Most overrated films of all time

[Guest evenflowDDT]

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

Well, yeah. That's why it's overrated. Or any film becomes overrated really...a film is scary (or the "best ever", or whatnot) for its time, then other people, rather than seeing the film for themselves, just parrot that same statement, then more parrots arrive, until finally someone comes along to change the paper or something, actually sees the film for himself, then calls bullshit. By doing such, he refuses to feed the parrots, and they begin to starve, generally shutting up to the point of turning on each other, becoming "anti-parrots" by latching onto the "this film is overrated" statement. And then the cycle begins anew. Because parrots aren't cannibals. If they were, they'd just eat each other, using their hooked beaks to rip the flesh off each other's bodies, and then none of this would be an issue.

 

And hey! On that note..."Dead Parrot"...not funny any more. Am I the only one who thinks such? To me Monty Python's VERY hit or miss...there's the stuff that still works great, and the stuff that hasn't aged at all, and just appears quite awkward.

[cabbageboy 0]

Deer Hunter was definitely a very flawed movie. It's such a frustrating movie because there are elements with awesome power (Walken's Russian Roulette scenes, the POW scenes), yet then the whole first hour of the movie is tedious. There are some really weird transitions in the movie too:

 

--The movie goes from them enlisting to just BAM, all of a sudden we see Vietnam and De Niro with a flamethrower. Huh? How did they all get in the same unit in Nam?

 

--From here they just are captured with little explanation.

 

--The last scene should have been De Niro trying to hunt again but finding that he can't shoot the deer now. It could have been a stunning All Quiet "reach for the butterfly" moment, but since it is 3/4 through instead of at the end it isn't as stirring as it could be.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Not sure if I plan on majoring in filmography, but I definitely want to focus on some sort of film course. My goal is to one day either work for Troma with Lloyd and Trent, or just form my own independent company and make nothing but b-movies.

 

As for another extremely overrated movie, I have to say Tromeo & Juliet. Everybody that knows Troma says that it is THE Troma movie to watch. While I think it's a good movie, and probably the best TRUE film Troma has ever made, it just ISN'T a Troma film to the degree that others are. The lack of budget shows, but it's just too "good" for Troma. I still love it, but not nearly as much as Terror Firmer (which many people say is awful, but that's probably because they don't actually GET Troma*) and especially Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV.

 

* = I forget who it was, but a critic for a very big newspaper (I believe it was the New York Times, actually) said that "only intelligent people 'get' Troma films." That makes me kinda proud, in a way.

[Bruiser Chong 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.

I like how this joker never returned to at least explain what he said. One of my biggest pet peeves are people who talk out of their ass and then, when they're expected to back up their opinions and statements, disappear.

[MrRant 0]

NO MA'AM > SNKT

[Bruiser Chong 0]

My, how profound.

[Guest The Hamburglar]

The Thin Red Line is over-rated to a large extent. I personally don't think it actually works on any level, largely because it is so profoundly fractured and incoherent. That, and I found the endless poetic soliloquies both an insult to my intelligence and really rather laughable. And the nature shots, dear God the nature shots. See! The Drifting Alligator. Marvel! At the parrot signifyng nature's purity. Weep! At this painfully unsubtle human/nature despoiling war theme. Also, it would have helped if any of the characters in the film had something approaching a personality. The praise this film gets in some quarters truly baffles me.

 

La Regle du Jeu: Hugely praised by critics the world over. I don't dislike this film the way I do the Thin Red Line, but it certainly left me cold. My problem with this film is that there is a large cast of characters, and unfortunatly Renoir chooses to focus on the less interesting ones. Also, the film's message is really somewhat time-specific seeing as it was intended as an attack on mid-thrties French society. There are some bizarre shifts of tone in the film as well.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

Bruiser, I just LIKE this thread, PERIOD. Some people assume you have to know everything about a topic in order to take part in it. I think messageboards should simply be about good discussion and the dissemination of information. Whether you're on the giving or receiving end doesn't really matter. Between the stuff that I've read gTd and Deke post, I've been hankering to re-watch Citizen Kane and when I finally do, I'll be sure to look at in a different light than before and pay attention/notice things and ideas I didn't previously.

 

So in summation I'd like to say that while it's good to be able to be the one passing along knowledge, sometimes it's also good to sit at the feet of those who know more than you and just LEARN. Thanks Deke and gTd. And see ya soon at you-know-where.

