Unpopular movie opinions...

[Romy Overdorp]

I don't like modern movies at all. Too much focused on sex. Woman aren't portrayed as sexy but as sleazy hoho's. Men are portrayed as bulky muscled oversexed dumb asses. It's all yucky!!!!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've never in my life seen a movie where I thought "you know, it wasn't bad, but what it really needed was a crass, nasty sex scene right in the middle. And a little more swearing wouldn't have hurt, either."

 

[Tiller]

I've never in my life seen a movie where I thought "you know, it wasn't bad, but what it really needed was a crass, nasty sex scene right in the middle. And a little more swearing wouldn't have hurt, either."

lol. Very true. One of the last well made films I actually saw was Toy Story 3, and that's about a 50's cowboy doll coming to terms with the fact that children grow up. Somehow I think a nasty sex scene would have offset the tone of the entire movie.

 

[1961MJS]

I used to be so scared of E.T. that I never have seen the whole movie.

Hi I've never watched ET, but a college friend went to see it with his girlfriend (now wife). He was in BIG trouble for not being able to stop giggling during the ET Death scene. Tim's a REALLY NICE GUY and doesn't think death is funny or anything. He said that the whole 90 minute movie of a stick boy made out of "dried rubber cement" just cracked him up and he finally couldn't take it anymore.

My lab partner and I swore we'd never watch the movie, since the girl he worked for at the Pharmacy said "We couldn't live without seeing ET." So far it's been 30 years...

Later y'all

 

[LizzieMaine]

I went to see ET the year it came out, with a guy who applauded when they found the wizzled-up remains of ET. I don't know where he is now, but I'm sure he came to a bad end.

 

[Edward]

If you don't see the political and sociological allegories in Star Wars then you just aren't looking for them.

Star Wars is and was always intended to be a metaphor for the Vietnam war. Its the project that Lucas made when he couldn't make Apocalypse Now. The Empire of course represents the United States, and the rebels are the North Vietnamese. More directly the Ewoks in Jedi represent the Vietcong, fighting and defeating an onslaught of high technology.

The great theme of all 6 Star Wars films is that man vs technology. At the end of episode 4, Luke is robbed of his technology (his targeting computer and R2 D2) and must attack the Death Star with his wits (and the Force) rather than rely on his gadgets. This all comes from Lucas' love and yet mistrust of technology.

The last 3 films are an Allegory for the Nixon administration. Of course the whole thing is a left wing hippie fantasy, wrapped up in a very entertaining package.

Doug

The last three were a pile of by-numbers doo-doo, designed to exploit the pester-power dollar to the max. The true mark of an old hippy - selling out completely - is seen nowhere stronger than in George Lucas, IMO. Of course, Star Wars died in 1997 anyhow, so.

It's quite true. For most theatres, the studio takes at least fifty percent of the gross, skimmed right off the top, and often more -- for big attractions, you might pay the studio 70 percent of the take just for the right to show the picture. That being so, you've got to sell a huge number of tickets just to break even -- let alone show a profit. Failing that, you have to make your money at the concession stand -- which is why concession prices are as high as they are.

People need to think about that the next time they think they're Sticking It To The Man by smuggling in their own snacks.

Absolutely. The funniest / saddest one I ever saw (I used to be out front a lot in a local cinema when the Rocky Horror group I was involved in then performed there - I'd be flyering the show three nights a week in the run up) was a couple of folks who thought that "but we didn't buy this ice cream elsewhere, we made it" was a valid excuse. It was amazing how shirty some people could get about the rules - much like the idiots who scream about their "First Amendment Rights" (yes, even here in the UK....) in private premises.

OOooooooookay.

You do know Lucas got the idea for Star Wars from watching Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress," right?

Mmn, I'm closer this interpretation myself.... To be honest, I don't think Lucas is bright enough for any real social commentary (and if he is, that certainly raises interesting questions about his cavalier attitude to some of the accusations levelled at the prequels). He certainly isn't much of a director.

I haven't been to one yet but i was told that there are "uber" theaters. One describe to me was they put in very comfy seats, removed a couple of rows of seats to add some space between rows, put like a shelf or table in front of your seat for food and drink. I was also told that the food offerings are eclectic to gormet, they had an alcohol license serving wine and micro-brewed beers on tap. Sounds neat but it was a little on the pricey side for all of this luxury, I don't recall the ticket price but it was about 3 times the normal price at a regular theater.

