Over rated films…

[GetIntoEm]

The Godfather Part 1
The Godfather Part 2
The Godfather Part 3

youre just wrong

[chekhov]

Godfather: fantastic films! And the Shawshank redemption must be the very definition of over-rated.

[UGR]

Why don't you actually give some examples of your own?

Because I find it a bit of a childish subject.

[Acting Claret]

My wife made me watch The Lost Boys a few years ago as she was always banging on about how good it was. At the end she said it was rubbish and how disappointing it was.

[Swizzlestick]

Because I find it a bit of a childish subject.

Has a go at the forum members but a discussion about film crosses the line to 'childish'.

One overrated film, you can do it.

[Big Vinny K]

Just shows the average age of this board is very high with some of the great films mentioned. Out of touch, unwilling to move with the times. Kind of sums up the board.

If any post sums up this board it’s yours.
What makes someone go on a thread that does not interest them in the slightest and post something like this ?
Modern day equivalent of a pensioner stood at their window twitching through the net curtains.

[Tricky Trevor]

Movies are like music, personal taste. I don’t like sci-fi, horror, F&F franchise, super-heros but I don’t slag them off because I know they entertain so many. I see many films I have enjoyed listed but I’m not going to defend them as obviously the poster didn’t and that’s their right.
Post away, guys.

[claretonthecoast1882]

If any post sums up this board it’s yours.
What makes someone go on a thread that does not interest them in the slightest and post something like this ?
Modern day equivalent of a pensioner stood at their window twitching through the net curtains.

Wait while someone says his favourite film is overrated, I imagine he will defend sponge bob square pants to the end

[Rowls]

Films that win Oscars (R) are often overrated. They are whatever matches the zeitgeist at that particular moment.

Certain things that turn me off:

Over directing - eg. Wes Anderson, David Lynch
Disabled character has mystical wisom
Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile
Very clear "unreliable narrative" tropes
English people = evil
Irish people = kind
The lovable rascal trope
Anything that puts moralising ahead of storytelling
Jarring anachronisms in historical films: (i) expressing modern political sentiments (ii) modern usage of language
Any product placement that is noticeable
Musicals
Nicholas Cage

[LoveCurryPies]

Saving Private Ryan
Gladiator

Some very strange choices being made on this thread.

[Lancasterclaret]

Films that win Oscars (R) are often overrated. They are whatever matches the zeitgeist at that particular moment.

Certain things that turn me off:

Over directing - eg. Wes Anderson, David Lynch
Disabled character has mystical wisom
Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile
Very clear "unreliable narrative" tropes
English people = evil
Irish people = kind
The lovable rascal trope
Anything that puts moralising ahead of storytelling
Jarring anachronisms in historical films: (i) expressing modern political sentiments (ii) modern usage of language
Any product placement that is noticeable
Musicals
Nicholas Cage

That is so on brand for you its scary

Anyway, Nicholas Cage is superb in Kick Ass (though he's crap in a lot of other stuff granted)

[Fretters]

Is Ocean's 13 the one where they make some escape by pretending that Tess (played by Julia Roberts) is Julia Roberts?

My nomination: Donnie Darko.

[mikeS]

I really enjoyed the first Marvel film - Iron Man with Robert Downey jr, - it was really fresh. The first Wonder Woman film was good, but after that I felt the storylines got gradually weaker in the newer films.
Marvel just seem to be churning out films from their back catalogue of characters (some of who you've never heard of) to help save the world again and are trying to impress audiences and entertain through the use of over the top CGI destruction sequences and fight scenes. Sorry Marvel fans.

[claptrappers_union]

Films that win Oscars (R) are often overrated. They are whatever matches the zeitgeist at that particular moment.

Certain things that turn me off:

Over directing - eg. Wes Anderson, David Lynch
Disabled character has mystical wisom
Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile
Very clear "unreliable narrative" tropes
English people = evil
Irish people = kind
The lovable rascal trope
Anything that puts moralising ahead of storytelling
Jarring anachronisms in historical films: (i) expressing modern political sentiments (ii) modern usage of language
Any product placement that is noticeable
Musicals
Nicholas Cage

There is nothing wrong with the above if they are executed properly.

