Overrated "classics"

00dave

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Over the christmas period during my illness I was left with nothing to do but watch the wide selection of films available on normal TV as sky was being hogged by non ill members of the family. And I noticed that some films that were hailed as classics were on that I had never seen or had only seen bits of and after watching them wanted to write to tv producers to reclaim the hours of my life that was wasted.
First off, 2001 a space odyssey (shock horror) what a waste of time, I really don't care how good the special effects were at the time, its the plot that bothered me. Lots of heavy breathing and "open the pod bay doors hal" meshed in with flashing lights and a big red one then after hal finally gets shut down the film becomes nothing but a long and probably expensive screen saver followed by a pointless and stupid ending that hardly makes sense.
Next up we have assault on precinct 13 a film with so much potential, how can you go wrong with a siege plot, films like aliens, zulu, dog soldiers didn't but John Carpenter shows you how and its simple, all you have to do is reduce the potential suspense of several people defending themselves scenario down to a few minutes at the end of the film and fill in the lost time with a stupid build up thats more annoying than plot building, use piss poor characters and too few of them, include only one firefight that's shit anyway and then finish it all off with a crap ending that doesn't wrap anything up at all.

Feel free to add your own.
 

Frizz

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Anything by Alfred Hitchcock, but maybe it's my age, as i can't pay attention to films much older that 30 years old.
 

Whipped

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then after hal finally gets shut down the film becomes nothing but a long and probably expensive screen saver
That has to be the best description of the end of 2001 that I have ever read. I quite enjoy the film, but it's not something I'll pay to watch.
As for overrated classics, how about The Deer Hunter. Utter shite apart from the russian roulette scene.
 

leggy

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Can I say Apocalypse now (redux)?

I appreciate it was beautifully shot yada yada, but the redux version was painfully dull. I feel it just overstepped the mark and dragged on far too long.
 

mank!

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leggy said:
Can I say Apocalypse now (redux)?

I appreciate it was beautifully shot yada yada, but the redux version was painfully dull. I feel it just overstepped the mark and dragged on far too long.
Yeah, parts of the Redux drag.

I wasn't keen on The Godfather first time I saw it, but I enjoyed it the second time which was odd...
 

gmloki

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Debbie Does Dallas.

I always found that to be an over rated classic for that particular genre
 

Bodhi

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Apocalypse Now: Redux
2001: A Space Oddysey

Both of these are all time classics. Great films. Next person to suggest them blows goats.

The most over-rated film of all time?

The Shawshank Redemption. It bored the living tits off me in all honesty.
 

FuzzyLogic

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I knew someone would mention the Shawshank Redemption, watched it just last night, does feel slow in places but I still enjoy watching it every now & again
 

xane

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Bodhi said:
The Shawshank Redemption. It bored the living tits off me in all honesty.

:claps:

I did enjoy the film, but I couldn't watch it again and why some people rate it so highly is beyond me, good film, but definitely overrated, like The Matrix.
 

ECA

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Heathens.

Shawshank redemption is amazing.

The Usual Suspects.

Great film first time round, if nobody ruins it for you ^_^

Boring 2nd/3rd etc.

Akira as well.

Totally wtf......a classic? more like a shaved badger.
 

Clown

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Why is Shawshank Redemption so 'amazing'?
 

DaGaffer

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2001 is only watchable if you're...pharmaceutically enhanced. Everyone knows that surely?

Shawshank is a great film because its one of the few genuinely life-affirming films around and is endlessly watchable.

I think most Vietnam films are overrated; they all sort of merge in to one in my head, little nuggets of angst mixed with gung-ho.
 

nath

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Full Metal Jacket stands out from the crowd though. It rules.
 

DaGaffer

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nath said:
Full Metal Jacket stands out from the crowd though. It rules.

Funnily enough I was about to say the same thing and then I realised I had mixed it up with bits of Tigerland in my head...so I didn't :)
 

Cdr

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I know I'm probably going to get burnt very badly here, but this is my suggestion;

The Lord of the Rings films - all 3 of them.

I personally dont see what the big hoo-harr is about. Story wise, surely the books are better? 'OMG TEH SPESHUL EFFEKS!', well, yes they are good, but nothing to shout about, infact I found Finding Nemo to be more technologically impressive.
 

Patriarch

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Three Kings. It was touted by one of my friends (whose opinion is usually pretty accurate) as a masterpiece. I thought it was disjointed, unexciting and hardly as controversial as it claimed to be.
 

leggy

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The problem being Three Kings is hardly considered a classic. More along the lines of a decent,well made film.
 

itcheh

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What defines a 'classic' - surely you're not going on the recommendations of the local tv listings writers opinion?

Is Shawshank Redemption a classic or just a very good film? Next you'll start honking on about 'cult' films which is just a silly phrase used by the media to describe crap like Jim Jarmusch films.
 

Cdr

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heh the only reason I mentioned The Lord of the Rings films, is that I'm sure I've seen it being referred to in the BW forums as a 'classic' on more than one occasion.

Personally, I dont consider them to be classics. But then, what do I know?
 

Bodhi

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I'd agree with LOTR up to a point aswell, if only because too many Tolkein nuggets are claiming it to be a classic already, when clearly, it's a slightly above average beard and sorcery flick, which I honestly don;t think will stand the test of time aswell as the Matrix films (give most people 5 years or so to understand what's actually going on and their opinions of it will grow and grow - all imo, but then I think it's a classic trilogy already which gets better as it goes on - that's right folks, you've found the first person who thinks Revolutions was the best of the trilogy :))

I'd also like to nominate The Exorcist. I spent the most boring 2 hours of my life watching this pile of aids. Repossessed was a better film, and that was a spoof :/
 

mank!

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Bodhi said:
I'd also like to nominate The Exorcist. I spent the most boring 2 hours of my life watching this pile of aids.
Good film but I've no idea why it's been dubbed the scariest film ever. I didn't find any of it particularly scary at all :/
 

00dave

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Agreed, I'd also like to nominate ghost in the shell.
 

Meatballs

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Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock.

It could have been so good, but watching it nowadays you can see all the places it falls down, and could definitly be improved.

Citizen Kane - Teh snore :p
 

leggy

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00dave said:
Agreed, I'd also like to nominate ghost in the shell.

I enjoyed it to a degree but was left with a feeling of ... arasbda? at the end. It is good but definitely a little overrated.
 

Meatballs

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Bodhi said:
I'd agree with LOTR up to a point aswell, if only because too many Tolkein nuggets are claiming it to be a classic already, when clearly, it's a slightly above average beard and sorcery flick, which I honestly don;t think will stand the test of time aswell as the Matrix films (give most people 5 years or so to understand what's actually going on and their opinions of it will grow and grow - all imo, but then I think it's a classic trilogy already which gets better as it goes on - that's right folks, you've found the first person who thinks Revolutions was the best of the trilogy :))
LoTR is a bit overrated aye.

The Matrix is the best of the 3 damn you bodhi :(
 

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