Horribly overrated movies...

"Citizen Kane" was a landmark in movie-making; an incredible number of films have borrowed from it. You have to see all movies within their time; certain things were simply impossible back then, either technically or because the circumstances of society didn't allow them. Something that strikes me as highly ironic is that Warner Brothers announced they will remove all signs of smoking from their movies; could you imagine a film noir without smoking? Impossible!
On a side note: Jean and I watched "M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder" by Fritz Lang again yesterday. That movie was shot 1931 and is another landmark in movie making. For example, the way Lang cuts between the conferences of the gangsters and the policemen while they are discussing how to catch the murderer; this is something that has become quite common today, but was absolutely groundbreaking  at that time.
The day before we watched Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon", which is another huge milestone in the history of movies. Both movies easily belong into the all-time top ten, in our opinion, as does "Citizen Kane", simply because of their importance and their influence on other movies.


Edited by BaldFriede - August 02 2007 at 07:07

I think "overrated" films are films where the trailers are better than the actual films themselves.

Tony R wrote: I'm not sure that just because you dont like a film necessarily means that you could say it is over-rated. Some of the films you mention are highly-rated because they are technically highly accomplished or innovative. Certainly Citizen Cane falls into that category.

Edited by Archer - August 02 2007 at 07:47

Time Signature wrote: 1800iareyay wrote: Comic books tend not to make good films (exceptions Batman Begins and first two Spidermans), but graphic novels are rapidly becoming some of my favorite films. Sin City, 300, V For Vendetta (though V got a massive overhaul in order to shift focus from Thatcherian England to the post 9/11 world).   I prefer to read the graphic novels. I still haven't decided whether to like Sin City or not.   Is 300 based on a graphic novel? I thought it was a remake of '300 Spartans'. If it's based on a graphic novel, where can I obtain it?

Archer wrote: Tony R wrote: I'm not sure that just because you dont like a film necessarily means that you could say it is over-rated. Some of the films you mention are highly-rated because they are technically highly accomplished or innovative. Certainly Citizen Cane falls into that category.   You explain "overrated" in better terms then. Every example of people using the term has been applied just as I stated in my first post. The same applies to music - ask for "overrated" albums and you will get a splattering of "Close to the Edge" and "ITCOTCK" and "DSOTM" etc etc. It makes no difference to the holder of the opinion. Many think that some of the most popular albums suck. The only criteria that could legitimately be applied to "overrated" is that it must be popular, ergo qualify for "rated too highly".   Just because millions (possibly) rate a film as a masterpiece doesn't make it one and it also doesn't mean that all viewers will feel the same way. I think CC stinks because it is interminably dull throughout. It matters not a jot that a film cited may be highly innovative, it matters not that it is popular, it matters not that it was groundbreaking in any way at all. If just one person finds it as dull as ditchwater then they may, arguably, class it as overrated. "Overrated" is not a measurable term. It is a highly personal one which has as little or as much value as negative threads such as this one. I'm just playing along with the original question. It's not a right or wrong question.     As a matter of interest the dictionary term states...   "To overestimate the merits of; rate too highly"   If just one person feels that way about anything whatsoever then that thing qualifies as "overrated" to that person.

But if it is highly-rated for its film-making techniques as opposed say to it's screenplay, acting etc then to say a film "sucks" because you didnt enjoy watching the film does not make it over-rated...

Are you judging CC on its innovative (for the time) techniques, saying they are over-rated or because you didnt enjoy it as a piece of entertainment?
There is a crucial difference....

Two films come to mind that have already been mentioned in this thread: Jerry Maguire and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

Time Signature wrote: 1800iareyay wrote: Comic books tend not to make good films (exceptions Batman Begins and first two Spidermans), but graphic novels are rapidly becoming some of my favorite films. Sin City, 300, V For Vendetta (though V got a massive overhaul in order to shift focus from Thatcherian England to the post 9/11 world).   I prefer to read the graphic novels. I still haven't decided whether to like Sin City or not.   Is 300 based on a graphic novel? I thought it was a remake of '300 Spartans'. If it's based on a graphic novel, where can I obtain it?

TR!P wrote: i saw someone mention Taxi Driver in a list   and if it were a few months back, id agree with you...   however since then ive seen the movie prob for the 3rd time (the 1st and 2nd were'nt proper viewings, either i fell asleep or only saw bits)   and i have to say, before i saw it for the 3rd time i was really prolific in my dislike towards it, and my  friend loved it and kep telling me it was genius and greatness   but i really have changed my mind towards it, it is actualy quite a decent film, i fell in love with Deniros character and journy, however aliek Blue velet i feel the movie really really really suffers at the hands of the era' it was made, everything about the cultural context of this film is extremly out-dated   sure, theres still hookers,pimps scum and what'not now'a'days, however its in no way acted out or presented as it was in the film, i know it was liek that back in the day, but its just hard to watch at times... especialy some of the dialoge it just feels so simple   if this was made and set in the present day and age, with de Niro still at his prime from when he made this, with the same story and what'not except with an up-dated script, it'd be a masterpiece

I really don't follow you there. Movies have to be watched within the context of the time they were made in. You can't expect a 70s movie to use techniques that were developed 30 years later. That's like expecting "In the Court of the Crimson King" to sound like an album of today. One of my favourite movies is "M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder", made by Fritz Lang in 1931 and starring Peter Lorre.

speaking of King Kong, the original just happens to be a most extraordinary movie... one forgets what a great film it actually was until it is seen again, regardless of it being a 'monster movie'.

SoundsofSeasons wrote: What i think wasn't that great... probably Pearl Harbor. Much too romantic, Much too long, Much too boring, Much too Ben Afflek. (I just looked it up on Rottentomatoes.com and it got 28/100. Wow, i was right. It DID suck. )

yeah it stunk.. just watched 'Tora,Tora,Tora' which is far superior-- a joint production with the Japanese which gives it an authenticity usually vacant in Hollywood pictures.