Movie/TV Suggestions Gone Awry

[Spot's Meow]

We often get suggestions for movies or television shows that our friends, family, or coworkers just loved, and are dying for us to watch because they are so sure we'll love it too. And so you rent or borrow it and watch it, and discover that it's an awful piece of crap that you've now wasted precious moments of your life on.

How do you then go back to the person who recommended it and break the news? Two examples of when this dilemma created an uncomfortable situation. First, I had a coworker a while ago who kept recommending that I watch this show that was available for instant streaming on Netflix. He was a really eccentric guy and is very picky about the TV he watches so he was sure I would love it (since I'll watch almost anything). But I watched two or three episodes, and found it really dreadful! His desk was right next to mine (so no avoiding him) and he would ask almost every day if I'd been watching. I tried to be kind yet give my opinion, saying things like "it just wasn't for me" or "well we probably don't have time to watch another series." But he was not having it. He is not a very understanding or personable guy, so instead of letting it go he kept insisting that I watch it. I left that job a couple of weeks later (for unrelated reasons ) so that problem is now solved.

In my second example, my boyfriend kept telling me about this movie that he thought was one of the best he'd ever seen. He said it was one of very few movies that had actually made him cry and meant a lot to him. So we rent the movie and we watch it and I say, "well, that was okay I guess, but kind of boring." And I look over and he is bawling his eyes out and talking about how deep and meaningful the film is. Hmmm...

Has anyone else been in a situation like this? Or the reverse, where you really love something, a TV show or movie or song, and after recommending it to your friends or family they come back and tell you how awful it was. I mean, you don't want to have all the same likes as your friends, but at the same time when your taste in something diverges so greatly you wonder what the hell they're thinking!

 

[Starbreaker]

My best friend keeps telling me how awesome Trailer Park Boys is. Thankfully, we're close enough that I just flat out told her it sucked.

 

[od0_ital]

I really like the Pixar movies, and my last girlfriend really loved Cars, which was the one Pixar I hadn't watched. And I mean she loved that movie - she even had the toys lined up on the shelf above her computer in her home office. No other Pixar toys, just Cars toys.

So, one night, a buddy of mine gave me his DVD copy after he upgraded to the blu ray.

And I took it back to her place for us to watch, and, of course, she still loved the movie.

I was sittin' there, just appalled that I was livin' with someone who could love that movie at all!

Of course, when it was over, she asked me what I thought...and I had to lie like a dog.

 

[auntiehill]

Hubby and I, when we were newly married, were watching a dvd of his favorite film. I'd never seen it, nor cared to see it, and knew little about it. So, he sits me down and makes me watch it, because he knows I've been a huge film buff since childhood. I took film classes in college, read books about film history in high school, and grew up practically worshiping Roger Ebert. He just KNOWS I'll love this film.

He hits the pause the button every few minutes to ask, "Did you see that? Did you notice this? Isn't it cool?" That alone just annoyed the HELL outta me, but I keep watching, not terribly impressed. About a third of the way in, I turn to him and say, "I get it. So-and-so doesn't actually exist. The guy has a split personality and doesn't realize it. That's kinda lame."

Hubby actually threw the remote down and stomped off for a sulk. He just doesn't understand why I wasn't just bowled over. I didn't dislike the film; I just figured out the surprise ending and so wasn't terribly impressed.

I've also had moments where someone's likes or dislikes in films have clued me into their personality. I had a co-worker who was slightly younger but close enough in age that she felt we should be "pals." I really didn't know much about her, but she seemed nice enough. It turned out we lived close to each other, so she took that as a sign that we should be buddies. We went to lunch together one day and she chattered non-stop and finally asked me what my hobbies were. When I told her I was a film buff, she practically squealed and said she was a movie buff, too. She asked what my favorite films were, so I started rattling off titles: Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Cinema Paradiso, Wings of Desire--- and she just stares back blankly and says she's never heard of any of those.

"Never heard of Casablanca?" I ask. I assume that she surely just didn't hear me correctly the first time. (Strike one, in my book)

Her response is to ask if that's a black and white film, and when I say yes, she makes a face and responds that she never watches any film that's not in color. (Strike two)

She then proceeds to tell me about her favorite movie of all time, Pretty in Pink, which in her mind, was the best movie ever made, and then tearfully recalls the powerful impact it made on her life. (Strike three)

I remember very clearly thinking to myself, as she prattled on and on, "You're an idiot." The next few months proved me right. She turned out to be one of the dumbest people I've ever met.

