Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Over on the Main Feed, the great James Delingpole evokes J.R.R Tolkien.
Now, I have to admit that I have never read any part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and my attempt to read The Hobbit was aborted. Perhaps I would have found them wonderful and inspiring. But the films left me entirely unmoved and bored.
This got me to thinking about other movies, highly regarded by critics and audiences, whose popularity I simply cannot understand. One of these is Dead Poets Society (Rottentomatoes.com audience rating of 90%). Another is Natural Born Killers (RT audience rating of 80%), which I would probably put at the top of my all-time-worst list.
What titles would you put on a list of popular films whose reputations leave you scratching your head? Don't be embarrassed; we're non-judgmental here.
UPDATE:
Crow's Nest said, "None that I don't 'get' in the sense of failing to understand. But how about some that I can't understand WHY they are so highly rated as they are..."
That is, in fact, what I meant when I (originally) said, "...films that you just don't 'get'": Movies that don't "grab" you in the same way they seem to grab the vast majority of viewers. I have edited the title and body of my post to be more clear.
UPDATE 2:
The opposite question is posed here.
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Comments:
Oct '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
ET - RT rating of 98%. Hate, hate, hate it. Nausea-inducing sentimentality, and the alien always reminded me of one of my great-aunts.
WALL-E - RT rating of 96%. Someone in the house had it on the other day, and I nearly had to leave home. I don't care about the artistry, the whole concept just creeps me out.
Feb '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Not quite on theme, but the discussion of the LOR movies prompts my complaint against movies intended to deliver nothing but spectacles. Peter Jackson is a perfect example. LOR should never have been made into a movie, but if you're going to attempt it, it would probably require six movies (one for each book) rather than three, and you would not devote so much time to the battlefield scenes. Whereas the Hobbit might easily be cut down to a longish movie, rather than the two parter on which Jackson has been working.
Jackson's remake of King Kong displays the same tendencies. There has never been a need to remake the original, and nearly all that Jackson did was to "out do" (and thereby over do) the fight scenes. (Kong must fight 3 T-Rexes, because special effects are so much easier to do now. Jackson doesn't realize that this makes the special effects less impressive.)
When my children were young, they acted out A Christmas Carol with their stuffed animals. I'd rather watch that video than any 3-D version.
Mar '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Most movies made by French people. Or by people named Ingmar.
Mar '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Citizen Kane (hated it)
Gone with the Wind (really hated it. I have no patience for stupid women)
OTOH, I loved The Matrix. It is all about Plato's Cave!
And Forest Gump, too. Quintessentially American that a hard working and good guy does well, even though never the way he plans.
And ET? It is, of course, the story of Jesus.
Mar '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Blue Velvet. Walked out twice on it (the second time after being talked back into it by a “friend”). David “Ooh, look at me! I’m a Director!” Lynch as l’Auteur – creepy, it’s an ear! Could’ve used a Sting vs. Hopper knife fight about 20 minutes in.
Mar '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.: I loved DPS and NBK but this topic hits close to home for me.
I loathed Forrest Gump (RT audience rating of 93%) and, in fact, don't understand even the idea of liking that movie. Was also not terribly keen on Good Will Hunting (RT audience rating of 92%) and found it silly. Any other Oscar winners I didn't "get"? Hmm. I thought A Beautiful Mind (91%) destroyed a beautiful book. Seriously, excellent biography.
Jerry Maguire (72%)? UGH. · Dec 28 at 8:41am
Loathed Forrest Gump??? I found FG to be one of the greatest celebrations of of conservative ideals. Forrest was profoundly honest,brave, hardworking, and loyal. He proved what an incredible impact an individual with core conservative values can have on both individuals and the society around him. Molly, please watch this movie again.
Oct '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Totally agree! 12 Oscars?? I never took the Academy Awards seriously ever again.
Alan Weick: The English Patient. Someone please explain why I'm supposed to care about these 2 adulterers? After sitting in the theater for 36 hours (it seemed liked that) I was ready to crawl into a cave a die. · Dec 28 at 10:06am
Edited on Dec 28 at 10:09 am
Oct '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
No way, Gone With the Wind was fantastic.
iWc: Citizen Kane (hated it)
Gone with the Wind (really hated it. I have no patience for stupid women)
OTOH, I loved The Matrix. It is all about Plato's Cave!
And Forest Gump, too. Quintessentially American that a hard working and good guy does well, even though never the way he plans.
And ET? It is, of course, the story of Jesus. · Dec 28 at 10:34am
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
I hated Match Point. Hated.
May '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Any of the Predator or Alien films. Totally un-gettable.
Dec '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Lost in translation...somehow, it just didn't translate.
Jul '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Only overrated until you see the sequels. Then you appreciate The Matrix a heck of a lot more.
Aug '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Pretty much any Disney movie from The Little Mermaid until now.
Also, Titanic.
Apr '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
I cannot stand The Piano or Scarface. One wallows in self-pity and the other in the mud. They both had it coming. Also, Pacino seems to have never recovered from this performance. It's like everything since has been variation on a Tony Montagna theme. SCREAM real LOUD and move your eyes around like you have a nystagmus. Personally, I think he had a stroke filming the last scene and just never told anyone.
Jul '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
A story I head down in New Orleans was that Dennis Hopper married some country Louisiana girl whose parents had never heard of Hopper. To educate themselves they went to the video store and rented Blue Velvet.....bad idea.
Mar '11
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Nonsense! George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens are terrific, as is Sellers. And just the line "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room" is worth the price of admission.
Aug '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
DocJay
A story I head down in New Orleans was that Dennis Hopper married some country Louisiana girl whose parents had never heard of Hopper. To educate themselves they went to the video store and rented Blue Velvet.....bad idea. · Dec 28 at 10:55am
On the other hand, it was probably spot on.
Jun '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
Kelly B: ET - RT rating of 98%. Hate, hate, hate it. Nausea-inducing sentimentality, and the alien always reminded me of one of my great-aunts.
WALL-E - RT rating of 96%. Someone in the house had it on the other day, and I nearly had to leave home. I don't care about the artistry, the whole concept just creeps me out. · Dec 28 at 10:20am
Worst recent kid's movie was Cars II. I couldn't even figure out the plot--grandkids were bored to death after an hour. The political bad big oil premise was also nausea-inducing.
Edited on December 28, 2011 at 8:12pmAug '10
Re: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
There's another one that, along with Natural Born Killers, I hate with a hot hate. But then again, I didn't attend Brown and major in Women's Studies, so I was not programmed to appreciate it.
Edited on December 28, 2011 at 8:14pmRe: Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?
So is The Matrix: He's known as The One. Love is Trinity. He had to die in order to save humanity.