With this list I attempted to incorporate different kinds of films. Movies acclaimed critically or by everyday people. I wanted to include dramas, comedies, musicals, and box office action and Sci-Fi. There may be some that I’ve missed, but I find this list to include a little of everything. At the bottom of the list is a new addition called: PEOPLES CHOICE, where I have taken a list from what Movie Mobsters fans on facebook voted for. Here is the list. Feel free to enjoy or bluster me or both!
Brokeback Mountain was not the movie I had expected. From the previews I assumed it was a short summer’s love and then they meet a cross road- The End. I never realized how long the two men carried out their relationship and how they dealt with it and the secrecy of their orientation for the rest of their lives. It was actually the deciding factor that seemed to make this film really worthwhile for watching. I fear people will focus too much on the homosexual aspect of Heath Ledger and Jack Gyllenhaal rather than really thinking about the big picture. Unfortunately, due to the first thirty minutes that’s fair because it was full of cliche and boring lovie moments. The film itself was good but I think it was only acclaimed as it was because of the controversial subject matter. It was a decent movie but nothing near Oscar caliber. The film was essentially lonesome and depressing. I enjoyed it but probably won’t revisit it again for a long time.
No doubt this is a great movie. In fact, I’m a proud owner of it. I’ve watched it numerous times and am always entertained. However, Best Picture? Best movie of the year? I just can’t agree with it. There was so much talk about it upon it’s release that I was certain the greatest film of all time had been made. It WAS the best musical I had seen in years, and an enjoyable film, but I don’t see where the particulars of it’s greatness come in. It’s a solid movie with great music and decent performances that for me falls somewhere in the middle of good and great, but certainly nowhere near “The Best.”
This was a comedy embraced by both critics and movie goers alike. I won’t debate the talented cast or crew, however, I never caught on to it’s humor. Movies that deal with misunderstandings tend to make me uncomfortable, but here is an entire movie dedicated to mistaken situations, awkward slapstick comedy, and characters that weren’t necessarily likable. I can’t say I outright hated it, but it certainly would never find itself on any of my well loved or liked lists. I still am oblivious to what has attracted so many people to it over the years and what was so funny about it. I just found it awkward.
Moulin Rouge kind of suffered the same fate as Chicago for me, except I didn’t think it was as well rounded a film as Chicago. While Chicago still managed to make this list for me, it was based on the princible of simply being too far overrated. Moulin Rouge was a film that I found on it’s best day to be “OK” as the “phenomenon” of the year, and is also revered as one of the more brilliant movies of the decade. For me it fit more in the category of one of the more interesting of the year, and forgettable over the decades. If anything it had moments were it was simply boring.
Speaking of boring…………As much as I love Tim Burton and most of what’s he’s achieved over the years, I simply can’t get behind the works of Ed Wood. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it isn’t a good movie, but it seems most revered among Tim Burton films which I really disagree with. Landau was flat in it, and while Depp was good as usual it wasn’t one of his most notable performances. There wasn’t anything overly remarkable about this film yet it seems to be a darling of critics while also having a strong cult following. A good movie, but in my thoughts not worthy of it’s potential.
Deep Impact came out the same year as Armageddon and I suffer the displeasure of having seen each atrocity in the theatre. Disaster movies were very prevalent in the late nineties, and at this point as long as stuff blew up and lives were in peril a script seemed acceptable. It also explains why Micheal Bay was chosen for this movie. As a fan of his, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, he was just the wrong choice for this movie. In fact, having a cast period was a bad choice for this movie. The script should by all means still be sitting somewhere gathering dust. Instead, we have a movie that spends nearly two and half hours stumbling through weak versions of Ren and Stimpy humour wondering if these oil drillers can achieve their goal more soundly than trained professional blower uppers. They should have just skipped the semantics and sent Micheal Bay directly to the Asteroid. It would have exploded and the movie would have been over in twenty minutes. Twenty of course because Micheal Bay would make sure is was a super big and cool special effect! I absolutely detest this poor excuse for a film. The only semi-remarkable part of it, was the comic relief of Steve Buscemi. Next to the other living dead he was inter-connecting with he seemed to be the only one with flowing blood and the ability to think. In fact, he even cracked the occasional funny joke.
No there isn’t. As far as Hollywood comedies go this movie was wildly accoladed by film critics and fans alike. I stand here and disapprove. Sure, it had it’s moments, and opened doors that had been closed for awhile in the raunchy comedy department, but for me it was a lot of shock comedy that hasn’t held up over the years. I only laughed briefly upon it’s release and find it even less humorous now. It’s not a bad movie, but it certainly didn’t hold up against similar comedies of it’s genre like KINGPIN which was a far superior film in every way. Too much Ben Stiller, and far too annoying Cameron Diaz does not a good movie make.
