Unpopular Opinions

[Wiendish Fitch]

8 hours ago, Hiyo said:

The only film of his I can say I really liked was Witness for the Prosecution, but then, I really enjoyed that film overall.

Ooooh, and that one, too! Witness for the Prosecution is fabulous, one of Billy Wilder's best (no matter waht Sam Staggs says)!

Edited May 27, 2021 by Wiendish Fitch

[Hiyo]

One of Marlene Dietrich's most underrated performances too.

[Abra]

I hated Us. It couldn't decide what kind of horror movie it wanted to be, it ripped off far more than paid homage to past horror films, the editing (absolutely crucial to making a good horror movie) was so loose as to be almost non-existent, and the humor fell totally flat. But worst of all, it was so damn boring. I'm not usually scared by scary movies (although you can get me with a well-done jump scare), but at least I can tell when something is generally supposed to be scary. Nothing in this movie was scary. And it wasn't horrifying in a psychological horror kind of way either because it was so freaking boring I didn't care about the reveal I'd already basically figured out anyway. Oh, and the boy who played the son was a terrible actor. It's possible I hate it so much because so many other people told me how wonderful it was and that made me sit through the entire damn thing hoping it would get better instead of turning it off like I wanted to, but that's on me I guess.

[Wiendish Fitch]

2 minutes ago, Abra said:

I hated Us. It couldn't decide what kind of horror movie it wanted to be, it ripped off far more than paid homage to past horror films, the editing (absolutely crucial to making a good horror movie) was so loose as to be almost non-existent, and the humor fell totally flat. But worst of all, it was so damn boring. I'm not usually scared by scary movies (although you can get me with a well-done jump scare), but at least I can tell when something is generally supposed to be scary. Nothing in this movie was scary. And it wasn't horrifying in a psychological horror kind of way either because it was so freaking boring I didn't care about the reveal I'd already basically figured out anyway. Oh, and the boy who played the son was a terrible actor. It's possible I hate it so much because so many other people told me how wonderful it was and that made me sit through the entire damn thing hoping it would get better instead of turning it off like I wanted to, but that's on me I guess.

I wanted to love Us. Visually striking, beautifully cast and acted, I really like Jordan Peele... but, to me, Us just never comes together, and the story left me with waaaaaaay too many questions. I don't expect all stories to make perfect sense (for the record, I adore Vertigo), but I think Peele and company were so enamored with the motivation and the twist, that they didn't bother tightening the script.

Get Out, love it or hate it, is pretty cohesive. I can't say the same for Us.

[proserpina65]

On 5/26/2021 at 9:44 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

Classic Hollywood fans, please forgive me, but I think Tyrone Power was a total charisma vacuum and not even all that good-looking (it's the scary eyebrows and crap-eating smile). He just came across as too vacuous to be a leading man, IMO. I thought he was at his best when playing slimy douchebags instead of heroes, like in Nightmare Alley.

I remember being quite fond of him in The Mark of Zorro and Captain from Castile, but it has been decades since I've seen either movie so who knows, I might agree with you now.

[Nordly Beaumont]

I love Cohen Brothers movies. But I had never seen all of "Raising Arizona." I saw little bits and pieces on tv and I guess it didn't interest me. But I so often hear people talking about how great it is, I decided to rent it tonight. Man, I haaated it! Every bit of it. I'd rather watch "The Lady Killers" again, and that's a bad Cohen Brothers movie. But at least it doesn't have John Goodman screaming endlessly.

[Spartan Girl]

I think the Cohen brothers are overrated. There, I said it. I never got the big deal about Fargo, I’m indifferent to No Country for Old Men, and all their other movies left me cold.

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

I think the Cohen brothers are overrated. There, I said it. I never got the big deal about Fargo, I’m indifferent to No Country for Old Men, and all their other movies left me cold.

Amen.  I couldn't finish Raising Arizona, it took all I had to not walk out of Fargo (except I did like Frances McDormand's character), the first part of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou was ok, but it the schtick old after a while and never finished it, Burn After Reading and True Grit were ok, and the only reason I didn't turn off Hail, Caesar is because I was watching it with a friend who was interested in seeing it to the end.  I've never bothered trying any more of their movies.

Another UO:  Back when The Matrix came out, I really wasn't into that genre at all, so I fell asleep during it.  Over the years, I've come around a little and now like a lot of movies in that genre, so I tried again--still couldn't get through the whole movie.

