Totally Over-rated

My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

As if dropped from the heavens onto our plate of mishmash that is the current convo, here is Premiere Magazine's 20 Most Overrated Movies, a new or recent article, with opinions as to why and rebuttals to each.  Let the controversy begin.

Here's the link:

http://www.premiere.com/feature/3268/20-most-overrated.html

If you want to ignore the link, here are the movies:

American Beauty

Chicago

Clerks (!!)

Fantasia (the Disney film!)

Field of Dreams (!!)

Chariots of Fire

Good Will Hunting

Forrest Gump

Jules and Jim

A Beautiful Mind

Monster's Ball

Moonstruck

Mystic River

Nashville

The Wizard of Oz (I'm fainting now)

An American in Paris

Easy Rider

The Red Shoes

2001: A Space Odyssey (!)

Gone with the Wind (I'm literally dead with confusion)

So, who agrees?  The only one I'm subscribing to is An American in Paris.  The Gershwin score is unmistakable, but this is not the best of the Gene Kelly movie musicals.  Try Singin' in the Rain for that.  Otherwise, I'm too shocked.  Wipe the puddle that is me off the floor....

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

pippin06:

As if dropped from the heavens onto our plate of mishmash that is the current convo, here is Premiere Magazine's 20 Most Overrated Movies, a new or recent article, with opinions as to why and rebuttals to each.  Let the controversy begin.

Here's the link:

http://www.premiere.com/feature/3268/20-most-overrated.html

If you want to ignore the link, here are the movies:

American Beauty

Chicago

Clerks (!!)

Fantasia (the Disney film!)

Field of Dreams (!!)

Chariots of Fire

Good Will Hunting

Forrest Gump

Jules and Jim

A Beautiful Mind

Monster's Ball

Moonstruck

Mystic River

Nashville

The Wizard of Oz (I'm fainting now)

An American in Paris

Easy Rider

The Red Shoes

2001: A Space Odyssey (!)

Gone with the Wind (I'm literally dead with confusion)

 

So, who agrees?  The only one I'm subscribing to is An American in Paris.  The Gershwin score is unmistakable, but this is not the best of the Gene Kelly movie musicals.  Try Singin' in the Rain for that.  Otherwise, I'm too shocked.  Wipe the puddle that is me off the floor....

I saw Jules and Jim in a film class and was pretty put off by the selfishness of all of the characterss.  Didn't enjoy that one much.

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Yeah, I wouldn't hang my hat on Premiere as the pulse of the overall public.  I just thought it was ironic and timely that they published this list just as we're getting involved in this group and talking about what overrated means and all that jazz.

Besides, anyone who calls The Wizard of Oz overrated is just being blasphemous in my book.  Say what you like, but when it's memorized by people of all ages the world over, flying monkeys aside, it can't be that overrated.

And Clerks?  Who's doing the overrating there?  I thought it was underrated as a cult classic.  Meh.  What're you going to do?

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Thanks for the link, it is supremely timely...

I noted the use of 'lame' in one to the critiques; is the word 'lame' an appropriate and or meaningful word in criticism??? it seems like its range of meaning is ill-defined and too broad to be an effective pejorative.

I only had a moment to go through a couple of the reasons and the rebuttals against... and want a few moments to digest the choices, but was intrigued that there only about 5 or so that I would term 'classic'; the others I have my suspicions that the lifetimes of most of the others will be brief; whether I enjoy them or not, but then this discussion is not about 'classics', but films that are deemed 'totally over-rated'.

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

you nailed it!

the Oscars??? I view them and the taudry announcers as a huge pile of fetid crappola not fit for anyone's consumption.

I have no objections to including anything on your blog, but give us cute nicknames...

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Ah, as leader of the Oscars group, I both agree and disagree. I wouldn't use tawdry or fetid to describe the Academy, but they are definitely flawed and, hey, subjective!  Just like all of us who secretly wish we were on that Academy.  Maybe I just want the gift bags.

I TOTALLY agree about Titanic!  That is definitely an overrated flick.  I like it and own it, but it definitely should not have won BP (though it did deserve its wins in the technical categories.  Tell me the boat's not fascinating).  And it doesn't stand up to many repeat viewings.  That's a good one to put on the list.

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Puhnner:

Thanks for the link, it is supremely timely...

I noted the use of 'lame' in one to the critiques; is the word 'lame' an appropriate and or meaningful word in criticism??? it seems like its range of meaning is ill-defined and too broad to be an effective pejorative.

I only had a moment to go through a couple of the reasons and the rebuttals against... and want a few moments to digest the choices, but was intrigued that there only about 5 or so that I would term 'classic'; the others I have my suspicions that the lifetimes of most of the others will be brief; whether I enjoy them or not, but then this discussion is not about 'classics', but films that are deemed 'totally over-rated'.

I love the word "pejorative" and people who used it.  I'm not surprised that you did.

Re: My Quandaries Aside, Here's Something Very Interesting

Risselada,

I should have used 'purgative', meant in the strict medical sense, but drat, it seems not to be a word!

Have you run any 'totally over-rated' ratios on any films yet???, I would love to see some!!! then I will start a list with the resultant ratios given.