 

As for Mr. Rant:

 

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I agree totally and think that learning can be just as important as discussing. People think if they don't know much about something, they've got no business reading it. On the contrary, those are the threads you should be paying attention to the most.

 

As for CK, I'm getting the urge to watch it again, but most of the things mentioned here (the work with the cameras, editing, etc.) is noted by Roger Ebert's commentary on the DVD set. One of the best commentaries I've heard, as he's informative and yet, seems like he's just having a great time watching it, unlike the usual, dry historian type you may get in similar cases (the other commentary on the disc, for example).

[Guest Dmann2000]

Also a Vote to CAST AWAY starring Tom Hanks...it was so...boring! Most of it was just watching him on an island isolated, I mean what the hell? Bah

Uh...that was the whole point of the film, and it was damn good too. It was all about a man who never had enough time suddenly find himself with nothing but time.

 

Hanks was great in that film.

 

As for overrated-

 

Gone With The Wind- sorry, 4 hour melodrama with the most selfish woman (I mean Scarlett O'Hara the character not Vivian Leigh the actress) in cinema history doesn't do it for me. On top of that, this is a famous landmark film and the DVD is BARE BONES, I mean I might like the film if the DVD was packed but NO.

[Guest Dmann2000]

You know I can't take anything you say seriously when the title of this thread is "The Most Overrated Films of All-Time" and you only go back five years. I think I'll start a thread called "The Worst Actors of All-Time Named Keanu."

Do you really expect a board full a basically teens or people in the early 20's to do any different? I fit into that area, but I'd like to think I have a little more range in the movies I've seen or watch and can go back decades, if need be.

I can, cause that was my major in College

[Guest Dmann2000]

Off the top of my head, here are twenty films pre-1970 that I adore and I think most film lovers should see:

 

The Searchers

Cool Hand Luke

An American in Paris

Casablanca

Citizen Kane

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Red River

North by Northwest

Wait Until Dark

A Face in the Crowd

Spartacus

Ben-Hur

The Third Man

Touch of Evil

Brining up Baby

Duck Soup

Key Largo

Night of the Hunter

It Happened One Night

Ride the High Country

Where the hell is Singin in the Rain? And David Lean's two epics

 

Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

Where the hell is Singin in the Rain? And David Lean's two epics

 

Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia

All three of those were in my list of 100 films I think everyone should see from awhile back. I prefer An American in Paris to Singing in the Rain, because I find it to be more experimental and more emotional.

 

The only negatives I can put on most Lean pictures is that they can seem overlong and drag down in spots due to heavy dialogue in order to get to the action.

[Dangerous A 0]

- E.T.: I may get flamed for this, but if that's the case, then so be it. Personally, I don't even really enjoy this movie. I'll give it credit for being a very good movie, but I've never liked it too much at all, even as a kid. Perhaps to some it's something amazing, but I could never quite get into it. Spielberg is a great director, but I would take a few of his other movies over this one any day of the week.

Fuck yes!!

 

 

Way overrated. I didn't think much of it as a child and thought it was worse when I viewed it some 2 years ago again. This movie gets way too much love just because Spielberg's name is attached to it.

 

Go ahead and add Batman and any movie Steve Martin has ever been in as overrated. (the Steve Martin thing is more personal than factual cause I can't stand his guts)

[Guest Dmann2000]

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.

I just graduated with a B.A. in Motion Pictures myself.

[Guest Dmann2000]

Here for the record are all the film classes I took at Wright State University-

 

MP 131- Film Appreciation

MP 231- Film History 1

MP 232- Film History 2

MP 233- Film History 3

MP 331- Film Authorship- Fritz Lang

MP 332- Film Authorship- Woody Allen

MP 332- Film Authorship- Nicholas Ray

MP 333- Film Genre- Film Noir

MP 333- Film Genre- Movie Melodrama/Feminist Criticism

MP 331- Film Genre- Neorealism

MP 331- Film History- Hollywood Blacklist Era

MP 333- Film Genre- The Detective Film

MP 331- Film History- Hollywood/American Cinema 1960's

MP 332- Film Authorship- Michelangelo Antonioni

MP 332- Film Authorship- Sam Peckenpah

MP 333- Film Genre- The Suspense Thriller

MP 332- Film Authorship- Sam Fuller

MP 334- Film Genre- Documentary Film

[Kaertos 0]

Dmann - You went to WSU? My wife graduated from there and I did some time in the English department. Good place.

