Unpopular Opinions

[slf]

On 4/19/2016 at 5:11 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

I think Kate Hudson's performance in Almost Famous is by far one of the most overrated performances ever, because I find the character of Penny Lane completely uninteresting and superfluous. I pictured the movie without her... and nothing in the plot changes. She has nothing to do with the story, the story is about William and, to a lesser extent, Russell. I am convinced that Hudson got so many accolades because she was young, thin, hot, blonde, and Goldie Hawn's daughter. 

I remember at one point Cameron Crowe was trying to cast Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman. Portman was maybe 17 or 18 at the time. It was supposed to be a darker movie, and Penny was meant to represent the Baby Groupies (teen groupies who were molested and raped by rockers like Bowie and Jimmy Page during the 70s). I don't know if that would've made for a better movie (Portman's hit or miss for me) but it sounds like Penny might've had a more important role initially.

Here's an unpopular opinion for you: the entire Godfather trilogy bores me to tears.

[Schweedie]

I'm actually not a fan of The Incredibles OR Spirited Away, how bad is that? For Spirited Away, I love the premise and I WANT to love the film, but every time I try to watch it again it feels so long, just like the first time, with so many plot threads there are too convoluted.

[kiddo82]

Alright, I'm about to drop the hammer.  After having recently watched Vertigo and Rear Window (and slogging through about half of It's A Wonderful Life years ago), I can definitely say I can stand James Stewart's mannerisms as an actor.  They are full on irritating.

I'll see myself out.

[DeLurker]

Nah, come sit with me.

[UYI]

Here's a UO in the opposite direction:

James Stewart was hotter to me than Cary Grant. Cary was hot, too, of course, but there is something about James Stewart that just DOES something for me. He was SO handsome in Vertigo (his character may have been crazy, but he was definitely a  burgeoning silver fox there).

Edited June 18, 2016 by UYI

[Ohwell]

There's a scene in that famous Christmas movie (I'm having a serious brain fart right now but I know y'all know which one I'm referring to, and my UO is that I never liked the movie) when Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed are on the phone listening to her boyfriend yapping on the other end, and the way Stewart looks at her--the look in his eyes--is one of the sexiest things I've seen on screen.

Also, he's sexy as hell in The Shop Around the Corner with Margaret Sullavan.

[Enigma X]

I can see how some would consider Jimmy Stewart being sexier than Cary Grant a UO. I don't see how him not being sexy at all is though. I found them both equally sexy for difference reasons, btw.

I am bewildered by the Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable lovers though.

[Julia]

I know post-war Jimmy Stewart is supposed to be amazing, and I can see what people see in him, but after I saw Spirit of St Louis I gave up on him. He was ridiculously too old and embittered for that role, and Lindbergh didn't deserve to be rehabilitated.

[SmithW6079]

Reading that the guy who did "Finding Dory" was the same guy who did "John Carter" reminded me that I enjoyed "John Carter" and was surprised when I read it was a flop.

**

I never cared for Jimmy Stewart one way or the other, but I absolutely loathe "It's a Wonderful Life."

Edited June 18, 2016 by SmithW6079

[Ohwell]

13 minutes ago, SmithW6079 said:

I never cared for Jimmy Stewart one way or the other, but I absolutely loathe "It's a Wonderful Life."

Thank you.  For the life of me, I couldn't think of the name of that movie.  Maybe I didn't want to remember it. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

I grew disillusioned with It's a Wonderful Life, because the fact that George never left that horrible small town is just too unbearable for me. 

[SmithW6079]

1 hour ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I grew disillusioned with It's a Wonderful Life, because the fact that George never left that horrible small town is just too unbearable for me. 

Yes! Thank you! They feed you that bullshit that George discovers how much he is loved, but to me it's always a poor second to the fact that he never got the chance to live the life he wanted -- to see the world and experience all its wonders.

[festivus]

I can't stand It's a Wonderful Life and believe me around my house that's an UO. Also related to that I love Christmas movies even ( and especially) the crappy Lifetime ones. I can watch that shit for hours. But you never see somebody turn the channel so fast if It's a Wonderful Life comes on.

