films: it was really good, i hated it

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totally captivating and engrossing and wellmade films that you really really dislike while still respecting them:

an obvious one: everything by larry clark and/or harmony korine.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

'Far From Heaven.'

― s woods, Thursday, 13 March 2003 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

the idiots

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm, I might be tempted to file Larry Clark / Harmony Korine films under the opposite category of "It was really bad, I liked it." And I don't mean in a campy, "so bad it's good" way.

Like, I'm not quite sure Bully is a good, well-made film, and yet it had an extraordinary emotional impact on me. julien donkey-boy is kind of a mess, and yet there are images in that film that I found haunting. The exploitative, shock-value elements of these two filmmakers especially make me cringe -- but I also find it all terribly intriguing.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, i guess it's the exploitation angle that makes me a little queasy. felt a little bit of it w/ "american movie" too, but that was a documentary and they all do come off ultimately as likeable if fucked up dudes.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:11 (twenty-three years ago)

American History X...possibly the most well-made film I wish I had never seen.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:12 (twenty-three years ago)

pixote

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:29 (twenty-three years ago)

audition

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Happiness

― Arthur (Arthur), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

This is how I feel about basically any really horribly depressing but well-made film. I appreciate it very much on one level, but at the same time I have no plans to ever see it again.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I was going to say Storytelling but I didn't even like it really.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

what scott said

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually loved Dancer in the Dark and it's an amazing film; but I'm never watching it again ever. It was TOO much.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

(it was the prettiest wallpaper i've never wanted to watch)

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

(that was abt far from heaven obv)

dancer in the dark is a whole other story

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Requiem For a Dream -- once you got past the flashy editing, it was an afterschool "Just Say No" special writ lurid.

― j.lu (j.lu), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Barton Fink (though I'm not utterly convinced of the well-made part)

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I would want Dancer in the Dark on dvd so I could skip to musical numbers and not have to watch the really really sad parts.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Welcome to the Dollhouse.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:26 (twenty-three years ago)

How can you not enjoy Barton Fink? I find it quite enjoyable.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, it's been ten years so I can't speak to details. It didn't help that I somewhat loathe John Goodman (except for his performance in Lebowski, that is).

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:29 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't care for the Coen bros in general.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I can only think of one film that fits into this category for me:

Romance.

And how.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I have come to fisticuffs w/ppl over my insistence on the ghastly, appalling shittiness that was 'Big Lebowski', and if you know how weedy I am that'll indicate how much I hated that vomit-inducingly worthless film.

― dave q, Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe it's me, but if I don't like a movie I will pick it a part til I can't find any reason to even respect it. I'm just petty that way.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha ha, Dave q hates my favorite movie with a passion!

"You're out of your element" Dave! :D

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 19:55 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't see how anyone could dismiss the beauty that was the dream sequence in The Big Lebowski...such erotic-yet-simultaneously-cheesy imagery, YOWZAH! Not to mention it has an amazing soundtrack. And you didn't find the Jesus bit in the least bit funny? Wow. Now I feel sad.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 20:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I have friends who, despite being seemingly normal, rational people, also claim to hate The Big Lebowski. It seems to provoke unnatural detestation in some otherwise cool people. That, in itself, must mean that it is good.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Thursday, 13 March 2003 20:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Not to mention it was a criminal waste of soundtrack material!

― dave q, Thursday, 13 March 2003 20:20 (twenty-three years ago)

this supposed to be about movies you thing are good but don't like

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 13 March 2003 20:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Nothing can be said in any language known to man which will make me think any less of The Big Lebowski...there are few films I consider actually perfect, and it is one of them. So nya.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 20:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't think the movie was very good, most people loved it, but I was utterly dissapointed by Life is Beautiful. I also hated Lone Star and LA Confidential.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Well yeah 'good' as in there was obviously a superhuman amount of craft and thought (maybe) put into it but to what end? It just makes it even more annoying

― dave q, Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I really liked Life is Beautiful until the very last scene. I was like "WTF!?!" Then I realized it was supposed to be funny. I think.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Re: Life is Beautiful. I think I was so taken by the trailer for the movie that when I actually saw the movie it was too dissapointing.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Amelie

― f (felicity), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:24 (twenty-three years ago)

That's happened to me hella times, Carey. Sometimes I wish they made trailers as craptacular as possible so ALL movies ended up better than they seemed beforehand.

