What great movie would you not watch again? Probably because of the violence quotient, or the sadness quotient or maybe something else. I am going for THE DEERHUNTER. My husband picks BLACK HAWK DOWN. What about you?
Sophie's Choice. It wasn't until several years after I saw it in a theater that I became aware of what her choice was. I think it disturbed me so much at the time I blotted it out.
Randy, Apocalypse Now is a favorite of mine. You did yourself a favor by skipping Redux. Nothing worth seeing was added.
Oh, God, The Deerhunter is a perfect choice. Also, for me, Life is Beautiful. What an incredible balancing act that movie was -- first in daring to make a funny story about the Holocaust, and then to handle the grimmer aspects just as deftly. Brilliant and heartbreaking, and once is definitely enough.
Sophie's Choice is a good one to avoid. Ditto for Schindler's List. In the realm of the fantastic, The Mist is one I'll never watch again despite how good it was. The ending is so appropriate but so, so isolating. I still feel the emptiness in my stomach every time I think of it.
There is no Great movie I wouldn't watch again. There are plenty of films I'll never need to see again, but no great ones.
One film I've just seen that is interesting and provocative but not great is MARTYRS, and I might or might not choose to see it again. It's also pretty grueling.
Even a well-constructed trick-plot or mystery, where much of the initial impact depends on the surprise, such as THE STING or MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS or even BULLITT, are still fun to watch again, even in seeing how the suprise was set up.
The movie is wonderfully evocative. It's almost like a Lovecraft film come to life. It's all about various people trapped in a grocery store when a mysterious mist envelopes the town and the creatures start trying to get in. It's one of the scariest movies--on many different levels--in recent memory. I don't particularly like the slasher films so this is a film that's scary mostly from things you can't really see.
The ending is just so filled with despair. It works perfectly with the film. It stays with you for a long, long time.
...AND THEN THERE WERE NONE was actually the Christie movie I was thinking of when I landed for some reason on the not quite as good, but still amusing, ORIENT EXPRESS...
Interestingly, Patti mentioned off-page that she found ETERNAL SUNSHINE very sad...while most of the sideplots are sad, I found the main thrust of the film actually rather re-affirming...certain people are actually almost inevitably drawn to each other, or at least their type is, and learning that and also learning that one might want to treat one's almost inevitable partner thoughtfully, seemed to me a pretty useful argument for a drama to make. (I, too, Clair, wonder why you won't watch it again.)
Boys Don't Cry--Because there are intolerant assholes like this all over the place and just not in Nebraska and Monsters Ball--the hooker and excution scenes are just way too stark.
I hated the movie ending of THE MIST. Stephen King is publishing a 1200 page variation called UNDER THE DOME. I bawled my eyes out watching TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. Maybe you should ask folks what their favorite tear-jerker is.
I think this ended up being about tear-jerkers. I felt a little less sorry for Debra Winger after seeing her play an even more sorry excuse for a mother in Rachel Getting Married.
I think this ended up being about tear-jerkers. I felt a little less sorry for Debra Winger after seeing her play an even more sorry excuse for a mother in Rachel Getting Married.
This is actually easy... the ONE movie that I THINK is one of that I will NEVER see again (although it is one of the greatest of ALL the time) is Pelle the Conqueror!
Then you would say it was a "supposedly" great movie. I think you have lots of company in that assessment. It trades on having some glimmer of an anti-fascist mentality as it lines up those kids.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it would be Apocalypse now. Never a strong proponent of war films to start with, I didn't see the redux a few years back.
ReplyDeleteClair-Because it was strange, convulted?
ReplyDeleteRJ-I wonder how many people alive in the sixties, want to watch that war play out again?
Sophie's Choice. It wasn't until several years after I saw it in a theater that I became aware of what her choice was. I think it disturbed me so much at the time I blotted it out.
ReplyDeleteRandy,
Apocalypse Now is a favorite of mine. You did yourself a favor by skipping Redux. Nothing worth seeing was added.
I cannot even think of that moment in SC without tearing up. I could never watch it again. And that's a shame.
ReplyDeleteI could never watch Schindler's List again.
