Worst Movie ever

Subject: Worst Movie ever
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 01:21 AM

Has just got to be Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

If you can write fantasy then write your own. If you can't then how in the hell do you think that you can write a sequel to Alice?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: alanabit
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 01:46 AM

I think this thread is soon going to go downstairs. I have not seen this film yet Bert - and I will take your word for it that it is not good. However, I have seen other Tim Burton films and with all the competition out there, I would be most surprised if he achieved this dubious distinction by common consent.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:11 AM

Most of his films are a bit weird. But 'Alice' should have borrowed more from Lewis Carroll and less from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:48 AM

I think that the problem with Tim Burton, is he actually BELIEVES his own press!
GfS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 03:09 AM

I haven't seen the film yet, but from the reviewws I read I got the impression that the Tim Burton bits were excellent but most of the film was Disney.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Acorn4
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 06:18 AM

What about "Sex and the City -2"?

Mark Kermode on "Sex and the City 2"

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stu
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 06:43 AM

I saw 2012 the night before last. Why doesn't Hollywood hire feckin' scriptwriters who can write? Looks like it cost a fortune, but that's as good as it got.

Trite and bordering on the embarrassing.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RangerSteve
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 06:55 AM

Alice was nice to look at, and interesting at times, but not the classic that it could have been. I'm starting to believe that TB is actually twins, one good (Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood) and one evil (Sweeney Todd, Sleepy Hollow).

Yeah, I just said Sweeney Todd sucked. I saw it on Broadway and consider it one of the high points of my life, but the movie, for some reason, took place entirely at night, hardly a bright color anywhere, and where the stage version had some dark humor, the movie was just plain dreary. The time I spent watching it is time I'll want back at the end of my life. And "Sleepy Hollow" is another instance of a perfectly good story that Burton played around with and ultimately, messed up. And, like "Alice" was nice to look at, but with an awfully dreary story.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy Warren
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:50 AM

It has to be Intersection with Richard Gere, Sharon Stone. What boring dross it was and it is one of those films that goes on and on until thankfully Richard Gere (I can remember if it was an accident or suicide) but he crashes his car and I was thinking halleluyah for that we can go!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: bubblyrat
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 08:02 AM

It has to be the film where the Americans capture a U-boat and the "Enigma" coding -device inside it , if only because it's a load of RUBBISH, especially since it was the BRITISH who captured the U-Boat & enigma machine ( Actually !!!).Second worst film is "The Great Escape", if only because,at the time of the real-life escape,there were NO AMERICAN prisoners in that particular camp--so just WHO was Steve McQueen supposed to have been, then ?? Eh ??

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:25 AM

And James Garner, token Yanks so it would sell in good old USA.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:41 AM

Bubbly, Have you read Paul Brickhills book about The Great Escape?

The worst movie I have ever seen? Too hard to say, I've seen some awful films but the question is too subjective. Movies that I will never watch twice, "Tess" is at the top of the list. So is "Gone With The Wind".

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:53 AM

Rudolph Nureyev in "Exposed".
I went with a bunch of die hard ballet fans who ended up guffawing through most of it. Playing his girlfriend like a cello, mincing steps as he stalks her down the street. This is worth seeing just for the comic value.
Damn Capslock!
SINS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: alanabit
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:59 AM

The acting in "Gone With The Wind" is so excruciatingly embarrassing that I have never been able to sit through more than ten minutes of it.
I am afraid that war films like the one about the sub, which captured the Enigma machine and "The Great Escape", required both American capital (to get them made in the first place) and American heroes (to get the audiences to reclaim that capital). American heroes are perfectly acceptable to audiences elsewhere, but American audiences usually only like American heroes. (Our guys make good villains or brave, but stupid sidekicks). I have read Paul Brickhill's "The Great Escape". Was not the film script written by James Clavell - another expat Brit? I can understand what annoyed bubblyrat there, but were there not some even bigger stinkers of war movies featuring Ronald Reagan, John Wayne and Errol Flynn, which are better candidates for the uncoveted title of "Worst War Movie Ever" - let along "Worst Movie Ever"?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy Warren
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 10:17 AM

I totally agree with you about Gone With the Wind. It is supposed to be an all time great mind blowing epic but it left me wondering why I wasted 2 hours (or it seemed like that) sitting through it just to hear Clark Gable say 'Frankly I don't give a damn.' Left me thinking huh? is that it?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Duke
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 10:26 AM

I am a big Tim Burton fan. If you don't like his movies, I guess you have no imagination.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:01 AM

Songcatcher

Spaw

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bainbo
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:07 AM

I'm a fan of the Alice books, but wasn't tempted by the film. That's despite the recommendation of a colleague who told me at work: "You must see it. You'll love it - it's just being in here. It's full of mad people who lie all the time."

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bainbo
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:09 AM

That should read:
"You'll love it - it's just like being in here."

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:19 AM

I have an incredible ability to suspend disbelief and enjoy and be entertained by a lot of less than sterling celuloid epics. I almost never let historical fact get in the way of a ripping yarn. Errol Flynn's Charge of the Light Brigade was lousy history but great adventure. Was Trevor Howard's film more accurate? The same with goes with Flynn's Custer's Last Stand but still it was a good story as far as fiction goes.

John Wayne made some stinkers but I'll accept a dozen McQ's for every Quiet Man or Cavalry Trilogy he did. I do not care what his politics were. They don't matter when The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance comes on the screen.

I don't like Jane Fonda. But I am not watching Jane Fonda when I am watching Klute or Julia.

Add "Soldiers Three" to my list of lemons.

D

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Becca72
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:51 AM

I really liked 'Alice', but then I've enjoyed every Tim Burton film I've seen. I appreciate his twisted outlook.

The worst movie I've seen recently has got to be 'Ghost Writer'

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RWilhelm
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 12:14 PM

I just saw Adam Sandlers "Grown Ups" because it was filmed where I live. It has to be one of the worst movies ever.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: alanabit
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 01:57 PM

I do not understand the abbreviation "MQs" Don. Like you, I find John Wayne's films a whole lot more palatable than his politics. The same goes for Gary Cooper, who did not exactly cover himself with glory when it came to standing by his mates. John Wayne never made a film as cringingly embarrassing to watch as "Gone With The Wind". In that one I spent every second feeling sorry for the actors and thinking, "The poor sods have got to pretend that they take all this tosh seriously!"
Errol Flynn's "Robin Hood" is high camp and plain ridiculous, but it is also splendid entertainment.
Possibly one of those "true to life" gritty Northern dramas made in cheap black and white in the sixties is the worst film ever made. They often do not even have the saving grace of being funny by accident.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:03 PM

I can understand Tim Burton fans liking this version of Alice. But his style of whimsy (Nightmare before Christmas) just doesn't translate to Alice. Lewis Carroll's whimsy is a lot lighter with clever wordplay and brilliant twisted logic.

If he had written another fantasy movie of his own it would have been much better than trying to force his own style on Alice.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:07 PM

The Worst Move Ever would be impossible, but I can think of shit films I've seen in recent years. Off the top of my head the worst film I've seen in the last ten years would probably be Independence Day. If the last five it was that joke HG Well's thing. I can't remember which was worse, they were both really, really bad.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:22 PM

Not really a guest. "Skivee" sans cookie,
el joe clone

Bubblyrat, your comment "It has to be the film where the Americans capture a U-boat and the "Enigma" coding -device inside it , if only because it's a load of RUBBISH, especially since it was the BRITISH who captured the U-Boat & enigma machine ( Actually !!!)." is not entirely correct
Enigma machines were recovered by both British and American forces from U-Boats. The British navy catured one first, but an American sub catured a Nazi sub sub along with its enigma machine and all important code pads; they were spirited away to the Royal Dockyard in Bermuda. Later the Nazi sub ended up on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Film makers often change significant facts to suit their tastes. I once saw a bit of a British docudrama showing that a British pilot was the first jet jockey to break the sound barrier...errr, nope.
It's just not a good idea to learn your history from movies; otherwise you might end up thinking that either the British or Americans had a bigger hand in stopping Hitler than the Soviet Union, or that Wellington 's stratagy had much to do with Napolian being defeated at Waterloo.
For a truly awful film that lotsa folk gushed over, look up August Rush A piece of pretentious crap from beginning to end. A clear demonstration of what happens when a film that preports to be about the power of music is made by folks who don't know anything about music.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Amergin
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:22 PM

Any movie with Nicholas Cage....he can make the most exciting mind blowing action movie ever made into something that forces you to look at your watch every thirty seconds, because it is so boring you can't help but think is it over yet? Additionally, he can take the most intelligent script and bring it down to kindergarten level, just so he could understand that he's the hero...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:32 PM

Hi Alanabit

McQ was a Wayne film where he is a Detective wandering about London and New York spraying away with a Mac 10 machine pistol and flirting with much younger women. Not his shiningest moment. Mid 70's i think.

Robin Hood was taken mostly from the art work of NC Wyeth and Howard Pyle. Gary Cooper was never better than when in High Noon. As I said, once they hit the screen politics disappears and I am immersed in the story for better or ill.

D

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Skivee
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:33 PM

The note to Bubblyrat above is from me. I guess my cookie got eaten.
PS The U-571 movie has a epilogue crawler shot that list all three of the Enigma captures, and correctly lists the British mission as the first

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:37 PM

U 505 I believe Skivee, I built a model of her when I was 12.
And I liked U-571, it was entertaining.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Skivee
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:41 PM

I thionk you are right, Don.
The Royal Dockyard museum had an extensive exhibit of the cooperative effort between British and American intelligence agencies to gleen info about Enigma coding from U505.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:41 PM

"I once saw a bit of a British docudrama showing that a British pilot was the first jet jockey to break the sound barrier...errr, nope."

What was it? I find the fictional dramatising of history increasingly troubling. I don't care who does it. But Hollywood for sure should stop faking America's heroism & brilliance in WWII.

People believe their bullshit. I guess that's why they do it. Go USA.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:42 PM

I'd say films like Independence Day (a well-done bit of jolly romping hokum that didn't take itself too seriously) and Burton's Alice (disappointing overall but with some good bits) can't really be described as the Worst Movie Ever.

But something like Prince Valiant (the 1997 version) genuinely is a candidate... no doubt there are 100s of worse films I will never see, but this was incompetent and unfunny and woodenly-acted and with some useless effects... read reviewer James Hitchcock at the IMDb link, who is pleasingly 1) disgusted and 2) from Tunbridge Wells.

