I was raised in front of a television and I've watched a lot of movies over the years, so when I had this idea I decided to look up lists of the greatest movies ever made. I was surprised at how many I hadn't seen but I wanted to make it an even 10 for my list so I put an asterisk by this one to disclose the caveat that *I've not seen this one all the way through. I've seen bits of it. I've seen enough to know that it's not my type of movie. I recently found out a few years ago that this movie contained a scene that terrified me as a child - a guy getting shot in the eye while he's laying on a massage table. I was probably 4-years-old, so it was horrifying at the time although now it doesn't have the same impact to me. But I've made efforts to watch it from time to time and it doesn't seem to be able to hold my interest, so I think I can safely say that it's one of the "greats" that I just don't like.
It's not my least favorite of the Indiana Jones movies, but the others don't make the cut of "greatest movies" according to those who determine that sort of thing. I guess it's considered great because it sparked the franchise and it was very unique and original. I have nothing but respect for it, but I found it to be slow and not as polished as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It also seemed to take itself a little too seriously. The characters seemed more comfortable and laid back in the following installments. It always seemed like it would make a better book than a movie. If this is a list from 10 to 1 I put it high on the list because it's not that I don't like it at all, but that when given the option of this or something else, I always choose something else.
Oh my God, you didn't like E.T.? No. I'm the same age as Drew Barrymore and I thought it was sad and scary. The oxygen tent was really disturbing to me. I didn't like the way the government was chasing and harassing everyone... it was too realistic and depressing. And then of course he left at the end which I didn't see as a victory but a sad ending... I mean, everyone was crying. Nobody really wanted him to go including me. It was traumatizing. And way too serious for a kids movie.
This one was so long that I lost track of the story along the way. Very artsy. Very dramatic. Had an Old Man And The Sea kind of poetic monotony. The underlying theme of how America sucks and is illegitimate because of our past with the Natives never appeals to me. I suspect there wasn't enough story to support a full length movie so a lot of time was spent on his soul searching journey and it just wasn't very satisfying to me. Open Range was leaps and bounds better.
I mean, it has it's sweet moments. And I love Dan Aykroyd and Morgan Freeman. But it's a snoozer. And the point of these movies is never to make peace between the races by focusing on the fact that these two became friends, but to keep everyone riled up by using plot devices to indicate that nothing good is ever good enough. No progress made is enough and even though actual slavery is still practiced in the world, white Americans are the sole proprietors of racism then and now. It just rubs me the wrong way when it's not putting me to sleep.
This was a weird one. I'm not sure how it made it onto the list of "greats" except perhaps for originality and pushing the envelope. I don't have a problem with excessive violence as I've mentioned before that the Kill Bill movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. But the fantasies Tarantino dreamed up for this movie aren't agreeable to me. I realize that I shouldn't be desirous of a believability factor for this kind of movie, but the situations presented are depicted realistically as opposed to a woman punching her way out of a wooden box while buried alive. So, it seems like the Pulp Fiction scenes should've been more believable but they weren't. Some may argue that they were too real and therefore awkward. Perhaps. But I think Tarantino's penchant for creating homages to the films that inspired him growing up didn't work very well with the "realistic" situations. I just have to pass on this one.
Not sure how this one made it's way into the "greats" either. It's as close to horror or thriller as it can be without crossing that line and nobody takes horror movies seriously enough to call them "great" except within their genre. It's greatness status was probably earned because it cast A-list actors. But it's too dark and disturbing. And it's plain that it was made that way on purpose. Why would you want to make a movie like this? Why does anyone want to watch a movie like this and be psychologically traumatized? It's obviously a matter of taste. But I think the only reason it got such recognition is that it was trying to go to an extreme and make people uncomfortable in a mainstream film as opposed to a niche market. Shock value. I'm not swayed by shock value. This movie sucked in my opinion.
Speaking of disturbing, it seemed like there was a contest in the 70's of who could make the weirdest, most disturbing movie. I'd say this one caused so many waves due to shock value as well. I have to admit, I couldn't stop watching it though. It was kind of like watching a train wreck. With an open-mouth look of surprise on my face the whole time. At least the psychopath in No Country was a criminal, not the "hero" of the movie. I just don't know what the filmmakers are thinking sometimes. Once again, I don't understand how it's great. Just more shock art that gets propped up as deep and thought provoking because it freaks people out.
This movie is another victim of hype in my opinion. The story line is uneven and wandering. I was liking it at first and then it just turned in another direction halfway through and stopped making sense. Not very well thought out. Not true to the real story of the characters. Can't connect emotionally with the characters. Corny ending. I think The Sting is also on the list of great movies and that one really was great. This one is mediocre at best. It's the sort of movie that people probably say is great even if they really don't think so because it's so exalted in the film industry. I didn't really like it though and I don't mind being honest about it.
More hype. More exclusivity. People want to see something great in it so they do in spite of themselves. But the movie is about Scarlett and Scarlett is an awful person from beginning to end. Being a bad person doesn't make you a strong woman but I think that's how she's always thought of. She's a deceptive, selfish bully who makes everyone miserable without ever learning a lesson from it. Not even at the end - I don't buy that she actually loved Rhett either. How could she if she could just shrug off being left alone at the end so easily? She wasn't heartbroken; she was just mad that she lost at her little game. Anyone trying to read deeper meaning into this movie is just imagining things. I can't like the main character and therefore I can't like the movie.
So these are some of the greatest movies ever made that I just don't care for. Everyone's opinion is different though. I'm sure not everyone likes the ones I think are great. It's all in good fun.
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