There are quite a few of those here in London - mostly old school cinemas (such as The Electric on Portobello Road, a beautiful building and the first purpose-built cinema in the UK). Typically they run a mix of mainstream are and more obscure, art films and world cinema, the former making the latter financially viable.

Tonight's film will be presented in "Feel-around!"

There are, eh, specialist venues for that sort of thing. So I hear.

I believe he also got a significant chunk of inspiration from Arthurian legend - at least the whole dysfunctional family aspect: father vs son, incestuous brother/sister relationship, etc.

The question we used to debate, back when I was still a Star Wars fan, was whether he really had intended the incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia, or whether Leia being Luke's sibling business was a later plot-decision and they just let the apparent inconsistency ride. I'm not sure on this one. Lucas did have much of the series mapped out before he made the first one (i.e. Episode IV), but I'm not convinced he was that detailed about it.

I've never in my life seen a movie where I thought "you know, it wasn't bad, but what it really needed was a crass, nasty sex scene right in the middle. And a little more swearing wouldn't have hurt, either."

I'm not sure I remember the last time - if ever - I saw a film where I felt that a sex scene was at all justified. The fact that sex has taken place can often be a necessary plot point (as in Watchmen), however I don't remember ever needing to actually see it. My view on this only strengthens over time, not least because if all I wanted to see was sex I could, quite frankly, stay home and watch it on the internet for free, and to a much more direct extent than some Hollywood fare. And yet still Hollywood thinks that the sight of, say, Jennifer Anniston's breasts will encourage me to come out and spend money on the latest deployment of her (at best) mediocre acting talents? Pschaw.

 

[Effingham]

The question we used to debate, back when I was still a Star Wars fan, was whether he really had intended the incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia, or whether Leia being Luke's sibling business was a later plot-decision and they just let the apparent inconsistency ride. I'm not sure on this one. Lucas did have much of the series mapped out before he made the first one (i.e. Episode IV), but I'm not convinced he was that detailed about it.

Debate no longer.

I will display my level of fangeekdom:

You should get (and read) The Secret History of Star Wars. It will explain *everything* -- including all the changing versions of the origin story and character developments -- and blow you away. It is, ultimately, nothing more than another Hollywood guy striking it unbelievably lucky with one film, and the stories about it that he tells from that point changed faster than you can flip pages on a calendar. "It was one long story." "It was several stories." "It was a single film." "It was one of 12 movies." "It was a trilogy of trilogies." Luke was originally Luke Starkiller, and Skywalker was someone else, as was Anikin.

Yeah. At this point, not even Lucas can keep it straight -- but the public record (and early drafts!) remain. And if you read that book, you'll know the whole thing.

 

[Atomic Age]

Debate no longer.

I will display my level of fangeekdom:

You should get (and read) The Secret History of Star Wars. It will explain *everything* -- including all the changing versions of the origin story and character developments -- and blow you away. It is, ultimately, nothing more than another Hollywood guy striking it unbelievably lucky with one film, and the stories about it that he tells from that point changed faster than you can flip pages on a calendar. "It was one long story." "It was several stories." "It was a single film." "It was one of 12 movies." "It was a trilogy of trilogies." Luke was originally Luke Starkiller, and Skywalker was someone else, as was Anikin.

Yeah. At this point, not even Lucas can keep it straight -- but the public record (and early drafts!) remain. And if you read that book, you'll know the whole thing.

There is no great secret about how the story developed and Lucas has talked extensively about his original ideas and how they developed and changed. Its covered in quite a bit of detail in the official history of the films...

BTW not only was Luke originally Luke Starkiller, he was also originally a girl! And Han Solo was originally a lizardman.

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Wars-TM-Definitive/dp/0345477618/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

[Edward]

Debate no longer.

I will display my level of fangeekdom:

You should get (and read) The Secret History of Star Wars. It will explain *everything* -- including all the changing versions of the origin story and character developments -- and blow you away. It is, ultimately, nothing more than another Hollywood guy striking it unbelievably lucky with one film, and the stories about it that he tells from that point changed faster than you can flip pages on a calendar. "It was one long story." "It was several stories." "It was a single film." "It was one of 12 movies." "It was a trilogy of trilogies." Luke was originally Luke Starkiller, and Skywalker was someone else, as was Anikin.

