# "I Could Have SWORN That Was Great!" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403 "2000-06-24T15:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/1 "2000-06-24T15:29:41Z")
I always loathed the TV sitcom “M_A_S\*H,” and said so in the presence of a friend who LOVED the movie version. He convinced me to watch the movie version, hoping I’d see how brilliantly funny it was, but instead, BOTH of us sat through it without cracking a smile. Not only was I bored, he had acrestfallen look on his face. WHen it was all over, he said, “I could have SWORN that was a great movie.” Now, I don’t mean to harp on “M_A_S\*H” nor to pick on this friend. THe same thing has happened to me several times. I got a former girlfriend to watch Mel BRooks’ “The Producers” with me… a movie that cracked me up when I’d seen it earlier. But this time, she gave me stares through the whole movie, as if to say, “You’re such an idiot- how could you have thought this was funn?” And sadly, this time I AGREED with her! The jokes were so dated and flat! ONLY The “Springtime for Hitler” musical number was still funny. I ask everyone now to share: what book/TV show/movie/record album, that you were once CONVINCED was a masterpiece, NOW makes you shake your head and say “What the hell was I thinking? Was I on drugs? This SUCKS!” Now, I’m not talking about teenybopper favorites. WHen I was 15, I loved “Frampton Comes ALive” (on 8-track, of course), and women my age all had posters of Shaun Cassidy. Embarrassing, yes, but not the same thing. It’s too easy to laugh at our adolescent selves- what were the things you loved even as a legal adult, that you now find embarrassingly bad? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/2 "2000-06-24T15:35:37Z")
I had the same experience showing _Star Wars_ to a woman friend of mine who had never seen it before. She was bored out of her skull. And when I looked a little more closely, I had to agree with her. The first half of the movie on Tatooine was a low-budget borefest, and had a feel on par with _City Limits_ or _Warrior of the Lost World_ or any of the other post-apocalyptic/fantasy movies that have been on _Mystery Science Theater 3000_. Furthermore, although the attack on the Death Star at the end was a landmark achievement when the movie first came out, the idea has been copied so often since then that it just seemed hackneyed this time around. And besides, hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/3 "2000-06-24T15:36:04Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] It might have been Great, but it’s not a debate. (Hey, that rhymes!) Anyway, I’m moving this to IMHO. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: Handed Off to Slythe] ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/4 "2000-06-24T15:39:41Z")
It’s a good thing for Tracer that he simulposted that with me, or else I’d have left it in Great Debates and torn his heart out with a spoon! _Nobody_ insults _Star Wars_ and gets away with it! :mad: Anyway, I’ve had the same thing happen. I can’t recall what movie it was now, but I know it happened where I told friends that it was a great movie, and then upon watching it with them, they were less than impressed and I changed my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/5 "2000-06-24T16:02:10Z")
I suppose I’m a prude in this one regard, but I view cussing as something that should happen naturally, not fill up 2/3rds of the dialouge. Like the difference between the original Blues Brothers, and the edited, TV version. Granted, there are a few things the original has in it that are cool… but I’ve never missed the cussing. It plays a lot less stupid, like when my wife saw it after BB2000 (which I like better), I sat there and thought “Dang, I used to think that was a good movie. It really does suck.” ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/6 "2000-06-24T16:14:38Z")
_There’s Something About Mary_. I nearly pissed myself the first time I saw it. The second time, I barely cracked a smile. To be honest though I’d sort of expected that, since so many of the jokes were sight gags, which never tend to be as funny the second time round. IMHO you’re smoking crack about _The Producers_ though, Astorian. I’ve seen it a dozen times and it still makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/7 "2000-06-24T17:33:36Z")
It works both ways with me. Comedy styles I didn’t appreciate when I was younger crack me up now. Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy especially. But the Martin and Lewis stuff – I wonder why I ever thought it was funny. And scary movies – maybe it’s the technological advances – but very few of the old terrors have any effect. The original Thing can be appreciated historically, but that’s about it. And it was **the** horror movie of the 50’s. Yeah, I remember sitting the kids down to watch The Thing and warning them they’d need to sleep with the lights on. Lost all my credibility. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/8 "2000-06-24T18:47:50Z")
I’m not a legal adult yet but… I used to think “Who’s The Boss?” and “Charles in Charge” were just about the funniest shows ever. I tried to watch an old rerun of “Who’s the Boss?” the other day…I just sat there in stunned amazement. How did I enjoy that show? How was that show on for so long? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/9 "2000-06-24T20:15:25Z")
My friend and I rented some movies, and he decided to get The Pink Panther, which he’d seen as a kid and thought was hysterical. We watched it for about ten minutes before he admitted that slapstick wasn’t really as funny as I remembered. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/10 "2000-06-24T20:26:36Z")
