Films that sucked, but everyone else liked...

[Kegg]

I still can't understand why people thought In a Scanner Darkly was such a great flick.

It is one of those movies (the reviews for it were pretty mixed).

I love it because I'm a Philip K. Dick fan and I walked into the movie with a mental checklist of stuff which would not be in the movie because it was too weird or there was no way to do it right.

For example, like Frick's daydream about an officer that decides to not read him his rights and just shoot him in the face, or the thousand-eyed being that reads his sins throughout time, the scrambler suits were way too complex... c'mon, none of that stuff would never be in a movie! And the novel's final dedication? Too personal maybe.

But it was all in there. It's the most faithful adaption of a PKD work ever, and to boot it's actually just a very good film. The animation actually aids the story in emphasizing the shifting, collapsing, ersatz world of a PKD novel, and the performances are across-the-board appropriate, even Keanu Reeves as a subdued, disconnected individual. How does one of my favourite sci-fi movies wind up as a Reeves film? Well, that's how.

I'd also go so far as to say I like it a lot more than Blade Runner, the most famous and acclaimed (and to be fair, first) PKD adaption.

 

[John Picard]

I still can't understand why people thought In a Scanner Darkly was such a great flick.

It is one of those movies (the reviews for it were pretty mixed).

I love it because I'm a Philip K. Dick fan and I walked into the movie with a mental checklist of stuff which would not be in the movie because it was too weird or there was no way to do it right.

For example, like Frick's daydream about an officer that decides to not read him his rights and just shoot him in the face, or the thousand-eyed being that reads his sins throughout time, the scrambler suits were way too complex... c'mon, none of that stuff would never be in a movie! And the novel's final dedication? Too personal maybe.

But it was all in there. It's the most faithful adaption of a PKD work ever, and to boot it's actually just a very good film. The animation actually aids the story in emphasizing the shifting, collapsing, ersatz world of a PKD novel, and the performances are across-the-board appropriate, even Keanu Reeves as a subdued, disconnected individual. How does one of my favourite sci-fi movies wind up as a Reeves film? Well, that's how.

I'd also go so far as to say I like it a lot more than Blade Runner, the most famous and acclaimed (and to be fair, first) PKD adaption.

I simply got *lost* in the story -- everything, and I am one who has really come to appreciate those movies that make the viewer think.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Children of Men was a failed message movie. It didn't suck, but I didn't think it was great.

The whole movie could've ended if Owen had called the cops when he was at Caine's place.

He runs off with girl, Chewietowl Ejaculator and company get in shoot out with authorities.

Given the excessive force of the government and the militantcy of illegal immigrants, the only decent peeps are the mysterious boat based research project. And that's just assumption. For all we know they dissected whats-her-name. Which is how I would've ended the movie.

 

[Kegg]

I simply got *lost* in the story

It's not a story driven film, though. And the story, such as it is, is something I find pretty straightforward (granted I did read the novel but whatever.)

I am one who has really come to appreciate those movies that make the viewer think.

I actually meant those movies n the sense it's a cult movie. I don't mean if you don't like it you don't like smart movies, but that it's the sort of movie I think certain audiences - like me and other PKD geeks - probably love to certain death and other people, not so much.

 

[John Picard]

I simply got *lost* in the story

It's not a story driven film, though. And the story, such as it is, is something I find pretty straightforward (granted I did read the novel but whatever.)

I am one who has really come to appreciate those movies that make the viewer think.

I actually meant those movies n the sense it's a cult movie. I don't mean if you don't like it you don't like smart movies, but that it's the sort of movie I think certain audiences - like me and other PKD geeks - probably love to certain death and other people, not so much.

I see. I didn't mean story driven, but I just plain didn't understand the film, which, suffice to say, every film (attempts) to tell a story.

 

[Kegg]

which, suffice to say, every film (attempts) to tell a story.

No they don't. There is a story in A Scanner Darkly, true (honestly am I the only one who finds the narrative pretty straightforward here?) but not all films even try to tell stories.

 

[trekkiedane]

(honestly am I the only one who finds the narrative pretty straightforward here?)

Nope (but then I'm also a fan)

 

[Reverend]

which, suffice to say, every film (attempts) to tell a story.

No they don't. There is a story in A Scanner Darkly, true (honestly am I the only one who finds the narrative pretty straightforward here?) but not all films even try to tell stories.

Undercover narc that gets so drugged up he starts to suspect and investigate his own alias? As PKD goes that's about as simple as it gets!
As you say though, the film may have a plot, but it isn't really about the plot.

For the record, while it's certainly not my favourite film (probably not even in the top 50) it's still a good film and I wasn't aware that it was particularly highly thought of or derided. Like a cinematic curio, I suppose. nevertheless it sits on my DVD shelf.

