Overrated movies

[BFTD]

3 minutes ago, D.A.F.C said:

In reverse I thought that the Blair witch project was superb and I didn’t get the criticism. Found it genuinely terrifying and I think it was the first ‘found footage’ film as well. It can’t be bad if it inspired a whole genre.

I saw a terrible quality Video CD version before it was released here. It had been leaked by the directors, who knew even by that point that pirate versions would find their way out no matter what they did, so prepared an edit that missed out a scene towards the beginning, the absence of which makes the end incomprehensible. The dreadful picture quality, combined with not knowing that small piece of information, made it pretty creepy viewing; better than the actual release IMO. It's a bit anaemic compared to the glut of found-footage films that came out in its wake (although, oddly, people didn't really jump on the bandwagon until years later), but it felt uncomfortably convincing at the time. I spent a few days paranoid that I'd walk into a room and find someone facing the wall in the corner.

Cannibal Holocaust gets the credit now for inventing the genre, although no doubt there'll be some other films that did it before then, but there's also a decent wee film called The Last Broadcast that came out years before Blair Witch and did the faux-documentary found-footage thing. It also included a neat shocking narrative twist that I can't remember seeing elsewhere...don't want to give away more than that, but it's very worthwhile, despite fumbling the ball badly at the end.

[BFTD]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

Ive seen your white writing but you do see this opinion a lot.

I think the main issue is Tolkien never intended his books to be made into a film, and he seemed to write them under the impression his audience would already know the lore around it all, so there are gaps you're meant to fill in yourself with that knowledge (for example the fight with the giant spider to many would just be a fight with a giant spider, when he intended it to be a massive moment due to that characters background, which isnt explained in LOTR as you're already meant to know).

Hollywood isnt really the best at trying to encourage people to read books, so they either leave the gaps in, ignore them entirely, or make up some bollocks to fill the gap in.

Aye, I'm sure he's great. The wife loves those books, and I spent a lot of time hearing, "oh, but you don't understand, because this other thing happens in the book..."

I guess it would have been nice to have a bit of warning that those films probably weren't going to be for me, but I can't imagine any studio limiting their audience by marketing a film as 'for fans of the book only'.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, BigFatTabbyDave said:

Aye, I'm sure he's great. The wife loves those books, and I spent a lot of time hearing, "oh, but you don't understand, because this other thing happens in the book..."

I guess it would have been nice to have a bit of warning that those films probably weren't going to be for me, but I can't imagine any studio limiting their audience by marketing a film as 'for fans of the book only'.

Tbf hes pretty bad, his other book on the subject, The Silmarillion, is an absolute fucking mess that feels like it written in about 12 different stages as the tone constantly changes. 

I've huge worries about the Amazon series based on that fact.

[Ludo*1]

Lake Mungo is genuinely the best example of 'found footage' films. Should be much more widely known. Pisses all over the likes of Blair Witch (Which I like) and the dreadful Paranormal Activity series.

[Honest_Man#1]

On 06/06/2020 at 14:35, BigFatTabbyDave said:

Tarantino is a horrific plagiarist, and doesn't get anything like enough stick for it. People have put together entire storyboards of his films showing everything has been entirely lifted from elsewhere; dialogue, plot, set dressing, the works. He's more of a DJ than a composer. His films are always entertaining, though, but there are folk who'll absolutely lose their shit if you point out that it's less the work of a mastermind and more that of a mastermixer.

Links? I’m genuinely intrigued by this as I like Tarantino films but haven’t read anything about this.

[The OP]

3 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

Lake Mungo is genuinely the best example of 'found footage' films. Should be much more widely known. Pisses all over the likes of Blair Witch (Which I like) and the dreadful Paranormal Activity series.

Never seen Lake Mungo but [REC] is the gold standard of found footage films for me.

[The OP]

1 hour ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

Links? I’m genuinely intrigued by this as I like Tarantino films but haven’t read anything about this.

There was something on youtube about the Hateful Eight following the plot of an episode of The Rebel but it struck me that it was only superficially similar. 

Edited June 7, 2020 by The OP

[Ludo*1]

5 minutes ago, The OP said:

Never seen Lake Mungo but [REC] is the gold standard of found footage films for me.

I really like [REC], but that's ultimately your standard zombie film done very, very well IMO. Lake Mungo transcends the genre. It's a family drama, a documentary and horrifying all at once IMO.

[The OP]

1 minute ago, Ludo*1 said:

I really like [REC], but that's ultimately your standard zombie film done very, very well IMO. Lake Mungo transcends the genre. It's a family drama, a documentary and horrifying all at once IMO.

Will give it a perfectly legal download.

[Ludo*1]

1 minute ago, The OP said:

Will give it a perfectly legal download.

If you hate it, it's on you!