And it is not as though it is full of unknown actors - people like Edward Fox and Thomas Kretschmann and Joanna Lumley are in it, and Katherine Heigl also; here she was 18 and very wooden, though I gather she got better.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: alanabit
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:44 PM

I think that is fair enough Don. Thanks for putting me right on "MQ".

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 02:48 PM

I think the movie was "The Sound Barrier".

Chuck Yeager was the first to break the sound barrier and survive.
Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr. died while breaking the sound barrier which is the story behind the film.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: radriano
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 03:51 PM

What has this got to do with music?

Please move this to the non-music section.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Skivee
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 03:56 PM

Bert, that was the movie.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 04:02 PM

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: radriano - PM
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 03:51 PM
What has this got to do with music?
Please move this to the non-music section.


Don't panic! Moderators will be here by sunrise!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 04:43 PM

Are they all watching Twilight?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: PHJim
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 04:51 PM

How about VIXEN.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 05:20 PM

If you were a young girl of 12, watching GWTW for the first time, on a big screen in downtown Denver, with your big brother lending his shoulder for all of the tears, and you had an ounce of idealism/romanticism in you, it was the most stupendous movie of all time. Of course, I've grown up, but I still love it. And, just to get Rhett's last line correct, it is "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

I agree with Spaw re' Songcatcher. I'd also add True Grit, the worst western ever, imo. I can't stand any of the John Wayne movies anymore; he seems like a caricature.

As to The Great Escape...join netflix and catch a video of Eddie Izzard commenting on the Americans being in it, etc. Hilarious and spot on! I can't remember which one, but I think it was the one he did in NYC and I think it was called Circle.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:21 PM

As a Scot, I'd have to say that, apart from most Hollywood remakes of European films, the worst film I've ever seen was "Braveheart".

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Ref
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:41 PM

Can we keep the thread here if I join Spaw in nominating "Songcatcher?"

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Ref
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:41 PM

Too late!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:51 PM

Crow sister,

Am I to take then that the United States efforts in WWII were cowardly and stupid?

Don

Songcatcher: Not much of a movie wrapped around some fabulous music.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 08:25 PM

You guys haven't seen enough movies.

The title of "Worst Movie Ever" is a dead, dead heat among scores, maybe hundreds, of films.

Try, for example, "The Wild World of Bat Woman" (1966). Or "Fire Maidens from Outer Space" (1956). If war films are your cup of woe, go for "The Starfighters" (1964) starring future Republican Congressman Robert Dornan.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Wesley S
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 08:49 PM

None of you has even seen "Bugs" or "The Night of the Lepus" I take it.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:47 PM

Firemaidens from Outerspace Staring Zsa Zsa gabor and Eric Fleming I think. The Killer Shrews with Ken Curtis (Festus Hagen) The Massacre at Marble City (the musical theme after the massacre was The Party's Over)The Beginning of The End with Peter Graves, all bad but good bad Saturday afternoon instead of mowing the lawn bad.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 09:55 PM

"Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy Warren - PM
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 10:17 AM

I totally agree with you about Gone With the Wind. It is supposed to be an all time great mind blowing epic but it left me wondering why I wasted 2 hours (or it seemed like that) sitting through it just to hear Clark Gable say 'Frankly I don't give a damn.' Left me thinking huh? is that it?"

I don't know you, Guest/Patsy Warren, but it strikes me that you have never seen Gone with the Wind.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,andrew
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:23 PM

Just about all movies made in the last few years!
Latest Startrek,Get Smart,James Bond etc.
You have to have the sound turned right up to hear the words,that's if they're worth hearing!
The camera jumps all over the place so you can't really see what's happening.
Much too much action, and not enough story. People shouting at each other. Smart arse characters.
It's all meaningless to me.
There are some good TV shows.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 02:27 AM

Oh come on, everyone knows the answer to this. Only one film has ever won two golden turkey awards. Ed Wood's "Plan 9" aka "Graverobbers from Outer Space".

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Allan C
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 05:31 AM

"As a Scot, I'd have to say that, apart from most Hollywood remakes of European films, the worst film I've ever seen was "Braveheart""

Aye some of it is naff to say the least. I know folk moan about the historical inaccuracies with the likes of the blue face and the liason with the Princess but those don't bother me at all. The basis of the story is Blind Harry's poem or rather Hamilton's later version of Harry's poem - and the blue face is present in the poem as is the liason though it is with the English Queen rather than a Princess. Folk moan about the anti-Englishness though to be fair to the novel and film that aspect is actually toned down. A big gripe is often the Brigadoon tartan aspects of it. That part of the army raised by Wallace was raised in and largely operated in the southern and central Lowlands and the army would probably have not looked much different from any army raised in England so the Highlandism of the film really skews the picture. Though I suspect a modern audience in the large North American market would expect to see tartan on Scots so the film makers would give them what they expect.

One bit that irritates me is the pan-Celticism of it. In the film when the Irish army in the service of the English actually come face to face with Wallace's Scottish army - they throw down their weapons and they all hug each other in Celtic brotherhood - whilst Edward I whispers "bloody Irish" as an aside. In the poem though when Wallace catches up with the army of mixed Irish and Scottish Highlanders in the service of the English the outcome is rather different. As they are seen as kin the Highlanders are spared on condition that they join Wallace's army. On the other hand the Irish are massacred to the last man as they are seen as foreign invaders.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Acorn4
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 06:04 AM

On the other hand, you can play "spot the boxer shorts under the kilt" in Braveheart.

Historical accuracy more often than not goes out of the window. The classic case is "Cromwell", starring Richard Harris as the Protector, who came out with a string of quotations most of which were said by other people than Cromwell, and at least one was said by someone on the other side.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stu
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 06:29 AM

I saw 2012 the other night.

Complete.Utter.Crap. x100

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,CW
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 08:23 AM

Marley and Me
The Break Up

... but my worst ever ...

The Happening

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy Warren
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 09:56 AM

Old dubbed Godzilla films but worth seeing for the comic value. The plot and storylines are hilarious and the effects so basic (men dressed in rubber monster suits). The one I got for my kids way back had Godzilla saving Tokyo from total destruction by some monsters from another planet. At the finish Godzilla wins and he heads back to Monster Island with a final wave before he goes. Can't remember what it was called though.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lighter
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 02:41 PM

If you can stand to watch it all for any reason at all, it isn't the worst movie ever.

That's just common sense.

Go here for the "Bottom 100" as voted on by thousands of online critics:

http://www.imdb.com/chart/bottom

Glad to see that my three picks are conspicuous.

Note: no GWTW!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,AndyC
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 03:34 PM

This might be a controversial choice, but my most hated film is 'Billy Elliott'. Maybe not the worst ever but surely the most over-rated - poor acting, can't seem to decide whether it's supposed to be set in the 1970s or 1980s, and a ham-fisted and simplistic portrayal of English working people as a group of knuckle-draggers who are unable to appreciate any form of culture or want the best for their children.

I know from a newspaper article a few years ago that at least one well-known reviewer agrees with me.

Watch Brassed Off, the Full Monty or Kes instead...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Allan C
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 03:45 PM

"re Billy Elliot - can't seem to decide whether it's supposed to be set in the 1970s or 1980s"

Set in the mid 80s during the miner's strike. The big brother is a big Marc Bolan fan hence the T.Rex 1970s sound track

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 04:23 PM

I agree about 'Alice' a missed opportunity.
As for worst ever movies, either 'Matrix.' All that money on effects, shame they couldn't spare the price of a cup of coffee on a script writer!
BobH

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 07:47 PM

2012. I saw some of it, and will finish it soon. I like the part with
Charlie Frost.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 11:14 PM

I walked out on Amadeus. If Salieri was still alive, I would help him file a lawsuit for libel. This is fiction carried too far.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: ollaimh
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 12:36 PM

well nothing equals"they saved hitler's brain". with a cheesey privatedective style anouncer recordinghis search forhitlers brain.itbwasspiritedaway by nazi's for cloningandlater imlant.

the sets were so bad the camera occasionally verred off set and you could see the gaffers.   really reallyfunny.

the canadian film "revenge of the land" was also a howler. with every cliche about settling thepraries. the evil gran company, the evil railroads ,the plucky little farm boy and a child almost dying atthe climax so they are all forced to work together.again so bad it was funny.

i also hate those action films thathave the overpowering soundtracks so you know when to be excited, and nothingbutaction action action. dark knight--battman, awfull. inception--so predictable and "oh now we are goingdeeper thatanyman has gonebefore intothedream state" we never saw that comming. and the over powering music.

but nothing compRES TO THEY SAVED HITLERS BRAIN

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 01:18 PM

What is your reason for attending these class c-d movies?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lighter
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 01:37 PM

I haven't in years. It's cheaper and more interesting to take a nap.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,erbert
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 01:39 PM

I'm genuinely looking for a watchable un-cut bootleg DVD
of Val Guest's long lost pile of shite

"Life is a Circus"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051863/


no.. seriously...


I've only ever seen it once on an afternoon broadcast on UK TV
about 30 years ago;
probably the only chance anyone ever had to get a VHS copy..

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 01:44 PM

Pretty Woman - more-or-less encouraging such-like to prostitute themselves until they meet a filthy rich capitalist.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: bubblyrat
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 02:40 PM

I quite liked "McQ",as I admired Clu Gulager,if only for A) having such a weird name, and B) being totally unintelligible in every word he uttered. I thought perhaps JW's character was called "McHugh ", as in the song (" Follow Me Up To Carlow",so now we ARE a music thread !), and the title "McQ" was just being trendy ??Who knows ??
    Hope I haven't upset anyone re-"The Great Escape"......I know that there were,indeed,American POWs in that camp, but, crucially,they had all been transferred by the time of the "Escape" ( in which Steve McQueen rides a BRITISH motor-cycle, or so I believe !!).

