Totally agree about Titanic. The first 45 minutes of that movie were a huge waste of time and should've been cut. HP movies are for kids. So are the books!
Titanic was on my 'wish I could unsee' list for a long time and then I thought I'd give it another chance recently and agreed with my former assessment. A definite ' unsee'.
I particularly love this post Jen. Thank you for sharing! The word that comes to my mind is rebellion. I feel a lot of it when it comes to the topic of mansplaining, gender norms, etc…
Yes! Definitely rebellion. The only thing I don't like about using that word is that to me it implies that the person telling you to see the movie is in some kind of position of authority when in this case they're not. Which is actually what makes me even more crazy somehow!
So onboard with you, Jen. Never saw Shawshank (despite “dating” Tim Robbins body double for the poster…ah LA). Or Life of Pi or Hamilton. Add Greatest Showman to my personal list - along with Life is Beautiful, Everything Everywhere and LaLa Land. My husband finally got me to sit through the Big Lebowski and it was fine. Made me nostalgic for 90s LA but didn’t spark a yearning for White Russians.
We share three. Kill Bill (I don't know why I won't see it either), and Donnie Darko - for much the same reason, and Shawshank.
I'm going to fight you on one. Borat is a treasure, but I didn't know about Ali G so I was fresh to it. SBC is one of those mad geniuses like David Lynch where I seem to resonate with only some of his stuff but can see the brilliance in all of it. Borat hit the sweet spot for me.
Magnolia pretty much destroyed me (I went because I loved Aimee Mann and didn't know much about the film), and not in a good way. I've never had that kind of experience in a theater where I just felt like I had been abused and tortured for two hours. I don't think it was genius, I didn't find it "touching," and I don't look at it like I look at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me or I Saw the TV Glow, where experiencing the nightmare is part of the journey of watching the film. I just found it utterly, unflinchingly abusive. Hated it.
I think my critical analysis hasn't kept up with the times though. I wish I could go back and not have watched Everything Everywhere All at Once or The Lighthouse, two films that should have been in my wheelhouse but for some reason were 180 degrees of what I hoped for.
interesting about everything everywhere - i'll admit, i loved it. it's always fascinating to me when i feel i'm out of sync with everyone around me. Like, for some reason I didn't care for Attack The Block very much but everyone else LOVES it.
I find the relationship between "fandom" (or just people who really really like a particular movie) and how I approach the movie (or a TV show for that matter) very intriguing. Because as much as we'd like to pretend, no art piece exists in a vacuum - and we usually talk about that with regards to the author but the audience plays a huge part as well, especially after a few years and if a film gets a certain reputation or status.
Personally, I've had instances when I refused to watch something only to watch it years later and absolutely love it, and I've also had instances of me refusing to watch something only to later watch it and regret watching it, thinking, "I knew this was going to suck anyway."
There are also films that people have over-hyped in advance so then I hated it before I even started watching it, and vice versa too, interestingly enough.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, I have no "final conclusion", just thought the whole theme was super interesting and made me think so thank you for the post!
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! You make an excellent point - that the audience and the reputation they create for a film can play a huge part in how we experience it when we finally watch it.
Sounds like you have issues with men and their opinions more than the films themselves. It’s ok to not like everything and develop personal tastes. I don’t like fantasy films so have zero desire to see the Harry Potter films.
I want to fight you on Magnolia and Borat but... yeah, the fandoms and film-bros can sour the experience of watching these films. I hate that film culture online can basically be summed up as David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, PTA, Martin Scorsese, and the Coen Brothers. Love those directors but there's so much more out there!
Completely agree on Hamilton and Donnie Darko, though. DD is fine, but I don't get the hype.
Let’s talk sitcoms. Where do you stand on “Seinfeld?” Curious since he’s been a subject of criticism of late. During lockdown, I uncovered a treasure trove of British sitcoms like “Sex Education” that kept me from going bonkers. Of course, none can equal “The Wire” but that’s a subject for another day.
I know almost every Seinfeld episode by heart. That said, he as a person has become… not my favorite. I heard Sex Education was good but haven’t see it. The Wire is a masterpiece (except for the last season, sadly). I actually don’t keep up with TV shows too much. There are many that are considered standard watches that I still haven’t seen.