I’m going to be hated, but I just can’t jump on the Spider-Man bandwagon. I’ve watched it three or four times now and still cannot like, let alone love, this movie. I like Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. William Dafoe is a bad bad dude, and James Franco is a good actor as well as delicious. Stan Lee’s character Spider-Man is one of the best super hero’s the comic world has to offer, and yet this movie falls flat with me each time. A love story that didn’t sell, a guy I didn’t buy as Spider-Man, mediocre CGI, and an overall feeling of disappointment made Spider-Man a very weak addition in the super hero genre of movies. I found the Fantastic Four to be a better put together movie than this, an overall more enjoyable and it was even a pretty awful film. There was an excitement and suspense that Spider-Man totally lacked. A lot of people called Spider-Man the best movie of the summer of 2002. I call it the biggest disappointment.
Erin Brockovich is a very smart and impressive movie to watch, filled with engaging character’s and stellar acting, but eight years later I’m still dumb founded at the acclaim this film has received. Julia Roberts performance specifically. In a year full of profound film making with movies like Wonder Boys, Requiem For A Dream, Traffic, Quills, Gladiator, The Contender, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chocolat, Billy Elliot, and Almost Famous what made Erin Brockovich so Oscar worthy? Joan Allen and Ellen Burnstyn both turned out the best performances of their very excellent careers and Julia Roberts wins on basis of what? Her boobs looked great? Temporarily putting Julia and boob jokes aside, the only thing worthy of being nominated from Erin Brockovich in this year of brilliance was Albert Finney’s performance.
This film seemed wrong to me from the start, but eventually I had to see what all the fuss was about. The Academy adored it along with men and women flocking to the theatres to see it or rent it when it came on VHS/DVD. I broke down, sat, enjoyed, and thought, “This was it? This was what all the fuss was about?” Even now I’m completely dumfounded by the accolades this film has received. It’s good. It entertains, but at best it’s an okay movie that is utterly forgettable. Even in it’s best state it’s scored it’s most opportunistic points by mere factor of using Shakespeare’s brilliance rather than it’s own originality. I’ve never gotten it’s allure nor shall I ever, hence rocking out my number one spot here.
Peoples Choice:
Scarface
The English Patient
ET
Ice Age
Top Gun
Walk The Line
Star Wars: A New Hope
Twilight
Napolean Dynamite
Rainman
Titanic should be on here. That movie is god awful, and so is The Godfather.
You should ban Trigger Happy for such a stupid comment.
great list yet once again Heather…I have to say that an ironic thing about this list is that most of them were very good movies as far as the critics were concerned but a good majority of them are pure and simply BORING!!
Hahahaha @ Jeff. Yes, I would agree such talk against The Godfather is cinema blasphemy, but nonetheless, they are entitled to their thoughts, even if they’re wrong.
Thanks George, and I think I agree to an extent. I can watch a slow paced movie so long as it is entertaining, and a lot of these were but still lacked the elements that makes movies GREAT not good, and all of these films are considered great by either movie goers, critics, or cult followings. I just disagree with them.
Trigger Happy……..Titanic gets a bad reputation that is totally undeserved, but seriously? The Godfather? Why?
Forrest Gump. It is so long and overdone, and there is pretty much no point to it.
I’m glad Spiderman is on here, and also would like to add that there is a nice variety from comedy to drama to musical.
This is a pretty solid list with exception of Scarface being on Peoples Choice. It’s so cheesy and overdone. When it was released it was definitely more powerful of a movie, but it’s completely lacking any relevance now. Way over the top.
Did he really just say the Godfather? lol
Good List Heather, brokeback sucks! You should put fast & the furious on there since it spawned 3 unnecessary sequels lol
I LOVE Armageddon, though I admit you have a pretty good argument against it. What can I say? It’s Michael Bay blowing stuff up in space. I love it.
Someone chose Star Wars? How is that even possible?
I’m going to add you on facebook, I’m really enjoy your site!
Did anyone like Shakespeare in Love? It was one of the most boring movies of all time. I have never made it through the whole thing. Didn’t it win acadamy awards?
Hahahahaha…..Cello…………I’m fairly certain the Fast and the Furious movies aren’t overrated. They fit into the world of Michael Bayism, yet on a smaller scale. They have their place but I don’t think anybody is ever going to think they are great. Fun and mindess is where the buck stops.
Me, Shakespeare In Love won Best Picture and Paltrow also won the Oscar that yet. I clearly have no clue what the Academy was on that year, but sometimes I’m certain they make their choices with the thought process to just piss me off.
