Your movie/tv show opposites. Where u go against the masses? (1 Viewer)

[Holadem]

Joining the vitriol:

I love Clint Eastwood as an actor, but find him seriously overrated as a director.

Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond. I wonder if this is really a minority opinion at this point...

The appeal of most so called cult horror flicks eludes me. You know, Friday the 13th, Nightmare... and their ilk. Most of those things are horribly acted, cheaply produced, terrible movies by any standards, and yet seem to have a such a huge following that I don't even think the word "cult" should apply to them. I simply cannot stand them.

Most comedies bore me to death. I find more real comedy in dramas and other genre than in your typical comedy.

No musicals for me.

Most sitcoms just don't work for me. I guess I am just not a very fun person...

I did enjoy Voyager, flaws and all and it is the only Star Trek I find even remotely palatable. I can't stand the rest, I find most of ST universe simplistic, bland and completely dated. It may have worked in the 60s, but it's been left behind in terms of complexity.

Quentin Tarantino's work doesn't work for me, although I did enjoy Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk Till Dawn (can't remember whether he directed it or Rodriguez did). Pulp Fiction left me cold and the frenzy over Kill Bill had me scratching my head long after I saw it. I will not be seeking out part 2.

I find the typical pick for best film of the 90s, Goodfellas vastly overrated. Lots of style, little substance, mildly interesting characters that fail to connect on any emotional level. This seems to be a staple of Scorcese as far as I am concerned. That said, Taxi Driver and Aviator worked for me. Raging Bull did not.

While I managed to enjoy the Sopranos, I honestly don't get and share the fascination for the mob, their lifestyle and movies featuring them. These people are some of the very lowest lifeforms on the planet, brutal animals that live to cause pain and death while maintaining the apparance of humanity with that pathetic code of theirs. Yet apparently everyone thinks they are cool.

I think that's it for now...

--
H

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Holadem,
I whole heartedly agree with your assesment of the mob, they're worshipped like celebrities but they most certaintly are not. They're not "business men", they're criminals, plain and simple.

Keep in mind also, that one of the themes of Goodfellas is to tell us that it most certaintly is NOT cool to be a gangster.

I may not have as much money as they do, but at least i'm not a murderer and a crook.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Highwaymen is far more entertaining than Ray

 

[GeorgePaul]

OK, I thought of a couple more:

Shadowlands is one of the best films of the 1990s. Debra Winger and Joseph Mazzello give the performances of their careers as Helen and Douglas Gresham, while it is impossible not to like Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis. Sir Richard Attenborough tells one of the most touching (and true!) stories I've ever seen, beautifully underscored by George Fenton.

One of the most underrated films of the 1980s is Dad. Danson, Lemmon, Hawke, Dukakis and Spacey all give winning, endearing performances. I cry at the end every time.

Islands in the Stream should get an update in some iteration, if not on the big screen. The original film is quite effective at the end, but the rest could really be pepped up into something if a director is looking to revive Hemingway.

The best year for American film since the advent of the ratings system was 1980.

Most of the secondary/auxiliary satellite channels are cash cows stolen from the digital spectrum by greedy corporations who will (eventually) tag commercials even on HBO9.

To reiterate:

Quentin Tarantino is a cheap, manipulative, talentless director who wallows in the cruddiness of his characters.

Rap is an acceptable cultural expression, but it is not melodic or listenable at all.

Logos during movies on cable TV (now with sounds, no less) are obscenities and no doubt cause backlashes against the very product/event being promoted.

 

[SteveJKo]

- There hasn't been a truly well done horror film in years, maybe decades.

- The problem with computer generated special effects is that they are no more realistic than effects from years ago, yet filmmakers who are apparently blind keep pouring their resources into computers and not into a decent script.

- Seinfeld and The Simpsons should both have ended in the spring of 1995.

- I never found The Honeymooners funny at all.

- The studio system made overall better movies than corporate Hollywood.

- Digital projection is just TV in a theatre.