 

Frost! Man! I was a little suprised to find out you were a comic guy a few weeks back, and now I discover that you are a movie nut too. I like you more and more every day.

 

As for overrated movies, the first one that comes to mind for me is 12 Monkeys. Basically everyone I know talked about how great it was for weeks until I finally saw it. My reaction at the end? "The jerk didn't save anyone!" I guess I just wanted the film to have, you know, a point. It just irked me.

 

As for all the Star Wars and Exorcist comments, I'll just say this. I think it has become "cool" in the past few years to dislike Star Wars because it is so popular. I grew up with it, and while I know it isn't "the greatest movie ever" it is still my personal favorite. How could you not like the quiet nobility of Obi-Wan during the movie? As for Exorcist, it is the only movie I have ever seen that genuinely scared me. Does that make me "a puss"? Don't think so. I just generally dislike "horror" movies, so I guess my tastes aren't as sophisticated as some.

 

Finally, quite a few people a few pages back were really tough on Casablanca. I'm not sure why. It is one of those movies that has something for everyone, just a real classic. It is amazing the number of references you see to it in the course of a day or two. One of my favorites, and a great, great movie.

Edited August 11, 2003 by Grand Slam

[godthedog 0]

haha, you got to take a whole course on nicholas ray? that's awesome.

 

As for CK, I'm getting the urge to watch it again, but most of the things mentioned here (the work with the cameras, editing, etc.) is noted by Roger Ebert's commentary on the DVD set. One of the best commentaries I've heard, as he's informative and yet, seems like he's just having a great time watching it, unlike the usual, dry historian type you may get in similar cases (the other commentary on the disc, for example).

indeed. best commentary i've ever heard by a critic. he never runs out of stuff to say, and basically guides you through the style of the movie, helping you notice things that average moviegoers don't catch. got a good, upbeat voice too.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

Nah, Bey Logan (of Hong Kong Legends) > Roger Ebert on commentary, as I'm sure the only other person here who prolly knows, DVDSpree, can tell you.

 

[Guest Flyboy]

As for all the Star Wars, I'll just say this. I think it has become "cool" in the past few years to dislike Star Wars because it is so popular. I grew up with it, and while I know it isn't "the greatest movie ever" it is still my personal favorite.

 

I agree with you Grand Slam. I know Star Wars is not a movie masterpiece by any means. I know the movie is highly overrated, but that does not stop it from being my personal favorite movie.

[MrRant 0]

How is Star Wars overrated? Its never been held up as a classic masterpiece. Its has from what I have seen just been considered the best sci-fi film of all time. Even though I personally think 2001 is better.

 

As far as underrated: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. That movie I can watch over and over. Ricardo Montalban was GREAT in the movie.

[Guest Flyboy]

How is Star Wars overrated? Its never been held up as a classic masterpiece.

 

I think Star Wars gets tagged with overrated with the stigma it has of having an INSANE amount of fanpeople for the franchise. Camping out a night for tickets? I would gladly wait two or three hours (which I have done), but camping out? Fuck that. I remember people camping (for nights in the cold) out to see Britney Spears here (Lubbock), and I simply laughed at them. If Star Wars had a small fanbase and not many people liked it, would it still be considered overrated? Probably not.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I too love Wrath of Kahn and find it very underrated. It's not just a good sci-fi movie, but a good movie overall. Nicholas Meyer's direaction and writing is superb and Montalban is one of the few who could pull off the character and lines given him.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

A commercial on FX just reminded me of an overrated movie.

 

The Wonder Boys..........what the hell? I heard how great this movie was. When I saw it I was wondering if people smoked as much pot as Michael Douglas did in the movie when they said this was good.

 

It had no plot...no point...just a weird weird movie.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

The word is ambiguous. I still enjoyed it. And I, too, am watching it right now.

 

But speaking of commercials, has anyone seen that new KFC one; the one where the rich white couple is spying on the black family, watching them eat a bucket of KFC chicken through their window? How offensive is that? It's straight out of a Dave Chappelle comedy sketch...

 

White man watching black guy eat chicken: "Look at him. HE LOVES IT!"

