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Directors 2003 Film Poll - Top 5 - Bottom 5 - Most Overrated/Underrated (1 Viewer)

Jim_K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2000
Messages
10,087
Top 5

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. Kill Bill Volume 1
3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
4. Finding Nemo
5. tie - X2 - Open Range - Pirates of the Caribbean


Bottom 5

1. The Medallion
2. Dreamcatcher
3. Bulletproof Monk
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman



Most Underrated

Hulk

Most Overrated

Lost in Translation
The School of Rock


Biggest Disappointment

The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions - I did enjoy both but I was expecting much more.

Biggest Surprise

21 Grams & 28 Days Later

Looking forward to

Mystic River
 

Jason Seaver

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
Top 5

Cicade de Deus (City Of God)
In America
Finding Nemo
Northfork
Intolerable Cruelty


Bottom 5 (leaving out festival films)

The Recruit
The Event
May
Darkness Falls
Anger Management


Most Overrated

Swimming Pool - This movie was just carried by the nudity

Most Underrated

Northfork - I was honestly surprised by the middling reviews this got
The Hulk - Best superhero movie ever, though admittedly not for everyone

Biggest Disappointment

Anything Else - A case study in how scenes that are funny in a trailer just aren't in the movie

Biggest Surprise

Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary - I'd seen this mostly-B&W silent ballet version before, as a preview at a horror movie marathon, but that wasn't the right time or place. On a second viewing, it was brilliant, perhaps the best version of the story since the original Nosferatu

Did anyone else see this movie?

Die, Mommie, Die!
 

Angelo.M

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
4,007
Top:

City of God
Finding Nemo
Whale Rider
School of Rock
Capturing the Friedmans


Bottom:

The Hulk
Matrix: Revolutions
Masked and Anonymous
Human Stain
Laurel Canyon


Overrated:

Return of the King

Underrated:

Mighty Wind

Disappointment:

Lost in Translation

Surprise:

Spellbound
 

Brook K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2000
Messages
9,467
Top 5

The Shape Of Things
Kill Bill, Vol. 1
The Barbarian Invasions
Russian Ark
Tibet: Cry Of The Snow Lion


Bottom 5

The Secret Lives Of Dentists
Veronica Guerin
American Wedding
Daredevil
L'Auberge Espagnole


Overrated

Return of the King

Underrated

The Cooler

Biggest Disappointment

Return Of The King (failed to capture the spirit of Tolkein that Jackson harnessed so beautifully in Fellowship)

Biggest Surprise

Stevie (didn't quite make my top 5, but I thought Steve James' work here was so moving and powerful that, in a great year for documentaries, it blew all the other much higher profile documentaries (Friedman's, Spellbound, Fog of War) off the screen.)

Did Anyone Else See This Movie?

The Weather Underground

Looking Forward To (ie. missed in theater, will rent on DVD)

The Company, Bad Santa, Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary
 

Craig S

Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2000
Messages
5,884
Location
League City, Texas
Real Name
Craig Seanor
Top 5:
  1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  2. Finding Nemo
  3. American Splendor
  4. City Of God
  5. All The Real Girls
Bottom 5:
  1. Bringing Down The House
  2. The Core
  3. Dreamcatcher
  4. The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen
  5. Anger Management
Most Overrated:

Mystic River

Most Underrated:

The Hulk

Biggest Disappointment:

In The Cut

Biggest Surprise:

Open Range
 

Arman

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
1,625
Top 5:

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
City Of God
Kill Bill Volume 1
Raising Victor Vargas
Lost in Translation

Bottom 5:

Head of State
Old School
National Security
Darkness Falls
Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Most Overrated:

Mystic River

Most Underrated:

Raising Victor Vargas

Biggest Disappointment:

A Mighty Wind

Biggest Surprise:

Swimming Pool
 

Nick Sievers

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
3,480
Top 5:

1. The Return of the King
2. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (If Vol. 2 was in the same year and counted as one film it would probably take the number 1 position)
3. American Splendor
4. Master and Commander
5. Lost in Translation

Bottom 5:

1. Bad Boys 2 - Nothing comes close to this atrocity
2. House of 1000 Corpses - Pity they gave Zombie money for a sequel.
3. Bringing Down The House
4. The Real Cancun
5. A Man Apart

Most Overrated:

X2

Most Underrated:

Down with Love

Biggest Disappointment:

All the Real Girls - certainly not a bad film, I was just expecting more.
The Last Samurai

Biggest Surprise:

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - the trailers did absolutely nothing for me, I had never read the books, it isn't my favorite genre, not a big Crowe fan. Weir's name got me to the cinema and I was drawn into his world for 2 hours.

I am still waiting for a heap of films to be released on DVD.
 

Arman

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
1,625
BTW, my missed them list/highly anticipated films of 2003 (am just waiting for their region 1 DVD release) are:

Ten
The Son
Distant
Lilya-4-Ever
Dogville
Fog of War
The Barbarian Invasions

(Brook, I've seen Stevie. I did not like it, the more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to hate it!)
 

