# You ever think the world is wrong about a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290 "2014-08-23T14:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/61 "2014-08-25T02:59:47Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Whenever I read anything about _Tank Girl_ the writer seems to assume that it was a wincing embarrassment that everybody at the time loathed and couldn’t wait to forget. I think they’re talking about a different film; it wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a great little B-film: witty, fun, and went a long way to at least trying to capture the spirit of the comic. Most people I knew who saw it at the time thought it was great. I liked the movie, I just didn’t like Lori Petty. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/62 "2014-08-25T03:26:00Z")
FWIW I liked John Carter, and I have never met someone in real life who hated it. Even someone who usually is not a scifi fan liked it, it seems only the critics hated it. ---
**Author:** ![babygoat666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@babygoat666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babygoat666)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/63 "2014-08-25T03:31:47Z")
_Her_: awful. How could that man never stop for one second and think, “Gee, this might not work out.” _Inside Llewyn Davis_: a total dud. I love the Coen bros but I feel like people were too afraid to admit that this movie sucked. The protagonist was such an asshole that I started rooting against him before the movie was halfway over. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/64 "2014-08-25T03:44:38Z")
I like _Twister_. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/65 "2014-08-25T06:57:28Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > _Casablanca_ I found indescribably dull. I described it to my mom as “a love story with no love, and a war movie with no war.” > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It is best to watch _Casablanca_ with a skeptical eye and the soul of a cynicist. Imagine the film as if written by David Mamet, with Ilsa and her band of expert grifters playing the long game in order to cajole Rick into using his influence to eliminate the impediments to getting Lazlo out of Nazi hands. Those “letters of transit” that make no sense whatsoever never really existed at all, and the supposed “Major Strasser” and his curiously small entourage of German officers was just the kick needed to get Rick to act all noble to take the fall for Victor Lazlo’s escape. When viewed from the low angle and sharp, exaggerated shadows of _film noir_, the plotholes and character inconsistencies fall away and it all suddenly makes sense. Many years ago, I vowed never, ever to watch _Casablanca_ – having been utterly sickened by hearing up-themselves pseudy self-congratulating film buffs raving ecstatically about it at great length, and doing bad Bogart impressions. No personal barbs intended as aimed at you, Stranger; but your post above confirms me in my prejudice against the film, rather than persuading me toward changing my mind. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/66 "2014-08-25T09:31:25Z")
_Blade Runner_. It annoys me sometimes why people can’t see how bad it is. I guess I feel the same way about _Blade Runner_ as those who dislike _Alien_, but in fact _Alien_ is the only Ridley Scott film I like. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/67 "2014-08-25T15:06:15Z")
I liked _Hudson Hawk_. It got panned big time as a vanity project for Bruce Willis, but I didn’t think he smothered the movie. I thought the costars were all on point, especially Richard E. Grant. The way he pranced about reminded me so much of my friend Brett, flamboyant and silly, but still an evil genius. Plus, the named-after-snacks CIA agents are sitting around a campfire, complaining about the principles arguing, and the big lunkheaded guy says “You want me to rape 'em?” Just so many out-of-the-blue lines that had me busting a gut laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/68 "2014-08-25T18:49:02Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I found the 1989 Batman movie to be a crapfest that people only liked because they were’t yet used to “dark” superhero movies. Terrible acting (even Jack Nicholson, who was overacting to “Master Thespian” levels), sets that wouldn’t look out of place on the original “Doctor Who” shows, and a stoopid, stoopid plot. When The Joker pulled out the oversized pistol and shot down the Batplane, that was - and remains - the single dumbest moment in any superhero movie. Agree completely. I remember seeing this on opening night with a packed theatre. I was expecting something on the level of Batman Begins. Instead I got something that felt like a stage production Batman. The sets looked like stage sets, the acting felt theatrical, the stunts looked like stage stunts, etc. I hated the whole mess. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/69 "2014-08-25T20:46:49Z")
> [@babygoat666](#): > > _Inside Llewyn Davis_: a total dud. I love the Coen bros but I feel like people were too afraid to admit that this movie sucked. The protagonist was such an asshole that I started rooting against him before the movie was halfway over. Yes, that movie sucked on so many levels. Not a single redeeming quality. Ugly, hateful and ridiculous characters, and in a movie about a folk musician, shitty music. And to anybody defending _Blair Witch_: You are **WRONG!** Biggest piece of cinematic shit ever. Its been over 10 years and I’m _still pissed and want my money back!_ ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/70 "2014-08-25T21:41:13Z")
So, I really, really liked Gravity as well as Alien. I even really enjoyed Prometheus (which I guess qualifies for the OP’s question, though it was reviewed decently). However, I cannot stand 2001: A Space Odyssey, which I found dull as absolute dirt. Nor Shawshank Redemption for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/71 "2014-08-25T22:02:55Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yes, that movie sucked on so many levels. Not a single redeeming quality. Ugly, hateful and ridiculous characters, and in a movie about a folk musician, shitty music. > > And to anybody defending _Blair Witch_: You are **WRONG!** Biggest piece of cinematic shit ever. Its been over 10 years and I’m _still pissed and want my money back!_ I enjoyed Blair Witch, I thought it had a nice scary vibe to it. One of the best parts: the Blair Witch is unseen, only hinted at. Lots of suspense. Now I may be objectively wrong about its being a great film (not that I think it is, I think it’s a pretty good indy horror film that scored way above its tiny budget in terms of effectiveness) but I CAN’T be wrong about enjoying it and thinking it had a scary vibe, because that was my actual EXPERIENCE. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/72 "2014-08-25T22:18:00Z")