Over-directing I don't mind because that's the vision. These days, many movies, particularly Disney, put a director's name on the top of the poster, but you can tell the shots are called by the studio and a load of executives, making the final product bland, safe and with no particular style or identity.

[JohnMcGreal]

The Wolf of Wall Street is dross. A real stinker.

The Big Lebowski seems to be incredibly popular but I thought it was crap.

[CnBtruntru]

Birdman - WTF

[majormajor]

It truly was a Shawshank Redemption.

Tom Hanks at his finest

[Big Vinny K]

Disabled character has mystical wisom
Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile
English people = evil
Irish people = kind

I’m guessing you can’t wait for the feature film version of Doctor Who then Rowls as long as he is able bodied of course and Graham Norton plays one of the darleks.

[Murger]

Forest Gump. Cannot stand it.

[Rowls]

That is so on brand for you its scary

What exactly is "scary" about me expressing my distate for lazy cliches, tropes and preferences in film?

Please explain.

[Rowls]

I’m guessing you can’t wait for the feature film version of Doctor Who then Rowls as long as he is able bodied of course and Graham Norton plays one of the darleks.

Not sure I understand this post, Big Vinny K. There is no planned feature film of Dr Who.

We've already got the Peter Cushing films and they're both ace.

[Rowls]

There is nothing wrong with the above if they are executed properly.

Over-directing I don't mind because that's the vision. These days, many movies, particularly Disney, put a director's name on the top of the poster, but you can tell the shots are called by the studio and a load of executives, making the final product bland, safe and with no particular style or identity.

Each to their own. I'm a big fan of Sam Mendes. The Wes Anderson thing could be said to be a dislike of style as opposed to his actual directing but the two merge together. He is certainly talented in his field.

For me, it's when you become consciously aware of the directing and it breaks the hold the story-telling has over you. Lynch and Anderson are the main offenders for me when it comes to this.

[Rowls]

Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEhgV06 ... atemyclips

This is the kind of cruddy thing I'm talking about. Shockingly, this scene was written by Russell T Davies, a man of nigh-Shakespearean ability, and a right-on metropolitan sort too.

I suspect he's embarrassed by this scene these days.

It's easily the worst bit of writing he ever contributed towards Dr Who.

[Greenmile]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEhgV06 ... atemyclips

This is the kind of cruddy thing I'm talking about. Shockingly, this scene was written by Russell T Davies, a man of nigh-Shakespearean ability, and a right-on metropolitan sort too.

I suspect he's embarrassed by this scene these days.

It's easily the worst bit of writing he ever contributed towards Dr Who.

Thanks for the shout out, Rowls (I still haven’t seen The Green Mile; I read the book and thought it was ok, but that was a long time ago)

One question, if I may? The clip you’ve linked - would it have been ok by you if it was a white person speaking with the Doctor?

(I haven’t watched much Doctor Who either, so I couldn’t tell you whether her race was integral to the plot)

[AfloatinClaret]

...Shutter Island

I saw that just last week and you're right, it was awful. Then again, I also saw the new Indiana Jones film last week too and thought that was as bad, possibly worse. I know that the franchise calls for a suspension of belief, but this one seemed to take that premis a little far, while the action/chase scenes were all a bit hackneyed; how old is Harrison Ford, he must be pushing eighty now? I suspect the film contains more footgage of his stunt/body doubles than of the man himself.

[spt_claret]

Mulholland Drive.
I've seen it 3 times and each time I'm convinced Lynch is playing a prank that none of the critics are in on. I can get how it's all allegory and metaphor for Hollywood and so on but it's such a load of pap. Watching it with friends and drinks in a bad movie night mentality it's great fun but I don't see why anyone sincerely raves about it.
The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz does similar arthouse abstract storytelling and, while equally bizarre, does it better for me because it doesn't have the same sense of pretension around it.

