Classics You Can't Stand!

Started by Alpha-74 pages

Casablanca is a film that has never done anything for me.

Oh yeah Star Wars OT as well.

Kubricks early films - The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, and Lolita don't do anything for me, despite all being hailed as masterpieces and/or winning several awards.

Also, I couldn't finish Barry Lyndon...

Dare I say, could it be that Kubrick is a tad overrated?

Originally posted by SnakeEyes
Kubricks early films - The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, and Lolita don't do anything for me, despite all being hailed as masterpieces and/or winning several awards.

Also, I couldn't finish Barry Lyndon...

Dare I say, could it be that Kubrick is a tad overrated?

Kubrick is a real talent, one of the best directors of all time. Does that mean everything he made is great?.... nah...

I have to say Star Wars, all of it... never really did anything for me. They're alright but I don't get the fandom.

To throw some modern films into the pot:

Kick Ass - Really thought it was overrated, the good guys were worse than the bad guys.
Bourne Trilogy - Just didn't like it... Especially the camera work in action scenes.
Dark Knight - Now, I don't think this is a bad film at all. But I can't stand that it gets such high praise. I feel the film dragged; I found myself looking at my watch on several occasions. Batman Begins was a better film IMO.

Originally posted by §P0oONY
Kubrick is a real talent, one of the best directors of all time. Does that mean everything he made is great?.... nah...

Kick Ass - Really thought it was overrated, the good guys were worse than the bad guys.

Kubrick is one of the best directors of all time, but personally I think about half his filmography just isn't that enjoyable. I love The Shining, and I like 2001 and A Clockwork Orange. I guess I just admire his films more than I enjoy them (for the most part). They're all well-made, from a technical standpoint.

Care to elaborate on your Kick-Ass opinion?

The film's climax is where I really take issue. I know it's a comedy so I probably shouldn't really care or read anything into it... When Hit-Girl kills people it's kind of funny and cute, simply because you know that's the way she was brought up and it's pretty novel seeing a cute little kid kill people. But when Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl infiltrate the building at the end and slay everyone for nothing more than revenge it's simply murder... and the fact that Kick-Ass participates after being so shocked at the drug dealers apartment (when we're first introduced to Hit-Girl) makes it even worse. I know that the film is playing on the "What a superhero would really be like in the real world" thing... but still. Kick-Ass is simply a murderer, it's not like it was in self-defence, they were attacking the building.

That's pretty much the reason why I didn't like the film. It left me feeling pretty hollow, which isn't great for a comedy. I also can't think of any gut-wrenchingly funny moments. I'm not saying it was the worst film I've ever seen or anything... not even close... and I respect it's originality. Saying that I'll probably just give Kick-Ass 2 a miss.

Originally posted by §P0oONY
Kubrick is a real talent, one of the best directors of all time. Does that mean everything he made is great?.... nah...

I have to say Star Wars, all of it... never really did anything for me. They're alright but I don't get the fandom.

To throw some modern films into the pot:

Kick Ass - Really thought it was overrated, the good guys were worse than the bad guys.
Bourne Trilogy - Just didn't like it... Especially the camera work in action scenes.
Dark Knight - Now, I don't think this is a bad film at all. But I can't stand that it gets such high praise. I feel the film dragged; I found myself looking at my watch on several occasions. Batman Begins was a better film IMO.

Totally agree with you regarding the Bourne films. I just do not understand all the plaudits.

I think all the movies that consistently make the "Top 10" lists are grossly overrated: Godfather, Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strangelove and so on. And not only is Citizen Kane overrated, I think it straight-up sucked.

It just seems like there's an unwritten law that everybody has to treat old movies as if they're all "masterpieces".

I bloomin' love Strangelove... I don't know what it is about it (probably Sellers' performance(s)) but I love it.

Originally posted by §P0oONY
The film's climax is where I really take issue. I know it's a comedy so I probably shouldn't really care or read anything into it... When Hit-Girl kills people it's kind of funny and cute, simply because you know that's the way she was brought up and it's pretty novel seeing a cute little kid kill people. But when Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl infiltrate the building at the end and slay everyone for nothing more than revenge it's simply murder... and the fact that Kick-Ass participates after being so shocked at the drug dealers apartment (when we're first introduced to Hit-Girl) makes it even worse. I know that the film is playing on the "What a superhero would really be like in the real world" thing... but still. Kick-Ass is simply a murderer, it's not like it was in self-defence, they were attacking the building.

That's pretty much the reason why I didn't like the film. It left me feeling pretty hollow, which isn't great for a comedy. I also can't think of any gut-wrenchingly funny moments. I'm not saying it was the worst film I've ever seen or anything... not even close... and I respect it's originality. Saying that I'll probably just give Kick-Ass 2 a miss.

Hmm. Interesting. So you had moral objections to it then. I can see that. For me, it was so over the top that it didn't really bother me. Also the bad guys are pretty much cut and dry scumbags, I could sympathize for Hit-Girl (who was pretty much brainwashed anyway) wanting revenge and I could understand Kick-Ass (who was kind of derranged), wanting to repay her/become a "real" hero. They are murdering, sure, but I also think if they didn't then they would've been killed some point later on themselves. It was preemptive self-defense.

The film did leave feeling a little more... nihilistic after it ended, which is odd for what was also a light film. I had problems with the tone of the film/the fact that it became what it was satirizing.

But all in all, I did really enjoy Kick-Ass. I thought the action sequences were extremely well done, it was funny, etc. Anyway, I respect your opinion and I can understand where you're coming from.

Also, to add, I'm not sure I like Casablanca too much... It's shot beautifully, the script is clever... but I didn't find the romance all that genuine, which is what the movie hinges on. Maybe it's a generational gap thing, but the acting aka overracting that was popular in old films doesn't appeal to me and it certainly doesn't ring true.

While I'm at it - Psycho and The Birds; two beloved Hitchcock films -- can't stand 'em! Or at least just didn't enjoy them at all.

Originally posted by §P0oONY
Kick Ass

Oh yeah that too.

I'd also add Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

I really like the great old fims. There's a sort of elegance to them that you don't really get with modern filmmaking, at least in my opinion.

Kick Ass is hardly a classic.

Originally posted by §P0oONY

Dark Knight - Now, I don't think this is a bad film at all. But I can't stand that it gets such high praise. I feel the film dragged; I found myself looking at my watch on several occasions. Batman Begins was a better film IMO.

I SO VERY MUCH agree - was a real let-down for me, after Batman Begins.

Originally posted by Impediment
Kick Ass is hardly a classic.

Nor is Batman Begins, TDK or Bourne.

My point, exactly.

Originally posted by The Nuul
Nor is Batman Begins

Not yet! 😛

I had no problem with the killings in Kick Ass by HitGirl and so on, and didn't see the 'superheroes' as worse in anyway. As far as I see it, they got rid of evil people out of the world, all involved with that 'gangster' from what I can remember.

But yes, hardly a classic. But still rather good.

Meh. I liked watching Kick-Ass, but it's one of those movies I rather only see once than over and over. I thought it was definitely overrated, and I pretty much agree with everyone else in that it's not a classic. IDK why people are naming newer movies as classics, but oh well.