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lighter
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 04:01 PM

Literalism. A little more of it and there'd have been no Shakespeare.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RangerSteve
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 04:04 PM

I saw "2001 - A Space Idiocy" twice when it first came out (it was in a theater on a Navy base and only cost me 50cents each time, but it's still a dollar that I'd like back), and I didn't get it. My older brother explained it to me, and I still didn't get it. Years later, a co-worker explained it to me, but I still didn't get it. Then I sat down and watched it on TV - the TCM channel - and, guess what? I still didn't get it. And since they've decided that Jupiter is probably composed of liquid gas, there's a good chance no one will be landing on it anytime soon, so it all seems kind of pointless now. It's on my private list of bad movies, but I'll respect anyone's right to consider it a classic, since so many people do. And don't try to explain it to me. When it comes time to die, I'll probably want that time back.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 06:00 PM

Just saw the Queen.

pretty bad. But ANY Tom Hanks makes me want to gag.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Amergin
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 06:46 PM

Was Tom Hanks playing the Queen?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Ref
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 09:07 PM

I think a bad film should be defined as one that does not live up to its promise. The C and D grade flicks are therefore beyond consideration, like today's "straight-to-video" losers. "2012", for example, is a bad film because of all the pretentious crap about Mayan prophecy and the promise of coherent special effects that didn't come close to panning out.

Let's be honest here. Songcatcher (with a nod to Mr. Don) is an appallingly bad film wrapped around a good soundtrack.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 09:13 AM

"Second worst film is "The Great Escape", if only because,at the time of the real-life escape,there were NO AMERICAN prisoners in that particular camp--so just WHO was Steve McQueen supposed to have been, then ?? Eh ?? "

George harsh and Nick Nichols(The inspiration for Steve McQueens character in the film) would argue strongly with you. Nichols and Piglett Lamond actually perpetrated the Mole Escape as shown in the movie and George Harsh was in the X organization as the designer and head of the Ferret warning system.

Harsh had an early number in the escape list until it was discovered he had severe clasutrophobia.

Both men were members of the RAF, Nichols was an American Eagle but both men were decidedly American and both were involved in the escape plan. Whether or not they went up the tunnel is Hollywood selling a film and inconsequential to the actual history and the brilliance of the effort.

You still don't have to like the movie but........

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 12:30 PM

2012 wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I think that a great
movie would have to be Gran Torino. I really liked that movie.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 05:48 PM

Here's a Mel Gibson parody, that pokes fun at his anti-semetism and
Braveheart.

Mel Gibson Parody

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: LadyJean
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 12:20 AM

In my youth, I saw a western called "Run Home Slow", which makes me wish with every fiber of my being that I didn't have such a good memory. There are no sympathetic characters. There is nothing to like about it, just grim and gloom.

In college I saw a movie about Edward Munch, two and a half hours about people dying of tuberculosis, in Norwegian. Yunga shunga smunga hunga, coff coff coff! I would have enjoyed missing that one too.

Then there was the French film called "Lancelot" with the knights of the round table in period costumes, and the peasants in modern clothes. Ok, it wasn't a great film. But I had a friend in college who was a confirmed movie talker, and it was the first movie in MONTHS I'd seen without her. I enjoyed it immensely for that reason alone.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: beeliner
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 12:52 AM

Gone With the Wind...is supposed to be an all time great mind blowing epic but it left me wondering why I wasted 2 hours (or it seemed like that) sitting through it...

GWTW was a lot longer than two hours - if it seemed like two hours to you you might have enjoyed it more than you are letting on!

Before it was licensed for TV, GWTW used to be re-released to theatres every five years or so and I resisted seeing it for a long time, thinking that it was probably a good film, but it couldn't be THAT good.

Eventually I saw it - it was THAT good plus, and of course I've seen it several times since on TV.

Is ANYONE in GWTW other than Ann Rutherford still living?

My own personal worst - Dune. Excruciating. I have no doubt that it has a loyal circle of fans.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 01:07 AM

Ah "Dune". That was pretty poor wasn't it. It didn't go bad from the start tho'. I think it went south about half way through when they realized it was a bigger book than the time frame allowed. I like the Redux better when Sci Fi television ran a European version of the book over several days.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 12:31 AM

Guys you haven't suffered until you've seen that Kevin Costner piece of crap "Message in a Bottle." Tami (ranger1) dragged me to that movie only because much of it was shot in her hometown of New Harbor,Me. But it was kind of fun to hear her exclaim "I know the guy who owns that lobsterboat!"

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Amergin
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 01:18 AM

Any movie with Nicholas Cage in it.....he can turn a great movie into a poor one in nothing flat....watched 8mm last night and with anyone else it would have been so much better....

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 01:34 AM

He's good in "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Honeymoon in Vegas." Perhaps he should stick to movies with Vegas in the title.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 01:41 AM

"Raising Arizona" didn't suck,though.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Amergin
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 02:10 AM

I think Raising Arizona was his peak....

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 02:24 AM

Nah, Con Air was Cages peak. "Give me the bunny!"

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 02:48 AM

Dinner for Schmucks was painful. Dusk 'til Dawn shows just how bad Tarentino can be. How about Van Helsing?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 10:13 AM

"Objective, Burma! is an Oscar-nominated 1945 war film which depicts American paratroopers fighting extensively in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War. The picture, made by Warner Brothers, was directed by Raoul Walsh and starred Errol Flynn." ~ Wikipedia
===
Churchill objected so strongly to this film, which didn't even mention British involvement though the Burma campaign was in fact an entirely British & Commonwealth operation, with no, or in any event most minimal, US participation, that it was withdrawn from exhibition. I recall a critic at the time saying that it was, in itself, quite a good piece of action cinema, but going on to speculate as to what the American public might have thought of a British film purporting to show David Niven at the head of the 51st Highland Division capturing the Philippines.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: goatfell
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 10:17 AM

any film with Jim Carrey in it

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 10:58 AM

Anything with Sylvester Stallone in.

And for butchering decent originals, The Lady Vanishes (1979), The Italian Job (2003) and Village of The Damned (1995)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 12:35 PM

Well, MtheGM, I don't think historical or factual accuracy has ever been a prerequisite for a good movie. How about the recent movie with Matthew McConaughy where an American ship captures a Nazi U-boat and gets the Enigma Code Machine? Brazen Americanization of a British event.
I want to see The Last Airbender because it has already attained classic Awful Movie status, while still in first release. What happened to M Night Shyamalan??

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 03:08 PM

"U-boat and gets the Enigma Code Machine? Brazen Americanization of a British event."

There were several Enigma machines captured by the allies in WWII. The first by the British and subsequent code boxes were captured by others. Including one aboard U-505 an intact German U-boat captured afloat by a group of Americans. At the end of the movie there is a epilogue which documents the captures of the devices and who made them and in which order they were made.

Watching the movie for what it was, two hours of action and entertainment, I was entertained.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 04:00 PM

Mthe GM

"Merrill's Marauders or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), was a United States long range penetration special operations unit in the South-East Asian Theater of World War II which fought in the Burma Campaign. The unit became famous for its deep-penetration missions behind Japanese lines, often engaging Japanese forces superior in number."

It has been my understanding for years that Objective Burma was a film about a force based upon Merrill's Marauders. This quote is from Wikipedia and the description I read there with location maps clearly shows Merrill's men as a force in Burma.

History is too often bent to create heroes where none existed but credit where credit is due. American forces fought in Burma, American pilots fighting for Great Britain took part in The Great Escape, and American sailors captured an enigma machine. They didn't win the war by themselves as some folks would have us all think but they did do some stuff right, now and then.

D

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 08:09 PM

Well, then, I stand corrected and hoorah for us Yanks! Thanks, Don.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 08:20 PM

Most people also fail to appreciate the part chimps played in achieving Allied victory. That will change after Chongo gets elected.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 08:56 PM

Say, I just watched Sylvester Stallone's 1986 movie "Cobra" for the first time. It is awe inspiringly dumb...and gloriously right wing (complete with bleeding heart liberal cop bosses, newsmen, and judges who are soft on criminals and get in the way of justice being done. Stallone punches the main one in the gut at the end of the movie)...but it's a fun way of getting in some totally mindless entertainment for an hour and a bit and Stallone was lookin' sharp in '86, man! The body count is pretty astounding in this one. The death-dealing is spectacular. The bad guys are soooo bad that it's just, well, beyond describing. Chongo would LOVE it! I have to tell him about this movie, in case he hasn't seen it yet.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: CheshireCat
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 10:11 AM

Over the years I've seen Sherlock Holmes portrayed by many fine and not so fine actors, using brilliant and not so brilliant scripts. I've seen him set in 1930s New York (by which time, as we all know, he was keeping bees on the Sussex Downs) and read stories where he was an alien, a robot, Moriarty with a delusional split personality, and enjoyed most of them. But the time I'd really like back is the time I spent watching Robert Downey Jr.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 02:34 PM

Yes, Tim Burton's Alice is the usual brash loud mixture of the two Alice books. They're always the same - a superb cast and a dreadful film. Has anyone ever made a good Alice film, I wonder?
It's probably near impossible to name the worst movie ever made as some black and white, badly acted, badly directed, badly written, long forgotten B movie would probably claim this title.
There's a film I read about recently which is so bad it's aquired cult status but, damn it, can't recall its title.
The most overrateed films are easier: The Muppets' Christmas Carol, The Searchers and Death in Venice.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 02:55 PM

The Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes was a major disappointment. Worst film ever? I don't know if I'd go that far; in one of my other "lives" I've been a Sherlockian (or Holmesian) for 25 years and you wouldn't believe the absolute drek that's been put out there...

But my candidate for worst film of all time? Simple. A truly abominable film that nobody has yet mentioned:

The Beast of Yucca Flats.

Believe me, no other film comes close. This one almost cost me my marriage. I had heard about it for years, and how awful it was, so I thought I'd catch up with it years ago when the opportunity presented itself. Unwatchable garbage! The film was made around 1961 and "starred" Tor Johnson(!). It also proved to be his swan song in cinema. What can you say about a film that destroyed the "career" of Tor Johnson??? It ran a few minutes less than one hour but seemed like it went on forever. Abysmally bad would be an understatement. I forced myself to watch the whole thing just so I could say I lived through it and would never, ever sit through it again, even if they ripped out my fingernails. My wife gave up after around forty minutes. She got up from the sofa, shaking her head, saying, "I can't take any more of this!" The "director" was a man named Coleman Francis. Remember that name. Avoid it like the plague.

You have been warned.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 03:11 PM

Odd that nobody has mentioned that great classic, D W Griffith's Birth Of A Nation. Oh, yes, I know; the seminal movie, first example of modern cinema from which all others flow. A great pioneering work.

Have you seen it? In case you didn't know, it is all about how the KKK saved the South when the blacks were getting uppity after the Civil War ruined their owners and brought them freedom which they weren't fit for...

