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Author Topic: The Most Overrated and Most Underrated Movies  (Read 50404 times)
Metropolisforever
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« on: August 23, 2008, 05:30:23 PM »

On this thread, you can discuss the most overrated and the most underrated movies.

Most Overrated: Too many to list, but The Godfather is probably #1.  It seemed pointless and dull, and I wasn't moved at all by it.  Also: anything by Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, or any other "great" director is overrated.

Most Underrated: Roundhay Garden Scene (1888): C'mon, people!  It was the first movie ever! ^ _ ^
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« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2008, 06:21:47 PM »

I've seen quite a bit from Kubrick, I gotta say he may be overrated since "great" directors often tend to be, but I can see why he's rated so highly if he is, his movies truly are great, IMO. Smile
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Overrated: Rear Window. Look, I can understand different tastes for different people, but it just irks me so much when people go on and on about the "suspense" of this film, which is nearly nonexistant in my humble opinion! Many of the same people call modern horror films (60s onwards :P) "too violent", "mindless", or "sadistic". I guess Rear Window is just their threshhold of terror TongueOut . For all the talk about the suspense the main reason people laud this film is because of the symbolism. I can plainly see the symbolism but the whole "marriage/impotence" thing is like a totally different film! Okay, maybe not, I can see where it ties in, but when it keeps jumping back and forth from the whitebread investigation plot to out-of-place character development, the end result to me was a surprisingly disappointing "thriller". One final note is that this is most certainly not Hitchcock's finest film, in fact nearly everything else I've seen from him (Psycho, North by Northwest, Sabotage...) is substantially better.

Honorable mention: C.H.U.D. Not as cool as people say, not enough of the creatures, too much setup for too little substance, abrupt, open ending.

Underrated: Puppet Master. By no means a "great" horror film, nor is it the typical "cult favorite", however it had, in my opinion, a skillfull balance of the two and could have gone excellently either way if more care were put into it. We have the setup for an excellent chiller; A mysterious figure taking his own life as imposing men nonchalantly get close, psychically-talented people coming to mourn the eerie death of an obsessed colleague, gothically-designed figurines, moving by their own will, communicating in only gestures and odd moans, and a dark night with several bloody slayings, known fully to the audience but not to any of the characters... On the flip side we have the campy slash-fest most fans appreciate the film for; a drunken witch with a stuffed dog, sexually-active researchers, an uncomplicated main plot, skimpy character development, and deadly but sometimes bumbling killer-dolls who look odder than most mainline "killer doll" films. This film could have been a typical trash-and-slash, but due to some help by the director (David Shmoeller, who I hear is a very underrated horror director. I shall decide for myself once I see one of his apparent best, Tourist Trap), it was refined into an ever-so-slightly above average horror film. However, it seems due to the fact it was such an odd balance, most horror fans are either bored or insulted by it TongueOut . Me, I can say appreciate the film, as well as the rest of the underrated, and similarily toned series that came after it.

Hnorable mention: Magic. A bit higher rated, accusations of being just another "killer doll" film are false, better characters than people give credit for, Fats's voice makes the film creepier, not funnier, brilliant mix of horror and tragedy.
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« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2008, 08:09:08 PM »

Overrated-Silence of the Lambs - Not as "great" as I was led to believe.  Look, it was a decent enough movie, with a solid performance by Hopkins, but in my opinion, not a great movie warranting like, three sequels.

Underrated- Empire Records- Solid performances by several cast members, including Robin Tunney, Liv Tyler, Rory Cochrane and Anthony LaPaglia.  So often underlooked, it's a shame.
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« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2008, 12:20:46 AM »

Most Overrated: Too many to list, but The Godfather is probably #1.  It seemed pointless and dull, and I wasn't moved at all by it.


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« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2008, 12:47:01 AM »


Hnorable mention: Magic. A bit higher rated, accusations of being just another "killer doll" film are false, better characters than people give credit for, Fats's voice makes the film creepier, not funnier, brilliant mix of horror and tragedy.

Agreed. Never underestimate the power of Ann Margaret letting the twins out. Anthony Hopkins was right, they SHOULD have been memorialized. .

I have to say, a couple of my favorites that I feel are underrated are 'Ghandi', and the original 'Man in the Iron Mask'.

