Most overrated films of all time

[Anorak 0]

Get Carter IS a great film, a proper classic no less. It's the equal of any crime film of its era (I know when The Godfather was made!) and Caine is brilliant in it, totally nailing his character in a way only Bob Hoskins matched in 'The Long Good Friday' (another interesting film) as far as British crime cinema goes. The depiction of time and place and the whole atmosphere & execution of the film make it a key film in its genre

[KingPK 0]

I fell asleep watching Batman in the theater. Yeah, Jack Nicholson is good as the Joker, but the rest of the movie is just BORING.

[Nighthawk 0]

Get Carter had an awesome soundtrack, if nothing else.

 

The mention of The Long Good Friday reminded me of another overrated movie, that being Friday. It's not all that funny, but it probably gets a lot of credit cause there aren't many ghetto comedies around anymore. Don't Be A Menace is superior, though I guess it's not really the same style.

[Anorak 0]

Friday is ok, its got its moments but overall its forgettable enough. Thanks for correcting me, Get Carter is a great film with a great soundtrack too.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

The Exorcist has a reputation of being a great movie and actually was the harbinger of darker, more gritty and realistic horror films that started coming out in the seventies like The Omen. You have to remember that there was a time when the original Dracula and Frankenstein scared the hell out of people and caused national hysteria. Now you could barely call those movies suspenseful. You keep pushing the envelope and the envelope keeps getting farther out. Twenty years from now, someone will watch The Ring and fall asleep because it's scare tactics are not anythign they haven't seen a thousand times before. I do believe the days of gross out horror are mostly dead and a return to more suspenseful fare is hopefully coming. The Exorcist was certainly a product of its time and why I feel it holds up as a good film today, it's not the blood curdling horror movie it was originally. Although, I liked the Exorcist III so maybe I'm just an idiot. (II sucked, naturally, as it came during Richard Burton's "Fuck the Academy and their damn Oscars, I'm working for scotch" period.)

You can work for SCOTCH? Holy shit! Maybe I'll get into production with my film degree after all

 

I actually had an argument over The Exorcist with a friend of mine some time back (I argued it didn't hold up, but Texas Chainsaw Massacre did, he argued TCM was shite...but he also dislikes Citizen Kane, compares Birth of a Nation to Hedwig and the Angry Inch as "the worst films ever made", and says experimental films and Soviet montage "are not films because they're just series of random images"). Anyway, I basically said that although at parts it does have a great atmosphere, The Exorcist is way way WAY too talky. Not that I mind talky films, but talky horror films only work if there's a satisfying pay-off, and in The Exorcist the only pay-off comes from the cheap shock horror of Linda Blair's reactions, and as I mentioned, especially going with your point of "the days of gross out horror are mostly dead", Linda Blair's actions are no longer shocking, at least not to enough of a degree as they were in the period of the film's release to be scary or horrifying (the reaction is a sarcastic "that girl crazy!" instead of a nervous "is that girl really crazy? is she dangerous?"). And what's a horror film without horror or scares and a lot of talking? That's right, you've got yourself a "thriller" instead. Although I believe The Exorcist is overrated, what I really hate about the film is how it's mislabeled as a horror film, and often "the greatest horror film ever" at that.

 

Plus, you have to figure that if that happened in real life today, her mother would just order some Ritalin and be on her way. End of movie

[Nighthawk 0]

People who don't watch scary movies will watch The Exorcist and I guess to them it's terrifying. I suppose it gets mistakenly labeled as a great horror movie, or the scariest ever because that's as far down the fright road as most people go. The same thing happened to Silence of the Lambs. It's even less of a horror movie than Exorcist, and yet there it is getting called that.

[Guest MideonMark]

I'm not exactly a big horror film fan, 3 of the most rated are The Exorcist, TCM and Halloween(the first one of course), and I didn't like any of the three. So for all the horror film experts out there, what in your opinion is the greatest one of all time? What films would you say are genuinely frightening?