The film, its place in cinema history, & the controversy involving it, are well summarised in an excellent Wikipedia entry.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Taconicus
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 03:16 PM

Just one of a long list of well-crafted one-sided, emotionalistic, manipulative propaganda films, including Triumph of the Will and many recent ones, including (one of many examples) The Yes Men Fix the World.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 03:20 PM

Yes, Taconius ~~ but the FIRST of them...

~M~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 03:24 PM

Yeah I don't get adoration of The Searchers and True Grit #1 as great American Cinema. The Searchers is way over long and with True Grit, just OK. There are better John Wayne Westerns. Say what you will about John Wayne and his politics but he is iconic as a western actor. Red River, Rio Bravo, and Stage Coach are far superior to The Searchers as are The Three Cavalry films.

I believe that I could turn off the sound and just look at the composition of any John Ford film. He composed static scenes as if they were paintings. Just look at How Green Was My Valley, especially the wedding scene. The closing scenes of The Searchers as well, which was a paean to a silent Harry Carey western.

I have stated before that I am easy to accept film quality as less than stellar for purposes of entertainment. But I'd like to have the time back I spent on "Tess" and at least three attempts to watch "Gone With The Wind".

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 05:26 PM

'Visitors 2' was excrutiating, especially as 'Visitors' was rather good and 'Just Visiting' was surprisingly enjoyable.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 06:09 PM

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 09:29 PM

BrooklynJay, I don't doubt that The Beast of Yucca Flats was abysmally bad....but...can it match these two?

The Creeping Terror

From Hell It Came

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 09:04 AM

Little Hawk, I actually have a copy of From Hell It Came! It was great fun in a so-bad-it's-almost-good sorta way. Great fun! But the important thing I want to stress is that, IMHO, it was watchable. Maybe only once, but it was actually shot with professional actors, a professional crew, etc. It had the semblance and trappings of a real, live movie. The fact that it was a laughable piece of garbage was almost secondary - it was put together by professionals.

The Creeping Terror? I've heard of this one for years, though I've never seen it. Somewhere in The Archives, I have an old issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine from the early 1960's where they do a feature story (complete with photos) on this upcoming "epic." As the legend goes, at some point the film's soundtrack was lost during post-production so the film is entirely narrated. The monster itself was made from pieces of a carpet - that's the story I heard. The photos I've seen look positively laughable. Curiously enough, I'd actually like to see the film one day (masochist that I am) if it ever falls out of the sky and drops into my lap, but I don't think I would ever actively seek it out. (Or if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't admit to it!)

But I will stay on my soapbox and solemnly swear (or affirm) that, IMO, The Beast of Yucca Flats is a thousand times worse than From Hell It Came. Besides, I just love the scowl on the Tabonga's "face"!

Some other "also rans" in the Crap Horror Film Dept.:

Bloodsucking Freaks: Nauseating, misogynistic garbage. The leading actor was murdered right around the time the film was released (or escaped). Coincidence? Or just an over-zealous critic?

Monstrosity (aka The Atomic Brain): Positively horrendous sci-fi concerning brain transplants. But any film with Marjorie Eaton can't be all bad - except this one is.

Monster From the Surf (aka The Beach Girls and the Monster): Jon Hall's swan song. Sad, really.

I'm sure I can (and probably will) recall others, but right now my brain is starting to seize up from CineCrap Overload.

All systems shutting down...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 09:13 AM

Best Film ever - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Yea Yea lots of others but I was just making a point.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 09:18 AM

Just to clarify: I appreciate the links Little Hawk provided, but my ComputerSaurus is eleven years old, the OS is considered obsolete, the browsers cannot be upgraded, and it is impossible for me to watch movies over the Internet.

Other than all that, it runs perfectly well...

Jay
(Running on impulse power)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Diva
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 09:58 AM

Anything with Steven Segal in it!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 11:20 AM

"Bodies, Rest and Motion"
"Night Train to Venice"
"When a Man Loves a Woman"
and the worst John Wayne movie has to be "The Conqueror"

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 11:35 AM

The Conqueror was filmed in the down wind area of the US atomic testing program. The Conqueror proved pretty bad for John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Dick Powell, Pedro Armendez, all of whom died of cancer. The radiation from the site is suspected in those cancer cases.

A few others lived long lives afterward however. William Conrad and Lee Van Cleef, Agnes Moorehead for instance.


Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 11:58 AM

BrooklyJay, I have attempted to watch some of "The Beast of Yucca Flats" on Youtube. I think you're right, it may indeed be the worst movie of all time. The unexplained opening scene with the sultry brunette coming out of her shower wrapped in a towel and then getting mysteriously strangled seems to be a complete non-sequitor with the rest of the plot, if you can say the movie has a plot at all! ;-) What were they thinking? I guess they had that piece of film and thought, "This is SO great! We've got to put it in somewhere. I know! Let's put it right at the begining, and the viewers just won't be able to stop watching..."

Who was that gal anyway? She doesn't look like the typical starlet of the time.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 01:35 PM

well... has anyone else here seen "Meet the Spartans"?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073498/

and details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_the_Spartans

Comcast offers a batch of free movies, and late the other night, I curiously opened it. I still have not decided whether it was horrendously bad...or good.... but it was beyond bizarre. One needs to know enough about both pop culture and history to fully...ummmm.. appreciate it, but if Mel Brooks made "Pink Flamingos" it might come close to the essence.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 04:58 AM

My vote goes to Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger despite it being Ray Harryhausen's dynamation, it just about saves the film. The acting from Patrick Wayne, Jane Seymour and the rest of the cast is so wooden including Patrick Troughton who I thought was quite ok in Jason and the Argonauts and many other things that I've seen him in. I am a fan of Harryhausen films normally apart from this one, I dread it whenever it comes on. I appreciate that the film was mostly about the effects rather than the cast's acting ability but it is pretty bad and can only assume that it was designed to keep children quiet for an hour on a wet Bank Holiday.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 06:25 AM

"I dread it whenever it comes on."
===
Why? Who forces you to watch it? How?

~M~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 06:59 AM

I've always watched Harryhausen films with my boys and even now they are men we still watch them together comparing each film's quality from King Kong to Clash of the Titans even if it means sitting through yet another Sinbad again. It's just what we do.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 08:50 AM

Well, I think that is absolutely charming. Enjoy, Patsy, even in the midst of your dread!

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 12:46 PM

And here I was thinking it was part of a divorce settlement or something... ;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: CET
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 07:49 PM

Well, I wouldn't swear an oath that this is the worst movie ever made, but dishonourable mention, at the very least, has to go to Knights of the Round Table with Robert Taylor as Lancelot. The fight scenes could have been staged by a bunch of Society of Creative Anachronism drop outs. The scene where Arthur confronts a bunch of nasty warlords, including the King of the Picts, at Stonehenge is just priceless.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 08:26 PM

Worst movie ever is "Don's Party". Aussie flick (sorry!), circa 1980. I dare anyone to watch the whole thing.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 04:05 AM

The worst child's movie I've ever seen was 'Around the World with Dot' it's an Aussie film for children that mixed animation with 'live' animals in it but it was horrendous. I rented it out for my sons thinking that it would keep them quiet for an hour or so, so that we the parents could get an extra hours' lay in but within 10 minutes all I could hear downstairs was 'this is rubbish' I vowed to stick to the tried and trusted films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from then on.

As far as adult movies go a while back I watched a gruesome film I think it was called 'Society' not quite sure of the exact name of the film which contained a scene that showed a man being eaten by the party guests from inside out. It wasn't so much a bad film it was the squelchy sound effects that turned my stomach. Normally I've got quite a strong stomach but on that occasion I had to leave the room.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 04:37 AM

I hated Todd Solondz's obnoxious and grossly overrated {Cannes Interntnl Critics' Prize!} 'Happiness'. Did anyone here rate it?

Subject: RE: Worst Movies ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 08:17 AM

Most attempts of transferring situation comedies to the big screen failed abysmally. From the early 70's onwards the UK film industry tried to put popular programmes like Till Death Us do Part / On the Buses / Bless this House / George and Mildred / Rising Damp etc. on film and it just didn't ever seem to work as a film. Obviously the canned laughter was missing and to add to confusion sometimes a particular character would be replaced by an alternative actor. The acting was either pretty basic or just plain bad.

MASH (USA) on the otherhand was great as a television comedy series and good on film.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 09:09 AM

Although the MASH film would have come first with the TV series being adapted from that.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 11:32 AM

Trailer Park Boys has remained equally good on film as it was on TV. There is never any canned laughter on that show, thank God! Canadians don't need to be told when to laugh, eh?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 11:45 AM

Well, for Canadians it's a very thin line between hilarity and depression anyway. When asked about their favorite Ingmar Bergman movie, most Canadians sited the one where Groucho is a college Dean.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 12:08 PM

Take that back, you supercilious swine! I was in love with a Canadian girl in the 70s and she was mad about Ingmar Bergman films and had seen all of them. I was persuaded to view a couple of Bergman films in her company. I have to say I found them a bit tedious....but it was a worthwhile sacrifice. ;-)

Furthermore, we Canadians do not "site" things like film references. We "cite" them.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 12:19 PM

I remember that girl. I think I watched My Dinner with Andre with her. Ran into her about three months ago coming out of an art theater in Boulder where they were running a David Lynch festival. She was a site for soar eyes.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 12:26 PM

Yes, she loved My Dinner With Andre. Actually, I really liked that one too, but I just couldn't warm up to the Bergman films for some reason. You should ask her out to one of the recent Woody Allen movies if you get a chance, and really delve into those serious human issues.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: frogprince
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 02:07 PM

For some unfathonable reason, I remembered Dennis Hopper's "The Last Movie" a couple of days ago. As near as I can figure, Hopper and some cohorts, including Kris Kristofferson, spent some time in a primitive Latin American village, fried out of their minds, shooting endless takes of nothing in particular. Then Hopper, or someone, spliced it all together with no actual editing, and somehow it got shown in theaters. I probably shouldn't knock it, though, because Hopper said it was significant.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Joe_F
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 04:45 PM

I am not a movie person. However, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes had that reputation at one time.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: josepp
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 10:44 PM

Anything out of Hollywood blows donkey balls these days.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 10:58 PM

I wasn't aware that anyone blew donkey balls. It sounds like a pretty disgusting practice to me, but in Hollywood...I guess anything is possible. ;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 05 Mar 11 - 11:25 PM

Donkey balls. Yum. My local Libyan restaurant serves them with a lovely mint sauce.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 12:01 AM

I recall a Czech [or maybe Hungarian] film of 1960s-1970s, (when E European films such as Jancso's The Round Up [aka The Lost Ones in US, IIRC] were mainly well worth seeing), about a young man wandering around a city with an old cavalry sabre, attacking a car wrapped in black polythene, then lying in the snow in front of a tram which just stopped in time & a girl came along and said "Get up, you'll catch cold" - The End.

