The third type is where the underdog loses, but wins the hearts of the crowd, the girl, or puts one over on the Nazis.
5 out of 6 are on my list. The SDMB always amazes me that way.
Still, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is on my top 20 all-time great movies.
I’d replace it with *Magnolia *on the list.
Any other movie in its first weekend, yes. The previous record was Pirates of the Caribbean 2, and I think the first Spider-Man movie had the record before that. Does that make you feel better?
Now, talk about pretentious! 
I think that “2001” was pretentious…esp. the ending. I also think it was boring.
I also found “Lost in Translation”, and most of Woody Allen’s movies after Annie Hall to be pretentious.
and “Memoirs of a Geisha” was also quite self-important, as well as boring.
Dictionary.com sez:
pre·ten·tious:
- full of pretense or pretension.
- characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
- making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.
Just so we’re clear that it doesn’t mean “dumb movie I didn’t like.”
Actually, I believe it was Junior High.
Anyway, I agree that he was pretentious, but the movie wasn’t, necessarily. There were a few pretentious moments in it, like when the other guy schmoozes and picks up a waitress, and basically talks like a macho shithead, and the last shot in the scene is the bathroom door closing, with the word, “MEN”. Very clever, yes, the door seems to comment on the dialogue we just heard. Hit me over the head with it, please. The door, I mean, because it’s not as heavy as the metaphor.
Although overall I did like the movie.
**Marley
No, it makes me weep harder.
JFK and Natural Born Killers, Egads what crappy, self important movies these are.
At least you didn’t go from Sunnyvale, CA to Berkeley, a two hour bus and train trip to see this piece of crap like I did 
Please forgive me, I do non’t know how to do the “originally posted by”.
No, it makes me weep harder.
JUst click the “reply with quote” button on the bottom of the post you want.
This really is pretentious, if you don’t mind me (joining other people and) saying so. None of the highest-grossing movies are on my favorites list, but I thought Spider-Man was really good. I thought Pirates 2 was a bloated letdown that completely lost the spirit of the original, but it wasn’t really horrible. Trust me, I’ve seen really horrible.
Gak! How could I have forgotten when I posted earlier: “Babel” . That movie certainly fits all the definitions of pretentious that have been listed in this thread. IMHO that movie was nothing but self-important pretentiousness. and boring.
PS - and I agree with Marley 23, who seems to be saying that automatically disliking pop movies is itself a little pretentious. I’m not ashamed to say that I found the first “Pirates” movie to be one of the most entertaining movies ever.
That’s what I was saying. And hey, I’ll cop to being pretentious when it comes to movies, it doesn’t bother me. I used to list 2001 as one of my favorite movies, and it’s still near the top. I like most of Kubrick’s output, and I still defend Lost in Translation. You can only imagine the face I made when I saw somebody was making a movie out of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but the movie was a surprise and it was fun. I thought the first two Spider-Man entries were really good.
Pick a popular movie and the odds are that I hate it or won’t see it because it looks stupid, but if seeing the Spider-Man has a record opening weekend makes you weep for humanity, your movie-going standards are a little out of whack.
Ok, since the only think I know to do is “post reply” that’s all I can do.
Markey23 says
Okay, maybve I am pretentious and maybe I expect more from audiences, but god damn, Spiderman shit times what all gives a fuck. I’m sorry, but I long for the days when movies meant something. No, not chick flicks, I hate those too. But please, a movie that means something. I’ll give examples: Pulp Fiction, Deer Hunter, A Face in the Crowd, On The Waterfront, Sophie’s Choice. I know there are many more I cannot think of.
That’s more misguided than pretentious. I expect more from studios and filmmakers sometimes, but
I hate to ask this, but have you seen the movie? I know it’s based on a comic book, but I thought it was well made and relatively meaningful.
The meaningful movies are rarely the highest-grossing ones. Pulp Fiction was really popular and really good, but it’s a rated R, very violent movie with an Altman-sized cast and an unconventional, non-chronological structure. By and large, can you really expect movies like that to be the biggest hits?
I mean, The Godfather was a big hit and it’s considered a Great Movie, but how many of those are there anyway?
One movie I don’t think anyone’s mentioned: Jacob’s ladder. This film about a postal worker dealing with the post-traumatic stress of Vietnam and the death of his son (again, I won’t spoil too much here, although I am severely tempted) is a grim and pretentious flight into twists that would make M. Night Shyamalan blush.
Dream imagery and religious symbolism are always dangerous ground to tread in a film. Like a cook who loves Tabasco, directors who use these devices frequently fail to notice when the product becomes unpalatable to anyone but themselves (Just to be clear, I like Tabasco, so please don’t lecture me on its culinary powers). Jacob’s Ladder included both and added a third conceit born of the various complicated conspiracy theories centered on Vietnam. No surprise, this filmgoer was utterly frustrated for most of this film, and found the final reveal to be rather pointless. Add to that the rather bleak basic elements (hinting over and rehashing your son’s death, and the fate of your buddies in Vietnam), and you’ve got a whole lot of stink dressed up to look like haute cinema. Blech.
It’s the “reply” button on the bottom right of every individual post you need to use.
Simply put, the best sports movies are those where the result of the Big Game goes against the type of the movie. In Rocky, or the original The Bad News Bears, the heroes lose the Big Game and end the movie in triumph. In The Hustler, Fast Eddie comes back to defeat Fats in the Big Game, and it’s still a tragedy.
There are exceptions.
Assuming I understand correctly what you mean by going “against the type of the movie,” and with all due respect, you need to watch Rocky again. It is made clear that Rocky will consider himself a winner even if all he does is go the distance, which he does. Nothing “against type” about it: define victory, achieve victory.