Our own John Campea has been bugging me since I began writing on the site to do some ‘top ten’ articles. I thought today was the day to try it out and put myself in the firing zone for a change. There is something that always bothers me…..overhyped films. Now, I’m not talking about films that create buzz before they come out in theatres and they end up being garbage. I’m talking about the movies that critics, your family and friends LOVE….then you watch the movie and ask yourself if you saw the same movie, because it was NOTHING like you thought it would be. Usually people keep their comments to themselves, (especially if they’re fresh on rotten tomatoes) and pretend they like the same movies majority like, just to avoid debates and confrontation. However, I on the other hand am not that bright, and have decided to shock readers by telling them how I found that certain beloved films, were overhyped in my opinion. I’m expecting a lot of feedback…(mostly negative) Just remember, my list is subjective, so be kind. :P
10. KNOCKED UP– Am I the only one out there that thought this movie was not as hilarious as everyone else made it out to be? Seriously, I just watched the movie for the first time yesterday, and found myself only laughing out loud a couple of times. It was more of a drama than a comedy in my opinion. I much preferred ‘The 40 year old Virgin’ and thought the film ‘Nine Months’ was a much funnier film about a couple having a baby.
9.THE DEPARTED-Gulp….yes I know a lot of you want to kill me right now for putting that on my list, but I didn’t think the movie was bad. In fact, I agree that it was one of last year’s best films. The only reason why I’m saying that is because last year really SUCKED for quality cinema. I enjoyed ‘The Departed,’ but I didn’t think it was amazing. I also didn’t think Jack Nicholson was robbed of a Oscar Nomination either. (That’s right…I said it!) *These comments are definitely going to make people forget about John Campea’s remarks about how the original Halloween sucked.
8.HOT FUZZ-This was a movie I was looking forward to for months. All of my friends who had seen it, told me it was hysterical and better than ‘Shaun of the Dead.’ So I watched it…and everyone around me was in hysterics except for me. I just didn’t think the humor worked as well as it did in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and found it moved really slow at times. I did appreciate the nods to Dario Argento and loved the “underage teenagers drinking at the pub” bit, but I just didn’t understand what all the “fuzz” was all about.
7.HUSTLE & FLOW– ‘Hustle and Flow’ is actually a movie I liked a lot. Terrence Howard has been my favorite actor for a very long time, and I loved the fact that he was nominated for his role as Djay, the Memphis rapper/pimp. The only thing I didn’t understand was how almost everybody I knew who had praised this film. I had seen it on DVD and thought it was a good film, but so many others had seen it in theatres and made it seem like it was better theatre experience than ‘Jurassic Park.’ So even though I really liked the film, it was nothing like what I thought it was supposed to be. (Although…that’s not such a bad thing.)
6. THE BRAVE ONE-I was so excited to see this film. I had heard tons of good things and I love both Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard. Good thing I loved those two actors, because they were the best things in the entire film. It was another film I felt moved too slow and was not as entertaining as ‘Death Sentence.’ (As ridiculous and over the top that movie was)
5. DREAMGIRLS-I think this choice is one that most will agree with. The critics kept raving about the movie, and when I watched it, I thought the only unforgettable prescence of the film was Jennifer Hudson. The movie lacked any real character build up, and was nothing compared to a film directed by Robert Townsend in the early 90’s called ‘The Five Heartbeats.’ (One of my favorite films still to this day) That musical about a band loosely based off ‘The Temptations’ had heart and soul, which is something I felt ‘Dreamgirls’ lacked.
4. WEDDING CRASHERS-Every person I know think ‘Wedding Crashers’ is one of the best comedies ever made. When I watched this film, the only truly funny bits I found were when the crashers (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) get to the house. All events before they arrive to the house and after they leave the house I found not that great. (Although I do think Isla Fisher was gold in that movie!)
3.THE OTHERS– I remember everybody telling me I had to see ‘The Others’ and how scary it was, and how surprising the twist ending was. So I went to see it and was bored through out the entire film and found out the twist ending was exactly like ‘The Sixth Sense’s’ twist ending ( a film that came out 2 years before this one) half an hour into the film. This was the day I vowed never to let a non horror fan recommend a scary movie to me ever again. :P
2. LOST IN TRANSLATION-One of my former boyfriends had made me watch this movie with him despite the fact I wasn’t interesting in seeing it. This movie was honestly one of the most BORING films I had to ever sit through. My ex got mad and he said I didn’t get it. (A phrase many people say when you don’t like something they do) I got it. I got that the film was about culture shock and connecting with a person who feels just as isolated and alone in a foreign country as you do. Did I care? NO! I read years ago when the film was first released that Roger Ebert said if audiences didn’t like the film that they were basically morons. Well….give me my DUNCE cap please!
1. DEATH PROOF-I love Quentin Tarantino. He is by far my favorite director and has inspired me to take up writing when I was little. So, I was one of those people who was ecstastic to see ‘Death Proof,’ and after reading all the good reviews for the film, I was ready to be blown away…boy, I was wrong!! For the exception of limited screen time of Kurt Russell, I found ‘Death Proof’ to be a boring film full of needless dialogue of women talking like they’re Samuel L. Jackson. For people who felt my pain, DO NOT watch the extended version. (It’s even more brutal than the theatrical.) If you must see the lapdance Vanessa Ferlito gives Kurt Russell….YOUTUBE it!
So there’s my list…AIM, SHOOT, FIRE!! :P