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I think you can divide "horror films" up into more miniscule genres that any other; and that includes movies that could be labeled as suspense or thriller. It really gets into splitting hairs and I consider the Exorcist to be a horror film, but on the suspenseful drama side. I do agree that it is a little too talky and slow to get going, but I find the last half to be very well done and suspenseful with the acting, directing and basic staging.

 

And a friend of mine and I, everytime we see a grand old British actor slumming later in life we say "he did the movie for scotch," because they usually come off as drunk and bored.

[Nighthawk 0]

I'm not exactly a big horror film fan, 3 of the most rated are The Exorcist, TCM and Halloween(the first one of course), and I didn't like any of the three. So for all the horror film experts out there, what in your opinion is the greatest one of all time? What films would you say are genuinely frightening?

I would have said TCM. That's my favorite anyway. Maybe The Shining. If you didn't like those, maybe go a more disturbing than outright scary route. Dead Ringers... Eraserhead... stuff like that. Try watching Man Bites Dog and then Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer right afterwards. That gets to some people.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

So for all the horror film experts out there, what in your opinion is the greatest one of all time? What films would you say are genuinely frightening?

Well, I wouldn't call myself an expert (I haven't been keeping up with newer horror ever since I was disenfranchised by the Scream films), but I'll say it's impossible to find a "greatest horror film of all time" because horror is different for every person and, like Deacon said, horror can be sliced and diced into more sub-genres than one can keep track of. For example, my girlfriend's unnerved by clowns, so she won't even watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Most viewers, myself included, would consider this a "horror comedy" that's not meant to be scary at all, and more of a spoof than anything else. But it'd probably really frighten her. I actually have a really hard time when people ask me to recommend horror films for those two reasons (usually I stick to "safe choices", unless they introduce certain genres or "cult films" where I can get a better bearing for more specific suggestions).

 

Also, I'm going to make what may be a bold statement here, but based on my viewing habits, even the freakiest horror films will cease to scare with enough viewings. For example, Basket Case and the ending of Freaks (though I wouldn't consider that a true horror film either) really frightened me when I first saw them, but subsequent viewings exposed the once-terrifying creatures as outdated effects work. Because of the desensitization that comes "naturally" with the horror genre, I'd say the "best horror films" are those that may not always scare, but hold interest and hold up with the other elements of "real" film-making, which is a problem because many horror films are made simply for one-shot viewings (e.g. the classic "spring loaded cat" and the slasher genre), with emphasis mainly on scares or exploitation rather than being a "real" film, with sound technique.

 

Now then, to finally answer your damn prompt, two of the films you mentioned as not enjoying, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween, are two of my favorites, not just of horror films, but of films period. Whoops

 

Other horror films I'd recommend are Basket Case (as I mentioned earlier...this isn't a "house hold name" in horror, but it's fairly well known, and especially considering the $33,000 budget, VERY well executed) and Fulci's Zombie (I agree with a lot of what Corey said earlier in the thread about Romero's trilogy...I enjoy them as well, but I find Zombie to be the "ultimate zombie film"). Those are my four "safe choices" right there, with Basket Case being the most "cult-y" of those.

[Vyce 0]

Now, I'm not going to sit here and read through 4 pages worth of this, so I have to say from the first page -

 

Fight Club is most definitely NOT overrated.

[Nighthawk 0]

Misunderstood is probably a better description of Fight Club.

[Anorak 0]

EDIT: 'Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer and 'Man Bites Dog'

 

Yeah, there's one particular scene in each of those films that I found very hard to watch when I saw them. Neither scene is problematic from a moral standpoint IMO because you could argue strongly that their purpose is to cleverly turn the whole voyerism (sp?) issue back in the audience's faces to some extent, especially in the connected scene in 'Henry' where he and Otis are together. The Austrian films 'Benny's Video' and 'Funny Games' (Michael Haneke) explore that theme most directly and uncomfortably.

 

Not sure of the scariest but Fulci's 'The New York Ripper' is the most offensively misogynistic horror/slasher film i've ever seen and most memorable ending would go to 'Don't Look Now'. Its maybe more a thriller/mystery than a horror but the original European version of 'The Vanishing' an unnerving film as is 'Eraserhead' which some French writer/director once brilliantly described as 'the closest thing to a nightmare i've ever seen on screen' (or words to that effect). Great description of a film that makes zero sense and manages to be depressing, horrifying and confusing all at once.

