unjustly maligned films

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inspired by the Ishtar thread, here is where you post films which you think are unjustly maligned.

I'll go first!

Waterworld (great spectacle)

Batman & Robin (camp leatherboy action, why does everyone hate it? maybe someone will bring out an Arnie-less version on DVD, and then it will be perfect)

The Avengers (more fun!)

so what films do you at least like that everyone else hates?

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 8 May 2003 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

You forgot to mention The Phantom Menace and Tomb Raider.

I heart ... Resident Evil.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 8 May 2003 12:44 (twenty-two years ago)

andrew, must you hound me?

I thought everyone loved Resident Evil (i.e. if Andrew and I did, everyone did).

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 8 May 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, those recent Star Wars films are far from awful. Perhaps it's just that I have no particular emotional stake in them being great, and no particularly fond memories of the earlier trilogy.

Carax's Pola X was a great film that most critics didn't seem to recognize as such, even if they liked it.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

well just to recap what we've talked about on some other threads: Showgirls and Femme Fatale.

OK now I look like a perv.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, I'm assuming we're talking about movies that remain maligned... ie not movies recognized as classix nowadays that were badly received when they were released.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Showgirls is great satire, but it's still way too long. i do enjoy it.

i have soft spots for some stupid films that i liked when i was a kid, such as sneakers, but i don't think that's a film that is critically maligned.

― j fail (cenotaph), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I have very boring and frightened tastes and will never be the first person to recognize the greatness of anything.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Eyes Wide Shut and A.I.

Also Starship Troopers, though im not sure what its reputation is today.

― ryan (ryan), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I like everything and therefore I am never wrong about great films. Though I am quite often wrong about bad ones.

― ryan (ryan), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Starship Troopers is getting its dues these days.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/00/8/offended.html

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

God these all suck! Except maybe A.I. and Starship Troopers which are average.

Guilty pleasure wise the Friday the 13th films are good fun, but I can see why they are despised.

― Calum, Thursday, 8 May 2003 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought The Tailor Of Panama was fantastic. It bombed.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 8 May 2003 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

all right thinking people loved Starship Troopers from the moment it came out. I don't know what it did at the box office, but everyone I know loves it. I gather it did badly in the States because massmarket twatmunks didn't register that it's meant to be funny.

Eyes Wide Shut - well I liked this, but then I wuv all David Lynch films.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 8 May 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Resident Evil is a GREAT zombie movie. Most people who diss it have never seen it, I suspect. And I had a good time with Tomb Raider.

Eyes Wide Shut I think is still somewhat ignored and regrettably probably will be for another ten years or so. I think it's just overshadowed by the rest of his work.

Lost Highway was panned and I still think it's my fave Lynch.

slutzky -- I'm with you one Femme Fatale and Showgirls is fucking hilarious.

There is nothing average about Starship Troopers. That movie is a candy colored celluloid cluster bomb.

DV -- please don't get me started on B&R. It tries so hard to be fast paced it actually slows down. I just dont' think a Batman movie should be directed like it's an Andrew LLoyd Weber musical.. with no songs. I never managed to get all the way through it. You know what it reminded me of? Pirate Movie with Christy McNichol. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 8 May 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The Postman -- because it's a comedy about Kevin Costner and he doesn't even know it.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 8 May 2003 21:00 (twenty-two years ago)

In all seriousness -- New Rose Hotel. Flawed but amazing meditation on unrequited love, betrayal and friendship. It unfolds slowly like a dream brought on by a bad memory. It was dismissed utterly and entirely.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 8 May 2003 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Lost Highway - Brilliant Film. By then it had become apparent that Lynch was making films for me and me alone. Which is great if you are me, not so good if you are anyone else.

Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me - another toptasmic piece of work. Very scary.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 8 May 2003 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

All of these films have their eloquent champions! All the French folk loved New Rose Hotel and Twin Peaks--Jacques Rivette was a big fan of the latter.

Dig deeper.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

amateurist -- I can't read French. So I miss out on all their championing of stuff I love (like Alien3).

Is there a site with translation of Cahiers Du Cinema articles or something?

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 8 May 2003 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't really read French either (not yet), but those crazy frogs are all over Senses of Cinema and in English too!