[UGR]

If any post sums up this board it’s yours.
What makes someone go on a thread that does not interest them in the slightest and post something like this ?
Modern day equivalent of a pensioner stood at their window twitching through the net curtains.

Perhaps you didn’t read what I wrote? Read what I wrote again and then read your reply. It’s almost bizzare, perhaps you quoted the wrong comment?

[boyyanno]

Films that win Oscars (R) are often overrated. They are whatever matches the zeitgeist at that particular moment.

Certain things that turn me off:

Over directing - eg. Wes Anderson, David Lynch
Disabled character has mystical wisom
Non white character has mystical wisdom - eg. The Green Mile
Very clear "unreliable narrative" tropes
English people = evil
Irish people = kind
The lovable rascal trope
Anything that puts moralising ahead of storytelling
Jarring anachronisms in historical films: (i) expressing modern political sentiments (ii) modern usage of language
Any product placement that is noticeable
Musicals
Nicholas Cage

The Green Mile was written by Stephen King and then adapted in to a film. Would you have preferred they change his characters? Strange example.

[Greenmile]

The Green Mile was written by Stephen King and then adapted in to a film. Would you have preferred they change his characters? Strange example.

Possibly a little solipsistic, but I’d be surprised if the choice of that specific film wasn’t a little dig at me, tbh.

All good fun, though.

[boyyanno]

Possibly a little solipsistic, but I’d be surprised if the choice of that specific film wasn’t a little dig at me, tbh.

All good fun, though.

To be fair when you put Gladiator down I nearly had a little dig too

[chekhov]

Green Mile: really terrible film.

[Greenmile]

To be fair when you put Gladiator down I nearly had a little dig too

Each to their own, and I seem to recall it won a load of Oscars, but it was a load of overrated tosh, imho.

[Rowls]

Thanks for the shout out, Rowls (I still haven’t seen The Green Mile; I read the book and thought it was ok, but that was a long time ago)

One question, if I may? The clip you’ve linked - would it have been ok by you if it was a white person speaking with the Doctor?

(I haven’t watched much Doctor Who either, so I couldn’t tell you whether her race was integral to the plot)

My problem with it is that it is a lazy trope. I believe the trope had an established academic name which I can't find much trace of now (it included a highly offensive word for contemporary society) but I can find a wikipedia page for a virtually identical trope which I'm linking HERE. Please do not click on the link unless you want to read a wikiedia page discussing racial stereotypes in film and media.

It's not quite the same as what I remember studying but it's enough to get the gist.

Namely, it deprives the characters of any meaningful character interaction, development and sets them apart from "normal" people leading to alienation and 'otherness'. etc. My objections aren't quite the same as the wikipedia article but that article is very US-centric and the exact term isn't quite the one I remember from my uni days.

[Lancasterclaret]

Each to their own, and I seem to recall it won a load of Oscars, but it was a load of overrated tosh, imho.

Some very good bits in it

The historical stuff was done really well for starters, and that isn't often the case

I liked it!

[Rowls]

Possibly a little solipsistic, but I’d be surprised if the choice of that specific film wasn’t a little dig at me, tbh.

All good fun, though.

Hahahahahahahahahaha

ahhhahahahahahahahahahahaha

Did it cross your mind that I simply found that film to be massively over long, boring, ridiculous and containing one of the tropes I've listed as being exceptionally annoying?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjHixQ9Ns4

[Rowls]

The Green Mile was written by Stephen King and then adapted in to a film. Would you have preferred they change his characters? Strange example.

I'd prefer it if I hadn't wasted 3 hours of my life watching. I don't know but I'm guessing it was a short story. Maybe if it had been a short film, I wouldn't have felt so cheated.

[dougcollins]

Watched Titanic once.

Never again.

And I think Aliens is a masterpiece.

[Greenmile]

My problem with it is that it is a lazy trope. I believe the trope had an established academic name which I can't find much trace of now (it included a highly offensive word for contemporary society) but I can find a wikipedia page for a virtually identical trope which I'm linking HERE. Please do not click on the link unless you want to read a wikiedia page discussing racial stereotypes in film and media.

