Movie Snobs: What Popular Movies Are Fashionable to Dislike But You Still Do?

[Shagnasty]

The title says most of the question but lots of movie snobs turn up their noses at movies that are extremely popular yet they feel the need to criticize just because of their popularity. Which of those do you still really like even though you don't like to admit it?

For me, I can't get enough of the movie Titanic even though I am about the opposite of a teenage girl. I am going to watch it for about the 125th time as soon as I submit this thread as a matter of fact. The other one is Forrest Gump. I had a very large Irish gay male boss once that hated the movie because he said "it gives stupid people hope". He gave movie reviews and radio voice-overs in New Orleans so I had to respect his opinion a little but I still like the storyline and I still find the movie inspiring.

Which very popular movies do you really like despite being a snob about such things?

[Talon Karrde]

John Hughes movies, especially Pretty in Pink.

[Little Nemo]

I thought Titanic and Forrest Gump were both really good movies. Well-made entertainment doesn't get enough respect.

[Justin Credible]

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. A lot of people seem to dislike it, and it has a fairly poor rating on imdb. I love it, and I gave it a 10 on there.

Also, I liked the first Steve Martin Pink Panther movie really well. The second one was awful though.

[Ston_Col]

I absolutely love Sky Captain.

I also really enjoy the Crank movies. I think they'll change the action movie genre. Nobody else agrees with me.

[Tangent]

I don't mind admitting that I love both Forrest Gump and Dances With Wolves, even though they are two of the biggest movies that internet movie snobs love to hate.

[lissener]

There's a thread on the same subject currently in discussion.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=540677

[Eternal]

When The Dark Knight was released there was a lot of hate going on for Tim Burton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker. This came completely out of left field. Great movie, great Joker. Just not as "deep" as the hipsters THINK Dark Knight is.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought Titanic. It is very fashionable to dislike it these days, but I can't imagine why. It totally defines drama, humor, directing, story, characters, special effects, and epic. One of the greats......TRM

[joebuck20]

Originally Posted by Talon Karrde

John Hughes movies, especially Pretty in Pink.

Actually I think now that Gen X and early Gen Y-ers are grown up, his movies have sort of a retro-chic cache.
Crash gets a lot of hate on these boards. But I actually liked it.
Was it worthy of the Best Picture Oscar? That's arguable. Was it a little heavy-handed at times? Sure. But contrary to what a lot of people seem to believe, it didn't present race as a black and white issue and I thought it was pretty honest in how it portrayed people's belief systems.

[joebuck20]

Originally Posted by Eternal

When The Dark Knight was released there was a lot of hate going on for Tim Burton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker. This came completely out of left field. Great movie, great Joker. Just not as "deep" as the hipsters THINK Dark Knight is.

Yeah, comparing Jack Nicholson's and Heath Ledger's performances is like comparing apples and oranges. They're two completely different characters for two completely different movies. Nicholson's Joker, I thought, worked very well for what Tim Burton was going for with his film. And Ledger's Joker likewise was a perfect fit for the mood Nolan was trying to create.

[RealityChuck]

In answer to the OP, no. If I like a film, I say I like it (e.g., Titanic, Shakespeare in Love, Crash, Burton's Batman) despite what anyone else thinks.

Same if I dislike a film (e.g, Alien, Gattaca)

Re Batman and Crash: the criticism of them is generally based on the fact that there is another good film they're compared to, with the false assumption that they can't both be good films. Both Batman and The Dark Knight are excellent film, as are Crash and Brokeback Mountain, but many people can't hold that concept in their heads.

[Baal Houtham]

Well damn, when I read the thread's title I thought, "That's about as 'meta' as a thread can get."

Movie Snobs: What Popular Movies Are Fashionable to Dislike But You Still Do?

In other words:
What movies do I, as a discriminating movie viewer ("snob"), realize it's fashionable to dislike, but dislike anyway even though it makes me appear to just be following fashion?

Unfortunately it's just another thread about liking movies that got bad/average reviews. Not that there's anything wrong with that Shagnasty, but you got my hopes up that I'd be reading something damn strange.

[Knorf]

Three movies that get pretentiously bashed in here all the time but that I still like: American Beauty, The English Patient, The Thin Red Line.

[Icerigger]

Same here, I liked Titanic and Waterworld as well.

[Mahna Mahna]

Originally Posted by Knorf

Three movies that get pretentiously bashed in here all the time but that I still like: American Beauty, The English Patient, The Thin Red Line.