[Wiendish Fitch]

3 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

Amen.  I couldn't finish Raising Arizona, it took all I had to not walk out of Fargo (except I did like Frances McDormand's character), the first part of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou was ok, but it the schtick old after a while and never finished it, Burn After Reading and True Grit were ok, and the only reason I didn't turn off Hail, Caesar is because I was watching it with a friend who was interested in seeing it to the end.  I've never bothered trying any more of their movies.

Another UO:  Back when The Matrix came out, I really wasn't into that genre at all, so I fell asleep during it.  Over the years, I've come around a little and now like a lot of movies in that genre, so I tried again--still couldn't get through the whole movie.

The Matrix and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou are both overrated AF. There, I said it. 

Raising Arizona has its moments (Holly Hunter and John Goodman are national treasures), but it's tainted by the presence of my nemesis, Nicholas Cage. I know a lot of people just love him, be it ironically or sincerely, but I find him untalented and repellant. 

 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 5/26/2021 at 8:46 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I still like him in the other movies, though they do tend to overdo the “he has no filter” bit. 

Drax is a tough character. The problem I think is that his whole back story is that he wants some "this time it's personal" vengeance against Thanos. But Nebula has a more interesting version of the same back story (and so does Gamora kind of) and Karen Gillan is a way better actor than Dave Bautista. 

14 hours ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

I love Cohen Brothers movies. But I had never seen all of "Raising Arizona." I saw little bits and pieces on tv and I guess it didn't interest me. But I so often hear people talking about how great it is, I decided to rent it tonight. Man, I haaated it! Every bit of it. I'd rather watch "The Lady Killers" again, and that's a bad Cohen Brothers movie. But at least it doesn't have John Goodman screaming endlessly.

Cohen bros movies are weird. I love The Big Lebowski (because I am a guy in my 40s and that is almost expected of me) and Fargo is a great crime movie. But everything else I have seen of theirs has been super meh. Even No Country for Old Men, True Grit and Raising Arizona.

[Bastet]

I loved Fargo (mostly, but not exclusively, because of Frances McDormand's character), but the others I've seen - probably about 1/3 of their filmography - have generally just been fine.  I haven't disliked any of them, but haven't been wowed, either.

Shifting gears, my UO is that I'm in no hurry to see the sequel to A Quiet Place.  I will see it, but when it becomes available to me for free, just like the original.  That one had great performances, but a shit ton of plot holes that were not "icebox moments" I pondered later, but things that distracted me in real time.  I hope this one is better, living up to the potential the first one failed to meet (interesting universe, and didn't feel gimmicky, but not properly thought through), but I'm sure not going to run out (even if the pandemic didn't exist) to the cinema to find out.

 

[JustHereForFood]

The Matrix wasn't my kind of movie (too many scenes I found gross as a kid), but I considered all three movies to be of the same quality. I was very surprised when I found out that the first was so beloved by critics while the other two were considered subpar. I just couldn't see it. Maybe I will if I ever bother to rewatch.

[Annber03]

I've only seen The Matrix once. When my high school choir took our trip to New York, the bus we traveled in was set up for us to watch movies. and that was one of the ones that got played. 

The movie didn't really hold my interest, either. Course, I was also a bit tired and the volume was low, so that probably factored in, too, but yeah, I've just never really gotten into those kinds of movies in general, either. 

[Danny Franks]

21 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Amen.  I couldn't finish Raising Arizona, it took all I had to not walk out of Fargo (except I did like Frances McDormand's character), the first part of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou was ok, but it the schtick old after a while and never finished it, Burn After Reading and True Grit were ok, and the only reason I didn't turn off Hail, Caesar is because I was watching it with a friend who was interested in seeing it to the end.  I've never bothered trying any more of their movies.

I love The Hudsucker Proxy and enjoyed The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? although with little of the reverence a lot of people seem to have for them.

I saw The Ladykillers and didn't think it was much good, Burn After Reading was good in bits but completely forgettable apart from Brad Pitt. Oh, and Hail, Caesar! was even less memorable.

Honestly, if I'm asked to pick a director/writer to give me weird, quirky and offbeat ensemble comedies that rely heavily on affected performances and clever dialogue, I'll go for Wes Anderson every time.

[Hiyo]

Wes Anderson movies sometimes make me cringe.

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 hour ago, Hiyo said:

Wes Anderson movies sometimes make me cringe.