[Doctor]

La La Land was tripe from the first song, quite happy to enjoy a musical but it did nothing for me

Get Out was utterly predictable and unremarkable, its like they didn't try to hide the big plot twist

Uncut Gems was a bad time, its just not a movie i was at all happy to experience, that might have been the point but i wasn't a fan

[Ludo*1]

17 minutes ago, Doctor said:

La La Land was tripe from the first song, quite happy to enjoy a musical but it did nothing for me

Get Out was utterly predictable and unremarkable, its like they didn't try to hide the big plot twist

Uncut Gems was a bad time, its just not a movie i was at all happy to experience, that might have been the point but i wasn't a fan

Aye, it made me feel tense and uncomfortable throughout. I can watch pretty much anything even shock gore style films like Martyrs, but nothing has ever made me feel almost nervous watching a film. Horrible.

[19QOS19]

I'm just grateful you c***s aren't film producers. Some horrendous shouts in here

[DA Baracus]

On 06/06/2020 at 07:38, BawWatchin said:

Goodfellas is fucking outstanding and I won't have anybody say it's "meh". I personally found Scarface to be a bit "meh".

I am in agreement here. Scarface isn't bad, but definitely supremely overhyped. Goodfellas is absolutely immense.

On 06/06/2020 at 16:08, YER SISTERS YER MAW said:

I've always felt The Godfather Part 1 and 2 to be a bit overrated. Not saying they are bad films, just a bit boring in parts.

Some more concurrence! They're both decent, even good films, but I don't see them as the total masterpieces they are held as.

On 06/06/2020 at 17:18, D.A.F.C said:

Aliens is a bit overrated I agree.

The original film was a horror and aliens was just a gore fest with hardly any depth.
It has some great moments but its certainly carried by the success of the first film.
Prefer alien 3 in some ways.

Star wars original was excellent, empire strikes back was the best of the lot. ROTJ was just a remake of the first then it's been downhill since.
Most of the hype was around kids being locked into the toys and the great characters from the films.

Agree about fight club it's trying to be clever but seems disjointed and pointless.

A prime hipster opinion is to prefer Alien 3. Alien 3 is a deeply average film.

Return of the Jedi is not a remake of A New Hope. A bizarre opinion. Have you actually seen it?

Fight Club is ace.

On 06/06/2020 at 17:34, Bert Raccoon said:

I know it seems to be something of a sacred cow if you were born in the 80s but I'm not a big fan of The Goonies.

I share this. Don't like it at all but it's held up to be some cultural treasure of the 80s.

On 06/06/2020 at 17:39, tongue_tied_danny said:

Have we had Blade Runner yet?

I've tried to like it, I want to like it. I love the visuals and the general ambience, but the plot is just so boring.

Blade Runner is another film that is good but nowhere near the level of hype it gets. The sequel is far superior in all ways.

On 07/06/2020 at 10:08, The Golden God said:

Mad Max: Fury Road is just a 2 hour chase scene, there’s no story at all and people only like it cause it’s got cool effects and explosions etc. I stand by it being awful.

Nonsense. There's plenty of story there.

15 hours ago, D.A.F.C said:

In reverse I thought that the Blair witch project was superb and I didn’t get the criticism. Found it genuinely terrifying and I think it was the first ‘found footage’ film as well. It can’t be bad if it inspired a whole genre.

Blair Witch Project is fucking gash. An atrocious film.

10 hours ago, Doctor said:

La La Land was tripe from the first song, quite happy to enjoy a musical but it did nothing for me

Get Out was utterly predictable and unremarkable, its like they didn't try to hide the big plot twist

Uncut Gems was a bad time, its just not a movie i was at all happy to experience, that might have been the point but i wasn't a fan

Get Out was predictable? You predicted that they were targeting black people, luring them in using fake relationships, then hyptonised them so that they would have a trigger that renders them helpless as their bodies are stolen by rich white folk?

That's some prediction.

[DA Baracus]

Oh aye, and The Big Lewbowski is absolutely shite.

[YER SISTERS YER MAW]

Oh aye, and The Big Lewbowski is absolutely shite.

Aye, I don't get the hype for that one either.

[Doctor]

1 hour ago, DA Baracus said:

Get Out was predictable? You predicted that they were targeting black people, luring them in using fake relationships, then hyptonised them so that they would have a trigger that renders them helpless as their bodies are stolen by rich white folk?

That's some prediction.

Oh god is that what happened? I'd forgotten because the plot was so stupid. I just meant it didn't feel like the slightest twist that the white family are the bad guys. It's certainly not the kind of film I walked away from thinking 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and a best picture nomination were up for grabs.

Big Lebowski is a modern classic and I adore that film but I can easily see someone coming into it with any expectation from the years of talk and memes having a bad time and being a bit weirded out. 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Doctor

[accies1874]

Get Out is incredibly watchable IMO. There are tonnes of clever visual things and the script almost plays as a whodunnit/mystery with its foreshadowing. I love its portrayal of racism too - it really captures a certain generation's progressive discrimination.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

20 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

Get Out is incredibly watchable IMO. There are tonnes of clever visual things and the script almost plays as a whodunnit/mystery with its foreshadowing. I love its portrayal of racism too - it really captures a certain generation's progressive discrimination.

Top three films of the millennium so far for me (Other two are Shaun the Sheep and Mad Max: Fury Road)

[D.A.F.C]

Mad max fury road was superb.