Movies you should have liked but didn't

[Macheath]

Vertigo

The first 30 minutes felt like hours, and I couldn't get through it.

I'll give it another chance one of these days.

 

[Lefty]

Grey Gardens - I know the recent HBO movie is getting a lot of buzz, but I couldn't stand the original.

Life Aquatic - fantastic cast, great director, & a total snooze. Seriously, what's with the animation?

 

[CopperNY]

Citizen Kane - i've given it third and fourth chances and i just can't get into it.

Pan's Labyrinth - some nice set pieces, but you can deduce the whole story after the first fifteen minutes. tried to ignore the hype and give it a chance. no luck.

 

[Laura Chase]

Pan's Labyrinth - some nice set pieces, but you can deduce the whole story after the first fifteen minutes. tried to ignore the hype and give it a chance. no luck.

That's too bad, I thought it was amazing. Some movies are not all about the plot, some movies you just have to enjoy for the ride itself, although I thought that Pan's Labyrinth also had a beautiful story with a sad ending (which is a plus for me, I like Russian endings lol). It's beautiful visually and oh so fantastical!

 

[Caleb Moore]

I wanted to find something to like about "Pearl Harbor," but all I could come up with was that I really thought the popcorn tasted good that night.

From Roger Ebert's review:

There is not a shred of conviction or chemistry in the love triangle, which results after Rafe returns alive to Hawaii shortly before the raid on Pearl Harbor and is angry at Evelyn for falling in love with Danny, inspiring her timeless line, "I didn't even know until the day you turned up alive--and then all this happened."

That still cracks me up. How dare the Japanese interrupt this important love triangle...

 

[topango]

Jesus’ son

Came out to great reviews. The story of a heroin addict. After running out of popcorn I found myself hoping the character would overdose so I could get out of the theater

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I just discussed it this morning with my friend. The Maltese Falcon just didn't do it for me. Many people love it (including my friend), and it is a good movie, but I found it quite boringly executed. Although she is an excellent actress in so many ways, Mary Astor as Brigid just wasn't my idea of Brigid.

I am -right- there with you on this one.....

Shameful confession time...every time I try to watch it...I fall asleep....-including- an attempt to see it on the big screen.

yea yea..i will head for the door now....*watches her membership card go up in flames*

 

[KY Gentleman]

"Requiem For A Dream". A lot of people loved it, it has a big cult following, I couldn't stand it.

 

[Lefty]

Ditto. I had to see it after seeing Pi, but was really disappointed.

 

[cookie]

Vertigo

The first 30 minutes felt like hours, and I couldn't get through it.

I'll give it another chance one of these days.

I'm with you a bit on this....

 

[CopperNY]

That's too bad, I thought it was amazing. Some movies are not all about the plot, some movies you just have to enjoy for the ride itself, although I thought that Pan's Labyrinth also had a beautiful story with a sad ending (which is a plus for me, I like Russian endings lol). It's beautiful visually and oh so fantastical!

agree completely with the first point. i felt that way about 5th Element. more than the sum of it's parts.

i was definitely in the minority with my friends on Pan's Labyrinth, although i freely admit that Del Toro is brilliant. can't wait for his At the Mountains of Madness

for a great romantic tragedy, and a beautiful film, try Kama Sutra: Tale of Love. Mira Nair does incredible work with color/texture.

 

[HadleyH]

Have you ever watched a movie that at face value you should have liked because of: setting, subject matter, actors, director, etc but did not?

Yes. Alfred Hitchcock film "Rebecca"(1940) and all because of Joan Fontaine's acting.

The rest was Ok, it's just that her acting i found intolerably enervating. [huh]

 

[1911 Man]

I've always been a film lover. Years ago my wife and I started searching out classic films that were groundbreaking, or had won oscars years ago, etc, films we had never seen but were important. I am also in the camp of, "I'm sorry, I just didn't get why it was so great" when it comes to Citizen Kane.

Another that comes to mind was recent. I had read several fantastic reviews for Away From Her with Julie Christie. I watched it, and came away just disturbed and unhappy, I felt there was nothing redeeming about the film.

 

[deadpandiva]

I didn't like Mrs Henderson Presents. I just couldn't get in to it.
The other two I didn't like are not set in the golden age but they are historic.
Walk The Line and the most recent adaptation of Tess of The Durbervilles. Tess is my favorite book ever and I felt the BBC version was adlibed and dumbed down. Also the costumes were poor.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

The Philadelphia Story - too long, too slow. A shame because James Stewart is great, that said he was one of the few saving graces in this film.

 

[Laura Chase]

I didn't like Kubrick's 1962 Lolita and much preferred the 1997 version with the wonderful Dominique Swain and Jeremy Irons.

And folks, I agree about Citizen Kane.

 

[just_me]

The Shining

 

[Macheath]

And folks, I agree about Citizen Kane.

The Shining

To me, these movies are two of a kind.


Good films, IMO, but not the life-changing experience that they are cracked up to be.

 

[Laura Chase]

I thought The Shining was good, but not amazing. It has amazing scenes, but as a whole it was just good. Kubrick really disappoints me often, The only movies I enjoyed were Eyes Wide Shut, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. In my opinion, he's just not as good as everyone says. He and I are not on the same page, anyway.

Barry Lyndon, Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, Paths of Glory - all very famous and renowned movies, but in my opinion, they are all extremely boring.

 

[Feraud]

Walk The Line

Ach! I hate, hate, hate, this film.
I should have loved it being a fan of Cash. Phoenix's terrible acting to his dreadful singing ruined this film. That banshee Reese Witherspoon made me want to rip my ears out when she sang. That Best Actress award is a crime against cinema humanity.