Movies that you feel are Overrated

[alohabear]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Anything with Kevin Costner, in particular Robin Hood (a real embarrassment) and Dances with Wolves (I was rooting for the Indians to scalp him).

Don't forget Waterworld and the Postman

[matapule]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

I think it has a lot to do with the era in which it was made. It was an unusual (some would say courageous) thing to make a film that pretended to be a story of a fictional individual, yet people knew that it was truly about a particular living (and highly influential) person. It was also a gutsy move on Welles' part, as it was his first feature film directing opportunity, and could have just as easily destroyed his career.

I worked at Hearst Castle for a number of years. Hearst Castle was the resplendent, and favorite, home of William Randolph Hearst on the Central Coast of California near San Simeon.

I did a lot of research on the movie Citizen Kane while working there which was reportedly about the life of WRH. Actually there are some thematic similarites to WHR's life but the movie also incorporates vignettes about other Americans of that time, such as Howard Hughes and Eli Whitney. The movie is more of a collage about prominent Americans.

The brilliance of the movie centers around Orson Welles' use of theatrical techniques that were both shocking and groundbreaking for that time and are still used today. It was also the first movie to use satirical themes about real, live celebrities of that time. So the movie has to reviewed in the context of the times. I agree that it is difficult to understand what the movie is trying to say, unless you are very familiar with the historical context. Is it the best movie ever made? I don't know, but I personally find it fascinating. The movie did produce Welles only Oscar (for best screenplay). By the way, there is no connection whatsoever between WRH and "rosebud."

Perhaps an interesting sidenote:

Hearst was a movie buff and started making his own home movies shortly after 1910 using guests to star in movies he scripted at his "ranch" (Hearst Castle), usually cowboy movies. Later he founded his own movie production studio in Hollywood, called Metropolitan Pictures, to showcase the "talents" of his paramour and live-in companion, Marion Davies. In the 1930's, Hearst fell on hard financial times and sold part of Metropolitan Pictures to his pals, Sam Goldwyn and Louie B. Mayer and MGM was formed - Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Metro was the Metropolitan Picture part of the new company, of which Hearst was partial owner. In fact, Hearst did attempt to ruin Orson Welles' directing career through MGM Pictures. Hearst had Welles blacklisted around Hollywood because of the movie Citizen Kane. Hearst previewed the movie before it was released. Hearst offered several million dollars to Welles to buy all copies of the film to destroy them - not because of what the movie portrayed about Hearst but because it showed Marion Davies (a popular actress in silent films) as an untalented alcoholic, which wasn't too far from the truth. Welles refused to sell to Hearst and consequently Hearst vowed to destroy him professionally. Hearst did arguably destroy Welles directing career through his influence at MGM and through negative movie reviews on all of Welles' movies in the 12 major metropolitan newspapers Hearst owned across the US. Subsequent movies directed by Welles never did enjoy any significant commercial or financial success. Orson Welles, who was viewed as a genius by his peers, never did recover after the release of Citizen Kane and had to resort to selling wine on TV at the end of his life.

Ironically, Welles has an acting role in one of my all time favorite movies, Catch 22.

Ofa 'atu
Mui Houma

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Citizen Kane is the all time greatest film according to some critics when they make their list of best movies of all time. I didn't understand it. Was it dated, or do you have to be in the newspaper bidness to truly grasp its story?

I think it has a lot to do with the era in which it was made. It was an unusual (some would say courageous) thing to make a film that pretended to be a story of a fictional individual, yet people knew that it was truly about a particular living (and highly influential) person. It was also a gutsy move on Welles' part, as it was his first feature film directing opportunity, and could have just as easily destroyed his career.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Citizen Kane is the all time greatest film according to some critics when they make their list of best movies of all time. I didn't understand it. Was it dated, or do you have to be in the newspaper bidness to truly grasp its story?

[Lei K]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

My husband calls Titanic a movie about, "the first time an old woman got laid real good that just happened to occur during an historic event."

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

I went to the high school that was used to film The Breakfast Club...which is also the high school that John Hughes, the Director of many movies from the 80's, went to. He was a year ahead of me and married a girl from my class. That's probably the main reason I could endure the movie.

You went to Glenbrook North High?

Aj

[alohacandy]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

I went to the high school that was used to film The Breakfast Club...which is also the high school that John Hughes, the Director of many movies from the 80's, went to. He was a year ahead of me and married a girl from my class. That's probably the main reason I could endure the movie.

[U'ilani]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

I loved The Breakfast Club and Juno. Brilliant dialogue. I think you have to be the type of person who likes "talky" types of movies.

[Jim75]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

As a stand-alone flick, I would agree with you. The things that makes this flick so wonderful though are 1)the profound historical significance of the Battle of Thermopylae and 2)the physical aspects that these actors willingly endured to ready themselves for this movie.

Because I watch this movie with these ideas in the back of my head, I find the movie a great treat.

I liked "300", too. Persian " . . . our arrows will blot out the sun". Spartan "then we will fight in the shade". It's completely over-the-top in its 'epicnificence' (even worthy of a new word). It's got the "it's not the size of the dog in the fight. it's the size of the fight in the dog" thing going on. Kinda like the Alamo. The handful goes toe-to-toe with the throng. Not a brilliant movie, but a good one.

[matapule]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Anything with Kevin Costner, in particular Robin Hood (a real embarrassment) and Dances with Wolves (I was rooting for the Indians to scalp him).

[Ron Whitfield]

Has anything worth a damn been done by...

...Will Farrell?

Lot's of $ made, but who's paying to see this guy?

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Insert just about any Tom Cruise film, about the only one I remotely liked was "Risky Business".

As for "Breakfast Club", I liked it but don't sit in awe of it 23 years later. I was entering high school around that time and also ended up getting in trouble serving detention with classmates of all the walks of life and yes on Saturday mornings or strange days and times. I guess in some odd way I felt I could relate to it I guess. I bought the Simple Minds 45's when they came out, but I wont go and say they were the greatest band ever.

For that era, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of my favorite films. Phoebe Cates alone makes me love this film.

Aj

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

300

As a stand-alone flick, I would agree with you. The things that makes this flick so wonderful though are 1)the profound historical significance of the Battle of Thermopylae and 2)the physical aspects that these actors willingly endured to ready themselves for this movie.

Because I watch this movie with these ideas in the back of my head, I find the movie a great treat.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Everything with Mike Meyers or Adam Sandler.

[Jim75]

Re: Movies that you feel are Overrated

Napoleon Dynamite - I understand why it was popular, but I don't think it was nearly as good as the hype.

Crumb is indeed a great movie. Is there a theatre on Oahu that shows 'Art' films, foriegn films, and such?