I like Wes Anderson, but I didn't like The Grand Budapest Hotel. I know, I'm a freak.

[proserpina65]

On 5/30/2021 at 11:27 PM, Nordly Beaumont said:

I love Cohen Brothers movies. But I had never seen all of "Raising Arizona." I saw little bits and pieces on tv and I guess it didn't interest me. But I so often hear people talking about how great it is, I decided to rent it tonight. Man, I haaated it! Every bit of it. I'd rather watch "The Lady Killers" again, and that's a bad Cohen Brothers movie. But at least it doesn't have John Goodman screaming endlessly.

I thought I was the only one who hated Raising Arizona.  I watched it and Big Trouble in Little China during the same house-sitting weekend, and greatly preferred Big Trouble.

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I thought I was the only one who hated Raising Arizona.  I watched it and Big Trouble in Little China during the same house-sitting weekend, and greatly preferred Big Trouble.

Raising Arizona did not work for me, and I like most of the Cohen brothers output.  I cannot get over the premise and am unable to find the actions of the protagonist to be endearing in any way.  

Big Trouble in Little China is a cheesy masterpiece.  

[Hiyo]

Quote

I like Wes Anderson, but I didn't like The Grand Budapest Hotel. I know, I'm a freak.

I just find most of his movies to be just too twee and a half.

[Blergh]

On 5/31/2021 at 11:17 AM, Wiendish Fitch said:

The Matrix and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou are both overrated AF. There, I said it. 

Raising Arizona has its moments (Holly Hunter and John Goodman are national treasures), but it's tainted by the presence of my nemesis, Nicholas Cage. I know a lot of people just love him, be it ironically or sincerely, but I find him untalented and repellant. 

 

While I like Miss Hunter and Mr. Goodman,  IMO even their presences weren't enough to overcome the jaded, depressing miasma of the movie (though to Mr. Goodman's credit, his performance almost was the movie's saving grace but even his innate charm and talent wasn't enough to salvage the production any more than MacGyver  could have bailed out the Titanic using just a teaspoon before it capsized). 

[JustHereForFood]

I didn't want to post any negative comment in the Fashion thread, so I will put this here: I don't like the iconic green dress from Atonement. I love the color, it is my favorite shade of green and one of my favorite colors for outfits, but I dislike everything else about it, the cut of the dress, the lower back, how it just hangs on Keira Knightley, making her look even thinner than usual.

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, JustHereForFood said:

I didn't want to post any negative comment in the Fashion thread, so I will put this here: I don't like the iconic green dress from Atonement. I love the color, it is my favorite shade of green and one of my favorite colors for outfits, but I dislike everything else about it, the cut of the dress, the lower back, how it just hangs on Keira Knightley, making her look even thinner than usual.

I agree so much. The color is lovely and I like the style, but on her it looks like its just on a hanger. 

[GreekGeek]

On 6/1/2021 at 9:14 AM, Danny Franks said:

I love The Hudsucker Proxy and enjoyed The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? although with little of the reverence a lot of people seem to have for them.

I saw The Ladykillers and didn't think it was much good, Burn After Reading was good in bits but completely forgettable apart from Brad Pitt. Oh, and Hail, Caesar! was even less memorable.

Honestly, if I'm asked to pick a director/writer to give me weird, quirky and offbeat ensemble comedies that rely heavily on affected performances and clever dialogue, I'll go for Wes Anderson every time.

Of the movies you mentioned, I've only seen The Big Lebowski, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Hail Caesar! Of the three, my favorite by far was Hail Caesar!, followed by Oh Brother, with The Big Lebowski a very distant third. I guess I just don't care for stoners as heroes.

Now go on and tell me, "Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man!"😉

[Mabinogia]

9 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

I didn't want to post any negative comment in the Fashion thread, so I will put this here: I don't like the iconic green dress from Atonement. I love the color, it is my favorite shade of green and one of my favorite colors for outfits, but I dislike everything else about it, the cut of the dress, the lower back, how it just hangs on Keira Knightley, making her look even thinner than usual.

The mid 30s is probably one of my favorite eras for women's fashion but I agree about that dress. it's just a whole lot of nothing to me. An ill-fitting nightgown with a weird knot covering her crotch. Not a fan. 

[kiddo82]

Not saying I won't watch the series, cause of course I will, but I don't care for Loki the character.  He gets way too many passes for my liking.