Yeah. At this point, not even Lucas can keep it straight -- but the public record (and early drafts!) remain. And if you read that book, you'll know the whole thing.

Must add that to my shopping list for little brother's birthday! I'm the ex-fan, he still appreciates it.

There is no great secret about how the story developed and Lucas has talked extensively about his original ideas and how they developed and changed. Its covered in quite a bit of detail in the official history of the films...

BTW not only was Luke originally Luke Starkiller, he was also originally a girl! And Han Solo was originally a lizardman.

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Wars-TM-Definitive/dp/0345477618/ref=pd_sim_b_1

I wonder how that would have affected Harrison Ford's career, what with Star Wars having been his big jump into stardom... Anyone know what Anthony Daniels is doing these days??

Han Solo was, of course, the true hero of Star Wars, in the classical sense. Skywalker was no hero at all. Never made a single decision for himself, only reacted to what others told him to do.

 

[Wally_Hood]

As for unpopular movie opinions, may I venture to say I don't get the appeal of The African Queen ?

I'm not saying it's a bad movie, or it's over-rated, I just don't get it.

 

[John in Covina]

It happens sometimes. I have a friend that still doesn't get the movie Uncle Buck. I have a friend that watched Kill Bill 1&2 and at the end said, that is the stupidest film I have ever seen. I have friends that cannot figure out that Raising Arizona is funny.

Why does this happen? Sometimes a movie doesn't click, the sum of it's parts don't add up to a whole.

It's like watching 1941, it is a funny movie with some funny scenes and yet I will watch it and not laugh. I like most of it just fine and don't really object to any part of it, I find it amusing and funny but I don't laugh at it. It's like it has an anti laugh track on a subliminal level.

 

[Atomic Age]

It happens sometimes. I have a friend that still doesn't get the movie Uncle Buck. I have a friend that watched Kill Bill 1&2 and at the end said, that is the stupidest film I have ever seen. I have friends that cannot figure out that Raising Arizona is funny.

Why does this happen? Sometimes a movie doesn't click, the sum of it's parts don't add up to a whole.

It's like watching 1941, it is a funny movie with some funny scenes and yet I will watch it and not laugh. I like most of it just fine and don't really object to any part of it, I find it amusing and funny but I don't laugh at it. It's like it has an anti laugh track on a subliminal level.

Your point is well taken because my personal opinion is that 1941 is one of the funniest movies ever made. I often can't breath from laughing so hard!

Doug

 

[Feraud]

As for unpopular movie opinions, may I venture to say I don't get the appeal of The African Queen ?

I'm not saying it's a bad movie, or it's over-rated, I just don't get it.

It's Hepburn, she's a God-awful actress.

 

[John in Covina]

Your point is well taken because my personal opinion is that 1941 is one of the funniest movies ever made. I often can't breath from laughing so hard! Doug

That is amazing -you may be the only person that I have ever seen, heard or read that can say that!

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's Hepburn, she's a God-awful actress.

Her problem is always that she *doesn't* act. She always plays Katharine Hepburn.

 

[Feraud]

Yes, that is probably it. Of course the same is true with a slew of other actors. Grant played the character he created, so did Bogey, Wayne, etc. I've always found Hepburn to be particularly grating on the nerves.

 

[jamespowers]

Yes, that is probably it. Of course the same is true with a slew of other actors. Grant played the character he created, so did Bogey, Wayne, etc. I've always found Hepburn to be particularly grating on the nerves.

Its the voice.

 

[Atomic Age]

That is amazing -you may be the only person that I have ever seen, heard or read that can say that!

Really? I have a whole group of friends who LOVE that movie!

Doug

 

[Atomic Age]

Her problem is always that she *doesn't* act. She always plays Katharine Hepburn.

Yeah but she plays Hepburn better than anyone!

Doug

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I'm of the unpopular movie opinion that if a poster despises a certain performer, that poster should also submit a performer they do like and doesn't find grating on the nerves, annoying, pretentious, etc; it provides grist for the unpopular opinion mill.