- The modern cinema experience just blows. All the stadium seating and THX sound systems just can't capture the magic of seeing a movie in a MOVIE PALACE.

- And speaking of movie palaces, ALL movies look good in classic movie houses, but modern cineplexes are terrible places to see classic movies.

- Pixar's A BUGS LIFE is their best film.

- The last four years of NYPD Blue were among it's best.

- Return Of The King got the Oscar because the academy members hoped it would stop PJ from making any more Tolkein movies.

- "...the original intent of the director" has become meaningless with people like George Lucas ripping their old films to shreds while claiming "...I really always wanted it this way instead". Perhaps the old studio heads were right to take the final release print out of the hands of the directors.

- A&E, Bravo, Discovery, and The Learning Channel have all deteriorated to the point of being unrecognisable.

- Silence Of The Lambs was drek and Anthony Hopkins phoned in his performance.

 

[KevinGress]

I'll try a few:

I like the show, Joey, and think it's one of the best, current, comedies.

I like Keanu Reeve movies. If I know that Keanu is in a movie, I'll at least pause to learn more.

I had no interest in watching Cruise/Spielberg's War Of The Worlds, and I have no interest in the upcoming King Kong.

I think all current Survivor-type "reality" shows are simply the result of an episode from season 2 of The Real World where a housemate was thrown off the show. Oh, and in season 3, I liked Puck more than Pedro.

Season 1 of American Choppers is more reality-based than any "reality" show on the networks.

and.....

I see no need to buy any DVD that you don't plan on watching more than once - even if it's a favorite show or movie. Even if it's part of a series and it's done only to complete a set.

 

[ElAhrai]

I really like this thread. One of the more interesting reads out there.

Anyway, here’s my contribution:

The LOTR movies are dull and boring. Especially the first, which is essentially seven guys going for a walk.

Family Guy is not a great show, it may have one or two funny moments, but it is not a great, or even good, show.

The amount of country music that is worth listening to also happens to be the exact same amount of music that Johnny Cash has recorded.

Alien 3 is better than Aliens.

Meg Ryan is not attractive. In fact, I believe she is the devil.

Cameron Diaz is also not attractive (unless the thought of Orlando Bloom in drag does it for you).

Superman is, and always has been, a dull character.

War of the Worlds (2005) is an abomination. Independence Day did the same thing, only better.

Friends don’t let friends watch That 70’s Show or Friends for that matter.

I liked Die Another Day, and it is the only Bond movie I own.

I’m willing to bet that Paris Hilton is not a bad person.

The Breakfast Club is abysmal. I’d rather watch Ishtar than that movie again.

James Cameron should never, ever write his own scripts. His best dialogue is as bad, if not worse than the worst dialogue written by George Lucas.

The Ring is scarier than Ringu.

Magnolia may have some great performances in it, but it is not a great movie.

Remakes are a good thing. I often look forward to them.

There is more art and dignity in the best horror movies than there is in the typical Awards movie.
Requiem for a Dream is the best movie about drug culture.

John Carpenter had more interesting stories to tell in the 80s than Spielberg.

And the one that will most likely get me flamed…
No matter how hard we try, the home theater experience will never duplicate the theatrical experience.

 

[george kaplan]

The Blue Dahlia is the best film noir that hasn't yet seen a dvd release.

The edited television version of the bean scene from Blazing Saddles (in which the offending noises are eliminated), is, for all the wrong reasons, even funnier than the scene in the movie.

If you replaced all of the best picture/actor/actress/supporting actor/supporting actress oscars that went to dramatic films, with ones for the best comedies of those years, 95% of the time it would be a major improvement.

 

[Kevin M]

I thought the point of this thread was that you won't get flamed*, you guys don't have to keep saying "oh I'm sure this will ruffle a few feathers" or "I'm sure this will get me flamed"? I mean.....are you hoping to get flamed? I guess a more interesting question would be: are you disappointed when you are not?


*And aside from a few blurbs that one or two people couldn't hold back, this has...much to my surprise & respect...worked out here so far.