Thin Red Line, really? Dunno if that really counts towards the OP, considering it's supposed to be about films you feel guilty about enjoying as a film snob, and it seems to me that Terrence Malick sits in the Movie Snob Pantheon of Esteemed Directors.

In fact, I can't think of anyone I've met who says they love one or more Malick films who hasn't also been a self-described film snob... the average movie-goer doesn't have much patience for long, lingering takes with minimal dialogue.

Mendes and Minghella don't quite have the same cachet with the film snob crowd, but their overall body of work is respectable enough to keep your Official Film Snob status safe and sound.

As to the OP, the movie most likely to get my Film Snob card revoked is A Knight's Tale. Yes, it's a silly romantic comedy and the anachronistic music choices are more cheesy than witty (Moulin Rouge did it far better, IMO).... but it's also one heck of a fun romp with some really cool costuming and snappy dialogue. Plus Paul Bettany does a hell of a job as Chaucer.

[Hampshire]

A lot of people hate romantic comedies and have a special hate for ones containing Hugh Grant.
Actually his are the only ones I like. I've seen Notting Hill, About A boy, Love Actually dozens of times.

[rivulus]

Another vote for Titanic. I'm just sort of "eh" about the tacked-on love story, but the documentary aspect -- the drama of the ship sinking and the incredible hubris of the whole venture -- is something I find very engaging. All the little sounds and effects of the Titanic's own demise, as well as snippets about how the various passengers and crew responded... it makes my hair stand on end and breaks my heart. It's shattering every time I watch it, because I can't forget that this ship really did go down, and all those people really did die. I thought that part of the movie was very well portrayed.

[Blaster Master]

One movie I happen to like that it seems no one else does is The Postman; I'm not even a big fan of it, but so many people seem to hate it that I end up getting stuck defending it. I think Kevin Costner was well cast for that role (he does well in as a quiet loner type, I think), and I personally find the whole reluctant hero story to be much more interesting than a lot of other types. I also think it's interesting to see how ordinary people put in extreme circumstances react. Sure, it's not a terribly deep movie, but it was still entertaining and still made me think. It's no blockbuster, sure, but it's also not the complete pile of crap that everyone seems to think it is.

Also, I agree with what was said about Batman and Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker. It was very well done, fit the movie perfectly, the character was fresh, and he stole the movie almost as much as Ledger stole Dark Knight, except that there actually was more about Bruce Wayne in that film since it was the first one, while Dark Knight could get away with what had been established in Batman Begins.

[Hampshire]

I think most people who have actually seen The Postman like it.
I think it gets a bad rap since it came out a mere two years after the failed Waterworld. I don't think many people gave it a chance and thought "Oh no, Costner is doing another post-apocalyptic film? Didn't he learn from Waterworld?"
and they never even bothered watching it dismissing it on it's premise alone.

[JohnT]

Crash
Titanic
The English Patient

Looks like I hit the trifecta!

[thelurkinghorror]

Originally Posted by Hampshire

I think most people who have actually seen The Postman like it.
I think it gets a bad rap since it came out a mere two years after the failed Waterworld. I don't think many people gave it a chance and thought "Oh no, Costner is doing another post-apocalyptic film? Didn't he learn from Waterworld?"
and they never even bothered watching it dismissing it on it's premise alone.

Neither was an especially bad film on their own, they just were not as great as Costner thought and were massive financial failures. I liked to Postman okay, it was just way longer than it needed to be.

[Mangetout]

The Matrix.

I'm with everyone else on Reloaded and Revolutions, but the first movie ticks a lot of boxes for me.

[Ronald C. Semone]

Walt Disney's Alice In Wonderland

[Simplicio]

Blair Witch Project seems to get dumped on for being popular. Ditto Crash which I thought was really good.

I still don't understand the hate for Dances with Wolves.

Originally Posted by Mangetout

The Matrix.

People hate on The Matrix? It was doing pretty well on the "best film of the 90's thread".

And on the opposite side, why are we talking about The Postman? I liked it too, but I can hardly see how it can be called a popular movie.

Originally Posted by Mahna

Thin Red Line, really?

The Thin Red Line seems to suffer from some type of meta-meta snobbery. It wasn't a commercial success, but was well reviewed and seems to be made to appeal to snobs. But if your a snob, you don't want to like what's predictable or popular, even amongst snobs, so it gets dumped on, around here anyways.

[drm]

People generally dislike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, don't they (Burton version)? I actually enjoy it much more than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I REALLY dislike Charlie in the first movie and I'm not clear on why he's more worthy than the other kids - but that's another rant.