I actually liked _The Postman_. There. I said it. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/73 "2014-08-26T21:29:58Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I actually liked _The Postman_. > > There. I said it. Me too. I think it is seriously one of the top Post-Apocalyptic films of all time. It’s not perfect (the horrible epilogue you just have to ignore) but it’s still pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/74 "2014-08-27T01:28:34Z")
The movie bombed horribly, but I really liked _The Alamo_ in 2004. I thought it was a pretty balanced and accurate take on the Alamo with terrific battle scenes. Thornton did a great Davy Crockett and the movie had guts showing his fate: He was captured, rather than fought to the death, like the De la Pena diary. But it seemed plausible without diminshing the heroic legend: he was overwhelmed and perhaps knocked out in the rush. At any rate, he wasn’t sniveling and begging for mercy. Of course, Disney dropped the ball not paying enough for Ron Howard and Russell Crowe, but it didn’t deserve to be such a catastrophic bomb ($25m on a $107m budget). ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/75 "2014-08-27T01:56:38Z")
I’m a Godzilla fan, so there’s that. However, most people seemed to enjoy the 2014 Godzilla movie; myself among them. I loved _Dances with Wolves_ and consider it one my favorite movies. I wonder if the status now is more of a backlash than anything else. I remember it being pretty much universally acclaimed. 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7 Academy Awards. Even the Far Side made a joke about it: Only a couple people attending “A Meeting of the International ‘Didn’t Like Dances With Wolves’ Society”. They were arguing about the insensitive portrayal of the US Cavalry. It had perhaps the best soundtrack ever and they somehow make flat Nebraska and South Dakota look as exotic as the Grand Canyon. I cannot think of a movie that got a more vicious backlash on the Internet. Maybe Return of the Jedi? Perhaps it had to do with Costner’s later ego projects like Robin Hood, Postman and Waterworld? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/76 "2014-08-27T01:58:25Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > I agree with the _Quick and the dead_. I liked it quite a bit, admittedly though, Sharon Stone being in it is probably clouding my opinion somewhat. As in Sharon Stone, at the very acme of her beauty? The movie with an absolutely terrific male cast about whom I go blank because I’m thinking about her in a Stetson and a duster? > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It is best to watch _Casablanca_ with a skeptical eye and the soul of a cynicist. Imagine the film as if written by David Mamet, with Ilsa and her band of expert grifters playing the long game in order to cajole Rick into using his influence to eliminate the impediments to getting Lazlo out of Nazi hands. Those “letters of transit” that make no sense whatsoever never really existed at all, and the supposed “Major Strasser” and his curiously small entourage of German officers was just the kick needed to get Rick to act all noble to take the fall for Victor Lazlo’s escape. When viewed from the low angle and sharp, exaggerated shadows of _film noir_, the plotholes and character inconsistencies fall away and it all suddenly makes sense. THAT’S IT! It all ties together! It’s as if they planned it that way, if they hadn’t made it up as they went along. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/77 "2014-08-27T02:00:46Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > However, I cannot stand 2001: A Space Odyssey, which I found dull as absolute dirt. Nor Shawshank Redemption for the same reason. Me too. I kept thinking, “the good part is after this…after this…after this. Must be after this…still waiting…” Movie ends. Where in the fuck was the supposed brilliance of that movie? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/78 "2014-08-27T05:41:16Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Me too. I kept thinking, “the good part is after this…after this…after this. Must be after this…still waiting…” Movie ends. Where in the fuck was the supposed brilliance of that movie? I guess you had to be there at the time. When it was new. Oh, wait- I _did_ see it when it was first released, in a huge-screen theater, and my thoughts were (and remain) the same as yours. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/79 "2014-08-27T13:22:40Z")
Kubrick didn’t make _2001: A Space Odyssey_ as a conventional, plot-driven adventure or drama. As a collaborative effort between Clarke and Kubrick it was intended to portray a realistic “first contact” scenario with a truly alien and advanced species as well as an exploration of how our tools are an inherent part of our evolution and may end up supplanting or even replacing us (as HAL attempted to do in order to achieve the ill-defined mission parameters). That the pace of the film is stultifying (until HAL fakes the failure of the AE-35 and attempts to kill the crew) and the ending of the film is incomprehensible are intentional choices. Real space exploration will not be zap guns and rocket ships zipping though space with zooming noises, but silent, tedious, and almost immediately lethal conditions. And our first encounter with an advanced alien species will almost certainly result in incomprehensible motives from them and ineffectual defense against whatever they do to us. Kubrick was making real science fiction, not the space opera, conspiranoia, or disaster movies that generally populate the ostensible genre of “sci-fi” cinema. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290/80 "2014-08-27T16:35:59Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Kubrick didn’t make _2001: A Space Odyssey_ as a conventional, plot-driven adventure or drama. As a collaborative effort between Clarke and Kubrick it was intended to portray a realistic “first contact” scenario with a truly alien and advanced species as well as an exploration of how our tools are an inherent part of our evolution and may end up supplanting or even replacing us (as HAL attempted to do in order to achieve the ill-defined mission parameters). That the pace of the film is stultifying (until HAL fakes the failure of the AE-35 and attempts to kill the crew) and the ending of the film is incomprehensible are intentional choices. Real space exploration will not be zap guns and rocket ships zipping though space with zooming noises, but silent, tedious, and almost immediately lethal conditions. And our first encounter with an advanced alien species will almost certainly result in incomprehensible motives from them and ineffectual defense against whatever they do to us. Kubrick was making real science fiction, not the space opera, conspiranoia, or disaster movies that generally populate the ostensible genre of “sci-fi” cinema. > > Stranger Oh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-ever-think-the-world-is-wrong-about-a-movie/696290.md?page=5)