Bill McA

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2000
Messages
5,969
Top 5

1. Kill Bill Vol. 1
2. Irreversible
3. The Shape of Things
4. Finding Nemo
5. Mystic River

Bottom 5

1. Daredevil
2. Dr.Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
3. Bad Boys II
4. House of the Dead
5. Head of State


Most Underrated

Hulk
Stuck On You
Holes
Peter Pan


Most Overrated

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Cold Mountain
The Last Samurai
Monster


Biggest Disappointment

Big Fish
Underworld
Intolerable Cruelty


Biggest Surprise

Open Range
Elf
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl


Looking forward to

Time of the Wolf
Evil
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
The Dreamers
Haute Tension
The Barbarian Invasions
Northfork


Did Anyone Else See This Movie?

Bright Future
Wonderful Days
 

Bill J

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2001
Messages
3,970
Top Five:
1. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2. City of God
3. Lost in Translation
4. Kill Bill: Volume 1
5. Mystic River


Bottom Five:
1. Spun
2. Darkness Falls
3. Dreamcatcher
4. House of 1000 Corpses
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen


Most Underrated:
House of Sand and Fog
Nowhere in Africa


Most Overrated:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Finding Nemo
Seabiscuit
The Matrix Reloaded


Biggest Disappointment:
The Last Samurai
Dreamcatcher
Open Range


Biggest Surprise:
28 Days Later
The Italian Job
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
 

Nick Sievers

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Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
3,480
Good call on mentioning Spun as worst film, Bill. I just watched it a couple of nights ago, what a pile of garbage.
 

Brook K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2000
Messages
9,467
Glad to see someone else shares my love of The Shape of Things, Bill.

Had I listed more than one title in my categories I would have included Big Fish on the disappointments and Open Range and Master and Commander on the surprises.

I am also looking forward to:
Haute Tension, The Son, Goodbye Dragon Inn, and Time Of the Wolf. I have The Dreamers on the "awaiting release" portion of my Netflix list, though as of last week it was still in 1 theater here.

What's "Evil" Bill?

Arman, I know, I've read your "Stevie" comments. I thought it was absolutely incredible and I've been meaning to write a longer review for a long time. For the rest of your list:

Ten (interesting, but hardly the revelatory experience some of the reviews describe it as. If I had a higher opinion of Kiarostami going in this could have made the "disappointment" category)
The Son (Only played here for a week. I really regret missing it)
Distant (Remember this as something I had on my radar, but can't recall what it's about right now.)
Lilya-4-Ever (outstanding, top 10'er, would buy the r2 if I had a functioning region free player)
Dogville (Stunning, I'm listing it in 2004 and won't be surprised if it ends up my favorite of the year)
Fog of War (solid, well done, somewhere in 11-20)
The Barbarian Invasions (#3 of '03, deeply affecting and politically witty)
 

Scott Weinberg

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
7,477


I called it that several months ago. :) Bill is a wise man indeed.

I'll stop back with my lists in a bit. Good idea for a poll, Jim.
 

Nick Sievers

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
3,480
I read your review after watching the film (using the term 'film' loosely of course), bloody funny stuff. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Bill McA

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2000
Messages
5,969

Evil is the recent Swedish Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee, and what little I know about it has struck up my interest.
 

Justin_S

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2001
Messages
3,581
Top 5

1: Irreversible
2: Cabin Fever
3: Identity
4: Elephant
5: 21 Grams

Bottom 5

1: Dreamcatcher
2: Bulletproof Monk
3: Kill Bill Vol. 1
4: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
5: The Matrix Revolutions

Most Overrated

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Most Underrated

Hulk- The best comic book based film to date as far as I'm concerned, and my #6 favorite film of the year.

Biggest Disappointment

Dreamcatcher

Biggest Surprise

May
 

SteveGon

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2000
Messages
12,250
Real Name
Steve Gonzales
I missed a lot of the big ones (Mystic River, that silly hobbit movie), but some of the 2003 films I did like:

Master and Commander - Curiously, I liked the subplot about the doctor wanting to explore the Galapagos more than the martial aspects of the primary plotline.

X2 - Near perfect comic book movie.

Lost in Translation - A bit overrated, but I dig these kinds of dramas.

American Splendor - See above.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 - What else needs to be said?

Cold Mountain - As good as could be expected considering Charles Frazier's prose - not something easily translatable to film - was the real selling point of the novel.

Open Range - Darn good western though the ending dragged on a bit.

Biggest surprise:

Terminator 3 - Better than expected despite being wholly unnecessary.

Worst:

Underworld - Cool premise ruined by trite execution. Bleah.

Cabin Fever - Was expecting something else I guess. Not sure what I got. Yuck.

Disappointments:

Northfork
Hulk
Daredevil


All three rate a "meh."
 

Brian.L

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Messages
549
Top 5

LOTR: Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Capturing the Friedmans
21 Grams
Cidade de Deus (City of God)

Bottom 5 (at least out of what I saw)

Bad Boys II
House of 1000 Corpses
Daredevil
The Cat in the Hat
Life of David Gale

Most Overrated

In America (pleasant enough, but come on)
Monster
Swimming Pool

Most Underrated

Shattered Glass

Biggest Disappointment

The Matrix Reloaded (& Matrix Revolutions also, though by that point it was expected)
The Cooler
Owning Mahoney

Biggest Surprise

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Haven't Seen Yet (& Want To)

The Barbarian Invasions
Irreversible
Last Samurai
Stevie
Whale Rider
Raising Victor Vargas
 

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