Edited June 8, 2021 by kiddo82

[proserpina65]

55 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

Not saying I won't watch the series, cause of course I will, but I don't care for Loki the character.  He gets way too many passes for my liking.

I don't like the character and I don't like Tom Hiddleston, so I won't be watching.

[kiddo82]

31 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't like the character and I don't like Tom Hiddleston, so I won't be watching.

Yeah.  I don't have any strong feelings for or against Tom Hiddleston.  I know a lot of people think his charisma is what makes the character but I guess he's just not for me.   Or what he brings isn't enough to elevate the character for me.  I thought he was fine in Skull Island though.  I don't know that I've seen him in anything else.

Edited June 8, 2021 by kiddo82

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't like the character and I don't like Tom Hiddleston, so I won't be watching.

I only watched one Thor movie and that was in bits and pieces because I don't like movies based on comic books. As well, I don't like anything at all about comic books, and I like graphic novels even less than comic books. But anyway...

I have zero concept of Loki as a comic book character. I just know bits of Norse mythology.

But DAMN TOM HIDDLESTON, this superhero gig RUINED him. I loved him as Magnus Martinsson on Wallendar with his earnest face and blond curls.

Now he looks like he desperately needs a shower.

FUCK YOU MARVEL COMICS. FUCK YOU ALL TO HELL!

[Mabinogia]

37 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

I don't know that I've seen him in anything else.

He was phenomenal in The Night Manager, which I saw before I saw him as Loki, so I expected to adore Loki (I usually prefer the "bad boys" or straight up Villains) but IDK if it's the bad wig or what, Loki just does nothing for me. 

[BlackberryJam]

5 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

He was phenomenal in The Night Manager, which I saw before I saw him as Loki, so I expected to adore Loki (I usually prefer the "bad boys" or straight up Villains) but IDK if it's the bad wig or what, Loki just does nothing for me. 

I did thoroughly enjoy The Night Manager, but dear lord his Globes acceptance speech made me want to crawl inside my own skin and die of second hand embarrassment. 

Fun fact, Tom Hiddleston used to party and get freaky with Gwendoline Christie, Brienne of Tarth, from GoT. 

 

[Hiyo]

“Now he looks like he desperately needs a shower.”

Some people may take that as an excuse to jump in the shower with him...

[BlackberryJam]

8 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

“Now he looks like he desperately needs a shower.”

Some people may take that as an excuse to jump in the shower with him...

Ew. 

I like my men pre-showered and properly groomed. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 6/1/2021 at 12:11 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

I like Wes Anderson, but I didn't like The Grand Budapest Hotel. I know, I'm a freak.

Same, I got nothing out of that one.  

On 5/31/2021 at 10:19 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I think the Cohen brothers are overrated. There, I said it. I never got the big deal about Fargo, I’m indifferent to No Country for Old Men, and all their other movies left me cold.

While I do love the Coens, I think I've tried Fargo 3 times now and I'm never going to understand what people love about it.  People always say that "Marge is iconic".  Honey, she's not even in the movie that much.

I actually thought that liking "Us" was the unpopular opinion, because I'm always singing its praises and I never hear anybody talking about it.  But it made bonkers money and received a lot of accolades, so never mind!  Seems to be a critical darling rather than an audience one.  I have no idea how to explain why I like it.  I was just completely enthralled from the beginning to the end.  I was devastated when Lupita didn't receive Oscar recognition. 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ohiopirate02]

On 6/7/2021 at 11:30 AM, GreekGeek said:

Of the movies you mentioned, I've only seen The Big Lebowski, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Hail Caesar! Of the three, my favorite by far was Hail Caesar!, followed by Oh Brother, with The Big Lebowski a very distant third. I guess I just don't care for stoners as heroes.

Now go on and tell me, "Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man!"😉

The Big Lebowski is a great movie to quote, but not a great movie.  The Coen brothers cared more for great lines than a coherent plot or actual characters and character development.  In the hands of a lesser cast, the film would be forgotten.

[kiddo82]

7 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The Big Lebowski is a great movie to quote, but not a great movie.  The Coen brothers cared more for great lines than a coherent plot or actual characters and character development.  In the hands of a lesser cast, the film would be forgotten.

I had to watch it twice because I was like, "Did I miss something?"  The actual plot has no relevance which is frustrating when you've invested your time in this mystery only to have it not matter.  For me, the parts that I do find funny (basically anything John Goodman says or does) don't make up for that.  I know a lot of other people feel differently though.  If nothing else, it's a must watch because of its ubiquity in pop culture.