 

[Walter Kittel]

The Blue Dahlia will be the best unreleased film noir when Fox releases The Dark Corner, Kiss of Death, and Where the Sidewalk Ends in December.

- Walter.

 

[Michael Reuben]

In the spirit of the thread, I just deleted a few of those.

No debate, no discussion. Those are the groundrules.

M.

 

[Ryan Wishton]

The Honeymooners is an odd situation for me. I have somehow managed to see every episode, but I never really liked the show. But, since I did make it through every episode, it couldn't have been all that bad. Yet, I still can't say I like the show. Strange one for me.

Lethal Weapon is one of the best action movies of the 80's.

Jaws was overlong and the boat scenes were tedious. I liked the movie overall.

Action/Horror movies nowadays seem to be missing something that made them fun in the past for the most part (there are exceptions). Maybe I am just attaching nostalgic values. I don't know.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was not much fun. I was disappointed upon seeing it.

The Rings Short (made available on thhe Rings DVD) was better than both movies.

Black Christmas among others did not get enough recognition for being one of the first slashers (if you go back to Psycho, then that wasn't even one of the first). Halloween got way too much just because it was financially successful. Both movies have their con's/pro's overall.

When a Stranger Calls (The Opening) was one of the best 70's horror made.

Halloween should have been left as a stand alone which would have made it all the better (Though deep down many who like it probably feel that way). The mysteries of the first movie (what is this guy? Why did he go after this girl? etc.), were better off left unanswered. I like two of the others, but I would even leave it as a stand alone if there was a choice. Once the family soap started, it dulled the character.

Alias went from being one of my most looked forward to shows to one I didn't care about at all in a span of months (somewhere during Season 3).

I liked the idea behind The Happy Tree Friends (I am into demented), but the execution of the shorts was not funny.

Jack Bauer has more lives than 10 siamese cats. I threw that in just for fun. It's a cool show. At times weak, but I like it for the most part. I just don't take it seriously. But, I barely take anything seriously.

I have never seen a Star Wars movie, but plan on it. I may have very little, but I don't remember.

I saw E.T. only once in 1987 and still remember chunks of it. I remember liking it. I don't want to watch it again. Afraid I may erase good memories as I am older and different now.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

Lucille Ball was used to better effect in 1940s crime films, and was uniformly bad in TV sitcoms.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952) was a good (albeit corny) movie, and was Cecil B. DeMille's best sound film.

Diana Rigg deserved to be a big movie star in the 1970s, and Glenda Jackson didn't.

UNEARTHLY STRANGER (1963) was a better British sci-fi flick than any of the Quatermass films.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (including the black & white first season) was the least-watchable of American network TV's "spy craze" series of the 1960s.

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, with few exceptions, did their best work as psychotic hags in 1960s horror movies.

Comical fake suicide attempts aside, HAROLD AND MAUDE hasn't withstood the test of time.

Just because it had a strong first half, doesn't make SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE a great film.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Although I love both shows, The Outer Limits was better than The Twilight Zone. (Original series of course.)

- Walter.

 

[Mark Ram]

I never liked ET.

Nudity has no place in a theatrical Hollywood movie.

Whoopi Goldberg is completely talentless.

The muppets should've died with jim henson.

The Lion King sucked.

Drew Barrymore isn't who she pretends to be.

Shrek is 10 times more rewatchable than shrek 2 was.

I don't care about Kevin Smith's opinion about anyhing.

The Royal Tenenbaums was worthless.

Jay and Silent Bob are not funny.

I really liked Punch Drunk Love. About 2 days after it was over.

Gene Wilder stopped being funny after Blazing Saddles.

So did Mel Brooks.

PG-13 should never have been invented. They should've left it PG or R.

A Very Long Engagement was A Very Long Boring Movie.

Defending your life is the best movie made about the after life.

I loved The Frighteners.

Big Trouble wasn't that bad.

Local Hero was one of the most boring movies ever.

I hated Lost in Translation.

I wish Stallone, Shwarzenegger, Van Damme, and Seagal were still in their 30's-40's.