I understand. My love for Seinfeld is tempered by Jerry who has said some incredibly stupid things. Sex Education is SO smart. Before Sex Education, the last sitcom I watched was Seinfeld. The other very clever show I discovered is Better Things, Pamela Adlon’s show and the French comedy “Call My Agent.”
I've never held out for life but definitely hype sometimes makes me decide to hold off until people stop nagging me about it. I actually may have only one single for life spite thing, not because people are always nagging me about it but because when I mention it in contexts such as these, they start nagging me about it:
Glengarry Glen Ross
I actually wanted to see it for awhile, it just sort of became this perennial "YoU hAvEn'T sEeN ...!!! yOu HAVE tO SeE...!! YoU MUST wAtcH iT ASAP!" Or the worst thing, the thing I hate the most: "YoU sHoUlD FIX tHaT." Fuck you, I'm not broken. You know, for a movie always quoted for "Always be closing," people aren't very good at selling me on it.
I actually have a rule, "If me seeing this movie is important to you, you provide the means." Invite me over to a movie night, lend me the BluRay, pay for my movie ticket. It works sometimes; the rest of the time, you find out it's not as important to the person as they go on about. (Caveat: being a married dude, nobody seems to take this rule as an invitation for a date, I think. Probably not a good rule for women in college film programs.).
a few more movies coming in via text: Jurassic Park and The Big Lebowski
I liked Lebowski but totally get why you wouldn't. FCK Jurassic Park.
i will admit I love both. i'm a sucker for dinos.
Liked the Big Lebowski but JP sounds stupid as all F.
"You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous."
apparently i had this post set so only paid subs could comment which was unintentional. so i've been getting comments the old fashioned way: text.
one person told me the word I'm looking for: recalcitrance
and another says that they won't see Titanic or the Harry Potter movies out of spite.
Totally agree about Titanic. The first 45 minutes of that movie were a huge waste of time and should've been cut. HP movies are for kids. So are the books!
Titanic was on my 'wish I could unsee' list for a long time and then I thought I'd give it another chance recently and agreed with my former assessment. A definite ' unsee'.
I mean . . . every day there’s a new reason not to watch the Harry Potter movies, but not due to spite.
I particularly love this post Jen. Thank you for sharing! The word that comes to my mind is rebellion. I feel a lot of it when it comes to the topic of mansplaining, gender norms, etc…
Yes! Definitely rebellion. The only thing I don't like about using that word is that to me it implies that the person telling you to see the movie is in some kind of position of authority when in this case they're not. Which is actually what makes me even more crazy somehow!
So onboard with you, Jen. Never saw Shawshank (despite “dating” Tim Robbins body double for the poster…ah LA). Or Life of Pi or Hamilton. Add Greatest Showman to my personal list - along with Life is Beautiful, Everything Everywhere and LaLa Land. My husband finally got me to sit through the Big Lebowski and it was fine. Made me nostalgic for 90s LA but didn’t spark a yearning for White Russians.
Dating Tim Robbins's body double is a story for sure. Please write THAT movie. Now.
agreed
I agree with Brooke, I think I need to hear more about dating Tim Robbins' body double! I'm with you on Greatest Showman - looks extremely annoying.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT WORD????
"Obstreperous"
aha!
Imma let you finish but The Tree of Life is one of the 10 greatest films of all time. Of all time!
We share three. Kill Bill (I don't know why I won't see it either), and Donnie Darko - for much the same reason, and Shawshank.
I'm going to fight you on one. Borat is a treasure, but I didn't know about Ali G so I was fresh to it. SBC is one of those mad geniuses like David Lynch where I seem to resonate with only some of his stuff but can see the brilliance in all of it. Borat hit the sweet spot for me.
Magnolia pretty much destroyed me (I went because I loved Aimee Mann and didn't know much about the film), and not in a good way. I've never had that kind of experience in a theater where I just felt like I had been abused and tortured for two hours. I don't think it was genius, I didn't find it "touching," and I don't look at it like I look at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me or I Saw the TV Glow, where experiencing the nightmare is part of the journey of watching the film. I just found it utterly, unflinchingly abusive. Hated it.