 

[Kegg]

^
Well, yeah, but it's not a story I think people would be left puzzled with after the event. This isn't 2001 where the plot is rather perplexing the first time through; as a story I thought A Scanner Darkly is pretty straightforward - you know who was doing what and why by the end of it.

Weird as hell, of course, but straightforward. There are a few nods or winks that might be missed

Spoiler: Minor spoiler

What the scientist tells Keanu Reeves: Get your girl flowers. Blue ones.

but really nothing big.

 

[John Picard]

which, suffice to say, every film (attempts) to tell a story.

No they don't. There is a story in A Scanner Darkly, true (honestly am I the only one who finds the narrative pretty straightforward here?) but not all films even try to tell stories.

Undercover narc that gets so drugged up he starts to suspect and investigate his own alias? As PKD goes that's about as simple as it gets!
As you say though, the film may have a plot, but it isn't really about the plot.

That's *still* telling a story and I *still* got lost in it. I went in knowing what it was about (investigating himself, etc) but I got lost. (shrug)

 

[exodus]

Children of Men was a failed message movie. It didn't suck, but I didn't think it was great.

The whole movie could've ended if Owen had called the cops when he was at Caine's place.

He runs off with girl, Chewietowl Ejaculator and company get in shoot out with authorities.

Given the excessive force of the government and the militantcy of illegal immigrants, the only decent peeps are the mysterious boat based research project. And that's just assumption. For all we know they dissected whats-her-name. Which is how I would've ended the movie.

Yes, yes. That's exactly what sums up the film and why it underwhelmed me. It felt like an Atheist's view of what spirituality must be to others. It had all the elements but none of the heart.

 

[indranee]

I thought Dark Knight absolutely sucked.

so did Gone With The Wind. I'll never understand why MOST people love those two.

 

[Daneel]

I guess I'd say Transformers -- lots of people apparently enjoyed it, but I thought it was pretty bad. The sequel was even worse, but I've yet to meet anyone in real life who's claimed it's a good movie.

The Blair Witch Project -- it had received so much hype and acclaim, but after I saw it, all I could really think was, "That's it? Where were the scary parts?" Waaaay overrated.

When I was in high school, everyone seemed to love Adam Sandler's movies, but I just thought they were juvenile and stupid. Same thing with most of Will Ferrell's movies over the past few years, but I think (hope) that people are starting to catch on to his tiresome antics.

Beyond that, I can't think of too much... There are a few films that are popular which I have no interest in seeing, though, like the Austin Powers movies or the Pirates of the Caribbean series; they just don't really appeal to me.

 

[TrekNut87]

Avatar: Everyone is raving about this one, but I absolutely HATED it
All the Spiderman movies
All the Harry Potter movies

 

[Reverend]

^ Not that I'm much of a Harry Potter fan but I have to ask; if you hated the first HP movie, what possessed you to watch all the others? Generally when I dislike a film I don't usually bother with the sequels, never mind five of them!

As far as films like Blair Witch goes, I'd say it's one of those that was a victim of it's own popularity. I sometimes call it the "Donnie Darko effect"; a relatively low budget or innovative film, either comes out of nowhere or very quickly builds a following on home video fuelled by word of mouth, snowballing until everyone has heard about it and absolutely MUST see it, by which point, repeated recommendations have pushed expectations so far beyond reasonable that there's no way the actual product can satisfy and then you get a backlash of people either genuinely disappointed or just trend followers who've suddenly sensed it's now much cooler to dislike the now hugely popular film.

Of course though all that the film is still objectively a "good" film but perceptions are so warped most people loose all perspective.

I think it's an increasingly common phenomenon and from all accounts it looks like District 9 & Avatar are next in line to be labelled as over-hyped and overrated.

For the record though, I thought Blair Witch was okay, but then I didn't really expect much.

 

[DonIago]

Hm. I think one could argue that in certain contexts calling a film overrated is saying more about the hubbub surrounding a film than the film itself.

I think Titanic was a good film..just not as good as certain raving fans might make you believe. Same for the Harry Potter movies.

As for Twilight...if the people saying it's good are, for instance, teenage girls...well gee, that was the target audience after all...what were you expecting? I have neither read the books nor seen the movies, but if the synopses on Wikipedia are any indication, I can see how if I -was- a member of the target audience I might find the franchise appealling.

 

[Cmndr J Crichton]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be, 'Films YOU think that sucked, but everyone else liked?'

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Gone With The Wind really did suck, I agree!

Not so sure about The Dark Knight, but I've only ever watched it whilst drunk or something of the like, so..... no idea.

 

[DevilEyes]

Gone With The Wind really did suck, I agree!

Not so sure about The Dark Knight, but I've only ever watched it whilst drunk or something of the like, so..... no idea.

I thought The Dark Knight was great.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

So did I, but I have to really watch it.... you know, in all seriousness.