All I got from this list is Heather hates movies enjoyed by or about homosexuals, big budget chick flicks, and Ben Stiller. LOL
In all seriousness I’m glad you attacked some of the weaker Best Picture winners and nominees. It is a crime that Shakesphere in Love won over Saving Private Ryan.
It shows the Academy’s obsession with period pieces.
Was Armageddon ever a highly-regarded film?! No matter how poorly-rated that turd was, it was too high!
Can’t say I agree with your Ed Wood comments. Landau was brilliant, I thought.
It is well loved by movie goers, and that is highly regarded from that perspective. I don’t think it’s fair to only address films noted by critics since I don’t agree with many of them anyway. I think it was truly one of the worst films of all time.
Ed Wood and Landau. I expect many to have differing opinions there………what can ya do?
haha… there are about 4 of my favorite movies on your list. Too funny =)
I LOVE both Shakespeare In Love and Moulan Rouge and can watch them over and over. I’m a sucker for forbidden love, I guess.
Ed Wood is an amazing movie! I loved it! Of course, Ed Wood has a special place in my heart because I’m a big fan of his really terrible movies. I liked Brokeback Mountain as well and didn’t think it was overrated at all.
As for Spiderman, Tobey Maguire is the perfect casting choice for Spiderman. I don’t really like him but he fits the character to a T. I also didn’t really like the movie either. Kirsten Dunst sucks, plain and simple. I get the feeling that she just doesn’t want to be Mary Jane. The second film in the series is the best one as 1 wasn’t that great and 3 was the biggest pile of crap I’ve ever seen.
And who puts Star Wars and ET as peoples choice??? Both incredible movies that were a major part of my childhood. ET made me cry when I was little!
E.T. made me cry as a little boy too
Not to bad. I honestly enjoyed both Moulin Rouge and There’s Something ABout Mary, but the rest is pretty well thought out. I downright appauled that A New Hope is in the People Choice section. Whoever suggested that needs to be shot.
Meet the Parents was three jokes made over and over and over for an hour and a half, thus it stopped being funny a quarter of the way through and started it’s parade of annoying. Spider-Man is one of the most mediocre films I’ve ever seen, and I’m absolutely befuddled by the love it gets. You’ve done really well here.
By the way, I think I’m in love with Athena. That’s an opinion I regularly take flack for throughout my life, and it’s always nice to hear some Gump-bashing.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for putting “Erin Brockovich” on this list! I have not — nor will I ever — forgive the Academy for awarding a Best Actress Oscar to Julia Roberts over Ellen Burstyn, who took my head off with her role in “Requiem for a Dream,” AND Laura Linney, who was so good in “You Can Count on Me.” This was a travesty, plain and simple. It is a wound that won’t close. This moment has to go down in WTF, Oscar? history.
M. Carter at the Movies
http://mcarteratthemovies.wordpress.com/
Mcarter……THANK YOU for agreeing with me. I just remember literally clenching my fists restraining myself from throwing anything at the television while watching Julia with her giant mouth screaming her thank you speech. Hmmmmm………..maybe a WTF, Oscar Top Ten is in order……..
and Laura Linney pretty much does everything right.
Lizard King and Athena,
Maybe you should get married because Forrest Gump is a brilliant movie!
theres something about mary is one of the best comedies ever. i can’t believe it’s on here.
i hated all those other snobby movies though. good list.
Chicago and Moulin Rouge are, for me, two great examples of what is wrong with modern cinema… they take great dancing and reduce it a series of cuts with no appreciation that you need to see the physical effort and skill to appreciate the just how great it actually is. The Bandwagon, Singin In The Rain et al are fantastic because they show you just how amazing the performers are. Sadly these two films don’t have the patience (or even worse don’t believe the audience has the patience) to really wallow in a performance – either that or the performers just can’t do it.
a film based on the legendary Moulin Rouge and not one decent shot of a line of can-can dancers.
…as for the rest, well add Shawshank to that list and you have a pretty good line up of films made for people who don’t really like film.
The Godfather IS overrated – period. You hear all the snobs and fanboys that bash “lesser” films “ooh, it’s genius”. “It’s the greatest movie ever made”. “Coppolas best” – not difficult!
There is 4 films on here that could get a person slapped in the right circles. Esp;ecially when it comes to Meet the Parents and Spiderman.. AARGH!
Can I nominate Troy?
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Thank you! someone finally agrees with me about Shakespeare in Love. After I saw it for the first time I thought that I had watched the wrong movie. It’s terrible that it won that year.