Home Theater Forum - View Single Post - Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club

Adam_S · 06-15-2003, 02:48 AM

Seth that's almost exactly how I feel much of the time. I wade into these sorts of films (S&S 'art' films) with trepidation most of the time, only to be proven wrong again and again. but I'm also just as likely to see the merits in something like Anger Management or Sweet Home Alabama rather than tearing them down like most people do. I think there's nothing wrong with an unpretentious movie that only wants to entertain you (which the above movies did). Heck I even enjoy a good beat-em-up even if it is NOT made in Hong Kong, and explosions, pseudo science, and guys with guns are great fun as well (like Armageddon, Die Hard, and The Rock three guilty pleasures of mine). In fact if it's a populist bit of entertainment like the above, I generally consider a slam by the average critic to be a good recommendation.

Matt, glad you liked Jaws, it's definitely one of the most accessible films on the list. On the surface and first viewing it seems to be all about the adventure, but there are a marvelous amount of little touches that just make the film better each time I watch it, a brilliantly put together movie in my opinion. However, I can understand your attitude to 2001 it almost mirrors my exact attitude towards the film - Technical = A and content = F--unfortunate the rest of the film is not as interesting as the dawn of Man sequence. However this film got better when I saw it for a second time on a personal projector, so I have some hope that the film will improve if I ever get the chance of seeing it in 70mm.

I bring that up because I felt somewhat as you did towards Lawrence of Arabia (although I'd have given Content a B+) initially, but when I saw a 70mm print of the film last fall, this film went from being my least loved Lean to the most. It truly is a completely different film on the BIG screen.

One of the most valuable lessons I"ve learned is that while dvd will do, as many films as possible should be seen in film, there's nothing quite like it. I hope you get a chance to see a 35mm print of black and white academy ratio film projected some day, that first experience is always wonderful. mine was Treasure of the Sierra Madre (first time I saw that as well), when suddenly a whole cadre of films that had always been small became big, it's a magical moment.

Adam

06-15-2003, 02:48 AM	#577 of 3711
Adam_S *Adam_S* Member Location: Marina del Rey, CA Join Date: Feb 2001 Local Time: 05:31 PM Local Date: 08-29-2008 Posts: 5,008	Seth that's almost exactly how I feel much of the time. I wade into these sorts of films (S&S 'art' films) with trepidation most of the time, only to be proven wrong again and again. but I'm also just as likely to see the merits in something like Anger Management or Sweet Home Alabama rather than tearing them down like most people do. I think there's nothing wrong with an unpretentious movie that only wants to entertain you (which the above movies did). Heck I even enjoy a good beat-em-up even if it is NOT made in Hong Kong, and explosions, pseudo science, and guys with guns are great fun as well (like Armageddon, Die Hard, and The Rock three guilty pleasures of mine). In fact if it's a populist bit of entertainment like the above, I generally consider a slam by the average critic to be a good recommendation. Matt, glad you liked Jaws, it's definitely one of the most accessible films on the list. On the surface and first viewing it seems to be all about the adventure, but there are a marvelous amount of little touches that just make the film better each time I watch it, a brilliantly put together movie in my opinion. However, I can understand your attitude to 2001 it almost mirrors my exact attitude towards the film - Technical = A and content = F--unfortunate the rest of the film is not as interesting as the dawn of Man sequence. However this film got better when I saw it for a second time on a personal projector, so I have some hope that the film will improve if I ever get the chance of seeing it in 70mm. I bring that up because I felt somewhat as you did towards Lawrence of Arabia (although I'd have given Content a B+) initially, but when I saw a 70mm print of the film last fall, this film went from being my least loved Lean to the most. It truly is a completely different film on the BIG screen. One of the most valuable lessons I"ve learned is that while dvd will do, as many films as possible should be seen in film, there's nothing quite like it. I hope you get a chance to see a 35mm print of black and white academy ratio film projected some day, that first experience is always wonderful. mine was Treasure of the Sierra Madre (first time I saw that as well), when suddenly a whole cadre of films that had always been small became big, it's a magical moment. Adam top 20 films 2008 film list My DVDs; S&S List 62...212 AFI lists: - DONE!