Overrated, I agree The Godfather, plus Breakfast Club, 2001 S.O., NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, ,
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« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2008, 12:57:21 AM »

most overrated: scarface. it's not really fair to generalize, but i'd say that a good portion of the people who buy this movie do so just because their favorite celebrity showed it in their collection during an episode of cribs. ever check to see how many copies end up at used dvd stores? yeah. you're going to find a few on the counter, and i'd be more than willing to bet that they have a dozen or so of them kicking around in the stockroom just so they don't look desperate to unload the damned things.

most underrated: hard to pick just one...

phantom of the paradise. it seems like more people know about the rocky horror picture show sequel, shock treatment, than know about this great flick. same sort of crowd, too. the music is great, the characters are wildly over the top, and everything looks great. you've got some of de palma's split-screens, and allusions to a pair of classic tales of horror, those being faust, and more obviously, the phantom of the opera.

dog day afternoon. hey, when pacino's not playing a cop or a member of the mafia, he's still entertaining? amazing. i can sort of understand that when the star has so many other notable films to his credit, a film like this could easily get lost in the shuffle, but this is quite a bit better than some of his other films. maybe people just don't want to identify with a homosexual protagonist?

manhunter. like happygilmore said, everyone hails the silence of the lambs as an excellent film, and that's not entirely untrue, but when you ask them if they ever saw this earlier lecter film, they just stare back at you with a dumb, cocked-to-the-side puppy head. sure, the ending is a bit rushed and contrived, but it's really packed with emotion, psychology, and suspense. if you even try to compare this movie to red dragon, you'll have a hard time understanding how they were even based on the same book.
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« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2008, 07:24:51 AM »

THE GODFATHER and GODFATHER, PART II are my favorite films and I have seen them more times than any other movie.  Definitely not overrated.  I don't think two better, or even equal, movies have been made since they were released.

However, I am prepared for all the hate mail I will get for saying the original STAR WARS is overrated.  This is a movie popularized by a cult following that saw it dozens or hundreds of times, driving up the box office totals.  These people (many in their forties or older) still walk around at conventions wearing Darth Vadar outfits.  Let's face it . . . the story is decent, but Mark Hamill is not a talented actor, the special effects aren't great (even by 1970s standards), and that damned white plastic body armor just looks silly.  As far as sci-fi goes, I'd rather watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN or PLANET OF THE APES any day.

Here are some underrated movies:

* THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE
* THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE
* THE GREAT SANTINI

 
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« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2008, 08:08:12 AM »

Overrated:  GANGS OF NEW YORK.  I was very stoked for this film, and it just dragged on and on and on with no plot resolution in sight.

Underrated: Mel Gibson's THE PATRIOT.  I have seen this film multiple times, and it still makes me tear up in some places and cheer in others.  What a great war movie!
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« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2008, 11:00:33 AM »

Overrated:  This is easy.  Just look at the "Best Picture" Oscar winners, and about 4/5 are overrated.  My pick is GOOD WILL HUNTING.  This happy-face pop-psychology pabulum is considered a great movie?

Underrated: This is a bit harder.  I consider most of the films that immediately come to mind as underseen, rather than underrated.  But I would nominate the complete works of Andy Sidaris.  They are tons of cheesy T&A/stuff-blowing-up fun, and perennial favorites on late-night cable, but nobody admits to liking them.  Well, I do--a lot!   
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« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2008, 12:39:55 PM »

Overrated - "Dead Alive"/"Braindead" - Really just a load of childish spite, bad special effects and poorly executed 'camp' acting. The attempts at 'shocking' humour (zombie sex, Catholic Kung-Fu etc) merely seem like the sort of thing that dumb sixth-formers could come up with at lunch time. Kind of humour for people who don't have a sense of humour. I like Peter Jackson's films usually but this was poor by his standards. However, I still like the Sumatran Rat Monkey! Excellent stop-motion work.

Underrated - "Ghost Story" - An excellent but flawed little film from 1981 that features excellent cinematography, makeup effects and some of the best acting that I've ever seen in a horror flick by Alice Krige, Fred Astaire and John Houseman. The attempts to blend Val Lewtonesque atmospheric terror with 'Eighties nudity and gore are not entirely successful. I find it atmospheric and compelling despite the silly blue-screened opening shock scene and the weird, abrupt ending with the corpse from the car.
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« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2008, 06:05:25 PM »

Overrated - "Dead Alive"/"Braindead" - Really just a load of childish spite, bad special effects and poorly executed 'camp' acting. The attempts at 'shocking' humour (zombie sex, Catholic Kung-Fu etc) merely seem like the sort of thing that dumb sixth-formers could come up with at lunch time. Kind of humour for people who don't have a sense of humour. I like Peter Jackson's films usually but this was poor by his standards. However, I still like the Sumatran Rat Monkey! Excellent stop-motion work.


