<<<-- Originally posted by Dylan Couper : The Deer Hunter...
It won best friggen picture?!? WTF!?! My DVD fast forward button almost wore out. By the time they got to the russian roulette scene, I was ready to play along!

The worst part is that I bought this steamer on DVD. Anyone want to trade??? -->>>

I see your point and do not know your age. For me (being 33) it is before my time. I see the importance of the film in terms of subject matter, but wonder outloud why it won best picture, especially when it went up against Heaven Can Wait and the epic Midnight Express.

It is hard not to like anything with Walken though.

I hated both of the matrix sequels. And I've gotten into countless arguments with my friends over them.

There is that old saying, don't let the effects get in the way of the story. However, I don't mind going to see a light show with all kinds of crazy effects. For instance, I found Spiderman very entertaining, even though the story was pretty hackneyed and the film wasn't especially deep. I think for some of these newer action flicks, particular the matrix sequels, the saying should go, don't let the story get in the way of the effects.

Of course, the best movies blend a good story with effects that enhance the relationships and action between the characters.

Oh yeah, I also didn't like any of the Kubrick movies until Eyes Wide Shut, and I take a lot of flak for that...

[edit] I did love "The Shining" though...

Was it just me or did the scene in MATRIX RELOADED with ZION seem like a MUSIC VIDEO? Horrible stuff.

Movies like "Deerhunter" require a deeper understanding of what was going on with regards to Vietnam, the returning home of vets, etc. as well as what viewing audiences were used to seeing at the time of its release.

Same goes with an old classic "The Best Years of Our Lives". Most people I know simply hate it. But to sit down and to listen to someone who lived through WWII, and who had lived through the censorship of the era, gives you an idea of why it was so important then.

Completely agree.

The wife and I absolutely loathed Chicago. I'm nuts about musicals, and the singing and dancing were great and all, but there wasn't one single character that had any redeeming value. Loved the music; hated the story.

Everybody I know who has seen Sean Penn's The Pledge has hated it, yet it's one of my all-time favorites and a great role for Nicholson.

Unfortunately I rented Legally Blonde 2 before I read any reviews on it. The absolute worst piece of crap to come out of Hollyweird in a long, long time.

Spending my hard earned money and being subjected to a 90 minute PETA commercial was more than I can stand. I could have forgiven that had the story been any good. The movie was so full of itself and so impressed with it's own cuteness, I wanted to gag. Add the insulting side story about gay rights and this thing gets peice of sh#t award for the decade.

I was so insulted and angry I wrote down the names of the lead actress, screen writer and director in order to boycott anything they are involved in for the forceable future.

PETA!? I'd never heard of that until you just wrote it. Ha! Man, I've been away from the States too long. You guys must never get bored.

The only movie I've ever walked out on was "Dune"...and the only reason I didn't walk out of "Holy Moses" was because it was pouring cats and dogs outside (which might have been a sign from above concerning that film). Of recent movies, though...I'd have to say "Dude, where's my car?" gets the double thumbs down.

John, those lowlifes even compared eating pork to Christ dying on the cross. There is absulutely nothing beneath them. They will sink to any depth.

Joe,

Really...I'm not casting any judgements about PETA or whatever acronym is targeted these days. It's just that it's not until you've lived outside the States for a long time does it strike you how comically self righteous the US can be. I sometimes think the name should be changed to "The United States of My Opinion is Always More Important Than Yours"... with bumper stickers that read "Let Freedom Ring: But I'll hunt you and your family down if you oppose my way of thinking." Amazing how low the tolerance level is.

And speaking of low tolerance (to get the thread back on track), I'm amazed by big budget films with low production values. I always try to find some redeeming qualities in a film, simply because a LOT of people contributed to it in different ways. Consequently, there's rarely a case where there aren't some redeeming qualities. But I'll never understand how larger budget films are released with mic booms dipping into the scene, etc. I realize that that's usually a TV vs. screen cropping issue, but if they're filming in 4:3, shouldn't they use a transparent mask so they can see where the mic will be in both screen and TV versions? And don't the replays show the mic? And what about gross continuity problems? Inexcusable for big budget films.

Things like that are what make me label a film as "bad"...more so than the story and/or acting.

Sometimes visible mic booms are the faults of projectionists' bad framing. If a mic boom gets on the film but outside the safe zone in an otherwise best take of a shot, that take is rarely discarded.

If you spot a mic on a DVD of a new film, for which the framing was the responsibility of the filmmakers themselves, then it's a blunder!

That's what I'm referring to, Robert... DVD and TV broadcasts of films. Ever see "Slingblade" on TV? Count the number of times you see the mic.

I'll check it out!

Speaking of production values...

I was watching A FEW GOOD MEN recently and there are a couple scenesin the court room where the lighting is just soooo bad. I mean, you can literally see HMI City and the whites are soooo blown out its just weird. And then magically it gets better.

It was painfully obvious that the lighting was way to hot.

"I Shot Andy Warhol"
"Transylvania 65000"
"Drop Dead Fred"