Edited June 19, 2016 by festivus

[ribboninthesky1]

I could probably fit in a closet with the people who've never watched that film (and have no interest in it).  And despite that I love Christmas as a holiday, I find most Christmas-themed films annoying.  

[Shannon L.]

I've never seen it either.  But, mostly because I spent every Christmas season listening to my mother talk about how much she disliked it, so I never really wanted to. 

Here's a doozy (for this board, anyway):  I've only seen Jesse Eisenberg in three movies, but, in all three I like him.  I really do.  I even gotten used to the off-beat delivery of his lines.  I'll even go so far as to say that I thought he was kind of cute (physically, not his personality) in Now You See Me. 

[festivus]

Is it unpopular to like Jesse Eisenberg? Well add me to the unpopular list. I've always preferred his brand of quirk over Michael Cera's.

[Rick Kitchen]

I like both actors, but I really didn't like Eisenberg's Lex Luthor.

[wallflower75]

11 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

I could probably fit in a closet with the people who've never watched that film (and have no interest in it).  And despite that I love Christmas as a holiday, I find most Christmas-themed films annoying.  

I don't know...is it a walk-in closet?  Because I'm there with no interest in seeing It's a Wonderful Life.  It's my shameful secret because it seems like everyone else on the planet loves it, and I haven't seen it once.

I'm on the fence about Jesse Eisenberg.  Hated his Lex Luthor, liked him in The Social Network, loved Now You See Me.  So maybe I'm tipping into the unpopular territory in liking him.

[Shannon L.]

Quote

Is it unpopular to like Jesse Eisenberg?

It seems like it is in this forum, but I could be wrong. 

[festivus]

In my house it's unpopular to like him over Michael Cera.  I haven't seen his Lex Luthor yet. I loved him in Zombieland. 

[ChelseaNH]

I do not find Benedict Cumberbatch attractive.

Furthermore, his presence in the Doctor Strange movie is making me not want to watch it.

[Amethyst]

20 hours ago, wallflower75 said:

I don't know...is it a walk-in closet?  Because I'm there with no interest in seeing It's a Wonderful Life. 

Same.  I tried watching it one year to see what the fuss was about, but it was so boring and depressing.  Since it was airing on TV, it was at least three hours long and had plenty of commercials.  I was so mad when I learned the whole "what happens if I was never born" gimmick happens right at the very end, I had thought it was an earlier theme, lol.  Pass.

[proserpina65]

On ‎06‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 2:10 PM, ChelseaNH said:

I do not find Benedict Cumberbatch attractive.

Furthermore, his presence in the Doctor Strange movie is making me not want to watch it.

I liked Cumberbatch as an actor when I first started seeing him in things (although I did not find him particularly attractive) but now he's so overexposed that I can hardly stand the sight of him.  Which is a problem given that one of those early projects is something featuring an actor for whom I would sell body parts and relatives if he ask me to do so.

[Crs97]

I was the last in my family to see Wonderful Life at about age 8.  I was in the back room on the B&W TV (because, of course) and I came out each commercial complaining about how bad/unfair the movie was.  My mom would smile and send me back.  By the end I could begudgingly see how he could decide his life was wonderful, but I was still miffed.  She chuckled at my passion.  It's a funny story I like to share now because I still remember my ranting, but I have never made my kids watch it.

[NumberCruncher]

On 6/20/2016 at 0:10 PM, ChelseaNH said:

I do not find Benedict Cumberbatch attractive.

Furthermore, his presence in the Doctor Strange movie is making me not want to watch it.

Cumberbatch is a strong actor, but I agree with you--I don't find him particularly attractive.  And if I'm being completely honest, some of his creepy earlier roles have left an indelible mark on my overall impression of him to where I can't see him in certain roles now without remembering the loathsome characters of old.  Fortunately (while I'm a huge MCU fan) the Doctor Strange movie trailer didn't impress me enough to want to see it anyway so the casting of Cumberbatch in the title role is pretty moot.

