Polarising Movies Discussion Thread

[Teja.]

Let’s start with Suicide Squad which is considered the absolute worst thing ever by critics and was pretty well-liked and successful among fans.

Personally, I was dissapointed that they couldn’t really get much mileage of the characters and world they created but I remember enjoying the first third of the movie a great deal. I think the sound track is ATG level and adds a lot to the movie. Quinn was ace and I think Leto’s joker was a pretty legitimate alternate take on joker which I still enjoyed despite not being as good as Ledger. The movie was a stylistic/aesthetic masterpiece and a failure as a traditional story.

Overall, while my closing emotion on watching the movie was dissapointment, I remember far too many good things about the movie in comparison to the vast majority of super hero films which were more internally consistent but also a lot more forgettable.

What are your thoughts on it?

 

[Matteh]

I was left feeling generally fairly meh after seeing it. I found myself just plan not caring about the Quinn/Joker back story, most likely because I didn't find Leto's Joker to be all that good.

 

[vcs]

I think Avatar is generally considered a crappy movie by the experts and reviewers, but I loved it.

 

[duffer]

What about polarising plots/endings?

What do we think happened in Shutter Island?

 

[Spark]

I think Avatar is generally considered a crappy movie by the experts and reviewers, but I loved it.

I don't know if Avatar is considered a bad movie, just an absurd monument to the ridiculous excesses of the modern entertainment industry, that such a monumentally expensive - and commercially successful - undertaking would have next to zero cultural impact and have nothing really memorable to say in hindsight.

The Star Wars prequels are probably an example of the exact opposite phenomenon: largely agreed to be bad movies, nowhere near the level of Avatar in terms of execution and filled with massive obvious flaws, but they're definitely had long-lasting cultural impact by being some of the most memeable movies ever made.

 

[vcs]

I don't know if Avatar is considered a bad movie, just an absurd monument to the ridiculous excesses of the modern entertainment industry, that such a monumentally expensive - and commercially successful - undertaking would have next to zero cultural impact and have nothing really memorable to say in hindsight.

The Star Wars prequels are probably an example of the exact opposite phenomenon: largely agreed to be bad movies, nowhere near the level of Avatar in terms of execution and filled with massive obvious flaws, but they're definitely had long-lasting cultural impact by being some of the most memeable movies ever made.

Well I obviously disagree that it had nothing memorable to say. Is it any worse of a waste of cash than the endless comic superhero movies, each one breaking records? I dunno. TBF, I'm not much of a movie guy in general, absolutely love a very small number of them, whilst the vast majority leave no impact on me whatsoever.

 

[Matteh]

What about polarising plots/endings?

What do we think happened in Shutter Island?

He remembered what happened but preferred to live his life not being able to remember what his wife had done & the kids.

I'll raise you the ending of Inception.

 

[Matteh]

The Star Wars prequels are probably an example of the exact opposite phenomenon: largely agreed to be bad movies, nowhere near the level of Avatar in terms of execution and filled with massive obvious flaws, but they're definitely had long-lasting cultural impact by being some of the most memeable movies ever made.

In the UK we used to call this the Safestyle UK Windows paradox. The adverts were the shittiest, tackiest, cheapest crap but because it was so ****, you remembered what the advert was for, so actually it was a success.

 

[nightprowler10]

Let’s start with Suicide Squad which is considered the absolute worst thing ever by critics and was pretty well-liked and successful among fans.

Personally, I was dissapointed that they couldn’t really get much mileage of the characters and world they created but I remember enjoying the first third of the movie a great deal. I think the sound track is ATG level and adds a lot to the movie. Quinn was ace and I think Leto’s joker was a pretty legitimate alternate take on joker which I still enjoyed despite not being as good as Ledger. The movie was a stylistic/aesthetic masterpiece and a failure as a traditional story.

Overall, while my closing emotion on watching the movie was dissapointment, I remember far too many good things about the movie in comparison to the vast majority of super hero films which were more internally consistent but also a lot more forgettable.

What are your thoughts on it?

Interesting take on it. I recall being extremely distracted throughout the whole movie because I knew the development history and how much different this was to the vibes given by the director. It was obvious that certain aspects of the movie were completely changed or cut as a knee jerk reaction to BvS. Just recently it came out that not only were quite a few joker scenes were cut, the overall story changed significantly as well to somewhat disconnect it from what Snyder was planning. I recall reading a while back that there was a flashback scene that showed Batman breaking all of Leto's teeth for killing Jason Todd, and a much darker side of Joker was shown that was all cut. Overall, while the missus loves the movie, I have a hard digesting it knowing it's not even close to the director's vision and Leto, while I didn't care for his joker, was shortchanged by all the cuts.