Bold choice--I don't think you'll find many here who agree with that one.  I loved DEAD ALIVE, but I hated BAD TASTE.
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« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2008, 07:12:29 PM »

On this thread, you can discuss the most overrated and the most underrated movies.

Most Overrated: Too many to list, but The Godfather is probably #1.  It seemed pointless and dull, and I wasn't moved at all by it.  Also: anything by Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, or any other "great" director is overrated.

Most Underrated: Roundhay Garden Scene (1888): C'mon, people!  It was the first movie ever! ^ _ ^
Bit of a blanket statement! Kubrick was overrated for some things but still a master director if only for Dr Strangelove. I'll agree with Shining and even 2001 being overated.
As for Spielberg, Jaws and Close Encounters both great films.
Scorsese, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, nuff said.

Most Overrated - (I know I'm going to get flak for this) Bladerunner. Dont get me wrong, I do love it but it's not the best sci fi ever made as it's be voted several times.

Most Underrated - (Also an odd one) David Lean's Dr Zhivago. It's better than Lawrence of Arabia or at least as good but it doesnt appear in IMDB's top 250 list. That is shamefully underrated as it's probably one of the best films ever to be commited to celluloid.
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« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2008, 08:43:59 PM »

THE GODFATHER and GODFATHER, PART II are my favorite films and I have seen them more times than any other movie.  Definitely not overrated.  I don't think two better, or even equal, movies have been made since they were released.

However, I am prepared for all the hate mail I will get for saying the original STAR WARS is overrated.  This is a movie popularized by a cult following that saw it dozens or hundreds of times, driving up the box office totals.  These people (many in their forties or older) still walk around at conventions wearing Darth Vadar outfits.  Let's face it . . . the story is decent, but Mark Hamill is not a talented actor, the special effects aren't great (even by 1970s standards), and that damned white plastic body armor just looks silly.  As far as sci-fi goes, I'd rather watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN or PLANET OF THE APES any day.

Here are some underrated movies:

* THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE
* THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE
* THE GREAT SANTINI

 
I agree with you about Star Wars.  Hell, I couldn't even make it longer than a half an hour.
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« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2008, 11:40:08 PM »

Overated: Definitaly the SAW series, this is more aimed at my generation, because enough people liked it so they made another one when in all reality it wasn't that great. The shock gore thing had been done before and had been done a lot better.

Underated: I'm going to say The Quartermass Xperiment. The actors do extremely good for their limited budget and technology, hell the first time I saw it, the movie actually creeped me out a bit which I wasn't expecting. It's by no means a cinematic masterpiece. But I do think it's a classic 50s film that deserves more than the cult following its got.
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« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2008, 07:54:10 AM »

As one of the geeks who Star Wars multiple times in the theater (23!!), I wish I could disagree that it is overrated. I love the movie, I collected the trading cards and other paraphernalia, etc., but I have seen other, better movies. I think the original is the strongest in the franchise in terms of story, acting, and overall feel, and that Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are more overrated than the original, but episode IV has become overrated through the years.

However, that said, my pick for overrated movie is anything by Quentin Tarantino. I have yet to see anything by him that holds together as a good story, and I have never been particularly fond of his dialog as many others are. In early interviews, he came across as a guy that would probably be fun to hang around with, but now he seems to think he's worth all his hype, though at heart he's just a very lucky fanboy who managed to actually break into the industry. I know there are Tarantino fans on this board, and I mean no offense; his movies just don't do it for me. And before you get too angry, read my picks for underrated movies, and you'll probably be able to dismiss me as someone with no taste anyway  Twirling.

For underrated movies, I'd pick Mom & Dad Save the World first. It's very silly, but it's also incredibly fun to me. John Lovitt can admittedly be very annoying, but he can also be hysterical when allowed to do his own thing, as he is in this movie. Teri Garr is always fun to watch, and Jeffrey Jones puts in a good performance, too (too bad he doesn't know how to act in the real world). The effects are quirky but charming, and it's nice to see regular folks rising to the challenge when necessity calls. I'd also pick Shakes the Clown, the movie that sank Bobcat Goldthwaite's acting career. It's also loads of fun in a very strange, goofball way. The acting is okay (Goldthwaite's is probably the weakest performance in the movie, with the possible exception of Julie Brown), but the movie delivers in terms of entertainment value. It would be hard for this one not to be underrated, as only about 3 or 4 people ever saw it in the theater, but it is still on my list.
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