 

[DrCorby]

Shortly before the first Jurassic Park movie came out, I read the novel, then saw the movie. Talking to my parents shortly afterwards, told them how much I'd enjoyed the book, and how I thought they'd done a pretty good job adapting it for the screen. A couple of weeks later, my mom calls to tell me that they had gone to see the movie, and hadn't liked it very much. Too gory, for one thing. (C'mon, humans and dinosaurs in the same movie? Someone's going to get eaten!) That didn't surprise me much, but I was sorry they'd gone based on my enthusiasm.

From that point on, whenever I'd enthuse to my parents about a movie, I was careful to add whether I thought it was a movie that they would like to see or not. They've been much happier.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Hubby and I, when we were newly married, were watching a dvd of his favorite film. I'd never seen it, nor cared to see it, and knew little about it. So, he sits me down and makes me watch it, because he knows I've been a huge film buff since childhood. I took film classes in college, read books about film history in high school, and grew up practically worshiping Roger Ebert. He just KNOWS I'll love this film.

He hits the pause the button every few minutes to ask, "Did you see that? Did you notice this? Isn't it cool?" That alone just annoyed the HELL outta me, but I keep watching, not terribly impressed. About a third of the way in, I turn to him and say, "I get it. So-and-so doesn't actually exist. The guy has a split personality and doesn't realize it. That's kinda lame."

Hubby actually threw the remote down and stomped off for a sulk. He just doesn't understand why I wasn't just bowled over. I didn't dislike the film; I just figured out the surprise ending and so wasn't terribly impressed.

I've also had moments where someone's likes or dislikes in films have clued me into their personality. I had a co-worker who was slightly younger but close enough in age that she felt we should be "pals." I really didn't know much about her, but she seemed nice enough. It turned out we lived close to each other, so she took that as a sign that we should be buddies. We went to lunch together one day and she chattered non-stop and finally asked me what my hobbies were. When I told her I was a film buff, she practically squealed and said she was a movie buff, too. She asked what my favorite films were, so I started rattling off titles: Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Cinema Paradiso, Wings of Desire--- and she just stares back blankly and says she's never heard of any of those.

"Never heard of Casablanca?" I ask. I assume that she surely just didn't hear me correctly the first time. (Strike one, in my book)

Her response is to ask if that's a black and white film, and when I say yes, she makes a face and responds that she never watches any film that's not in color. (Strike two)

She then proceeds to tell me about her favorite movie of all time, Pretty in Pink, which in her mind, was the best movie ever made, and then tearfully recalls the powerful impact it made on her life. (Strike three)

I remember very clearly thinking to myself, as she prattled on and on, "You're an idiot." The next few months proved me right. She turned out to be one of the dumbest people I've ever met.

I hate to say it, but she needs to be exposed to older movies, and we as a society need to be teaching older movie appreciation classes in junior and senior high school.

 

[Kirkman1987]

There was a girl in high school that I took to the same movie three times because I had a crush on her and she loved this thing. Needless to say, I thought it was awful. She lost interest in me shortly thereafter so it wasn't even worth it.

On my end, I really like zombie films and one of my girlfriends wanted to watch one, claiming to be a zombie and horror fan. Later I found out that she was one of those people who only saw shaun of the dead and then claimed to be a huge zombie fan. She was excited by Peter Jackson's name on Braindead and moreso when I said it was one of the goofier films in the genre (it's also one of the goriest films ever made). I think she almost puked towards the end, and was shocked that I watched stuff like that.

 

[Aragorn]

Hubby actually threw the remote down and stomped off for a sulk. He just doesn't understand why I wasn't just bowled over. I didn't dislike the film; I just figured out the surprise ending and so wasn't terribly impressed.

Maybe you weren't bowled over because he was interrupting your viewing AND trying to control your viewing at the same time.

 

[auntiehill]

^ Ya think? He also did that to me with some TV shows, and I ended up HATING them, too. But try telling him that.

But, to be fair, I ruin a lot of suspense films or mystery shows we watch because I have seen so many freakin' movies and TV shows that it doesn't take long for me to figure out where things are headed; I totally ruin it for him by announcing, "The maid did it. She's the killer!" He'll get mad and say, "You don't know that! I bet it's not her at all" and then when the film ends, I turn to him and say "Told you so."