I think this happens a lot as your taste in humor changes. I remember my friends and I laughing like loons at _This is Spinal Tap_ and _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ when we were in high school. I’ve seen bits and pieces of both on TV since and wondered what the heck happened to me. Glad to say _Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure_ still enchants and delights to this day. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/11 "2000-06-24T20:52:12Z")
The Peanut Butter Solution. I LOVED that movie as a kid… and then… then I saw it again. Good Lord, what were those people thinking? ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/12 "2000-06-24T23:15:37Z")
Saint Zero – you like _Blues Brothers 2000_ better than the original? What are you smoking?! ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/13 "2000-06-24T23:23:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > I used to think “Who’s The Boss?” and “Charles in Charge” were just about the funniest shows ever. > > \*\* Have you had your water tested lately? Sounds like toxins in the well. 😉 V. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/14 "2000-06-24T23:28:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > I remember my friends and I laughing like loons at _This is Spinal Tap_ and _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ when we were in high school. I’ve seen bits and pieces of both on TV since and wondered what the heck happened to me. > \*\* Cuz you’re only seeing bits and pieces! Those are great! But since this has been moved from Great Debates, I won’t argue, I’ll just say it happened to me when I sat with my GF to watch _A Shot In the Dark_ the second Pink Panther movie. I remember this being non-stop hilarious. We turned it off after about 40 minutes and what we did the rest of the night is none of your business! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/15 "2000-06-24T23:36:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Saint Zero – you like _Blues Brothers 2000_ better than the original? What are you smoking?! > \*\* nothing, I assure you! I liked the music in it better. And I like BB King. Plot? It had a plot? It’s like a Jackie Chan movie… you don’t watch them for the plot… ---
**Author:** ![timmar68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@timmar68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmar68)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/16 "2000-06-25T01:41:17Z")
I hate to say this but “Galaxy Quest” did it for me. I laughed so hard I was crying when I first saw it. My boyfriend never saw it so we rented it and I kept telling him how funny it was. Well, we watched it and neither of us laughed. I didn’t understand it…I mean, it’s not like it’s something I saw years earlier. Anyway, we were so bored we ended up making out on the couch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/17 "2000-06-25T01:45:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Well, we watched it and neither of us laughed. I didn’t understand it…I mean, it’s not like it’s something I saw years earlier. Anyway, we were so bored we ended up making out on the couch. 😃 > \*\* You little exhibitionist! At least I had the decency to say it was none of their business instead of telling them how my gf and I made hot sweaty monkey love on the couch, the floor, and coffe table. 😉 PS. I don’t recommend hot monkey love on a coffee table, those little legs just aren’t prepared to handle it. ---
**Author:** ![LocalLoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@LocalLoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LocalLoop)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/18 "2000-06-25T05:05:11Z")
The movie “Southern Comfort” - I seemed to remember it as being in the same league as “Deliverance”…actually rented it with the GF…dumb, dumb, dumb movie. I’m afraid to watch “Being There” again for fear that it will be another tarnished memory. ---
**Author:** ![BigGiantHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b4bc9f/32.png) [@BigGiantHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigGiantHead)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/19 "2000-06-25T06:24:57Z")
> [@](#): > > PS. I don’t recommend hot monkey love on a coffee table, those little legs just aren’t prepared to handle it. Would those be the little legs on the table, or on the monkey?.. whoops, did I just ‘out’ myself? Of course, you meant the TABLE! Right! ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403/20 "2000-06-25T08:43:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*\* > > Well, we watched it and neither of us laughed. I didn’t understand it…I mean, it’s not like it’s something I saw years earlier. Anyway, we were so bored we ended up making out on the couch. 😃 > > \*\* > > You little exhibitionist! At least I had the decency to say it was none of their business instead of telling them how my gf and I made hot sweaty monkey love on the couch, the floor, and coffe table. 😉 > > PS. I don’t recommend hot monkey love on a coffee table, those little legs just aren’t prepared to handle it. > \*\* You people see a movie that inspires you to make out (or, in Bratman’s case, makes him have hot sweaty monkey love THREE times? [Bratman–way to go!]) and you HAVE THE GALL TO COMPLAIN??? I don’t believe this! The next damned movie that causes me to make out with my girlfriend\* is going to replace “The Lion In Winter” as my personal choice for THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME! \*I haven’t had any in a long while. Like Tubagirl, I’se practicing abstinence. Course, in my case, it ain’t marriage, it’s cause I’m still looking. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-have-sworn-that-was-great/23403.md?page=2)