Rave reviews and about the most stupid inconsequential bore I have ever sat thru.

Anyone recall title/director? Tried to google but couldn't locate.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Clontarf83
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 01:02 AM

Love Story---spawned hundreds of disease of the month movies, which quickly degenerated in to thousands of chick flick movies and tv shows

Easy Rider--in retrospect

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: darkriver
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 02:35 AM

Red Dawn, in which a bunch of high school kids defeat the Soviet invasion of America.
Whatever else you say about Tim Burton, at least his plots are plausible...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Van
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 04:38 AM

Anything with Tom Hanks in it. He always plays Tom Hank not the Character he is meant to depict.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 12:17 PM

Red Dawn was so utterly awful that it was almost unbelievable, but that was the Reagan era... ;-)

As for Tom Hanks, I kind of agree. Perhaps in the future there will be a whole series of "Tom Hanks" films where other actors play Tom Hanks and try to get it exactly right so that you can't even tell them from Tom Hanks. It could become a profitable sub-genre in movies, sort of like the Woody Allen stuff, but a little more middle-class in tone.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 12:29 PM

There are lots of actors who play themselves in film after film. The ones who DON'T play themselves are the ones that are harder to recognize until they end up in some breakout role so you at least recognize their face when they turn up in the next one. Good character actors are like that.

Last night I was working around the house and turned on the television for some noise. ABC was playing the 2005 Peter Jackson version of King Kong. Now that surely ranks with either the stupidist or silliest movie ever made. The CGI budget for dinosaurs battling giant gorillas may push it out of overall contention for "worst" movie ever. In that film, Jack Black played, you guessed it, Jack Black.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 12:46 PM

I thought that Peter Jackson's "King Kong" was in some respects quite a good film of its type...in other respects it was excessive (the battle with not just one but THREE Tyrannosaurs was absolutely excessive to the final possible degree). But the relationship between the heroine and the ape was far more interesting, subtle, and better handled than ever before in a King Kong movie. The character who played the heroine's boyfriend didn't work so well as far as I was concerned. Jack Black DID play Jack Black in the movie, yes, but he was still just about perfect for the part of Denham, I thought. The atmospheric portrayal of the depression era in New York and the whole feel of the first half of the film was marvelous, visually gorgeous, very forboding, and appropriately dramatic for a story which is, after all, simply escapism...an adventure fantasy on a grand scale. The stampede of the huge herbivorous dinosaurs along the cliff edge was again simply totally excessive and overdone...as was the struggle in the pit with the creepycrawly insect things.

And the creepy natives were overdone.

But the scenery and sets were great.

So I think it was both a very good King Kong film and a pretty silly movie at the same time (mostly because of the WAY overdone action scenes on the island), depending on which part of it you choose to focus on.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 02:03 PM

Indeed, LH ~~ this was an instance of the "good bad film" ~ or do I mean "the bad good film"?

Either way, I think any of such would avoid the anti-accolade in this thread's title.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 03:50 PM

It was the creepy natives part that really repulsed me. Adrien Brody isn't someone I think of outside of kind of cerebral films (not that I've seen that many of his, I'm just aware of some of his early work), but there was an instance when he was bare-chested in the darkened ship passageway, talking to Naomi, and I experienced the classic feminine sit up and look moment: he's one of those skinny guys who can be quite buff in some of his films. I'm sure he had to work out a lot to be ready for that role, and to their credit, the parts of the film I saw after the natives raided the ship I didn't see them flaunting his bare chest. I was impressed the at the remarkable durability of the negligee and peignoir she wore as she was dragged around the island.

I think the term you're trying to land on as you weigh the features of this film is "over the top." It intentionally put itself in that territory, so as to avoid criticism of the number of T Rexes in the battle, and the apatosaurus (apatosaurii?) running around on those dodgy cliff edges. I was working in a couple of rooms of the house, and I put a different film in one room but the other room still had Kong on, and I saw bits of both as I moved back and forth.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 05:54 PM

Well, I found it to be great entertainment, but the scenes with the 3 tyrannosaurs and the Apatosaurus stampede were, yes..."over the top"...to the extent that they became, in my opinion, far less effective than they could have been if kept within sensible bounds. A duel between Kong and ONE tyrannosaur could have been epic, as it was in the original film...but 3 of them??? Just ridiculous.

The modern young multiplex audience, however, seems to feel that MORE is always better when it comes to that sort of thing, so I guess Peter Jackson was trying to give them what they expect.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 10:10 PM

"Sensible bounds."

Interesting concept in a film about a giant gorilla that battles dinosaurs and dies when shot off the top of the Empire State Building.

:)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 10:18 PM

Well, yeah...but that's the basic premise. ;-D Whatcha gonna do? I'm just sayin', let's keep it tasteful...

One thing I'd say...they did a great job on the attack by the airplanes, but they still somehow couldn't match the pathos of Kong's death in the original film, even though it was done in primitive black and white film and using miniatures. His weakening grip on the cupola, his sad and confused dabbing at the blood pouring from his chest wounds, and that final fall in the original film is just wrenching to watch, specially when you see his body glance off the side of the building part way down. It really stirs pity.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 01:21 AM

The Jeff Bridges/Jessica Lange version was more sexy, as I recall. I remember reading that Lange was really squashed by the animatronic hand - I just looked it up - she ended up with a pinched nerve from one of the scenes.

I do remember how the pathos of the last scene really worked in the old film, and it also worked in the Twin Towers version.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 04:32 AM

I thought the stampede in the newest King Kong was 'over the top' and a little bit 'Jurassic Park' which had been done in quite a few films by then so 1 tyrannosaurus would have done just to show the might of Kong because they had to demonstrate how powerful he was I guess. Or may be the odd giant spider thrown in would have been a bit more plausible.

LH I agree about the Empire State Building scene when Kong was attacked and shot by the airplanes, it always makes me cry and I always get angry at the girl too for putting him in that position in the first place.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: C-flat
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 06:48 AM

One of the best "worst film" I ever saw I tuned in halfway through, at a scene where the top half of the cabin of a large passenger jet had been ripped off in some mid-air catastrophe. In true Star-Trek-under-alien-attack style the air-stewards bravely struggled up the aisles to comfort passengers, like bad mime artists pushing against the wind. Wind??? These guys should have been dragged into the ether and decorating the landscape below from the first instant!!!
It was so bad I could barely see through the tears of laughter. I looked in the TV listings to see what this masterpiece was.....
"Miracle Landing"!!!!
No prizes for guessing how that ended up!!!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: C-flat
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 06:50 AM

Oh Yeah!!! Not forgetting "Eyes Wide Shut" a Tom Cruise turkey of epic proportion!!!
That was another hour and a half of my life I'll never get back!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 09:25 AM

"Eyes Wide Shut" was strange. I don't know how I'd rate it, frankly. Maybe Stanley Kubrick was trying to alert the public to just how sick things are in very high places...

Stilly, I thought that the Jeff Bridges/Jessica Lange version of King Kong was simply awful! One of the worst 10 big budget movies ever in the history of film! The absolute nadir of Big Ape movies. Horrifyingly bad. Unbelievable. Wretchedly terrible. Not to mention downright creepy in a sexual sense. And the Twin Towers scene was hopeless. You cannot have drama if you pit King Kong against modern warplanes or helicopters with gatling guns on them. It's pointless. He has no more chance in that situation than a dog fighting a Sherman tank, for God's sake. The drama of him fighting Depression-era biplanes with little 30 cal. machine guns is that although he is doomed, there's still some sense of heroic proportion in his efforts to defend himself against those fragile aircraft. I can hardly think how a worse film could have been made about King Kong than the 1976 one. I still cringe when I remember it, and I want my $10 BACK!!!!

;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 05:14 PM

I remember watching the dystopian cult classic Zardoz back in the mid-1970s. It seemed total nonsense, until I realized the farce that it was. And it said so in the very beginning, if you only remembered it. I had the same response to Rollerball, until I realized the violence was actually supposed to be that bad, and wasn't gratuitous. I don't ever want to watch Rollerball again, but it made a good point.

Each of the King Kong flicks requires the viewer to check their grasp of reality at the door. I haven't seen the Jeff Bridges Kong in many years, so I can't really compare it. The things I remember most about it were the great New York City interiors, largely in Brooklyn Heights or Park Slope, and how creepy it was to have the gorilla peek through the windows to find her.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: darkriver
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 06:20 PM

Little Hawk,

you paid $10 for a movie ticket back in 1976??

No wonder you're pissed....

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 09:20 PM

Try the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON scared the sshhiitt out of all the kids inmy time

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 03:36 AM

'Prudence and the Pill' or 'Percy', both '60s UK. Set their standards low, but failed to reach them.....

I once gave up on 'The Wicker Man' after a few minutes, appalled by wooden acting, lousy script, fake folk music and general implausibility,
but tried again and got hooked.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 10:40 AM

Well, I don't really remember what I paid, but it was probably about equivalent to $10 in today's terms. ;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 12:50 AM

There are great bad movies (Plan 9 from Outer Space comes to mind) and there are bad bad movies like The Postman. Waterworld was a Costner suckfest as well.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 01:21 AM

I thought Waterworld was reasonably okay, but The Postman was a disaster. I wasn't too impressed by The Bodyguard, where Kostner played opposite Whitney Houston.

A truly awful film was A Star Is Born, the one starring Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand. Never have onscreen lovers had worse chemistry! ;-)

Another pretty dreadful film was yet another remake of the original A Star Is Born, which was a 1980s Bob Dylan film called Hearts Of Fire. Everyone in it except Dylan was totally forgettable...he was interesting to watch merely because he is Bob Dylan...the screenplay was pretty hopeless...but it was fun seeing Richie Havens, an old friend of Bob's.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 06:51 AM

In a strange way I like black and white B movies e.g. 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon' and 'The Blob' and films of that ilk for the wrong reasons, it makes me chuckle. Any old black and white English film where the police are giving chase in plummy English accents and still manage to keep their helmets securely on their heads is such a laugh to watch.