It's not quite the same as what I remember studying but it's enough to get the gist.

Namely, it deprives the characters of any meaningful character interaction, development and sets them apart from "normal" people leading to alienation and 'otherness'. etc. My objections aren't quite the same as the wikipedia article but that article is very US-centric and the exact term isn't quite the one I remember from my uni days.

Thanks

Here’s a bit more on the trope in question (I can’t do truncated hyperlinks, so hope nobody is too offended by the slightly archaic trope name which I think you alluded to in your post) - https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... gicalNegro.

I’d be grateful if you could answer my question re the Doctor Who clip, please. I’m not convinced the character’s race in that clip is relevant at all but, as I say, I’m not that into the show, so I may be missing some context

[Lancasterclaret]

I think I'd block someone just on principle if they didn't like "Aliens"

I just wouldn't be able to get past that - they might have the best opinions out there but all I'd be able to think about is that they didn't like Aliens

[Greenmile]

Hahahahahahahahahaha

ahhhahahahahahahahahahahaha

Did it cross your mind that I simply found that film to be massively over long, boring, ridiculous and containing one of the tropes I've listed as being exceptionally annoying?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjHixQ9Ns4

As I said, I’ve never seen the film, so I’ve no idea how long, boring and ridiculous it is. Also, as shown in my link above there are a lot of films to choose from which rely on the same trope so it seemed a bit strange to me that you chose that particular one - it’s not like it was a hugely popular (or “rated”) film.

I’m perfectly happy to accept that it was just a coincidence, though, and it’s just my solipsism that led me to believe it was all about me (like everything else is )

[Greenmile]

Watched Titanic once.

Never again.

And I think Aliens is a masterpiece.

Forgot all about Titanic. Probably the most overrated film of all time (imho, of course).

[Rowls]

Thanks

Here’s a bit more on the trope in question (I can’t do truncated hyperlinks, so hope nobody is too offended by the slightly archaic trope name which I think you alluded to in your post) - https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... gicalNegro.

I’d be grateful if you could answer my question re the Doctor Who clip, please. I’m not convinced the character’s race in that clip is relevant at all but, as I say, I’m not that into the show, so I may be missing some context

The character's race isn't relevant. Except that her and her husband are (from memory) the only black characters in the episode. It was a poor one and I didn't watch it twice.

But it seems to me I can't win here. If I overlook this glaring example of the trope am I condoning it? And if I point it out and object to it, is it then implied that it is me who is suffering from racial bias?

The old mystic prediction thing is a trope in itself and often used in sci-fi to artificially create a cliffhanger when nothing else is available. But this racial trope had been going along for decades before RTD invoked it himself in this episode of Dr Who.


If the character had been white (or not black) then it would still have been a lazy cliffhanger of the mystic prediction trope but it would not have fitted into the MN trope.

You could have just watched the clip I linked to have reached these conclusions and I hope this answers your questions.

[Greenmile]

I'd prefer it if I hadn't wasted 3 hours of my life watching. I don't know but I'm guessing it was a short story. Maybe if it had been a short film, I wouldn't have felt so cheated.

It’s a full-length novel, but one of his shorter ones - not a shelf-breaker like The Stand or It.

[Rowls]

It’s a full-length novel, but one of his shorter ones - not a shelf-breaker like The Stand or It.

The film's a load of claptrap (and religious claptrap too) including yet another of my least favourite tropes - the spoiled rich / entitled kid who is evil without any motive.

[Greenmile]

The character's race isn't relevant. Except that her and her husband are (from memory) the only black characters in the episode. It was a poor one and I didn't watch it twice.

But it seems to me I can't win here. If I overlook this glaring example of the trope am I condoning it? And if I point it out and object to it, is it then implied that it is mme who is suffering from racial bias?

The old mystic prediction thing is a trope in itself and often used in sci-fi to artificially create a cliffhanger when nothing else is available. But this racial trope had been going along for decades before RTD invoked it himself in this episode of Dr Who.