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 9:48 PM, festivus said:

Is it unpopular to like Jesse Eisenberg? Well add me to the unpopular list. I've always preferred his brand of quirk over Michael Cera's.

They're not the same person?

[Dancingjaneway]

I think Angela Lansbury did a much better job than Meryl Streep playing Eleanor Shaw in "The Manchurian Candidate". I also think the original is better than the remake.

[slf]

I don't think Leonardo DiCaprio is an especially gifted actor. I think he can be quite good in a role when he bothers to relax, but he's always trying too hard, is so intensely Acting in so many of his movies it really takes me out of his performances. I don't think he was overdue for an Oscar (and I thought how badly Kate Winslet wanted him to finally win one was more embarrassing than endearing or sweet).

Johnny Depp hasn't given a truly good performance in over ten years.

Meryl Streep is fantastic but can't, contrary to what critics say, sell every performance and doesn't always become every character. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching a collection of mannerisms more than anything else.

Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, etc, did not all become sexier as they aged. They were all more attractive when they were younger.

English period dramas are overrated and are often no more historically accurate than American period dramas.

[Ohwell]

4 hours ago, slf said:

I don't think Leonardo DiCaprio is an especially gifted actor. I think he can be quite good in a role when he bothers to relax, but he's always trying too hard, is so intensely Acting in so many of his movies it really takes me out of his performances. I don't think he was overdue for an Oscar (and I thought how badly Kate Winslet wanted him to finally win one was more embarrassing than endearing or sweet).

Johnny Depp hasn't given a truly good performance in over ten years.

Meryl Streep is fantastic but can't, contrary to what critics say, sell every performance and doesn't always become every character. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching a collection of mannerisms more than anything else.

Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, etc, did not all become sexier as they aged. They were all more attractive when they were younger.

English period dramas are overrated and are often no more historically accurate than American period dramas.

I agree about everything but DiCaprio.  While I don't think of him as a great actor, I think he's been very good in various roles.  He certainly hasn't been type-cast. 

I watch English period dramas for the scenery.

[PatternRec]

My UO is I can't stand True Romance.

[slf]

I'm tired of superhero movies, especially about Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Iron Man. Bucky Barnes has out stayed his welcome and Deadpool is just an R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. (Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Black Widow, and the Hulk are the only ones I'll pay to see.) I cannot express how boring these movies have become, "watch this group of superheroes face off against another group of superheroes, ohs noes, it's so sad!" Eh.

Especially with Marvel (which I'm beginning to hate), this has been going on for over a decade. When does it end? At least three years from now. Unless those movies do well and then there will be more.

[ribboninthesky1]

On 7/13/2016 at 8:53 AM, slf said:

Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, etc, did not all become sexier as they aged. They were all more attractive when they were younger.

Agreed. For me, once many of these actors hit early to mid-40s, sometimes earlier, it's all downhill. Hollywood just insists on casting them opposite actresses who still have to invest time, energy, and money in their looks and expect me to buy what they're selling. Nah, bruh.  Don't think so.     

15 hours ago, slf said:

I cannot express how boring these movies have become, "watch this group of superheroes face off against another group of superheroes, ohs noes, it's so sad!"

Not to mention the endless discussion of who has the moral high ground (which is usually based on the popularity/likability of a character rather than anything actually said and done).

Marvel-related: I found Captain America self-righteous, arrogant, and somewhat dogmatic in Winter Soldier as well - didn't just happen in Civil War.  

15 hours ago, slf said:

Deadpool is just an R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Hee! Perfect description.  I saw the movie, and thought, "Well, it was a good fit for Ryan Reynolds, who seems as annoying in real-life as Deadpool is in this film. Should I NOT be rooting for Ed Skrein?"  Appreciate the shoutout to Careless Whisper, though. Wham! was my jam back in the day. 

[vibeology]

3 hours ago, ribboninthesky1 said:

Marvel-related: I found Captain America self-righteous, arrogant, and somewhat dogmatic in Winter Soldier as well - didn't just happen in Civil War.  

