Something nice and non-political

[mrkelley23]

although not non-controversial.

On Sploofus, a player I had some interaction with earlier is apparently a regular contributor. He wrote me asking me to select my list of the "5 most overrated films of all time."

I was happy to oblige, although I don't consider myself a film expert.

So I thought it'd be a fun little game to play over here. What five films do you think were the most overrated of all time? You can put them in order, in no certain order, or a mixture, as I did (you'll see below.) Here's my list:

#1 A no-doubter. TITANIC.

#s 2, 3, 4, and 5, in no particular order:

PULP FICTION
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
OUT OF AFRICA
SOPHIE'S CHOICE

Fire away, everyone!

[Beebs52]

As much as I hate to say it Gone with the Wind (I read the book five times-movie pretty much was, meh).

Borat-it was boring. I wanted to laugh and it was BORING!

I'll have to think of the others.

Good thread.

[BackInTex]

You did not pick Shakespeare in Love. It won Best Picture for crying out loud, over Saving Private Ryan.

I would replace Titanic. Yes, it is over-rated but not 'the most'. IMO.

Saturday Night Fever? Can't say I agree because I don't think it is rated.

[danielh41]

Five most over-rated movies? Hmmm, let's see...


The English Patient comes immediately to mind...

I've always thought that, while technically brilliant, Citizen Kane was far too detached in its storytelling to be the number one movie of all time.

I think Kubrick has done some brilliant work (Dr. Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange are masterpieces), but 2001: A Space Odyssey just never did anything for me.

I have to agree with mrkelley23 on Out of Africa being over-rated.

I've never been a big fan of Bertolucci, so it just stands to reason that I think the Oscar winning The Last Emperor was over-rated.

There's probably others I could name. I generally love movies though, and if I understand what a filmmaker was aiming for, I tend to be not-so-critical...

[ToLiveIsToFly]

Yes to both Titanic and Shakespeare in Love. While we're at it, add Saving Private Ryan. Well, maybe not. It's badly overrated, but maybe not one of the five most overrated movies of all time. Hell, it wasn't even the best WWII move in its year.

Network is pretty overrated, IMO

Several recent best picture winners of the past 20 years were out-and-out lousy movies - the aforementioned Titanic and Shakespeare in Love, plus Dances With Wolves, The English Patient, Forrest Gump and A Beautiful Mind come to mind. I'd probably think the same of Crash, but I haven't seen it.

Little Miss Sunshine

[Tocqueville3]

1. ET
2. The English Patient
3. Terms of Endearment
4. Monster's Ball
5. Moulin Rouge

[danielh41]

Yes to both Titanic and Shakespeare in Love. While we're at it, add Saving Private Ryan. Well, maybe not. It's badly overrated, but maybe not one of the five most overrated movies of all time. Hell, it wasn't even the best WWII move in its year.

Network is pretty overrated, IMO

Several recent best picture winners of the past 20 years were out-and-out lousy movies - the aforementioned Titanic and Shakespeare in Love, plus Dances With Wolves, The English Patient, Forrest Gump and A Beautiful Mind come to mind. I'd probably think the same of Crash, but I haven't seen it.

Little Miss Sunshine

I nearly hurt myself laughing at the end of Little Miss Sunshine, so I could never put it on my over-rated list...

[KillerTomato]

although not non-controversial.

On Sploofus, a player I had some interaction with earlier is apparently a regular contributor. He wrote me asking me to select my list of the "5 most overrated films of all time."

I was happy to oblige, although I don't consider myself a film expert.

So I thought it'd be a fun little game to play over here. What five films do you think were the most overrated of all time? You can put them in order, in no certain order, or a mixture, as I did (you'll see below.) Here's my list:

#1 A no-doubter. TITANIC.

#s 2, 3, 4, and 5, in no particular order:

PULP FICTION
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
OUT OF AFRICA
SOPHIE'S CHOICE

Fire away, everyone!

TITANIC would be right up there, but I don't think it belongs in the Top 5. As for PULP FICTION and (to a lesser extent) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, I completely disagree. PULP FICTION is in my Top 20 Best of All Time.

OUT OF AFRICA and THE ENGLISH PATIENT are truly excretory. "Dull" and "profound" are NOT synonyms. I don't think SOPHIE'S CHOICE rises to the level of either, though, because I loved Streep's performance, and Kevin Kline's.

My own choices are:

BRAVEHEART. I don't find anything redeeming in torture, and that's what the last hour is. The first two are just dull.

