They were right. It’s a horrific cinematic abomination, and it’s current high status isn’t based on popular opinion, but an even more self-selected group of cinemaphiles.
As I recall, there was a little movie in 1977 called Star Wars that was poorly received by critics but warmly embraced by audiences. It currently has a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but I notice that the reviews are all dated post-2000, so it might have been re-examined by the critics.
Titanic wasn’t panned by critics, not even close. Hell, the main film reviewer for the NYT compared it favorably to Gone With the Wind.
My first thought on reading the OP was Tyler Perry.
Interesting that they’re all post-2000… “Compared the the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: A New Hope is a masterpiece…”
Blockbusters are generally not that popular with critics, although there are plenty of exceptions. And yes, if time passes and a movie’s popularity endures, a lot of critics will revise their opinions. This is very common in music criticism, too. Critics don’t want to be on the wrong side of history.
I remember Fight Club being pretty much universally panned by critics, but audiences loving it.
The Transformers probably counts too since people seem to eat it, but critics hate it. Actually, that goes for any Michael Bay movie.
I don’t think that was the case. It was a controversial movie and some critics hated it, but it wasn’t universally panned.
I’m not sure you could you could call My Dinner with Andre a public flop. From what I looked up, it made five million dollars, so it was profitable.
But I remember critics falling all over themselves about how great this movie was. But everyone I talked to either never saw it, or thought it was one big bore.
I found it pretty tedious. I thought Andre was a self-absorbed fatuous twat.
No, it had good critical acclaim and did OK in the box office, actually turning a profit in its first run. Not a blockbuster, but you didn’t have very many blockbusters back then.
In 1977, Star Wars was nominated for Oscars in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay categories.
Ebert does this from time to time. He absolutely loved The Graduate when it was first released, but savaged it during the 1997 re-release. (I agree with his reassessment).
I wouldn’t be surprised if these now and then reviews made it into a section of one of his books.
Yup. I remember trying to convince my parents to let me stay up to watch the end of the Oscars “because Star Wars might win.” I was a dumb kid.
And loathed by veterans.
I remember Siskel and Ebert falling all over themselves with praise for My Dinner With Andre. Some of the 12 people that saw it agreed.
Animal House and Vacation were pretty soundly panned by critics but loved by audiences.
Here’s Ebert’s original review of Office Space. He liked it just fine.
[QUOTE=Reno Nevada]
As I recall, there was a little movie in 1977 called Star Wars that was poorly received by critics but warmly embraced by audiences.
[/QUOTE]
Granted it’s been over 35 years but I remember that the critical consensus on Star Wars was mostly positive when it came out in May 1977. Time magazine, for example, gave it a rave review.
Yes, I have gone back and done a little research and I agree, the critics were much more positive towards Star Wars than I thought.
All Jim Carrey movies.