is there any movie(s) which seem to routinely feature on 'worst ever...' or 'biggest flops' type lists, and you just don't think they deserve it?
you don't necessarily have to like the film (or it can be a film you personally think is great), but more just be mystified as to why it attracts so much notoriety.
one for me is THE AVENGERS (1998)
this is in tons and tons of 'worst' lists, even being called "the CITIZEN KANE of awful" by one review... I was actually quite looking forward to seeing it because of the negative hype.
but the film is just averagely bad? I can't work out why it's got this massive reputation as an all time turkey. it's too standard (or "mid" as the cool kids now say) to really stand out as remarkable IMO
The Avengers (1998) is good, Ralph Fiennes is good as Steed, Uma Thurman is good as Mrs Peel and Sir Sean Connery is good as August DeWynter. Not sure why people didn't like it but I think the studio messed around with it in post production.
Hudson Hawk (sorry Bob 😉) is another so-called bad film which is actually quite good.
Well, is the new Snow White really that bad, or just an internet backlash victim because of the changes made to the original story?
Quote from: Trevor on April 19, 2025, 04:06:13 PMHudson Hawk (sorry Bob 😉) is another so-called bad film which is actually quite good.
haha, I love HUDSON HAWK. honestly one of the most creative and off the wall films I've ever seen. yes it's goofy as anything but it all works (for me anyway)
Quote from: claws on April 19, 2025, 04:38:39 PMWell, is the new Snow White really that bad, or just an internet backlash victim because of the changes made to the original story?
I haven't seen it but some of the songs I've heard are pretty good, especially GOOD THINGS GROW.
Quote from: claws on April 19, 2025, 04:38:39 PMWell, is the new Snow White really that bad, or just an internet backlash victim because of the changes made to the original story?
I will probably never find out first hand, but I'm going to say highly unlikely it can be
as bad as its current rep.
Test screenings didn't go well for The Avengers. Warner cut down the film from 115 minutes to 89 minutes. Because of that, key scenes were removed, resulting in continuity flaws. I guess that contributed to The Avengers badness.
Please count me as Vote 3 in defense of HUDSON HAWK. :thumbup:
I liked Hudson Hawk and the Avengers.
I'd also like to add to the list The Last Action Hero. I thought it was a really fun movie.
#TeamHawk
the movement.
Quote from: chainsaw midget on April 19, 2025, 07:43:55 PMI'd also like to add to the list The Last Action Hero. I thought it was a really fun movie.
never seen it, and not sure why!
Quote from: chainsaw midget on April 19, 2025, 07:43:55 PMI liked Hudson Hawk and the Avengers.
I'd also like to add to the list The Last Action Hero. I thought it was a really fun movie.
Agreed about TLAH: even the pinball machine was fun 😀
People hated the sparkling vampires, so, that made Twilight (2008) a bad movie. I thought it was entertaining, and Kristen Stewart's wooden acting didn't ruin the movie for me.
I elected to watch the first TWILIGHT again w/ Madame a few years ago. It had a real director who almost makes it seem like a real movie in spite of the goofy and problematic concept, and in spite of Stewart's willfully obtuse performance. Then Madame proceeded to watch all the rest of the movies, and trust me, they progressively justify the bad reputation to increasingly larger degrees!
I liked the photography in and the score of HEAVEN'S GATE but not much else. I saw it in 1981 in its disastrous first release.
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is unironically my favourite Bond movie... try and find a single 'Bond Movies Ranked' list on the net where it doesn't feature in the bottom 3...
Quote from: M.10rda on April 20, 2025, 08:14:15 AMI elected to watch the first TWILIGHT again w/ Madame a few years ago. It had a real director who almost makes it seem like a real movie in spite of the goofy and problematic concept, and in spite of Stewart's willfully obtuse performance. Then Madame proceeded to watch all the rest of the movies, and trust me, they progressively justify the bad reputation to increasingly larger degrees!
I went to see the first Twilight way back when it came out to see what the fuss was all about, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was nowhere near as bad as I expected. One of the instances of the movie being better than the book.
EXORCIST 2
there are certain films (in fact many) that I personally love but I can objectively see exactly why they've got such a terrible reputation...
this one is a kind of half-way house for me. I can totally see how fans of the original EXORCIST might be dismayed at how unfaithful it is to anything. but as a singular piece of cinematic entertainment I think it's not deserving of the hate and mockery it gets...
^ A boring success, or an interesting failure? :wink:
My favorite Part 2 story:
QuoteWilliam Friedkin, director of the first film, told a story, recalled to by a Warner Bros. executive, at the Chicago Critics Film Festival in April 2013. Studio heads came to the sneak preview of "Exorcist II" in a limo, and told the drivers to go get fast food. They entered the auditorium, and within 10 minutes into the film, an audience member stood up, glanced into the crowd, and proclaimed: "The people who made this piece of s**t are in this room!" 10 or 12 other audience members gathered to find the executives. The heads rushed out of the theater and realized that there were no cars to make their escape. They were subsequently chased down the street by a group of angry audience members.
that's funny... but a story "recalled" by 'not the teller'. yeah I'm taking that with just a tiny pinch of salt :smile:
I like EXORCIST 2 and I'd actually prefer to re-watch it than the original, even though the first film is clearly a better movie. But I totally understand why some people hate it. It's a goofy B-movie sequel to a serious, awards-caliber film.
Quote from: claws on April 21, 2025, 03:25:30 PM^ A boring success, or an interesting failure? :wink:
My favorite Part 2 story:
QuoteWilliam Friedkin, director of the first film, told a story, recalled to by a Warner Bros. executive, at the Chicago Critics Film Festival in April 2013. Studio heads came to the sneak preview of "Exorcist II" in a limo, and told the drivers to go get fast food. They entered the auditorium, and within 10 minutes into the film, an audience member stood up, glanced into the crowd, and proclaimed: "The people who made this piece of s**t are in this room!" 10 or 12 other audience members gathered to find the executives. The heads rushed out of the theater and realized that there were no cars to make their escape. They were subsequently chased down the street by a group of angry audience members.
😳😂😅😀😄😃
Quote from: M.10rda on April 20, 2025, 08:14:15 AMI elected to watch the first TWILIGHT again w/ Madame a few years ago. It had a real director who almost makes it seem like a real movie in spite of the goofy and problematic concept, and in spite of Stewart's willfully obtuse performance. Then Madame proceeded to watch all the rest of the movies, and trust me, they progressively justify the bad reputation to increasingly larger degrees!
I've never read the book myself, but from what I've heard it's a minor miracle they managed to make any kind of movie out of it.
Quote from: Criswell on May 02, 2025, 08:22:14 AMI've never read the book myself, but from what I've heard it's a minor miracle they managed to make any kind of movie out of it.
I think part of the credit for it turning out even nearly as decent as it did, was that the guy who played Edward said he actually hated the character so he tried to play him as a guy that just openly hated himself.
Quote from: chainsaw midget on Today at 07:04:55 AMQuote from: Criswell on May 02, 2025, 08:22:14 AMI've never read the book myself, but from what I've heard it's a minor miracle they managed to make any kind of movie out of it.
I think part of the credit for it turning out even nearly as decent as it did, was that the guy who played Edward said he actually hated the character so he tried to play him as a guy that just openly hated himself.
I find it hilarious that you refer to Robert Pattinson as "the guy who played Edward." :bouncegiggle:
I think it does help a lot that Robert Pattinson turned into a pretty good actor or was doing his best with what he had to work with in Twilight. I also think a lot of the hate around those was just people like to hate things that are popular with women. They're not good, but they're not the worst thing that's ever happened to cinema.