I guess that's what happens when a Nerd marries a Geek.

 

[sojourner]

Wild guess here referring to the OP, but was the second movie you mentioned, where he cried, was it Finding Neverland?

 

[WillsBabe]

I've learned over the years to treat any recommendations with sceptisism. I'm sure there have been films and tv that I've watched on the back of recommendations that I have enjoyed and so on, but I can't really think of any at the moment. I don't have a problem telling the person who recommended them that I didn't enjoy them or think they were the best thing since sliced bread. I just tell the person concerned that it wasn't for me. Vice versa, I very rarely recommend anything to anyone. I did recently recommend new bsg to a colleague who seems to be enjoying it, although he is also offering constructive critisism, which I take as a sign that he's watching it critically, and his points seem to be valid.

 

[Aragorn]

My first thought for the movie auntiehill was referring to was A Beautiful Mind. My second thought is a certain David Fincher movie I won't mention in case someone hasn't seen it yet, but Ebert didn't like that movie so I don't know if that would clash with an Ebert worshiper.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Wild guess here referring to the OP, but was the second movie you mentioned, where he cried, was it Finding Neverland?

No, I actually liked that movie and he didn't. The movie was Big Fish.


My first thought on reading auntiehill's description was Identity with John Cusack.

 

[auntiehill]

My first thought for the movie auntiehill was referring to was A Beautiful Mind. My second thought is a certain David Fincher movie I won't mention in case someone hasn't seen it yet, but Ebert didn't like that movie so I don't know if that would clash with an Ebert worshiper.

I loved A Beautiful Mind. And it wasn't Identity.

Let's just say it's a movie that most men seem to love, so I have learned simply not to mention my dislike for it in their company. And, uh, if Ebert didn't like it and I didn't like it. I only mentioned my worship of the man since it reflects my love of movies. Most people couldn't name a critic if they tried. And yes, that's probably the movie.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

@auntiehill: I thought "it" totally sucked.

@OP:

Yes, it's happened to me plenty of times.

Sometimes it is a result of generation gap syndrome. Standard examples include, as has been suggested, black & white films. Other examples include films with any dated elements whatsoever. Ironically a lot of these films are getting remade today, and the originals are better. A good example is The Manchurian Candidate.

Another noteworthy category is that of low budget films, which I think have very strong stories or other creative elements. The typical response from others is that such a film has no merits worth considering because it is low budget. I just shake my head and move on, as to them originality is evidently not much of a virtue.

I'll boldly name a couple of low-budget movies that I think are really good: The Evil Dead (1981), which is fairly well known, and Split (1989) by Chris Shaw which is not. If anyone sees these and complains to me that either sucks, well remember the thread in which you heard about them .

 

[Jetfire]

I have told people to check out Smallville and then I never hear from them again.

 

[Aragorn]

Oh, wait, I misread it. I thought Mr. auntiehill was the Ebert worshiper. The movie I was referring to that Ebert didn't like was Fight Club.

 

[Orac Zen]

A good mate raved on (and on and on) about Brazil and insisted I'd love it and think it was every bit as fantastic as she did.

I absolutely loathed it. Fortunately she still spoke to me afterward, but it was a close-run thing.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I'm usually the one that's recommending stuff, and lots of my friends have said 'that sucks'. It doesn't bother me too much really. There have been a few movies I've watched because other people have raved about them and haven't liked, and then we just have a bit of a discussion, say 'you're crazy' to each other and move on.

I guess part of it might be heightened expectations, I mean if somebody says "this film is AMAZING it will TOTALLY change your LIFE!" you'll be more disappointed when it turns out that it's just okay.

 

[auntiehill]

Oh, wait, I misread it. I thought Mr. auntiehill was the Ebert worshiper. The movie I was referring to that Ebert didn't like was Fight Club.

No, you read it right. As I said before, I only mentioned that I loved Ebert to show how much I loved movies, hence Hubby thinking that I would HIS favorite movie---which I did not. And, yes, I know that was the movie you were referring to.

I went out to the movies once with a co-worker, and we saw "Dark City." I really enjoyed it. When we came out of the theater, I turned to her and she just stared back blankly and said, "I don't get it." I explained it, and she still didn't get it and said she didn't like the movie because it was "weird." I think that was the moment I discovered she was a bit dim-witted.