Everybody Loved Them; I Cringed

I see Shawshank Redemption on favorites lists so often I have to mention it here. It was okay, one viewing. It was no masterpiece. There are any number of prison films as good or better.

Have to agree, edgar....I enjoyed Shawshank, would happily recommend it to those who haven't seen it, but have never personally felt the urge to watch it again.

I guess its fair to include good films that are overpraised, as well as bad ones, if the praising is too effusive.

truth
One of my favorites is Babette's Feast. I own it. I used to watch it once a year and then dine at an upscale French restaurant.

Sorry but I didn't like the Hobbit or LOTR in book
form....I don't think I could sit through the movie!

JL, I loved Babette's Feast (except for the poor turtle). The lighting in that movie reminded me of a Vermeer painting.

One of the best prison movies ever is the 1950`s film, RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11.

that and Titanic really angered me. I regret wasting time watching them.

I liked Titanic very much. I went to the theater with my wife, fully expecting to be bored to sleep, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself caught up in the spirit of the thing. I bought a copy to watch at home every now and then.

saw some really awful movies this week end...and i have no one to blame but me...League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a waste of good talent,
Radio was marginal..but smarmy...Lost in Translation put me to sleep...Matchstick Men was the only tolerable one.

I agree about Extraordinary Gentlemen. What a waste.

I didn't mention I also rented house of a thousand corpses...nuff said...:-)

I enjoyed "Titanic" but I've always had a thing for Titanic movies.
Humphrey Bogart. I never understood the big woo about him. Didn't get him in "Casablanca", didn't get him in The Maltese Falcon", didn't get him in "African Queen."

Oh thank goodness eoe..thought i was the only one...can't believe he made it in hollywood...Petrified Forest (his first screen role I think) proved he was a very flat actor.

of the ones you mentioned, I only saw Matchstick Men and it was decent. Not exactly Cage's best performance.

I just didn't have time to read through all the previous postings but I figured I would put out my 2 cents.

There have been some truly awful films, films that have almost reveled in their badness, and yet it is the ones that are claimed to be 'blockbusters' or 'cinematic accomplishments' that have always left me with a bad taste in my mouth;

'Blockbusters' (number reflects standing on the 'all time monetary gross $)

1) Titanic: Less said the better

3) E.T.: I saw this movie in the theatre and felt like I was one of the only 2 people in the world that hated it (my sister felt the same way)

20) Home Alone: Am I the only one who was rooting for the bad guys to smack Macauly Culkin down?

39) Lost World:Jurrasic Park II: Ok, you showed us in the first film you can create a dinosaur from nothing. Can you now show me you can make a film with a plot?

40) Signs: To quote Eric Cartman... WEAK!

'Cinematic Greats'

Citizen Kane: Bored me to tears

Gone with the Wind: If I was Rhett, I would have left her too.

Maltese Falcon: I just never got the appeal of Bogart but maybe it was just me.

Taxi Driver: I just think this movie went a little 'over the top' as much as I like DeNiro I just couldn't get into this one.

And I may be crucified for this, but I don't think I have seen a Woody Allen movie that I found the least bit funny yet.

I have NEVER liked Woody Allen. That neurotic Jew thing he does just makes me want to punch him in the head. And that thing with his daughter/wife makes me turn the channel away even faster.

BLASPHEMY!!!

I didn't care much for Matchstick Men. It got super reviews, but I found the obsessive compulsive behavior offputting and after 20 minutes, fast forwarded at x8 speed on my dvd player. So I was able to watch the 2 hour film in about 25 minutes, and still figured out the end. I like Nic Cage. Didn't enjoy that movie. Maybe I'll give it another try when it hits HBO.

I have no intentions of seeing Radio. Blech. Ptew. Smarmy sappy, it holds no interest to me even though I find the real life story heartwarming.

I was bored with Lost in Translation. Good acting, clever camera work. A simple story line. But I thought the accolades were way exaggerated.

Loved School of Rock. That movie was a total hoot! I read in People magazine that the kids were musicians in real life, that were hired as actors - not the other way around. I had read this before I rented the movie, and that made me want to see it even more. They were great, and Jack Black was hilarious.

I was glad to see Mystic River do so well, I thought that movie was superb.

Titanic - very well made movie, but eh, I found the romance between Leonardo and Kate implausible - although I loved Leonardo in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. And Johnny Depp, too. Which brings me to Pirates of the Carribean. Two thumbs up.

Doctor Zhivago, Casablanca - luved them.

I think because we all knew the love story in "Titanic" was fictional that it didn't ring true. The acting was certainly leagues ahead of any disaster movie previously made with the possible exception of Gene Hackman in "The Poseiden Adventure."

Some intriguing insights, buffy, and welcome to A2K and the Film Forum.

Hey LW, speaking of disaster movies, I enjoyed Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Fred Astaire, practically the entire cast in "The Towering Inferno." Can't say the same for "Earthquake" with Chuck Heston tho. That movie was really kind of bad.