That's the inherent risk with droll humor.  It's going to hit everybody differently or it might not hit people at all.  (Humor in and of itself is very subjective but I feel like the drier it is, the more divisive it tends to be.)  I could watch the scene in Fargo where Marge interviews to local girls on repeat, which might not be for everybody, but there is a lot in Lebowski that people love that isn't for me.

[Danny Franks]

11 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The Big Lebowski is a great movie to quote, but not a great movie.  The Coen brothers cared more for great lines than a coherent plot or actual characters and character development.  In the hands of a lesser cast, the film would be forgotten.

This is why I like The Hudsucker Proxy so much. It's very tightly plotted as well as being written with a load of smart lines and memorable dialogue, and it's not packed with extraneous characters or cameos.

Tim Robbins as an endearing doofus, Paul Newman as am evil, conniving company executive, Jennifer Jason Leigh as a stereotypically bolshy newshound.

But it's not one of the Coen Brothers movies that people ever talk about, for some reason.

[Hiyo]

The Big Lebowski.

Ugh. No bueno.

[supposebly]

1 hour ago, Hiyo said:

The Big Lebowski.

Ugh. No bueno.

Yeah, I didn't get it either when I watched it the first time recently. I guess you had to be there. Boring and meandering.

[Blergh]

On 5/27/2021 at 9:12 AM, Hiyo said:

One of Marlene Dietrich's most underrated performances too.

I agree! While one could imagine that Dietrich herself took pride in being able to 'control her thirst' due to being a soldier's daughter when she was growing up (and shared that with her character), I can imagine it was challenging for her to play someone who seemed  accepting of her husband's death sentence and death but was poisoning herself from the inside out due to her pride being wounded re having him been hanged instead of being shot by  a firing squad as per her pleas!  Also, it was interesting to see her trying to sell to the US prosecutor Spencer Tracy (in Judgement at Nuremberg- 1961) how 'normal' and jovial the ordinary Germans were supposed to be- as if them being able to sing lively songs in a beer hall totally made it totally incapable for folks to  participate in crimes against humanity (of course trying to make the case that her late husband (a general) didn't know anything about the Holocaust). While Dietrich herself almost as soon as they came into power was a staunch anti-NAZI for the rest of her life, I definitely think she had insight as to what the mindset of their supporters often was due to her loved ones  including her sister  having been participants (to her everlasting mortification- she would deny ever having had a sister  claiming to have been an only child in the documentary Marlene- 1984).

Edited June 11, 2021 by Blergh

[Ms Blue Jay]

It took me a few tries, but now Lebowski is one of my absolute favourites.  It does have to work on you.  But I totally get why it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

On 6/10/2021 at 1:15 AM, Danny Franks said:

This is why I like The Hudsucker Proxy so much. It's very tightly plotted as well as being written with a load of smart lines and memorable dialogue, and it's not packed with extraneous characters or cameos.

Tim Robbins as an endearing doofus, Paul Newman as am evil, conniving company executive, Jennifer Jason Leigh as a stereotypically bolshy newshound.

But it's not one of the Coen Brothers movies that people ever talk about, for some reason.

Now this is a good unpopular opinion.  I saw it and I REALLY enjoyed it.  I think the title turned people off, but I doubt the Coen brothers give a shit about things like that.  LOL.  It's a beautiful movie set in 1958 mimicking the noir films of that time with some nice art deco.  

Edited June 11, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[VCRTracking]

It also gave us the line "Y'know? For kids!"

[Shannon L.]

I'm two movies away from finishing the Marvel movies in order (I've seen all of them at least twice, some several times--I just wanted to watch them all again) and my UO is that in spite of a handful of cheesy scenes (and one problematic scene), I love Age of Ultron.  It's one of the movies in the series that I can watch over and over again.  Oh, and Natasha wasn't written as the helpless woman who needed to be rescued. She was caught off guard and it was her getting a message out via Morse code that lead them to her and Ultron.

[kiddo82]

I don't hate Age of Ultron either.  The biggest flaw for me is that the climax lasts forever but I think the movie is ultimately fine.  It's definitely watchable and re-watchable.