Before Leslie Nielson made the spoof Airplane movies I used to watch the 'proper' disaster movies that he was in previous to that. I always thought they were pretty awful but as soon as the spoof ones came along I then saw the other ones in a different light. Knowing his sense of humour I could imagine what went on in the outtakes and can't take them seriously at all.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 08:55 AM

Interesting to hear everyone's take on King Kong. I loved every inch of it. It did what it was supposed to do. I was entertained.

I don't know if the Dinosaur stampede was excessive. It was fun to watch. The bug fight was icky and that's the point I suppose. It was cut out of the original film because it was too frightening I am told.

I liked Brody because he didn't look heroic until he was doing heroic things. Jack Black was the weakest part for me. I'd rather have seen John Rhys Davies in that character but even so Black was pretty good.

I am in love with Naomi Watts (?) and that was her job in the movie.

I watch every couple months or so and see something I missed.

Jackson is pretty good at what he does.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: ollaimh
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 12:24 PM

hands down the worst movie i have ever seen was" they saved hitler's brain" it was a bad sci fi thriller about saving you know who's brain and getting marching orders for the new reich, that was done in black a white with no expense avoided. occasionally the filming would show the grips and equipment onn the edges of the shot. there was a cheesey monologue by a sam spade style privete detective describing his uncovering of the cabal saving the brain. it was so bad it was funny--once!

cbc ran it late night a few times in the seventies, but i haven't seen it since.(seeing it three times was a testament to my wasted youth)

i have never seen a good movie by adam sandler as well--how does he keep getting funding? and tim burton? he may be off the mark sometimes but he is risk taking and creative so i don't trash his failures.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RWilhelm
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 12:34 PM

Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" - worst and most mis-named movie of the year.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 01:06 PM

Sanglish was pretty good. The rest I agree with.

D

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 01:40 PM

I was horrified when Winona Ryder got a part in an Adam Sandler film...Winona has usually appeared in excellent, intelligent movies...but Adam Sandler???? There's just about nothing that can persuade me to watch an Adam Sandler movie, and I've never watched more than a fragment of any film he's done. I have yet to see the one Winona Ryder's in. I don't think I could take seeing her opposite Mr Sandler.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 02:10 PM

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ==

as unnecessarily and clumsily long as its inept, disingenuously simple title.

A subject of great interest to me; but grossly outstayed its welcome. Would have made a good, sharp film at about 90 minutes. Instead it ran for a yawn-enforcing 153!

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 02:28 PM

I like it a lot, MtheGM. Even bought a copy of it to keep. Maybe I'm more patient than the average westerner?

In Japan it is quite common for movies to last much longer than movies do here and to tell a story in a much slower fashion. It's because the Japanese look at things in a different way...they savour every little detail and enjoy every subtlety. Western audiences tend to want to "cut to the chase", and they get bored quite quickly when the action slows down.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 03:15 PM

Not entirely a reverse of the topic, Tombstone vs. Wyatt Earp?

I favor Tombstone for many reasons. The story was more complete I think. and I prefered the actors. (Kurt Russell, Sam Elliot, Dana Delaney, Val Kilmer etc....) but Dennis Quaid was a fine Doc Holliday.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 05:54 PM

Have you read The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford? It is one of the best books I've read in years. I read it about the same time I read Cormack McCarthy's Blood Meridian - also stunning, but one I hope they don't make into a movie. Hansen's book was brilliant. And I haven't seen the film, but it's on my NetFlix list.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 06:24 PM

I thought "Tombstone" was good entertainment, all right...but I couldn't take it seriously as any kind of realistic depiction of what actually happened. "Wyatt Earp", on the other hand, was a much more serious and realistic film. I liked it a bit better than "Tombstone", though I did like both of them. "Tombstone" was like a comic book. "Wyatt Earp" was like a story about real people.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 08:59 PM

I liked the Wyatt Earpfilm, though Casey terfertiller, Wyatt's biographer doesn't seem to think much of it. Apparently the Mclaurie family still live in Tombstone and refer to the OK Corral, as the time their family members were robbed and murdered by the Holliday/Earp gang. And they don't reckon much to either depiction of Ike Clanton.

I liked Robert Downey Jnr in Natural Born Killers. I liked Tom Hanks in That Thing You Do.

The film I hated most - couldn't watch,was the little Princess2.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 01:20 AM

"Caligula" was a complete and total piece of shit. You'd think the founder of Penthouse could at least produce a movie that might turn us on (at the very least). All it did was make everyone who ever saw it sick. It was a waste of a couple of good actor's talents, as well.Sorry Malcolm.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 01:22 AM

Yeah, but I bet it wasn't half as bad as living under the real Caligula... ;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 01:39 AM

Is it true or myth that he appointed his favorite horse to the Roman Senate? Either way the crazy fucker's ilk are still with us. Why and I mean WHY do we continue to put up with them? When is enough enough? And I just got way too serious. Insomnia is a bitch.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: acegardener
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 02:33 AM

Girl on a motorcycle. Awful even the bike couldn't keep me interested

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 02:38 AM

But tell us about the girl!

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Becca72
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 03:46 PM

Stilly has helped me decide on my answer: Worst movie ever is anything with Jack Black in it. Can't STAND that guy.

I have never liked Adam Sandler, either, but I thought Grown Ups was a riot. That and Bedtime Stories were the only 2 films of AS I have had a positive review for.

And I agree with MtheGM about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - that one was painful to watch.

Just arrived via Netflix is "Doubt" which I have heard is actually quite good. We'll see...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Mar 11 - 04:08 PM

Jack Black was in "School of Rock", and it's great.

"Doubt" was a pretty good movie, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 11:43 AM

Jack Black has been okay in the films where it was appropriate for someone like Jack Black to be a character. But he doesn't mold himself to fit the role, that I can see.

If you want to move into a new realm of films, look for character actors, and look at people like Ralph Fiennes or Stephen Dillane, who are very active stage actors who make films. For women, think Marcia Gay Harden, and possibly Charlize Theron. I think the reason Dillane is not known very well is because he is simply so different in every film, you're not struck with the Jack Black or Hugh Grant character popping up and thinking "oh, I remember this guy!" (Dillane was Thomas Jefferson in the recent HBO John Adams drama).

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 12:49 PM

But I digress - these actors have no doubt made some stinkers, but they generally make thoughtful, well-acted films. Proceed with the discussion of silver screen dreck.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Wilfried
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 02:08 PM

Ben Whore

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RangerSteve
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 07:35 PM

I'm gonna get some flack for this, but I'll say it anyway. 2001 - a Space Odyssey. I saw it twice when it came out and didn't get it. Two people who did get it explained it to me and I still didn't get it. I saw it a few months ago on the TCM channel and I still didn't get it. And some of the scenes are way too long. The scene of a space ship docking at a space station, for example. Nothing happens for about 10 minutes, but Kubrick was apparently so in love with the accompanying music (Blue Danube Waltz) that he had to have the entire piece of music in the film. I could compare it to watching grass grow, but it wasn't that exciting.

On the other hand, I managed to live 61 years without seeing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" -and finally saw it a few months ago and it should be on my list of bad movies. Not one character had even the slightest redeeming qualities. I'd avoid them in real life like the plague - but I'll admit the acting was, by far, the best acting ever in any movie. ANyone who wants to be an actor should watch that movie to see how it's done. I'm grudgingly putting it on my list of great movies.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 11:08 PM

I understand not liking 2001,but as with most Kubrick movies you shouldn't watch it like you would other films. Kubrick was better at setting a mood and creating an experience than telling a story. Seeing a Kubrick movie is like viewing a great painting.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:07 AM

RangerSteve, I think you probably suffer from the usual short attention span or mild case of ADD that is afflicting most of the western population these days, and that's why you can't handle a beautiful scene where, in your words, "nothing happens for about 10 minutes". ;-) You don't want to feel the mood that is set by that scene and just go with it for awhile and feel the sheer beauty of it...you don't want to meditate on anything...you just want something to happen, so you can react to it! Someone should SAY something! Something should blow up! Someone should crack a joke! Something should crash! Anything! Just, please God, don't make me SIT here for several minutes while nothing happens!!!! I see people like this at traffic lights all the time. They are frantic for the light to change, because they can't bear to sit still for 30 seconds and enjoy what's around them. They MUST make the next move in their mental game (which involves an anticipated destination)!

It's a modern disease of the mind as far as I'm concerned, and you've got it, buddy.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:17 AM

Still nobody has reminded me of title/director of dire 'expressionist'·or·whatever E European farrago about man wandering city with cavalry sabre, which I described above, 06 Mar 11 1201 AM.

Now I have recalled it to mind, I should be happy if someone could put me out of misery of trying to remember what it was & who was responsible.

Movie mavens everywhere ~~

Anyone?

Please.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:59 AM

I'm watching that space docking scene from 2001 on You-tube right now. You'll never see ten minutes from a movie more beautiful and sublime. But then again,if we all liked the same things what a boring world it would be.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 01:56 AM

When my kids were old enough to appreciate some good movies I started having evenings when we'd watch together. This happened after I brought home an undubbed version of Blazing Saddles. They thought it was so funny, and were so pleased that I wasn't making them watch the tv version, that we kept watching uncut movies after that.

The first planned time this happened was on an inspiration - I bought the Chicken Run DVD to try in our new player. They thought it was good, but I realized they should understand more about it. I taped Stalag 17 next time it was on TCM and one evening we watched that. They fussed about the black and white and all the talk, but when Peter Graves got their attention they were fascinated how the story evolved around his nasty character. Anyway, they stayed with it, enjoyed it, and as soon as it was over I popped Chicken Run into the player. You should have seen their eyes open wide as that movie they'd watched as a simple comedy/drama a couple of weeks earlier suddenly took on great significance as the opening scene zeros down on the chicken house - number 17. Another escape.

From then on, they knew that there was more to movies than the basic story. I will confess that when we watched 2001: A Space Odyssey, there were scenes (later on, that wierd living room aging episode) where they were practically howling in protest.

I was surprised last fall when my college freshman son asked to borrow my copy of 2001. I told him he could probably find it in his college library, but he said wanted a copy to keep. He got it for xmas. It took a number of years for it to sink in, and clearly the things he agonized about as a child stuck with him and he thought about them.

