It's been far too long since I've posted a new topic and I've been dying to throw up "The Film Script - Top 7 Movies We Haven't Seen That We Should Have," but that's gonna take me a while to go through and find the precise 7 that I'm the most shamed for having not seen, so in the meantime I figured I'd post on the current shabby state of the cinemas (but keep the other topic in mind and start gathering your own lists).
Now, it's a known fact that the best movies of the year are usually withheld for the end of the year - for Oscar season - but this year seems especially slow to get started. Thus far, I've seen 23 movies released in 2007. Only 8 of the 23 have I given a rating of a B or better and I've still only given out a single, solitary A (for Zodiac). That's a pathetic 35% of movie I've considered to be "good films."
The ratio does get much better when I factor in a B- (my cutoff for a positive review), then the ratio jumps to 57%. Maybe I'm over-reacting, because at the end of the year if I've given a B- or better rating more than 50% of the time, I consider it a good year. But there's been so many blantantly average films recently that this is standing out in my mind.
Ocean's Thirteen. Lucky You. Alpha Dog. Spider-Man 3. Freedom Writers.
All B- films that I liked but felt they could have been better... especially with Raimi, Soderbergh and Hanson at the helms of 3 of them.
I watched Next the other day as well. C+.
300. C.
Plus, there's been an extrodinary amount of terrible films thrown in. I've already given out four D-'s or F's (and those are ratings I reserve for the real dregs of cinema). Thank you Pirates 3, The Ex, Catch and Release and Because I Said So.
I'm getting hopeful hearing positive things about Bug and Once and Waitress but haven't been able to track those films down yet. But honestly is anyone really holding out a lot of hope for films like Fantastic Four 2, Live Free or Die Hard (yes, I want to see it; no, I don't think it'll be anything special) and especially Transformers?!
C'mon people, it's a Michael Bay film for chrissake! When one of the most anticipated films of the season comes from the Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay combo, we're facing some rough, rough times ahead.
I don't know guys, bring me around. Tell me I'm horribly mistaken. I've got hope for Breach which I just got on DVD, Black Snake Moan which I'm getting shortly and the upcoming Bourne film that I can't seem to stop talking about. And maybe those will help jumpstart the year for me.
But keep in mind, I also haven't seen Norbit, Hostel II, Hannibal Rising, In the Land of Women, etc. etc. Nor do I have any inclination to do so.
3 comments:
I would love to argue against you here, but I can't. I think you may be right. I think I've found more films to love than you (Zodiac, Grindhouse, 300), but the majority is once again crap.
I was holding out for the summer to be really great. I mean there must be a reason every other movie is breaking some sort of box office record right. But they all have been sub-par in my opinion (Spider-Man) or have just down right sucked (Pirates 3).
I just try to think of it as treasure hunting. For all the shitty three-quels I must wallow through, I will eventually find that gem I've been looking for. And it makes the experience all the sweeter because of it.
Jesus...I haven't posted on here in quite some time. My apologies. No excuses. Just laziness. So...I'm gonna agree I guess. I'm with Chachi. I've found a bit more to like than Mr. Mulligan has, but overall...this year has gargled my balls.
I think what made it so painful was that I was relying on Spidey 3 and Shrek 3 to really kick the summer off...but they both were disappointments. Pirates was the unholy crapfest I was expecting. Fortunately, we did get a couple of nice surprises. 28 Weeks Later was as good or better than 28 Days Later. Bug was a mindfuck that can only be described as a schizophrenic orgasm. And, of course, Knocked Up was amazingly wonderful...no surprise there.
Mulligan...Breach was fantastic. A real old-fashioned thriller. Nothing really new or mindblowing. But considering how many thrillers that aim for that stuff stuck ass....its really nice to see a more classic-style film really nail what it's going for. The acting is superb. The writing and directing keep it tense and taut...even though you know how its going to end. Really good stuff there...too bad it didn't too great in theaters.
As for what's to come...I'm burnt out on blockbusters. I'm excited to see Waitress (hopefully this week). I'll see Transformers, but am not expecting much. Comedies look good...got the Simpsons and Superbad. And Brothers Solomon and Hot Rod hit before the end of summer as well. I love the Bourne series, as well as the Die Hards....but I'm keeping my expectations low...cuz this summer has dealt more than its fair share of disappointment already.
That's always how the year goes. Best stuff comes out later in the year. In '04 I waited till THE VERY FUCKING end of the year to see A Series of Unfortunate Events.
I just saw Fantastic Four five times and I'm not going to review it because I'll be flagged as inherently biased and shot in the stomach with a poison arrow.
I watched Rising Sun for the first time last night and it's the first movie that I have ever truly said was "Feisty." Everyone raved about Basic Instinct and Killing Me Softly and Eyes Wide Shut but seriously, they all kinda sucked. Sexual thrillers suck. Always have. Always will. But this movie, wow, it see-sawed on obscene. The opening scene is honestly one of the most explicit things I've ever seen. And I've seen a large German woman stuff a Dr. Pepper can up her ass....and Chachi knows the rest. Good movie though. Not the German thing...Rising Sun.
Oh yeah, I also saw Almost Heroes for the first time. And now I'm depressed.
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