[Wiendish Fitch]

On 5/31/2021 at 3:47 PM, Bastet said:

Shifting gears, my UO is that I'm in no hurry to see the sequel to A Quiet Place.  I will see it, but when it becomes available to me for free, just like the original.  That one had great performances, but a shit ton of plot holes that were not "icebox moments" I pondered later, but things that distracted me in real time.  I hope this one is better, living up to the potential the first one failed to meet (interesting universe, and didn't feel gimmicky, but not properly thought through), but I'm sure not going to run out (even if the pandemic didn't exist) to the cinema to find out.

I loved the ending to A Quiet Place, because it's one of those endings made all the stronger and more exciting because you don't see it all play out, so the existence of a sequel kind of cheapens it for me. Maybe my love for closure and finality is just a character flaw of mine.

With maybe, oh, 2 or 3 exceptions, I hate sports movies. Yup, I just hate 'em. I hate sports in general, so watching movies about them holds no appeal for me. A League of Their Own? The Bad News Bears? Rudy? I either don't like them or I just do not give a crap.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Wiendish Fitch

[Spartan Girl]

11 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

With maybe, oh, 2 or 3 exceptions, I hate sports movies. Yup, I just hate 'em. I hate sports in general, so watching movies about them holds no appeal for me. A League of Their Own? The Bad News Bears? Rudy? I either don't like them or I just do not give a crap

Sports movies in general just bore me, probably because I am not into sports.

[Shannon L.]

17 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Sports movies in general just bore me, probably because I am not into sports.

Here's a weird fact about me:  With the exception of many Olympic events, I never tune into sports.  They bore me so much that I don't even know what season it is.  I can guarantee you that if someone says something about a play off game, I'll say "Already?  Didn't the season just start?".  But, for some odd reason, I love most sports movies that I've seen.  Bull Durham, Major League, Tin Cup, Miracle, Hoosiers, Caddyshack, Rocky 1-3......etc....I enjoyed all of them (some of them I can still watch and enjoy).  I don't even know how to explain it.

[Bastet]

10 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Here's a weird fact about me:  With the exception of many Olympic events, I never tune into sports.  They bore me so much that I don't even know what season it is.  I can guarantee you that if someone says something about a play off game, I'll say "Already?  Didn't the season just start?".  But, for some odd reason, I love most sports movies that I've seen.  Bull Durham, Major League, Tin Cup, Miracle, Hoosiers, Caddyshack, Rocky 1-3......etc....I enjoyed all of them (some of them I can still watch and enjoy).  I don't even know how to explain it.

Well, sports movies are about people, not sports, so that explains why a film set in that universe can still make you laugh, cheer, and/or cry even if you wouldn't sit down and watch a real-life version of whatever game the characters play.

[festivus]

14 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Here's a weird fact about me:  With the exception of many Olympic events, I never tune into sports.  They bore me so much that I don't even know what season it is.  I can guarantee you that if someone says something about a play off game, I'll say "Already?  Didn't the season just start?".  But, for some odd reason, I love most sports movies that I've seen.  Bull Durham, Major League, Tin Cup, Miracle, Hoosiers, Caddyshack, Rocky 1-3......etc....I enjoyed all of them (some of them I can still watch and enjoy).  I don't even know how to explain it.

Same for me. I love the Olympics but hate any other sports. I'll watch any movie about sports though. My faves are Slap Shot (underrated), League of Their Own, and The Longest Yard.

I think my UO is that I love the newer Bad News Bears as much as I do the old one. I love them both. Can't choose.

[Danny Franks]

On 7/4/2021 at 12:48 AM, Bastet said:

Well, sports movies are about people, not sports, so that explains why a film set in that universe can still make you laugh, cheer, and/or cry even if you wouldn't sit down and watch a real-life version of whatever game the characters play.

That's why movies about baseball, in particular, work so well. There's a lot more focus on people in moments of stillness and thought. Standing on the pitchers mound, waiting to swing the bat, what Ken Burns' Baseball documentary called "individual dramas". It's easy to translate the on-field action to a movie dynamic.

Other sports, soccer in particular, are usually terrible on-screen because the sport itself doesn't work when viewed from an individual's point of view. It's too fast-paced and really shouldn't focus on any one player for more than a few seconds at a time.

[Hiyo]

Quote

Other sports, soccer in particular, are usually terrible on-screen because the sport itself doesn't work when viewed from an individual's point of view. It's too fast-paced and really shouldn't focus on any one player for more than a few seconds at a time.

Unless you do it anime style, in which the same character can sometimes spend 5 minutes kicking the ball down the field.