ANNIE HALL. I really wanted to like it, as I'm a big fan of Woody's early movies....but I really didn't. At all. Just not funny.

UNFORGIVEN. Another one I wanted to like. I'm not a huge fan of Westerns, but this one is just awful, and I may be the only one who feels that way. I don't care. Other than Gene Hackman's performance, there's just nothing in this movie I liked.

FOREST GUMP. Probably the top of my list, really. Just awful.

A tie, joined by subject matter: GLADIATOR and BEN-HUR. Wanna see a GOOD gladiator flick? Kubrick got it right with SPARTACUS.

I'm sure there will be a couple of CITIZEN KANE's and a SHAWSHANK or two. You're wrong. These are really terrific movies.

Anyone who says anything bad about either of the first two GODFATHER movies gets crossed off my Christmas list.

I did see NETWORK on Bobby's list. Of course, he doesn't like Billy Joel, either, so his taste is suspect. I disagree, of course, in case you couldn't tell. OTOH, his inclusion of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE shows he can be taught.

[KillerTomato]

1. ET

Oh, THAT's why you're a Republican! You have no heart or soul!

(I'M KIDDING!!!!!)


OTOH, anyone who hates MOULIN ROUGE! can't be ALL bad, so there's hope for you yet.

[danielh41]

Hey KT, I did list Citizen Kane as being over-rated, but that doesn't mean I don't think it is not great. It's just not "greatest movie of all time" great, which is the rating that it generally gets from film academia. I do think it should have won Best Picture of 1941 over How Green Was My Valley, which I found dull and meandering. Maybe I should swap Citizen Kane with How Green Was My Valley on my over-rated list...

[SportsFan68]

Most overrated, JMHO:

Titanic
Dances with Wolves
Forrest Gump
ET
Unforgiven

Moulin Rouge was awful, but IMHO wasn't rated that high.

Who said said ET was right. The Trip to Bountiful moves to Unhonorable Mention.

OK, Dances with Wolves replaces The English Patient.

The Wild Bunch was also wildly overrated but can't replace any of the others.

[Beebs52]

I know I'm going to be hammered with this one, but a movie I think was underrated was...Waterworld.

I think I've seen it three times. It amuses me. Really.

Oh shut up.

[mellytu74]

How Green Was My Valley is one of my favorite movies.

Off the top of my head -- overrated movies.....

Titanic. How it got Best Picture over LA Confidential boggles the mind.

The English Patient. The Anti-Casablanca.

I hadn't thought about Annie Hall. But, yeah, KT is right. I realized as I thought about it that my two favorite Woody Allen movies are Hannah and Her Sisters and Radio Days.

Dances with Wolves.

I cannot stay awake through 2001: A Space Odyssey. I never could. Someone once said I needed to see it stoned. So I did. Didn't help.

The Matrix

Moulin Rouge's charms escaped me but I'm not sure I could put it on the all-time overrated list.

I liked Lost in Translation but, at the same time, I think it was somewhat overrated. Does that make sense? I mean good but not drop-dead brilliant.

[Spock]

I cannot stay awake through 2001: A Space Odyssey. I never could. Someone once said I needed to see it stoned. So I did. Didn't help.

.

Mom??What??!!!!!Noooo-Next thing-you will tell me that you and Dad actually had sex.

[starfish1113]

I have to agree with Melly on one thing. I have never walked into a movie with higher expectations and walked out completely underwhelmed than with The Matrix. I absolutely hated it and have not seen any of the sequels (if in fact there was more than one sequel, I haven't kept track).

I also couldn't stand the first LOTR (nor have I seen any of the others), but I went into that fully expecting I wouldn't like it, so I can't consider that one overrated.

The only two movies that I've seen in this thread that I completely and totally disagree are overrated are Citizen Kane and Pulp Fiction. I can understand (though may not agree) the inclusion of the others.

[SportsFan68]

I have to agree with Melly on one thing. I have never walked into a movie with higher expectations and walked out completely underwhelmed than with The Matrix. I absolutely hated it and have not seen any of the sequels (if in fact there was more than one sequel, I haven't kept track).

I also couldn't stand the first LOTR (nor have I seen any of the others), but I went into that fully expecting I wouldn't like it, so I can't consider that one overrated.

The only two movies that I've seen in this thread that I completely and totally disagree are overrated are Citizen Kane and Pulp Fiction. I can understand (though may not agree) the inclusion of the others.

I never knew there were particularly high expectations for The Matrix. Somebody here had to have his kid explain to him; that was enough for me. I've seen about 20 minutes of the first one. The last one I saw impressed the Dickens outta me for f/x. They built their own freeway!