The stupidist movie my daughter and I watched together, a couple of years ago, was Mama Mia. Pierce Brosnan should have been dubbed, and the cast should have been clubbed for agreeing to do a story with such a stupid plot.

SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:46 PM

What is "Mama Mia" about? Okay, it's clearly got an Italian mother in it....but I mean, what else is it about? Can you give a short summary?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:56 PM

It is a musical based on the songs of ABBA

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 12:58 PM

Loosely based I think. There is significantly more substance in the songs of ABBA than are plumbed by the depth of meaning in this musical.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 01:01 PM

Avalanche (1994) Director:Paul Shapiro, it is like pulling teeth.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: RangerSteve
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 01:30 PM

No, Little Hawk, you've got me wrong. I can look at a great painting forever, and I've seen great movies that had no plot, but in the case of 2001, that scene wasn't particularly beautiful, and it reminded me of a person who makes a point, then goes on to explain it over and over in different ways. That scene was just longer than it needed to be, and there were other scenes in the film that did the same thing.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DonMeixner
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 03:08 PM

Like the entirety of the inter-dimensional flight? For my money 2010 was a better story and movie entertainment. 2001 was over all self indulgent naval gazery. For me anyway. People I know and respect think it was fabulous.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 06:55 PM

Absolute rock bottom worst movie of all time is Skeleton Man from SyFy Channel. Plan Nine from Outer Space was bad but campy. Skeleton Man is bad in every way a movie can be bad.

Premise: Ancient Native American ghost protects sacred burial site using a sword.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Tom - Swords & Songs
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 11:22 AM

The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley

I was so annoyed after watching this film that I have come looking for somewhere to moan about it. Utter bollocks.

Poor plot line, awful accents, inconsistent storyboard, poor set and costumes, totally ridiculous in everyway possible - and yet with a great line up of actors in it.

It was so bad that I can't even create a metaphor...
Tom

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 01:01 PM

RapperTom, you've reminded me of a perfect candidate for the worst movie ever. And I think there is a little history to tease out of the track record of the folks involved. Deja Vu was some kind of non-scripted but plotted story line in a film ostensibly by a fellow named Henry Jaglom. His wife is Victoria Foyt, who fancies herself an "actress" and who wanted to put together a little film. (Think Andy Hardy's older, dumber sister.) In fact, I think she saw the wonderful little sleeper called Firelight with Stephen Dillane and Sophie Marceau, and thought she could do better (with herself in the lead). Firelight was a project that screenwriter William Nicholson (who has a track record of some good films, sprinkled with a few sleepers) that he undertook to produce himself. I had an email conversation with him about it a while back. That screenplay reflects Nicholson's scholarship in British literature, and is a modern story with all of the feel of Jane Eyre meets Silas Marner. Told efficiently, with no flourish (but a couple of very nice sex scenes) it's as plausible a plot as any novel of the early 1800s authors created. Think the first Mrs. Rochester, think surrogate parents, etc. (It encountered the disparaging reviews of christian-zealot removers who don't like sex, etc.) Are you still with me?

This wonderful little film stared one of those chameleon actors I mentioned, Steven Dillane, and I suspect Mrs. Jaglom talked hubbie into letting her make a movie, and in the process they must have paid huge salaries to the good actors they lulled into their trap. In addition to Dillane, it was Anna Massey, Rachel Kempson, her daughter Vanessa Redgrave, Noel Harrison, and other British stage actors. And then they made that little stinker. Can you tell I really really hated it? And of course, the competing reviews on sites are funny - people either love it or hate it. Foyt was just so bad. There is some kind of Lala land touchy-feely encounter group that gives free copies of it to illustrate their belief that the perfect person is out there for each of us and one should just chuck their current partners and launch into an affair . . .

Well. LH, you asked about Mama Mia. This is full of spoilers (so you don't have to waste your time.) That stinker was on Broadway for so long that Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters, in addition to Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard certainly knew what they were getting into. The fact that I'd only ever heard Meryl Streep sing in a film should be a clue. In fact, I think Baranski probably has the most musical theater, and that is considerable, of the bunch.

The silly premise is that as a young woman Streep fell in love with Brosnan, on a Greek island over a summer holiday. He was engaged, and left at the end of the summer and she, broken hearted, flung herself into brief affairs with two other young men, one a gay man who apparently didn't quite yet know he was gay at the time of their fling, the other a Scandinavia from the Greek islands who she went sailing around the islands with for a time. So she wasn't there when Brosnan came back to tell her he'd broken it off with the fiance.

Twenty some years pass, and we learn that the pregnant Streep had stayed in the Greek islands, managed to extort some money out of the Scandinavian/Greek guy's grandmother in order to buy and run a decrepit hotel. Her now grown daughter wants to get married and she wants to know who her father is, so after reading her mother's diary, she invites the three presumptive fathers to the wedding. The rest of the story is even more stupid from here, and the only part I really liked was the women dancing through the town and jumping off of the dock. They should have turned that into an ABBA music video and thrown the rest away. It concludes with the inevitable "why waste a good wedding" line. . . [gag]

That was fun to write! Very cathartic. Didn't know I needed cathartic this morning, I thought a cuppa tea was going to do me, but it still felt good.
SRS

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: kendall
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 01:30 PM

My vote goes to Lobsteroids. It would have to be upgraded to be called horrible.Even though I was in it it is still a pathetic piece of shit.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 10:16 PM

Ranger Steve - Okay, then. ;-) I believe you.

My nomination for worst movie ever: The Beast of Yucca Flats

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 01:35 AM

The Oscar-winning "The English Patient" must have been quite well made. I fell asleep after the first 30 minutes. Good book though.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 10:22 AM

I didn't expect Hairspray to turn out as good as it was, not fabulous but I didn't begrudge spending money on it like some other flops I've seen in the past. I was half expecting it to turn out like Grease 2 but it is a completely different kind of a story and more entertaining.

2001 - a Space Odyssey apparently is better seen in a different frame of mind so I've heard.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Mar 11 - 01:20 PM

If you mean "stoned"...I didn't see it that way. I never go to movies stoned. ;-) I knew people in the early 70s who never went anywhere NOT stoned! (and whose entire vocabulary and sense of reality revolved around various varieties of grass, hash, and related substances) I think the main purpose of their existence (if indeed it had any purpose) was to provide cheap entertainment for the Toronto police force... ;-)

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Amergin
Date: 16 May 11 - 02:52 PM

I would have to nominate The Human Centipede. It is basically director Tom Six's sado-masochistic fantasy put into film. The bad guy, a German doctor, sews three kidnap victims together, arse to mouth, in order to create what he thinks of as the ultimate pet. There are scenes where he beats them in order to discipline them when they do something wrong, but he enjoys it too much. Additionally, there is a scene when the guy in the lead, has to crap, which would inevitably go right into the mouth of the girl behind him. All in all, it is a sick sexual fantasy that goes no where, creating an exercise in pointlessness. It is not worth seeing.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: ranger1
Date: 16 May 11 - 05:35 PM

Three movies that make my list are: Message in a Bottle (Paul Newman, what were you thinking when you signed onfor that one?), The Postman (great book, truly ghastly movie), and this piece of shit: Valhalla Rising. I even blogged about it here. Think of it as being a public service announcement.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Allen in Oz
Date: 16 May 11 - 06:47 PM

" Dune"
" The English Patient"

AD

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Stringsinger
Date: 16 May 11 - 06:58 PM

The worst movie, hands down is:   Ta daa!   Atlas Shrugged.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 May 11 - 07:46 PM

This thread has been going for over a year.

Let's throw all the nominations in a bin and draw one. The winner gets to set the bin alight.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Max Johnson
Date: 17 May 11 - 06:10 AM

'Taken'.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:30 AM

Hang on just a moment, please can I just mention 'The Blue Lagoon' with Brooke Shields, which was all my fault because that was my film of choice at the time rather than the action packed option of my family. It would have been far more riveting watching an ant colony in a penny arcade.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: freda underhill
Date: 17 May 11 - 09:50 AM

In Australia we have our own brand of lousy movies. Try Razorback (1984)
("Killer pig terrorises Australian outback").

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,biff
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:30 PM

just saw Gods and Men in French with subtitles... kinda like Miramax goes to bible school and runs into some terrorists on the way who make real nasty...anyways..don't see it

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 17 May 11 - 11:55 PM

Boy Max I gotta disagree. I find Taken to be well made tight little film.

Don

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: J-boy
Date: 17 May 11 - 11:59 PM

Citizen Kane. It's all about some stupid sled. Lame.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 18 May 11 - 12:10 AM

===06 Mar 11 - 12:01 AM
I recall a Czech [or maybe Hungarian] film of 1960s-1970s, (when E European films such as Jancso's The Round Up [aka The Lost Ones in US, IIRC] were mainly well worth seeing), about a young man wandering around a city with an old cavalry sabre, attacking a car wrapped in black polythene, then lying in the snow in front of a tram which just stopped in time & a girl came along and said "Get up, you'll catch cold" - The End.
Rave reviews and about the most stupid inconsequential bore I have ever sat thru.
Anyone recall title/director? Tried to google but couldn't locate.
~M~===
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

3rd time of asking ~~ but it continues to bug me & no search has helped [doesn't help either that Wiki lists of Czech, Hungarian, &c, films give only the original titles without translation ~ WHY, Mr Wikiman?].

Any kind Catter out there can help put poor

~Michael~

out of this particular misery!?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: GUEST,Podger
Date: 18 May 11 - 06:50 PM

I just watched Dragon Hunter. The camerawork was dreadful, wobbling about all over the place as if a small child was using it. The script was poor and the acting stilted like you'd expect from a poorly produced school play. The ten minutes worth of plot was stretched out to 90 minutes. The costumes and scenery were reminiscent of television in the Fifties.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: DrugCrazed
Date: 18 May 11 - 06:55 PM

I watched the Hitman film. Do not recommend.

But why I thought that it was possible to make a movie from a game that didn't suck, I don't know.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 May 19 - 06:28 PM

It's a rainy Mother's Day sunday, in a hotel,
turned on the television hoping to see a news update.

Stumbled upon the last bumpy minutes of
"Inspector Clouseau," filmed as the third of the Pink Panther movies.

Since Edwards, Mancini, and Sellars would have no part of it,
Alan Arkin was cast as Clouseau.
Frank Finlay was the fellow in the bowler hat.
I recognized no one else.
Oh, the humanity.