Edited August 10, 2003 by Anorak

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Fight Club is most definitely NOT overrated.

Why not?

[Nighthawk 0]

Yeah, there's one particular scene in each of those films that I found very hard to watch when I saw them. Neither scene is problematic from a moral standpoint IMO because you could argue strongly that their purpose is to cleverly turn the whole voyerism (sp?) issue back in the audience's faces to some extent, especially in the connected scene in 'Henry' where he and Otis are together. The Austrian films 'Benny's Video' and 'Funny Games' (Michael Haneke) explore that theme most directly and uncomfortably.

I was going to recommend Funny Games when I started reading your post, but I guess you've already been there. Everybody else though... watch that.

I haven't seen Benny's Video, I'll have to check it out.

[godthedog 0]

i'm not a horror buff, but the scariest movie I've ever seen is 'repulsion'.

 

and show of hands, who all is either majoring in film or planning on majoring in it? (besides me.) more seem to keep coming up, and i can't keep track.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I already have Bachelor's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in film history and fiction writing. (Well, it's just film, but my concentration was more history than the actual mechanics of making.)

 

I eventually want to get my teaching and master degrees so I can teach film and writing on a college level.

[godthedog 0]

that kicks some ass, i've got a good friend who goes to pitt. great school, i love the campus & the whole atmosphere (at least, for the short time i was there). i visited him a couple years ago & thought about transferring up there, back when i just wanted to be a philosophy major.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I adored the school and the city. I came from a small town and just fell in love with the atmosphere and surroundings when I first went over to visit the campus. I can't speak for the philosophy department, but on the whole I found Pitt to have some really solid programs and teachers as far as the arts and sciences branch went. I still have tons of friends there and try to visit when I can.

 

To come back on topic a bit, Pitt has a lot of really cool and unique film courses. I took one on Hong Kong cinema and another on Orson Welles, hence me being well versed on Kane and his other works. They also had a director's course on Craven and Cronenberg that I was unable to take. Pittsburgh also has a nice underground film community and I took a screenwriting course through Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

and show of hands, who all is either majoring in film or planning on majoring in it? (besides me.) more seem to keep coming up, and i can't keep track.

::raises hand::

 

Not exactly prestige, but I'm currently going for a degree in Film & Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz. So far I've only gotten in one class though, but I'm only a sophomore in the fall quarter, so I'm "safe"...presuming I can crash more film classes so I can actually declare the major and take the upper-level courses. The lower-division courses are really broad overviews, although they still taught me a lot.

 

Although you all know where my specific film interests lie. Unfortunately, that kinda clashes with an academic environment. I'm currently planning on being an "analytical" film major (the type that watches a lot of films, and'll probably be a critic or something) rather than a "productive" film major (the type that makes a lot of films, and depending on which one in a million they are, either goes on to make a name for themselves or gets rejected from festivals and starves while nobody sees their craft). I'd like to eventually get into production, but frankly, it scares me. I have a couple good story ideas, but have terrible writer's block when it comes to scripts (the ideas always come when I have nowhere to write them down...I've tried carrying around a notebook but that doesn't work either), and have never been behind a camera in my life. Although with the films I usually see, I'm certainly well-coursed in what NOT to do

 

Dream jobs: start/run a hip, eclectic independent DVD label (goal in life is to get Chopping Mall on DVD...don't laugh, I'm serious), teach a course on cult films/grindhouse/scare films/etc. just because of the history behind them and the societies that produced them, expand my "An Exercise in Poor Taste" columns into either an actual print source (maybe a 'zine...do people stll do those?) or a book with more detailed analyses of cult/horror films.

[godthedog 0]

i was told that pitt has the #2 philosophy dept in the country, which was why i was looking into it at the time.

 

sad but true: i studied an entire semester of east asian cinema, with an east asian professor, and never got exposed to a single frame of anything from hong kong (even though it is, IIRC, the #2 exporter of films in the world). leading me right into...

