile, than after watching it a few times I realized they had no idea what they were talking about. However the next two I didn't really like.
 
Also to add some more, not movies but some TV shows

Naruto - Japanese anime series but more kid friendly than Akira and as a result I went into it with a different view. Other than Akira, because it was the first one I saw when I was younger, I don't really like much Japanese anime as they are mostly made for kids. When I first saw Naruto I thought the main character was annoying as hell and the story was to labored and contrived. After watching it again a few weeks later I was hooked. I have watched over 300 episodes so far. Feels odd being almost 30 and watching a anime series but this one is very well developed with fantastic story lines.

The Shield - Never liked The Commish so I avoided Michael Chiklis. Watched the show one time and didn't really like it so I avoided it. Than while I was in a hotel in Taiwan the show come on for a three hour block. I finally saw how raw and captivating the show truly was and what a great character Vic Makey (Chiklis) is. I've watched it religiously since.
 
This question can also be applied to directors...cause mostly I have changed my mind over films after I changed my mind on the director himself...
I adored David Lynch but didn't care to even go through the first 20 minutes of Inland Empire...
You know how it disgusts you when a director is so satisfied with his films that refers to them over and over till it makes you wanna throw up...
today I was playing poker and my friend's sister was watching My Blueberry Nights and though I love Wong Kar Wai, hearing the music of In the Mood for Love again in this film just made me lose the whole pot...
Well of course I'm exaggerating! It's just that seeing brilliant minds in a loop makes you angry...
 
mjjason said:
Also to add some more, not movies but some TV shows

Naruto - Japanese anime series but more kid friendly than Akira and as a result I went into it with a different view. Other than Akira, because it was the first one I saw when I was younger, I don't really like much Japanese anime as they are mostly made for kids. When I first saw Naruto I thought the main character was annoying as hell and the story was to labored and contrived. After watching it again a few weeks later I was hooked. I have watched over 300 episodes so far. Feels odd being almost 30 and watching a anime series but this one is very well developed with fantastic story lines.
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What's funny is that MOST Anime is like this. =)

Eureka Seven, highly recommended.
 
I'll agree with Lost In Translation. After my first viewing, I really didn't understand the hype. But after a few, I liked it more and more. Now, I just like talking about it with friends who constantly bash the film.

Annie Hall was another one I really couldn't get into. I fell asleep to it in a film history class because Woody Allen's performance was just annoying. But once I got over that, I started to appreciate it much more.

Oh, and anything Michael Bay did. Granted, I was much younger and more into the "spectacle" of movie-going back then. When I come across The Rock in my DVD collection, I think "seriously? I own this?!"
 
Batutta said:
Believe it or not, I actually disliked Goodfellas the first time I saw it. The dizzying camerawork gave me a headache, as did the violence. Only several years later when I saw it on video did I recognize it's brilliance...and how funny the movie is. In contrast, I thought Top Gun was the greatest movie ever when I saw it as a teenager. Now I think it's the most unintentionally hilarious piece of garbage ever made.
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Madness.

SPARTA.jpg


I've changed my tune on a number of films; recently NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The Thin Red Line also comes to mind; coming off of the hyper relaism of SPR, I had to literally readjust my mindset on how I viewed war and combat.
 
I hated The Thin Red Line when I first saw it as well.

I love the film now, even though I find the narration to be flawed*, plus Zimmer's scoring is fantastic.


*It is that of an older wiser man, not the actual characters in the film.
 
I was totally amazed with Near Dark when I saw it in college on video. But I was also quite drunk and, ahem, hopped up on nature's herbs when I saw it. Years later, I bought the DVD, saw it again and was very disappointed. God I miss college.
 
Donnie Darko. I saw it in the theater and thought it was fun and forgot about it.

Recently I watched it, however, and was disturbed. I cannot get it out of my head.
Such a bizarre, amazing film. It has a similar aftertaste to David Lynch.
 
Every PT Anderson flick. I find them pretentious and meandering the first time and by the 3rd viewing i'm ready to declare them my favorite film ever. Happened with Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love (still my favorite film of all time), and now There Will Be Blood. lol its very consistant :)
 
Will Clegg said:
2001: A Space Odyssey. The first time I saw it, I turned it off. Bored as hell. I have now seen it over 30 times and I wrote my senior paper in college about it. One of my three favorites of all time.

The first time I saw American Beauty I was completely blown away. I took a bunch of friends to see it for my second time, and I was curiously underwhelmed. I have seen it a few more times since, and now I really don't care about it. I don't dislike it, I just don't even have an opinion about it.
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Really... I remember seeing [American Beauty] and thinking it was pretty good. I just finished reading the script and it blew my brains out with it's awesomeness. Alan Ball is an amazing freakin' writer. Having seen it once, years ago, the images were in there but in a hazy sort of way. My imagination filled out , or perhaps filtered out whatever cinematic shortcomings.
 
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Scarecrow. Starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. Won the grand prize at Cannes.

I watched a cropped version on VHS a couple years ago and thought it was slow and boring. It recently came out in widescreen on DVD and on a second viewing i thought it was such a fun movie. Not slow at all. Its funny and moving. Interesting how different the experience is when you only see half of the frame.
 
c.g._eads said:
Shrek - I thought it was so dumb and predictable the first time I saw it. Watched it again and saw that there was something deeper to the characters. Still think it's Eddie Murphy's best performance ever in film.

Rushmore - The first time I saw it I was so confused by the filmmaking style, I had no idea what was going on. Only later when I saw it on video did I realize it was genius. To this day, it's the only Wes Anderson film I really like (well, except for Bottle Rocket).

Lost In Translation - The first time I saw it I felt it was racist and meandering. Then when I saw it again and let myself not judge the loose structure, I really enjoyed it, which is saying something cause I think Scarlett Johansen is a bad actress.

Get Shorty - It was just boring to me the first time. I don't know why, but 3 days later I watched it again and was laughing the whole way through. Where is that John Travolta today??

Little Miss Sunshine - I hated it the first time. I thought it was quirky for quirky's sake, indie-predictable, trite, tried too hard, hated the little girl and didn't get why anybody would think she would be a beauty contestant. The second time I saw it I.... oh who am I kidding? I hated it even more.
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I'm not the only one who couldn't stand Little Miss Sunshine? Thank god.
 
The 5th Element-Hated it in the theaters, Now I Enjoy watching it. It is very imaginative and funny.

Final Destination 2-I actually liked this in the theater, Now I can't see how I did.

Scarface- I liked it when I was a kid maybe because of the drugs an violence, but now I really don't care for it too much. There is somehthing sacred about this movie for some reason and what a lot of people don't know is, that it got slammed by the critics when it was released. I take so much heat for not being a Scarface fan, but hey.

Chronicles of Riddick- Thought it was okay on the big screen. I love it now. (I know, I know)
 
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