As for Cahiers, I don't think so. There was an English version (edited by Robin Wood I think) some years ago but that was discontinued.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

looks like a good site. thanks for the link.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 8 May 2003 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

At the time, I'm sure lots of people were rating 'Lost Highway', but yeah now all I hear is abuse. I think it's great too. As is Eyes Wide Shut.

My contribution... 'Honest'. It's not that bad!

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

The Shadow

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Monday, 12 May 2003 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

A.I. wins because even though I don't think it was that great, most of the criticisms levelled against it were unjust (e.g. unjust Pulitzer winner Stephen Hunter kept calling it "silly", which it plainly wasn't).

Peter Jackson has made better zombie movies than Resident Evil for the price of a bucket of fake blood.

― b.R.A.d. (Brad), Monday, 12 May 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought toys (the robin williams film) was pretty rad.

― j fail (cenotaph), Monday, 12 May 2003 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

People who endorse anything Dave Stewart related should be sent to live on some tiny island, safely away from the rest of humanity.

― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'm one of five people on Earth who enjoys Glory Daze.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

And I'm still shocked you all don't love Ronin.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

All right, I do love Ronin for the action scenes. But the dialogue kept cracking me up. Please read aloud:

de Niro: "He had the fake case made."
Reno: [glum] "..."
de Niro: "He had it made."

or:

McElhone: "Oi bollocksed it up?! You bollocksed it up!!"

Not as bad as the heroes calling each other "Mickey Mouse" and "Dumbo", but still.

― Frühlingsmute (Wintermute), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and I love Mad Dog Time. Everyone I know hates that film, but look at the cast! And everyone is doing their favourite mannerisms!

― Frühlingsmute (Wintermute), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate & Leopold. I'm a closet woman.

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 05:20 (twenty-two years ago)

that's the "Blimey, there's a time-space portal in my cupboard! This looks like a great mcguffin for a romantic comedy!" film? You are clearly deranged.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Most Spielberg films (they are way too fascinating to dismiss out of hand) especially Empire of the Sun

― ryan (ryan), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

B-b-b-but Hugh Jackman is sooooo dreamy!

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i think the hudsucker proxy got a bit of a kicking at the time but i think it is wonderful.

you know...for kids!

i will never ever watch cinema paradisio or fried green tomatoes at the whistle stop cafe or a beautiful mind

i can only take my syrup with a dose of irony.

― arthur woodlouse (arthur woodlouse), Thursday, 15 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

is anyone maligning empire of the sun? great film.

― j fail (cenotaph), Thursday, 15 May 2003 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I will, for a small fee.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 15 May 2003 16:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Turner & Hooch. I love that dog.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 15 May 2003 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Empire of the Sun was panned when it came out, as I recall. I remember being surprised how good it was, since I was still young enough to believe reviews at the time. Ronin's great, including the dialogue. Ditto Twin Peaks and Lost Highway.

Back to the Future II, if only for its admirable bleakness.

― Jamie Conway (Jamie Conway), Sunday, 1 June 2003 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I still remember that song that the young boy and his choir sang in EMPIRE OF THE SUN. It left a deep impression on me.

― amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 1 June 2003 05:03 (twenty-two years ago)

almost entirely all you people are insane.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 1 June 2003 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Starship Troopers is getting its dues these days.

It's funny, here in Finland Starship Troopers was immediately recognized as a satire. When I read that American critics are calling it a "fascist film", I had a big laugh.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 2 June 2003 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. As silly teen comedies go, you can't get any better. Great fun!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 2 June 2003 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

But who in their right mind would malign Bill & Ted?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Him.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you been holding a grudge against this guy since the movie came out, Tuomas?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 3 June 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

No. Actually, Excellent Adventure was maligned by the Finnish critics when it came out, so I though everybody hated the flick. But reading the reviews in the net, it seems most of the US critics like Excellent Adventure for what it's worth: good brainless fun. For once I agree with American reviewers, imagine that!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a really good comedy, I think. I saw it again recently & it was way smarter than I remembered. Someone had fun writing that movie.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

What about An American Werewolf in Paris? It got mostly one or two star reviews, but when I saw it, it was way better than I expected. That flick sure as hell didn't take itself too seriously.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 5 June 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

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