 

[Joe Szott]

I've never seen this TV version George, waht did they do to it that made it so funny?


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I'll throw in that Hudson Hawk is one of the most consistently entertaining movies I've ever seen. It's like watching a runaway train plow into a schoolbus of mutant children that smash into a nuclear reactor and cause a planet shaking catastrophe, all in slow motion. I don't know what they were thinking when making this movie, but for sure we're not likely to ever see it again. I watch it every damn time I find it on TV.

 

[Mike Broadman]

- Though it's popular to slag on criticism and "elitism," I find that selective absorbing of well thought-out writing regarding art is a worthy addition and sometimes revelation to the open-minded observer. As long as one understands that not every piece of art is going to effect everyone in the same way, there is merit to either an individual's wel-reasoned opinion or a consensus judgement.

So yes, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films of all time. A failure to appreciate that is in the individual and not some dark conspiracy by Welles and/or the the "elites" to make everyone else feel stupid.

The irony of attacking these supposed elites is that they criticise them for not being humble, yet the critics can't say that they themselves are not willing to accept the humility in simply not understanding or appreciating an excellent or interesting piece of work.

- A strong anti-rap sentiment by someone who likes or doesn't equally hate pop rock music is often a result of unintentional racism.

- I don't care if celebrities talk about politics. They usually do so on a venue I can turn off if I don't feel like hearing it. Furthermore, I enjoy art mixing with politics. Protest songs, films that attack or support traditionalism, religious movies, profane movies, as long as its honest and interesting and entertaining. Bowling For Columbine was funny, even if it lied about some stuff. Art shouldn't be held to any standards of objective journalism. I love JFK even though I accept that Kennedy was killed by Oswald.

- I think anyone who adamantly hates any actor or director or writer has to chill out and look for the good in things. I think it's unfair to use Michael Bay's name as a synonym for "crap" or to call Spike Lee racist or dismiss the entirety of Oliver Stone's body of work. I don't love everything they've done either but I can at least understand what they were going for and who their target audience is and the effort that went into it, and I'm thankful that we have these colorful characters in the world of film.

- The word "overrated" is overrated. Often it just means someone didn't understand or enjoy something others did and they get angry or they're trying to look cool. It is arrogant to presume that everyone is "wrong." It also demonstrates a lack of understanding of the nature of popularity. The best selling album of all time is the Eagles Greatest Hits, but very few people count the Eagles as their favorite band.

 

[george kaplan]

Basically it becomes a ballet of cowboys taking turns lifting their rears for no perceptible reason. That, together with the sheer stupidity of having the scene without the sounds just makes it funny, to me anyway.

If a person loves jazz, blues, soul, reggae, and gospel, but hates rap, hip-hop and disco, it can hardly be attributed to racism.

If someone loves rock (which includes Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) and hates rap, it is FAR more likely that the person has good taste in music, than racist tendencies.

There are more films with rap or hip-hop soundtracks which are racist (such as Do the Right Thing), than films with rock soundtracks that are racist.

 

[RobertR]

I loathe rap, and I come from the perspective of someone who grew up listening to Motown, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, etc. I learned all I needed to know about rap when I found out one of these so-called “artists” generated his “music” (or rhythm section) by simply lifting it from an old Marvin Gaye song (something created by someone else), ran it through a synthesizer (programmed and created by someone else), and called it his “creation”. Yeah, right.

And much of popular music is junk. Hell, anyone who knows Sturgeon’s Law knows that most of anything is junk.
Being popular doesn't make something good any more than being unpopular makes it bad. Nor does attacking that which is popular or unpopular automatically bestow worthiness on something.

 

[george kaplan]

Oh one more thing. Bad dance music, is bad dance music whether it's being created by a black artist like Donna Summer or white artist like Madonna. And don't even get me started on "boy bands"

Most music was created either primarily to listen to or to dance to. A lot of music made to listen to, is also quite danceable. Almost all music made primarily to dance to, is unlistenable.