In the Burton version, perhaps the Willy and his dad aspect was a bit unnecessary - although I don't really mind it, overall I much prefer it.

[Shagnasty]

Originally Posted by drm

People generally dislike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, don't they (Burton version)? I actually enjoy it much more than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I REALLY dislike Charlie in the first movie and I'm not clear on why he's more worthy than the other kids - but that's another rant.

If you want to go on a tangent, I can help you with that last point. I started a thread about it once. Charlie is basically white trash.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...colate+factory

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by Simplicio

People hate on The Matrix? It was doing pretty well on the "best film of the 90's thread".

I've certainly seen quite a lot of snobby disapproval of it (often coupled with anime-elitism - i.e. "It's just a poor take-off of Ghost in the shell")

[ArchiveGuy]

Originally Posted by Hampshire

I think most people who have actually seen The Postman like it.

Oh really?

I think it gets a bad rap since it came out a mere two years after the failed Waterworld. I don't think many people gave it a chance and thought "Oh no, Costner is doing another post-apocalyptic film? Didn't he learn from Waterworld?"
and they never even bothered watching it dismissing it on it's premise alone.

Of course, there is the other possibility: that it really does suck (said by someone who saw it before it was released so had no word-of-mouth or critics' opinions to influence him beforehand)

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by drm

People generally dislike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, don't they (Burton version)?

Yes, mostly for Tim Burton's decision to characterise Willy Wonka as Michael Jackson-esque, I think.

BTW, you transposed the titles. The musical version with Gene Wilder was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Tim Burton's version was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

[drm]

Originally Posted by Shagnasty

If you want to go on a tangent, I can help you with that last point. I started a thread about it once. Charlie is basically white trash.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...colate+factory

lol, very nice. I completely agree.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by drm

People generally dislike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, don't they (Burton version)? I actually enjoy it much more than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I REALLY dislike Charlie in the first movie and I'm not clear on why he's more worthy than the other kids - but that's another rant.

In the Burton version, perhaps the Willy and his dad aspect was a bit unnecessary - although I don't really mind it, overall I much prefer it.

The Burton version, which is not a remake of the Wilder version but an adaptation of the source material, is Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. The Wilder version is Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

I too love the Burton/Depp version. I have never been able to sit through the Wilder version. Few things are more odious than that farking "Candyman" song.

[HubZilla]

Dances with Wolves is one of my favorite movies, especially the soundtrack.

Like most folks here, I love the three Lord of the Rings movie, but I'm going against the grain by saying Return of the King was my favorite of the three.

[handsomeharry]

Well, when anybody even mentions Adventures of Ford Fairlane, they diss it. I Love it.
Not that it didn't need some editing, bt it was pretty amusing.
Forrest Gump.
Armageddon. It was crap, but I liked it.
All Bruce Willis movies, except for Hudson Hawk.

Hmmm...that's about it.

for now.

hh

[drm]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

The Burton version, which is not a remake of the Wilder version but an adaptation of the source material, is Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. The Wilder version is Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

I too love the Burton/Depp version. I have never been able to sit through the Wilder version. Few things are more odious than that farking "Candyman" song.

Dang, can't believe I messed that up...ah well.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by handsomeharry

Well, when anybody even mentions Adventures of Ford Fairlane, they diss it. I Love it.
Not that it didn't need some editing, bt it was pretty amusing.
Forrest Gump.
Armageddon. It was crap, but I liked it.
All Bruce Willis movies, except for Hudson Hawk.

Hmmm...that's about it.

for now.

hh

I liked Adventures of Ford Fairlane, good popcorn flick. Love the car.

[lissener]

Originally Posted by Hampshire

A lot of people hate romantic comedies and have a special hate for ones containing Hugh Grant.
Actually his are the only ones I like. I've seen Notting Hill, About A boy, Love Actually dozens of times.

Notting Hill and About a Boy are both good movies. Love Actually, I'd take a railroad spike in the eye first.

[GameHat]

I'll guess I'll throw in 300.

Yeah, it's over-stylized, dumb, and (under some interpretations) a bit racist.

But God damn it, it's fucking awesome.

[spoke-]

I'm gonna say Mars Attacks. It cracks me up.