I agree with this and I'm a Cap stan. That doesn't mean he can't be flawed and straight up wrong. I have no problem saying that he was wrong in Civil War, wrong to put his need to be in control and his trust issues before the world at large. And in Winter Soldier, he was arrogant and very sure of his point of view, but at least there he was mostly right, just kind of a jerk about it a few times along the way. I'm more forgiving in that movie because he was fighting Hydra and they're evil and actively trying to kill people.

The problem with Civil War was the movie was set up for fans to take sides, but the reality of the situation presented was far more complex and nuanced than either "side" in the war. It forced fans to think less and argue more, a fight neither side can ever win because Tony and Steve's arguments were both very wrong. Tony was wrong for letting himself get caught up in his guilt and helping push through the accords without letting the Avengers in on it and forcing them to work for an unregulated and undemocratic body. (Seriously, I think the UN is important, but I would not trust it in its current set up with the sort of powers those characters possess.) Tony was right that The Avengers as they existed before CW were basically vigilantes and that couldn't continue Steve was wrong for assuming that he didn't need to answer to anyone, that powered people get to set their own rules and that they don't have to be held accountable for their actions. (Both Bucky and Wanda fall in here.) Steve was right that turning their decisions over to a bureaucracy would have a cost in countable human lives.

[proserpina65]

On ‎07‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 8:53 AM, slf said:

I don't think Leonardo DiCaprio is an especially gifted actor. I think he can be quite good in a role when he bothers to relax, but he's always trying too hard, is so intensely Acting in so many of his movies it really takes me out of his performances. I don't think he was overdue for an Oscar (and I thought how badly Kate Winslet wanted him to finally win one was more embarrassing than endearing or sweet).

Johnny Depp hasn't given a truly good performance in over ten years.

Meryl Streep is fantastic but can't, contrary to what critics say, sell every performance and doesn't always become every character. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching a collection of mannerisms more than anything else.

Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, etc, did not all become sexier as they aged. They were all more attractive when they were younger.

English period dramas are overrated and are often no more historically accurate than American period dramas.

I don't agree with the last two, but the rest are absolutely spot on.

[Popples]

On 7/13/2016 at 0:35 PM, Ohwell said:

I watch English period dramas for the scenery.

And the costumes.

[Ceindreadh]

19 hours ago, slf said:

I'm tired of superhero movies, especially about Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Iron Man. Bucky Barnes has out stayed his welcome and Deadpool is just an R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. (Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Black Widow, and the Hulk are the only ones I'll pay to see.) I cannot express how boring these movies have become, "watch this group of superheroes face off against another group of superheroes, ohs noes, it's so sad!" Eh.

 

Don't you mean "Watch this bit of CGI face off against another bit of CGI?"

[ribboninthesky1]

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

I agree with this and I'm a Cap stan. That doesn't mean he can't be flawed and straight up wrong. I have no problem saying that he was wrong in Civil War, wrong to put his need to be in control and his trust issues before the world at large. And in Winter Soldier, he was arrogant and very sure of his point of view, but at least there he was mostly right, just kind of a jerk about it a few times along the way. I'm more forgiving in that movie because he was fighting Hydra and they're evil and actively trying to kill people.

My problem is that Winter Soldier (or Civil War, really) doesn't present him as flawed.  I didn't find Steve to be mostly right in Winter Soldier, either.  But that's hardly a problem limited to Marvel - it's fairly common that filmmakers want you to root for the protagonist, and thus any flaws aren't really presented as such. 

[ChelseaNH]

23 hours ago, vibeology said:

Steve was wrong for assuming that he didn't need to answer to anyone, that powered people get to set their own rules and that they don't have to be held accountable for their actions.

Did Steve actually say any of those things?

[Jazzy24]

On July 15, 2016 at 1:53 PM, ChelseaNH said:

Did Steve actually say any of those things?

No. But he did say that the safest hands for the Avengers is still their own. 

Steve doesn't trust the government, his trust is in individuals not organizations. 