[MrRant 0]

So are you saying that it is intentionally racist? I didn't even think about it until you brought it up and now that I'm thinking about it... its pretty damn funny.

[godthedog 0]

How is Star Wars overrated? Its never been held up as a classic masterpiece.

actually, it has.

 

from the american film institute's list of the 100 greatest american movies ever made:

 

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)

 

2. CASABLANCA (1942)

 

3. THE GODFATHER (1972)

 

4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

 

5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

 

6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

 

7. THE GRADUATE (1967)

 

8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

 

9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

 

10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

 

11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

 

12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

 

13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)

 

14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

 

15. STAR WARS (1977)

 

16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

 

17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)

 

18. PSYCHO (1960)

 

19. CHINATOWN (1974)

 

20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

 

21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)

 

22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

 

23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

 

24. RAGING BULL (1980)

 

25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

 

26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)

 

27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)

 

28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)

 

29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)

 

30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)

 

 

i think this gets to the heart of the overrated status of 'star wars'. the afi thought that 'star wars' was almost as good as 'schindler's list', 'singing in the rain' and 'it's a wonderful life'. the afi thought that 'star wars' was a better movie than 'raging bull', 'chinatown', 'dr strangelove' and 'bonnie and clyde'. this is just a seriously fucked up thing to say, and if i was a member of the afi i'd never forgive myself.

 

The Wonder Boys..........what the hell? I heard how great this movie was. When I saw it I was wondering if people smoked as much pot as Michael Douglas did in the movie when they said this was good.

sorry, but this was an all-around kick ass movie, and had some of the best writing of any american movie i've seen in the last few years. its sense of humor was just pitch-perfect, being hilarious and horribly bleak at the same time. it's got a great "slice of life" atmosphere, and the characters are so deftly written i just sat there in awe of the whole thing. it's got subtleties on top of subtleties, & i can't stress enough how much i love this movie.

[MrRant 0]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I believe the AFI list takes a lot of cultural impact into consideration. In that case then Star Wars deserves to be up there.

 

Pulp Fiction is a better movie then Star Wars but will never have the impact on our culture that Star Wars has had.

 

So if you look at the impact on the culture and also the fact that Star Wars is a good movie then you get the ranking.

 

I get upset when I see "Movie Buffs" say that this and that movie shouldn't be there because they have flaws in acting or filming etc and some other little movie that barely 100 people in the state they live in have watched should be up there and totally disregard the importance of a movie like Star Wars because it wasn't a Indie Film Classic or ever shown on TMC or AMC (before the relaunch as a crapfest).

Edited August 12, 2003 by MrRant

[godthedog 0]

if we're judging on importance, then we should hold 'star wars' and 'jaws' responsible for the present shitty "event blockbuster" hollywood system that we have, and having bad effects would make them less great. before the "event" franchise, in the late 60s and early 70s, the big moneymaking films were 'bonnie and clyde', 'the graduate', 'the godfather' and such. in the wake of 'star wars', we essentially get a bunch of brainless shit where lots of stuff blows up. and going on the influence of overall style in movies (with some particular trends that 'star wars' followed), 'bonnie and clyde' was also more influential anyway. either way, it wins.

 

i personally don't really think importance should enter into it. if i didn't think 'kane' was still enjoyable, i wouldn't consider it great just because of the innovations. i'd just be like "yeah, okay, it's important and all, but i don't find it all that good." which is exactly what i do with 'star wars'.

 

I get upset when I see "Movie Buffs" say that this and that movie shouldn't be there because they have flaws in acting or filming etc and some other little movie that barely 100 people in the state they live in have watched should be up there and totally disregard the importance of a movie like Star Wars because it wasn't a Indie Film Classic or ever shown on TMC or AMC (before the relaunch as a crapfest).

this seems to be saying that even if a movie is better, it still shouldn't be considered better. bottom line: 'bonnie and clyde' is a better movie than 'star wars'. period. a list of "great movies" is supposed to give you some idea of which movies are the best. if 'bonnie and clyde' is better, it should be higher up.

 

also, back on topic with overrated shit: any movie i've ever seen by john cassevettes. i hate that motherfucker. his shit is boring, hokey and trite.

[Guest Flyboy]

But speaking of commercials, has anyone seen that new KFC one; the one where the rich white couple is spying on the black family, watching them eat a bucket of KFC chicken through their window?

 

Holy shit. That's a fucking commercial?!