Similarly, Justice League was a fun but hot pile of garbage, and might have been worse if Snyder got to do things his way, but I feel a lot worse watching it knowing what the studio executives did. Snyder announced a couple of days ago that WB has greenlit a 6 episode "movie" to show his vision for HBOmax so maybe Suicide Squad will be given the same treatment, though I highly doubt it.

 

[Teja.]

What are your thoughts on BvS? I haven’t watched it but the guy who I first worked under after college was a massive superhero movie fan and considered BvS to be his favourite movie ever. He also thought the Nolan movies were overrated and BvS is the better movie.

 

[grecian]

Well I obviously disagree that it had nothing memorable to say. Is it any worse of a waste of cash than the endless comic superhero movies, each one breaking records? I dunno. TBF, I'm not much of a movie guy in general, absolutely love a very small number of them, whilst the vast majority leave no impact on me whatsoever.

Of course the Superhero movies have cultural impact, people quote from them, know their plots, empathize with characters, they will become the things people remember in the future as their films.

Just because you don't connect doesn't mean the vast majority who watch it don't. I find the original 3 Star Wars films utterly trite, boring, and listening to the dialogue makes me want to cry immeasurable tears, but i don't think I can argue the cultural impact.

BTW the opening scene of Avengers Infinity War, was cinema for me.

Kill Bill, a polarising one I hate it many love it. My fave film Bladerunner, often called style over substance by some, I disagree, but even if so what style, and a palette for constant films, tv, adverts, and annoying spice Girls songs for years to come, and now just oddly prescient.

 

[Matteh]

Kill Bill, a polarising one I hate it many love it.

Favourite Tarantino is either the fun of Inglorious Basterds or the epic of Django Unchained. Probably unsurprising that Christophe Waltz is in both.

 

[MW1304]

The idea that such a fundamentally boring and outright badly-made film like Suicide Squad can be called polarising is kinda depressing. Why does it inspire enough feeling in anyone to care that much about it?

I guess it did win an Oscar though.

 

[grecian]

Favourite Tarantino is either the fun of Inglorious Basterds or the epic of Django Unchained. Probably unsurprising that Christophe Waltz is in both.

Oh I love the two early predictable ones, just never got Kill Bill. Might try and rewatch it and see if I was wrong. Inglorious Basterds is, well, glorious though.

 

[grecian]

The idea that such a fundamentally boring and outright badly-made film like Suicide Squad can be called polarising is kinda depressing. Why does it inspire enough feeling in anyone to care that much about it?

I guess it did win an Oscar though.

Never watched it, sounded dreary, so couldn't be bothered, I was a Marvel fan as a child, so I have a childish aversion to Dc movies, but Shazam and Wonder Woman were fun, but if one is badly reviewed no chance.

 

[cpr]

Favourite Tarantino is either the fun of Inglorious Basterds or the epic of Django Unchained. Probably unsurprising that Christophe Waltz is in both.

Polarising view time. I really don't like Christophe Waltz. He absolutely chews scenes. Was alright in Django, annoyed me a fair bit in IG. Was the worst part by far of a rather bad bond film.

 

[Gnske]

Boyhood was a waste of Richard Linklater's time and he should feel deep shame

 

[Athlai]

Suicide Squad is a movie with a talented cast and a director that has made some pretty good movies. It’s just a hard movie to make with a big budget because at its heart, it’s just utter nonsense.

With all that money and all that talent you’re bound to strike a few good notes but a few fun scenes doesn’t make a movie “good”.

 

[Athlai]

I think Avatar is generally considered a crappy movie by the experts and reviewers, but I loved it.

This is not true at all. The majority of critics and film scholars heralded it as the visual masterpiece that it is. While the weak Dances with Wolves/Pocahontas story drew some criticism, the general feeling of reviews was very positive. I’d say the public’s view of the film was more negative but that was also likely due to the immediate reaction a lot of people have to **** on something that is doing better In the box office than people feel like it should be.

 

[Uppercut]

I think the last time I had a strong reaction against the critical consensus was Wolf of Wall Street, which I thought was terrible. I usually really like Scorsese too.