LOTR matched my expectations exactly. Ear gave a spot-on review.

[ne1410s]

Over-rated movies:

Titanic
The English Patient
Forest Gump-even tho I usually like everything TH is in.
Shawshank Redemption
Saving Private Ryan--see #2
The Ten Commandments
The Wizard of Oz
Some Like It Hot
The Searchers
Braveheart

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I cannot stay awake through 2001: A Space Odyssey. I never could. Someone once said I needed to see it stoned. So I did. Didn't help.

.

Mom??What??!!!!!Noooo-Next thing-you will tell me that you and Dad actually had sex.

At our house we call it Sploofusing.

[Tocqueville3]

1. ET

Oh, THAT's why you're a Republican! You have no heart or soul!

(I'M KIDDING!!!!!)


OTOH, anyone who hates MOULIN ROUGE! can't be ALL bad, so there's hope for you yet.

I thought ET was just plain dumb. I remember all the hype surrounding it (I was like 9 or 10 when it came out) and my grandma took us to see it. Ick. I think I was the only 10 year old alive that dint like ET when it came out.

To me Moulin Rouge sucked it because Nicole Kidman can't sing worth diddly squat. Listening to her sing thru the entire pic made me ill.

Oh yeah, I'm a Republican because I hate people who whine.

[MarleysGh0st]

I thought ET was just plain dumb. I remember all the hype surrounding it (I was like 9 or 10 when it came out) and my grandma took us to see it. Ick. I think I was the only 10 year old alive that dint like ET when it came out.

That's just wrong!

[minimetoo26]

I was going to put down Forrest Gump, but I'm quite pleased to see I don't have to.

Titanic should not have beaten out LA Confidential, and Gump shouldn't have beaten Shawshank (sorry, Tom--I love that movie. It beat the book to shreds, and that's rare for me.) I can't say about Shakespeare over Private Ryan because I can't go past the opening scene of Ryan, but Shakespeare just got a shrug and a big ol' "meh" out of me. I'm not the type to slaver over a topless Gwyneth like KT did....

[MarleysGh0st]

I can't say about Shakespeare over Private Ryan because I can't go past the opening scene of Ryan

While the rest of the movie has its graphic moments, it's not nearly as intense as that opening sequence on the Normandy beaches. Just skip by that part, if you want to see the rest of the DVD.

[minimetoo26]

I can't say about Shakespeare over Private Ryan because I can't go past the opening scene of Ryan

While the rest of the movie has its graphic moments, it's not nearly as intense as that opening sequence on the Normandy beaches. Just skip by that part, if you want to see the rest of the DVD.

As the mother of three boys, I just can't get over that this is something we would send our kids into. It's just a visceral thing. I had to put my hand over my eyes and walk to the TV to turn it off because I couldn't find the remote in 1.3 seconds, and that's about as much as I could stand.

[trevor_macfee]

A couple of comments about movies that were mentioned earlier before my own list:

I guess Pulp Fiction is one of those love it or hate it movies. I was blown away the first time I saw it, and went back the next week to see it again. The dialogue in places is excellent enough to be worth listening to without any picture.

I'm surprised to see Annie Hall on KT's list - a very funny movie, IMHO.

I'm not a big fan of Moulin Rouge, but my 17-year old son watches it over and over. Not sure what that's about, but he seems to really like the bombasticness (I know that's not a word) of it.

OK, my list:

1. Definitely agree about Titanic. BORING until the last 30 minutes.

2. The Piano - I still remember when it came out and all my friends that I thought had taste in movies went to see it and talked about how great it was. Uh huh. I like Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, but not in this pretentious bore.

3. Sideways - couldn't wait for it to be over, but we (my wife and I) watched until the end hoping maybe it would get better or there'd be some surprising payoff that would make living with those two narcissistic jerks for 2 hours worthwhile. There wasn't and it wasn't.

4. The English Patient and Out of Africa- In the same spot because they both produce the same reaction - Just wake me up when it's over.

5. Gone With The Wind - admittedly, I've never made it through the whole thing. Maybe if I did, I'd feel differently. But I doubt it.

[mntetn]

Others may disagree, but I think "No Country for Old Men" is the most overrated film of recent time. Whether of all time is another matter, since that's a long time.

I agree with others who include "The English Patient", "Titanic", "Sophie's Choice", and "2001". And I would probably agree with others, but I never bothered to see them.

I usually do best avoiding "4-star" and "2-star" movies. I tend to like 3s and 1s.