ReplyDeleteOh, God, The Deerhunter is a perfect choice. Also, for me, Life is Beautiful. What an incredible balancing act that movie was -- first in daring to make a funny story about the Holocaust, and then to handle the grimmer aspects just as deftly. Brilliant and heartbreaking, and once is definitely enough.
ReplyDeleteSophie's Choice is a good one to avoid. Ditto for Schindler's List. In the realm of the fantastic, The Mist is one I'll never watch again despite how good it was. The ending is so appropriate but so, so isolating. I still feel the emptiness in my stomach every time I think of it.
ReplyDeleteMe either, George. I understand HBO is going to run something about the foundation Spielberg started and I'm afraid I won't watch that either.
ReplyDeleteI guess WW 2 movies are especially painful and plentiful, Chris.
ReplyDeleteThat;s one I haven't seen, Scott. Do I try it or not?
ReplyDeleteThere is no Great movie I wouldn't watch again. There are plenty of films I'll never need to see again, but no great ones.
ReplyDeleteOne film I've just seen that is interesting and provocative but not great is MARTYRS, and I might or might not choose to see it again. It's also pretty grueling.
Even a well-constructed trick-plot or mystery, where much of the initial impact depends on the surprise, such as THE STING or MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS or even BULLITT, are still fun to watch again, even in seeing how the suprise was set up.
The movie is wonderfully evocative. It's almost like a Lovecraft film come to life. It's all about various people trapped in a grocery store when a mysterious mist envelopes the town and the creatures start trying to get in. It's one of the scariest movies--on many different levels--in recent memory. I don't particularly like the slasher films so this is a film that's scary mostly from things you can't really see.
ReplyDeleteThe ending is just so filled with despair. It works perfectly with the film. It stays with you for a long, long time.
...AND THEN THERE WERE NONE was actually the Christie movie I was thinking of when I landed for some reason on the not quite as good, but still amusing, ORIENT EXPRESS...
ReplyDeleteTM-Knew you would come up with a title I don't recognize.
ReplyDeleteSP-That sounds like one my husband especially would love. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Patti mentioned off-page that she found ETERNAL SUNSHINE very sad...while most of the sideplots are sad, I found the main thrust of the film actually rather re-affirming...certain people are actually almost inevitably drawn to each other, or at least their type is, and learning that and also learning that one might want to treat one's almost inevitable partner thoughtfully, seemed to me a pretty useful argument for a drama to make. (I, too, Clair, wonder why you won't watch it again.)
ReplyDeleteATTWN is one of her two best plots (IMHO). And you substituted the other one.
ReplyDelete"Bad Lieutenant" with Harvey Keitel. It was like getting punched in the face over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI've never had the guts to watch it once.
ReplyDeleteA movie I wouldn't watch again because it was too sad-PRIEST.
Boys Don't Cry--Because there are intolerant assholes like this all over the place and just not in Nebraska
ReplyDeleteand
Monsters Ball--the hooker and excution scenes are just way too stark.
BOYS DON't CRY-I cried right through it but I'm allowed. Can't watch it again-no way.
ReplyDeleteI hated the movie ending of THE MIST. Stephen King is publishing a 1200 page variation called UNDER THE DOME. I bawled my eyes out watching TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. Maybe you should ask folks what their favorite tear-jerker is.
ReplyDeleteI think this ended up being about tear-jerkers. I felt a little less sorry for Debra Winger after seeing her play an even more sorry excuse for a mother in Rachel Getting Married.
ReplyDeleteI think this ended up being about tear-jerkers. I felt a little less sorry for Debra Winger after seeing her play an even more sorry excuse for a mother in Rachel Getting Married.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually easy... the ONE movie that I THINK is one of that I will NEVER see again (although it is one of the greatest of ALL the time) is Pelle the Conqueror!
ReplyDeletePELLE is one of the top ten movies I've ever seen. Good choice.
ReplyDeleteBoys Don't Cry. Beautiful, brilliant film, but too upsetting.
ReplyDeleteThe Sound of Music, which tops my "most hated" movie list.
ReplyDeleteThen you would say it was a "supposedly" great movie. I think you have lots of company in that assessment. It trades on having some glimmer of an anti-fascist mentality as it lines up those kids.
ReplyDelete