If the character had been white (or not black) then it would still have been a lazy cliffhanger of the mystic prediction trope but it would not have fitted into the MN trope.

You could have just watched the clip I linked to have reached these conclusions and I hope this answers your questions.

I did watch the clip, and presumed I must have been missing some vital context that placed it into the MN trope category, hence my question (it was a pretty short clip, tbf)

Eg - does the lady in question actually have any mystical powers? Maybe some kind of alien was “speaking through” her, or something (that’s the kind of thing that happens in Doctor Who, right?). If either are these guesses are correct, then it fits much more nicely into the MN trope that if it just happened to be a “normal” black character passing on a message or something.

[Rowls]

I did watch the clip, and presumed I must have been missing some vital context that placed it into the MN trope category, hence my question (it was a pretty short clip, tbf)

Eg - does the lady in question actually have any mystical powers? Maybe some kind of alien was “speaking through” her, or something (that’s the kind of thing that happens in Doctor Who, right?). If either are these guesses are correct, then it fits much more nicely into the MN trope that if it just happened to be a “normal” black character passing on a message or something.

Nope. She literally contributes nothing to the no plot, has no character development and apart from fulfilling the trope, no character whatsoever.

Here's a nerdipedia description of her:

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Carmen_( ... _the_Dead)

She has, apparently, "low level psychic abilities". Given that it's Dr Who and we could easily have escaped this trope by having a frigging alien or some other box of science/magic spew out the bilge at the end of the episode (her mystical abilities are nothing to do with the plot and are tacked onto the ending) then it makes it even more egregious.

[Rowls]

Eg - does the lady in question actually have any mystical powers? Maybe some kind of alien was “speaking through” her, or something (that’s the kind of thing that happens in Doctor Who, right?). If either are these guesses are correct, then it fits much more nicely into the MN trope that if it just happened to be a “normal” black character passing on a message or something.

And, BTW, it's very unlike RTD to write as badly as this. He's well known for shoe-horning in all kinds of "diverse" characters into his writing but the catch with him is that he (usually) writes fantastically well and ensures that all of his characters have ... well, some "character" to them. He's a once in a generation talent when it comes to writing IMO.

Except in this one instance.

[Greenmile]

Nope. She literally contributes nothing to the no plot, has no character development and apart from fulfilling the trope, no character whatsoever.

Here's a nerdipedia description of her:

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Carmen_( ... _the_Dead)

She has, apparently, "low level psychic abilities". Given that it's Dr Who and we could easily have escaped this trope by having a frigging alien or some other box of science/magic spew out the bilge at the end of the episode (her mystical abilities are nothing to do with the plot and are tacked onto the ending) then it makes it even more egregious.

Oh ok - she's a psychic. Fits the trope in that case. From the clip I (wrongly) assumed she had received the infoirmation from somewhere / someone else and was just acting as a messenger.

Funnily enough, I think I do vaguely remember the storyline (spoiler alert for an old Doctor Who episode) - Bernard Cribbins was the guy who knocked on some glass box the Doctor was in, causing him to lay down his life for the greater good, somehow, and the Master (John Simm) also featured, right?

Of course, there's nothing wrong with tropes per se - you'll struggle to find a completely trope-free film - but we all have specific ones that we dislike (rationally, or not).

[Elbarad]

I think I'd block someone just on principle if they didn't like "Aliens"

I just wouldn't be able to get past that - they might have the best opinions out there but all I'd be able to think about is that they didn't like Aliens

I don't like Aliens, because I HATE scary movies. It's so silly, but I just don't enjoy them. I've seen it, but it wasn't fun for me. Sorry. Really silly that a 50+ man has to admit he doesn't like scary movies, but it's true for me.

[tarkys_ears]

The Godfather Part 1
The Godfather Part 2
The Godfather Part 3

"Godfather", I seen that movie two hundred times. "Godfather II" was definitely the sh*t. The third one... A lot of people didn't like it. But I think it was just misunderstood.