And who in their right mind schedules a turkey like that
for Mother's Day television?

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 May 19 - 07:28 PM

I don't watch many films. I hate to be a passive recipient of "entertainment". And you have a big hill to climb before you can persuade me that any film is "art" rather than a mere money-making enterprise. I'll go to see any film that has an alleged serious intent, and I love anything that Leslie Nielsen is in, as well as the Pink Panthers and 2001. Oh, and Blazing Saddles. I was hoodwinked into going to see Gone Girl. Useless, pointless, dreadful. Came out feeling miserable. So, although I haven't seen 99.993% of all films ever made, I should like to nominate Gone Girl as the worst film ever.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 May 19 - 07:32 PM

As to Gone Girl,
I skimmed through a copy of the book
and was revolted --
not surprised it became a feel-bad film.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 13 May 19 - 07:36 AM

Gone Girl was a very entertaining movie.

Folks can be as prococatively perverse as they like.
But in the end it just tends to show they have little understanding
of the type of popular culture and it's audience they feel superior to...

We get a lot of that on mudcat...

In over 50 years I've watched and enjoyed many thousands of movies
of all genres, and levels of quality from trash to art house...

I'd rather trust my balanced opinion,
which is mirrored by an old schoolfriend who is a professsional movie critic, and author.
.. and likewise his mates who include internationally recognised critics, writers, media creatives...

SO, back to Gone Girl...
By any reasonable standards a well made and acted black comedy thriller...

I used to work in an Art House Cinema.. saw all sorts of pretentious toss,
funded by taxpayers, made to appeal to an elitist minority audience.
I actually liked a lot of it..
However, so much of this high minded cinematic art was appallingly dire,
and torture to sit through.
But I persevered, because I felt I ought to...

The only movie I've ever walked out on through sheer tedium
was Derek Jarman's "Caravaggio"..
[and I'd previously sat through his films finding aspects to enjoy..]
Maybe It was me, and I wasn't in the right mood that night...???
Should I try again..????
..not now.. life's too short and there are hundreds more accumulating I'd rather watch instead,
but can't find time for...

Btw.. movies as passive entertainment..
Only if you've not aquired the skill set to enage intellectually with a film
while wathing it,
and afterwards while considering and discussing it...
NOT that different from reading a novel really...

Obviouly cinemas impose a strict time limitation on an audience,
but home viewing puts it under your control to watch and react with
on your own terms..
The pause and repeat buttons are at your command.
Just like going back and re-reading a few paragraphs or pages, thinking about it, until they sink in...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 May 19 - 08:14 AM

Barry Lyndon wins the title for me, hands down
A beautifully filmed story drawn out interminably
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Donuel
Date: 13 May 19 - 08:41 PM

Worst Movies ever should include FUTURE movies.
Such as;
Frozen II
Star Wars the rise of Skywalker
X Men TNG the dark side
Lion King 5 beyond cGI
Fat & Furious Hobbs & Shaw
Angry Birds II
Adaams Family the nimation movie
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Artemis Fowl
Gemini Man

and good ones;
Brian Banks
Yesterday

Super Bob is more humanistic than 90% of the movies coming up

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 May 19 - 08:45 PM

Not the worst, but the one I am sorriest I did not walk out of: Liquid Sky.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: kendall
Date: 15 May 19 - 07:55 PM

Lobsteroids. I know because I was in it.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 May 19 - 10:04 PM

A zombie movie called "Autumn" was pretty bad, but I at least watched the whole thing. That's more than can be said for the third installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. The original movie was interesting. The second one, I watched but don't remember anything about it. The third one got ejected from my DVD player after a painfully confusing thirty minutes. I have no idea why they even made the fourth and fifth installments.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: robomatic
Date: 16 May 19 - 06:46 PM

I enjoyed Liquid Sky, even though I am not a druggie. Saw it when it was in theaters. Don't think I'd see it again 'cause it was of its period, the 80s.

I'm most interested when I abhor a movie that gets plaudits from others. Really couldn't stand "The Shape of Water" which won in Hollywood last year. It was designed to be a 'brave' PC movie where the audience gets to feel superior to the characters. A major case of Presentism. But it was hackneyed and derivative with very good actors but very bad writing.
Also hated "The Favourite" which made no sense to me whatsover, again utilizing good actors but otherwise tiresome and unhistorical with no saving grace.
Also sorta hated the latest of the Mission Impossibles with not one but two nuclear bombs hidden in the same place. I was treated to this flick but will not be treated in the future because of the number of times I glanced at my watch during the showing.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 19 - 07:55 PM

Movies today rely on a high shock quotients or a high adrenaline dose.
Rom Coms exxploit sex and jokes. 'Passengers' had them all and was entertaining but not a great classic. I hardly noticed there were only 3 human characters. A movie that had only 2 characters but was great was Sunset Express.

I would agree with the robo reviews but haven't seen liquid sky.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 May 19 - 08:49 PM

Liquid Sky has finally been officially released on a quality Blu-ray...
[not the dodgy European Blu-ray..]
I got it off Amazon..

I bought a used VHS from a rental store about 30 years ago...

Reason for my enthusiasm is I saw the movie in a London cinema when it came out,
and loved it.. particularly the music and harsh trippy visuals...

It's a crap movie, but a fascinating cultural artifact of it's time...

It's probably still up on youtube in rough quality...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: robomatic
Date: 17 May 19 - 06:48 PM

My memory which is all I'm going on for Liquid Sky is that it was put together by a Russian immigrant who was living rough maybe in New York? and on the edge of the culture she depicted. And she cobbled together the music (or musical effects) on her own using effects equipment of the time which was I'm pretty sure pre-digital. It's a movie you watch if you're studying movies or period pieces.

Another really horrible movie was "Bonfire of the Vanities"
. It was after a Tom Wolfe novel about money and class in the New York City of the 80s. The book was a period piece which I really liked. It was gritty and did not take prisoners among the various vying ethnicities depicted. The movie tried to be PC and included Tom Hanks, miscast, Melanie Griffith, miscast, Bruce Willis, miscast, and Morgan Freeman, miscast. It was directed by Brian DePalma, miscast. Whoever was responsible for the adaptation really screwed the pooch.

The movie was so bad it spawned another book about the movie "The Devil's Candy".

IF you're a movie person or a big fan of the actors, it is a worthwhile watch. If you're a Tom Wolfe fan, it's a movie to watch after a bad breakup while binge eating or coming down from a Game Of Thrones high.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 May 19 - 12:46 PM

There was that highly-acclaimed movie about a Maori (?) girl and whales? Horrible.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 18 May 19 - 01:16 PM

I have a simple approach to all this.
I try my hardest to avoid movie reviews and trailers,
until after I've watched a film on my own terms...

I ignore trite cliches like "So bad it's good" and "guilty pleasures"..
If there's something in a film I find to like, then that'll do for me...
There's no obligation to justify that to anyone else...

Similarly, if a movie fails to engage my attention, and bores me..
I've no right to denounce it as a bad film.
Someone else will be bound to love it for their own reasons...

There is and never will be such a thing as the 'worst' or 'best' movie...

Right then.. that's the obvious stated for the benefit of any peer group trend followers...

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Neil D
Date: 18 May 19 - 06:17 PM

Even though it won an Oscar for best picture, I hated "The Artist". I found it quite pretentious, too precious by half. I don't know if it is the worst ever, there are so many horrible movies, but it is a good example that know matter how highly acclaimed a movie is, somebody will hate it.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 19 - 03:41 AM

Funny how tastes differ
I loved 'Whale Rider' "Maori (?) girl and whales? Horrible." and have seen 'The Artist' three times and would go again tomorrow
I also loved 'Heaven's Gate', though it is recorded as having lost more at the box office than any other film
We now live in the Wild West of Ireland and usually have to travel around fifty miles to see good films (Limerick or Galway)
Dublin is a regular treat - cramming in as many films as possible in three days (six in that period is our record)
The filmed National Theatre Shakespeare productions are a particularly pleasurable addition
Films on TV are ok, but it doesn't come anywhere near the pleasure of communal viewing on the big screen with a crowd of like minded film lovers, though the 'Talking Pictures' channel is manna from heaven (for 'they-don't-make-'em-like-that-any-more' stuff and for finding out how bad some of those films you remember fondly really were.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Tunesmith
Date: 21 May 19 - 05:28 AM

Way back in this thread, alanabit said that he can't watch "Gone With the Wind" because of the terrible acting. I can't agree with that. Clarke Gable was doing his usual macho man performance - very well. Leslie Howard delivered a very sensitive performance, although he was miscast. Olivier de Havilland was fine, and moving down the cast, Thomas Mitchell Ward Bond and Victor Jory all gave - at the very least - good performances, which brings us to Vivienne Leigh ( who won an Oscar for her performance ).
   Now, if I had to guess, I would reckon that's it's Vivienne's performance - and she WAS the star of the movie - that alanabit didn't like but I bet he fell into the trap of believing that she was overacting in a self conscious way - particularly in the first part of the movie BUT BUT BUT! that was the character!
It was the character of Scarlett, at the beginning of the movie, who was overacting! Flirting, acting the little princess, putting on airs, over doing everything..to gain attention. But, again, that's what the character was like.
    Of course, it could be argued that Vivienne was told to over do the flighty, silly young woman bit early in the story so it could be contrasted by the woman who has to grow up quickly when faced with the extreme change of fortune in her circumstances.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 19 - 07:27 AM

I believe that 'Ghost' is the most over-hyped film ever made - Hollywood froth at its very worst
I don't have the exact dates to confirm it, but I believe it was made on the back of the far superior British 'Truely, Madly, Deeply', on the same theme - possibly one of the finest and most sensitive light comedies to come out of the British studios
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Donuel
Date: 21 May 19 - 08:56 AM

I'm more entertained by Kind Hearts and Coronets than Man with the X Ray Eyes.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 May 19 - 02:24 PM

A lot of women -- me included -- enjoy the satire/comedy "9 to 5"

I know at least one man who despises it.

Subject: RE: Worst Movie ever
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 19 - 02:45 PM

"Kind Hearts and Coronets"
Mmmm yes
Still smiling from the last time I watched it - on the box
Just realised if missed tonighght's showing of The Ladykillers (Alec Guinness version - not that hideous remake)
Never mind - Talking Pictures will repeat in shortly, no doubt
Jim Carroll