# Is 'Popcorn Flick' a legitimate defense? Also list best/worst 'popcorn flicks'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-popcorn-flick-a-legitimate-defense-also-list-best-worst-popcorn-flicks/329438>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 4, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-popcorn-flick-a-legitimate-defense-also-list-best-worst-popcorn-flicks/329438 "2005-11-04T06:05:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-popcorn-flick-a-legitimate-defense-also-list-best-worst-popcorn-flicks/329438/21 "2005-11-10T15:53:49Z")

</div>

> [@acsenray](#):
>
> I don’t buy the “popcorn flick” excuse. A movie is either good or it isn’t.

\<comicbookguy\>Uhm… no.\</comicbookguy\> A movie is either good or it isn’t… based on your own individual point of view. It’s a subjective POV situation. I like Star Wars, I personally know people (in a sci-fi club no less) who can’t stand it. My dad is generally a fellow of discerning tastes in literature, yet he liked Battlefield Earth. Hell, sometimes it can change from one viewing to the next. When I saw Titan A.E. in theatres I wasn’t terribly impressed. Saw it on DVD a few months ago, and loved it, despite the fact that nothing in the movie was different the second time around. It all really depends.

> [@](#):
>
> Star Wars (I am not going to call it Part IV or ANH or any such retrofitted bastardisation.)

Well, if you REALLY want to be old school, call it “Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker” like they did for the 1976 book. 😃

> [@HPL](#):
>
> And the film was internally inconsistant(Bitten by a wolf = werewolf. Bitten by a bat = vampire? WTF? Why not werebat?). And the whole “lycan” thing(WEREWOLF HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF SYLBLES AND DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A PLANT, MORON!). But I digress…

You thought the movie was internally inconsistent because… vampires weren’t called werebats? You must REALLY be a tough customer to please. And Lycan is short for Lycanthrope, which, as I’m sure you know, comes from the old Greek words for “Wolf” and “Man.” Find me the greek word for “Batman”, and we’ll see how that fits just for kicks and giggles though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-popcorn-flick-a-legitimate-defense-also-list-best-worst-popcorn-flicks/329438/22 "2005-11-10T16:38:20Z")

</div>

> [@Raguleader](#):
>
> \<comicbookguy\>Uhm… no.\</comicbookguy\> A movie is either good or it isn’t… based on your own individual point of view. It’s a subjective POV situation.

Of course it’s a subjective POV situation. That’s what an opinion about a movie is. You don’t have to keep saying “in my opinion” when it’s clear that you can’t be talking about anything else but your opinion.

The question is whether labelling a movie as a “popcorn flick,” however you might define it, allows you to relax your own standards for what makes a good movie. I say no. A popcorn flick must meet the same standards for good writing, acting, direction, dialogue, etc., as any other movie.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-popcorn-flick-a-legitimate-defense-also-list-best-worst-popcorn-flicks/329438.md?page=1)