I think my critical analysis hasn't kept up with the times though. I wish I could go back and not have watched Everything Everywhere All at Once or The Lighthouse, two films that should have been in my wheelhouse but for some reason were 180 degrees of what I hoped for.
interesting about everything everywhere - i'll admit, i loved it. it's always fascinating to me when i feel i'm out of sync with everyone around me. Like, for some reason I didn't care for Attack The Block very much but everyone else LOVES it.
I did not like Attack the Block at all. 🥴😆
I guess I've been using spite wrong too. I guess recalcitrance is the right word. But I'm not going to use that. I'm going to use spite, out of spite.
Perfect.
Such an interesting post and topic!
I find the relationship between "fandom" (or just people who really really like a particular movie) and how I approach the movie (or a TV show for that matter) very intriguing. Because as much as we'd like to pretend, no art piece exists in a vacuum - and we usually talk about that with regards to the author but the audience plays a huge part as well, especially after a few years and if a film gets a certain reputation or status.
Personally, I've had instances when I refused to watch something only to watch it years later and absolutely love it, and I've also had instances of me refusing to watch something only to later watch it and regret watching it, thinking, "I knew this was going to suck anyway."
There are also films that people have over-hyped in advance so then I hated it before I even started watching it, and vice versa too, interestingly enough.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, I have no "final conclusion", just thought the whole theme was super interesting and made me think so thank you for the post!
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! You make an excellent point - that the audience and the reputation they create for a film can play a huge part in how we experience it when we finally watch it.
A solid list! I've seen a few of these but Donnie Darko is on my no-fly list as well.
Donnie Darko is teetering on the edge of me finally checking it out... we'll see if I give in.
Sounds like you have issues with men and their opinions more than the films themselves. It’s ok to not like everything and develop personal tastes. I don’t like fantasy films so have zero desire to see the Harry Potter films.
I’ve got a couple of these lol. I try not to do this, but I do a little bit.
I can relate so much! Tree of Life, Donnie Darko, and Magnolia were such hard watches and I felt like they wasted my time.
I want to fight you on Magnolia and Borat but... yeah, the fandoms and film-bros can sour the experience of watching these films. I hate that film culture online can basically be summed up as David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, PTA, Martin Scorsese, and the Coen Brothers. Love those directors but there's so much more out there!
Completely agree on Hamilton and Donnie Darko, though. DD is fine, but I don't get the hype.
Love the post, despite all that.
Let’s talk sitcoms. Where do you stand on “Seinfeld?” Curious since he’s been a subject of criticism of late. During lockdown, I uncovered a treasure trove of British sitcoms like “Sex Education” that kept me from going bonkers. Of course, none can equal “The Wire” but that’s a subject for another day.
I know almost every Seinfeld episode by heart. That said, he as a person has become… not my favorite. I heard Sex Education was good but haven’t see it. The Wire is a masterpiece (except for the last season, sadly). I actually don’t keep up with TV shows too much. There are many that are considered standard watches that I still haven’t seen.
I understand. My love for Seinfeld is tempered by Jerry who has said some incredibly stupid things. Sex Education is SO smart. Before Sex Education, the last sitcom I watched was Seinfeld. The other very clever show I discovered is Better Things, Pamela Adlon’s show and the French comedy “Call My Agent.”
Oh, I’ve REALLY been wanting to watch Call My Agent - it’s been recommended to me so many times. Maybe this will be the final push I needed.
VERY clever. They remade it, of course, for UK. I don’t think it clicked.
I've never held out for life but definitely hype sometimes makes me decide to hold off until people stop nagging me about it. I actually may have only one single for life spite thing, not because people are always nagging me about it but because when I mention it in contexts such as these, they start nagging me about it:
Glengarry Glen Ross
I actually wanted to see it for awhile, it just sort of became this perennial "YoU hAvEn'T sEeN ...!!! yOu HAVE tO SeE...!! YoU MUST wAtcH iT ASAP!" Or the worst thing, the thing I hate the most: "YoU sHoUlD FIX tHaT." Fuck you, I'm not broken. You know, for a movie always quoted for "Always be closing," people aren't very good at selling me on it.
I actually have a rule, "If me seeing this movie is important to you, you provide the means." Invite me over to a movie night, lend me the BluRay, pay for my movie ticket. It works sometimes; the rest of the time, you find out it's not as important to the person as they go on about. (Caveat: being a married dude, nobody seems to take this rule as an invitation for a date, I think. Probably not a good rule for women in college film programs.).