[Mississippienne]

I still love Last Action Hero and think it's a great solid 90s action movie with a clever premise. The movie was savaged by critics and still doesn't seem to get any respect. C'mon, it's got lovingly crafted shout-outs to half of Hollywood's output from Bogart to the T-1000, the villains are so memorable (who can forget Charles Dance as Benedict with his glass eye), the kid sidekick is actually quick-witted and not annoying, and it's classic Ah-nuld.

Long Kiss Goodnight bombed hard at the box office, but I put it up with LAH as one of the best full-throttle action movies of the 90s. The dialogue is snappy, Samuel L. Jackson is amazing as always, and Geena Davis is just brutal as the amnesiac assassin-turned-suburban mom. I rank it lower than LAH only because the little kid is annoying and lisps a lot.

I thought The Postman was shit, but I quite enjoyed Waterworld.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by ArchiveGuy

Oh really? Of course, there is the other possibility: that it really does suck (said by someone who saw it before it was released so had no word-of-mouth or critics' opinions to influence him beforehand)

Bashing someone's choice of a movie they admit to liking in a thread about liking movies that snobs dislike?

[cactus waltz]

Originally Posted by Mississippienne

I still love Last Action Hero and think it's a great solid 90s action movie with a clever premise. The movie was savaged by critics and still doesn't seem to get any respect. C'mon, it's got lovingly crafted shout-outs to half of Hollywood's output from Bogart to the T-1000, the villains are so memorable (who can forget Charles Dance as Benedict with his glass eye), the kid sidekick is actually quick-witted and not annoying, and it's classic Ah-nuld.

Long Kiss Goodnight bombed hard at the box office, but I put it up with LAH as one of the best full-throttle action movies of the 90s. The dialogue is snappy, Samuel L. Jackson is amazing as always, and Geena Davis is just brutal as the amnesiac assassin-turned-suburban mom. I rank it lower than LAH only because the little kid is annoying and lisps a lot.

I haven't seen these for a good while, but they were both very popular at my household. Long Kiss Goodnight is underrated.

[Alessan]

Originally Posted by lissener

Love Actually, I'd take a railroad spike in the eye first.

I halfway agree with you there - the Hugh Grant/Alan Rickman/Emma Thompson/Bill Nighy/Liam Neeson portions of the movie are good-to-excellent; everything else is crap.

[gonzomax]

Fifth Element
Beetlejuice
Heavens Gate
I like them. But Chis Christoferson is the most wooden actor of all time.

[Eyebrows 0f Doom]

Originally Posted by gonzomax

Beetlejuice

It's fashionable to dislike Beetlejuice?

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by Eyebrows 0f Doom

It's fashionable to dislike Beetlejuice?

My thoughts, too. I don't know that it's considered great art but I think most people think it's fun and enjoyable. Even if they don't like it, I don't know any "snobs" going out of their way to look down on Beetlejuice.

Also shouldn't the thread title be "What Popular Movies Are Fashionable to Dislike But You Don't"?

[Stranger On A Train]

Originally Posted by Eternal

When The Dark Knight was released there was a lot of hate going on for Tim Burton's Batman and Nicholson's Joker. This came completely out of left field. Great movie, great Joker. Just not as "deep" as the hipsters THINK Dark Knight is.

Personally, I thought The Dark Knight was disjointed, shallow, and trying to beat the viewer over the head with its message. The Burton/Keaton portrayal of Batman was a lot more subtle and humanistic in many ways, especially since he didn't go to great length or spend valuable story and character development time to try to rationalize how and why Batman had such equipment and means available to him.

Stranger

[Carl Corey]

Originally Posted by Hampshire

I think most people who have actually seen The Postman like it.
I think it gets a bad rap since it came out a mere two years after the failed Waterworld. I don't think many people gave it a chance and thought "Oh no, Costner is doing another post-apocalyptic film? Didn't he learn from Waterworld?"
and they never even bothered watching it dismissing it on it's premise alone.

Nope, I never watched it because I loathed the book.

[ArchiveGuy]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

Bashing someone's choice of a movie they admit to liking in a thread about liking movies that snobs dislike?

It's perfectly fine that he likes the film and I'm not bashing his choice to do so.

But to assert that Postman lovers constitute a silent majority is, well, delusional. And this thread has more than enough of that already. :d&r:

[msmith537]

I'm a little confused. Weren't Titanic, Forest Gump, and Dances Wolves massively popular, hugely grossing, Acadamy Award winning films?



I actually like all the Matrix movies more or less equally. At least I don't think the second and third film are any stupider than the first. The second film had one of the best car chases ever (even though by necessesity a lot of it was CGI).

Starship Troopers.

Any film by Michael Bay.