 

'chunking express': i like the hong kong style, and i've got a mile-long hard on for wong kar wai, but i think this is severely overrated. the first segment is really sad & beautiful, but the second one just goes on and on, & substitutes a shallow kind of romantic comedy cuteness for the depth of the first one. i didn't know enough about the characters to particularly care about them at all, and when they start doing the weird stuff it just pulls me right out of the movie. 'amelie' did it better, and makes that segment look boring in comparison. after a while, the rapid-fire editing and the really fast-moving handheld camera with the crooked angles and the fluorescent lights...the style isn't pretty or fun anymore, it just gives me a headache. every other wong kar-wai movie i've seen is better than this one. and it also made me NEVER want to hear "california dreaming" again.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

Chunking Express was one of the last films we watched in my Hong Kong film class. The first half was based on action films and we watched Enter the Dragon along with Supercop III with Jackie Chan and a Better Tomorrow with Chow Yun Fat, which owns as does Hard Boiled.

 

On Chunking Express, I didn't really see what the two stories had to do with each other and I thought putting them in one film was really unnecessary. The male actor in the second half of the film, I forget his name, I thought was really good and gives a nice performance with a nice pitch. His was about the only charater I could get into and particulary liked. Honestly, I don't remember much of the first half of the movie and I can't say that it really caught my imagination.

[godthedog 0]

it's just the way that wong kar-wai thinks. he almost always goes into his movies with 2 or 3 ideas and shoots on the fly; sometimes it works, sometimes it's a mess. there's a lot of parallels & contrasts that tie the stories together (people who have been hurt, missed opportunities, inability to directly show one's affection and having to show it in other little ways, the effects of time on human life and love, etc.), but i think the execution is just uneven. there was a great movie somewhere in there, screaming to get out; but it's okay, cause wong kar-wai's gotten lots better at the way he makes movies.

 

the actor in question is tony leung, who is a god (and just got stuck with some subpar material in this case). they work together all the time, & his performance in 'in the mood for love' is amazing. IIRC, he won best actor that year at cannes.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

Ok, that name is familiar and I think we saw Leung in a couple other movies. From what I saw, I was very impressed and found him to be a find actor.

[Guest TUS_02]

Jumping into the thread a couple pages too late... I might as well start at the last real question asked. I didn't major in film, but I spent the better part of my last four semesters doing the film thing. I took 3 analyzing courses (Basic film analysis, acting for the screen, and Screwball comedies) a film history course and Film Producion I (dealt with Super 8, but learned all the basics of filmmaking... if I had known how fun it would have been when I first started college, I probably would have changed my major.

 

Anyway, I find it hard to come up with a movie that I find overrated. Mostly because every movie seems to be overrated by someone. So what's the point, says I. I just sit and enjoy what I watch. Which leads me to this question... is it wrong to like terrible movies?

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

If you like a terrible movie for its cheesiness and humor, not at all. I am a conssiour of bad films and get a perverse pleasure out of the true stinkers I run across. I believe a person has to have a certain sense of humor and pop culture obsession (like me) to get into those movies in that manner though.

 

There's also nothing wrong with liking diamonds in the rough or movies that might not have made a lot of money or were loved by critics. I'm a guy who can always find something in a film no matter how obscure that intrigues me or gets me thinking.

 

If you like terrible movies and don't admit they're terrible, you have a problem. But it all comes down to how you define terrible. What's a 'terrible' movie that you love and why?

[Guest JMA]

The Exorcist didn't really scare me when I first saw it. Is that weird?

[Nighthawk 0]

No. The Exorcist never scared me either. It's not really scary unless you're way out of the loop on fright.

[Guest Choken One]

Once again...We're speaking in Past/present tense...

 

Is Excorcist scary today? Hell, No unless your a little bitch.

 

Then? Yeah fuck it was

[godthedog 0]

i think the hospital scenes in the exorcist hold up just fine, and those have always been the most effective scenes in the movie. joe bob briggs said that when they had to get ambulances & shit, the main reason was because of those hospital scenes.