As for good-movies-I-don't-want-to-see-again: Happiness. I've never ever been so creeped out by a film my whole life.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Happiness is a good choice. I agree. Very very creepy.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

It was the little kid that pushed it over the top for me. Ugh.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:31 (twenty-three years ago)

You mean you didn't share with your family the first time you masturbated?

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I've also been teetering about whether I hated Adaptation or not. The end ruined it for me, although I know the importance of it.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:33 (twenty-three years ago)

but a parody of a copout ending is still a copout ending!

the only movie that really comes to mind: schindler's list (although it being "really good" is very debatable)

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:40 (twenty-three years ago)

That's just because you hate Jews, Yancey.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Shhhhhh!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 13 March 2003 21:54 (twenty-three years ago)

metropolis (japanese)

― Clare (not entirely unhappy), Thursday, 13 March 2003 22:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The Shining

― man, Thursday, 13 March 2003 22:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Fletch.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 March 2003 22:55 (twenty-three years ago)

the end was real, the beginning was a copout!

― minna (minna), Thursday, 13 March 2003 22:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Chicago; everything works in there, but damn are they smug about it.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 13 March 2003 23:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Fritz, you should watch Chris Smith's first movie, American Job, which is leaps and bounds more depressing, funny, poignant, and spare than American Movie. Unfortunately, to see it you may have to order a copy from him personally though off of his website.

Schindler's List, Eyes Wide Shut, some of Mike Leigh's movies (although I loved Naked), Kundun, Dune, Lost Highway, 8 and 1/2, Cecil B. Demented, a few others I can't think of at the moment.

Some movies suffer for lack of cultural understanding/empathy as well; for instance, I hated If..., even though I appreciate many things about it, and I was largely ambivalent towards Withnail and I, the motivations of the characters being difficult for me to parse upon first viewing.

Then there are those which are great movies but too disturbing/painful to enjoy or even sit thorugh on some occasions. The documentary Sick falls into this category, and Welcome to the Dollhouse comes close with its spot-on portrayals (for me at least) of the hell that is junior high.

Adaptation, much like A.I. is a movie that is flawed largely by its ending, but has so many positive things going for it, that I can overlook its imperfections.

― Ryan McKay (Ryan McKay), Thursday, 13 March 2003 23:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Naked (Mike Leigh). While the video was playing (and others were watching), I actually had to go stand outside in the rain until it was over. Great picture, though.

― Pepe le Moko, Friday, 14 March 2003 01:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I was horrified to discover I didn't enjoy Ghostworld when I finally watched it recently (and I have read and loved the comic). I hope it was because I was drunk and restless, I might have to give it another go. It's just... it felt so eye-rollingly "we're cool cause we're bored, lets bitch about everything". More so than the comic portrayed. I dunno. I think I must have missed something.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 14 March 2003 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

American Beauty-love the way it was put together but man what a dirty old man fantisizing about little girls flick.

I thought the ending of Life Is Beautiful ruined the film,too.

― brg30 (brg30), Friday, 14 March 2003 03:10 (twenty-three years ago)

One shit movie where the ending just made it even tartier shit is Signs. That movie should have ended with everyone dying, (the only way I was going to be satusfied). Not that I love depressing endings. I thought Secretary had the most fab ending in a long time. I loved that movie. James Spader....mmmmmmm.

― Carey (Carey), Friday, 14 March 2003 03:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Trayce: you didn't miss anything. Ghost World sucked. I couldn't believe the adulation it got in the press (and from many people I know). I like the comic, but the movie really dropped the ball.

― slutsky (slutsky), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:30 (twenty-three years ago)

i enjoyed the movie, but i would have sat through 2 hours of garbage just to perv at Thora Birch anyway

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:31 (twenty-three years ago)

24 Hour Party People

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:33 (twenty-three years ago)

i enjoyed the movie, but i would have sat through 2 hours of garbage just for the Vini Reilly cameo anyway

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:35 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry, i'll shut up now

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I would spare Mike Love before M Night Shyamalan.

― Aaron A., Friday, 14 March 2003 05:39 (twenty-three years ago)

no no esoj, I'm w/ you on the Birch.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 14 March 2003 05:44 (twenty-three years ago)

The Piano Teacher is the #1 example of this for me. I think it's an excellent movie, and wouldn't argue against any of the praise it received. But I really disliked it strongly, and found it thoroughly unpleasant to watch.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 14 March 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

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