Someone mentioned in the Civil War thread that Tony unlike Steve doesn't trust individuals because everybody has always betrayed Tony. And that Tony can work around the government and organizations because of his money and smarts. 

Steve bugged me in Civil War. I was more Tony. 

[UYI]

I am so tired of superhero movies and hearing about superhero movies and I wish they would disappear into a vortex, never to appear again. Wake me when the third Three Men and a Baby movie finally comes out, please. 

 

[Jazzy24]

1 hour ago, UYI said:

I am so tired of superhero movies and hearing about superhero movies and I wish they would disappear into a vortex, never to appear again. Wake me when the third Three Men and a Baby movie finally comes out, please. 

 

I can understand how people are sick of superhero movies. They are everywhere. But Hollywood does the same movies and franchises over and over. We definitely need something different tho. 

I love Marvel so I'm here for everything until the end. I think they have done a lot of different things with their movies and have kept it interesting all these years. Their actors/characters and their interactions have what kept me coming back for more. 

Im indifferent to DC and Fox superhero movies. 

[OakGoblinFly]

I hear you Jazzy24; just this past weekend I saw trailers for The Magnificent Seven, Ben Hur, King Kong, and Godzilla.

[topanga]

9 minutes ago, OakGoblinFly said:

I hear you Jazzy24; just this past weekend I saw trailers for The Magnificent Seven, Ben Hur, King Kong, and Godzilla.

I can't wait to see The Magnificent Seven. I'm not a huge fan of reboots, but Denzel Washington in a Western? In the words of Chris's friend Greg, I'm so in there. 

[OakGoblinFly]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

I can't wait to see The Magnificent Seven. I'm not a huge fan of reboots, but Denzel Washington in a Western? In the words of Chris's friend Greg, I'm so in there. 

The cast for the Magnificent Seven is great -- it's the writing team that gives me pause.

[cpcathy]

Isn't it time to start giving Denzel's roles to some other talented black actors? I saw this trailer and thought, Bokeem Woodbine would be good in his role.

[ribboninthesky1]

Hey now! Only one (maybe) two leading black men at a time! Denzel has been aging very well, so unless he completely falls off or otherwise incapacitated, it's a no go.  Will Smith was there for a few years, but he seemingly lost his way after I am Legend.  

ETA: I've no problem with remakes.  Not like I can't go watch the originals if I want.  I find the "my childhood is ruined/they're messing with classic films!" reaction pretty ridiculous.   

Edited July 25, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[ChelseaNH]

I suspect the complaint is less about tarnishing the originals and more about not being original -- are there no new stories to tell?

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, ChelseaNH said:

I suspect the complaint is less about tarnishing the originals and more about not being original -- are there no new stories to tell?

Exactly.  Where is the creativity?  Where are the new ideas?

[slf]

Remakes don't bother me so long as they have some unique spin. I mean, don't get me wrong, my head exploded when I heard they had been intending to remake The Neverending Story (I loved that movie when I was a kid) and I can just imagine what a horrible, bloated mess a remake of Gremlins would look like. But there are some movies out there that had good concepts but terrible execution. I also don't mind reboots, especially when they have more diverse casts.

Here's an unpopular opinion: I haven't watched a movie with a romance I cared about since the 90s. I wish Hollywood would put romance on the back burner and just concentrate on learning how to write women, all kinds of women, then giving me stuff like Crazy, Stupid, Love or Wedding Crashers or The Notebook. I hated The Notebook.

[ribboninthesky1]

4 hours ago, ChelseaNH said:

I suspect the complaint is less about tarnishing the originals and more about not being original -- are there no new stories to tell?

Not sure how unpopular this is - but not really?  I don't think there's much new under the sun, though I realize there are stories that haven't been adapted for film.  But it's a business, and there's a formula that Hollywood sticks to, so we get what we're getting.  Production budgets are inflated, and more than ever, studios don't want to take a chance on much.  Even supposed disruptors like Netflix and Amazon, though more TV-focused, aren't doing much to change the status quo.