Subject: Overrated Classic Movies
Posted by: daver852
Date: Feb 18 11
I'm a big fan of classic movies, which I define as the beginning of the silent era through the 1950s. Back then the movies had a plot, the actors could act, and the actresses could make you think impure thoughts about them without taking off all their clothes. Some of my favorite films of this era are "Wings," "Double Indemnity," and "Laura." But I think a lot of old movies are overrated. What movies do you think get more credit than they deserve? I'd nominate "The Grapes of Wrath," "Metropolis," and "The Gold Rush."
Posted by: daver852
Date: Feb 18 11
I'm a big fan of classic movies, which I define as the beginning of the silent era through the 1950s. Back then the movies had a plot, the actors could act, and the actresses could make you think impure thoughts about them without taking off all their clothes. Some of my favorite films of this era are "Wings," "Double Indemnity," and "Laura." But I think a lot of old movies are overrated. What movies do you think get more credit than they deserve? I'd nominate "The Grapes of Wrath," "Metropolis," and "The Gold Rush."
46 replies. On page 1 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
ninjalou 
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I will probably get a lot of grief for this, but I personally think that "The Godfather" is a bit overrated. I also didn't particularly care for "Rosemary's Baby", or "The Exorcist". I think maybe they had all three been built up so much, that by the time I finally saw them I was expecting more than the films actually delivered. Reply #1. Feb 18 11, 2:24 PM |
longcoolwoman2
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I personally did not care for "Citizen Kane." Reply #2. Feb 18 11, 3:39 PM |
| Lochalsh
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Any movie with John Wayne or Charlton Heston is overrated. Reply #3. Feb 18 11, 4:28 PM |
daver852
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That's a pretty sweeping generalization. It would include "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," "The Quiet Man," "The Ten Commandments," and "Ben-Hur." I try to keep my personal feelings about actors separate from my judgment of the movies they're in. Thinking of Whoopi Goldberg or Tim Robbins may make me nauseated, but I still think "Ghost," "Bull Durham," and "The Shawshank Redemption" are pretty good films. Reply #4. Feb 18 11, 5:59 PM |
nycdmc70
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I expected to like "The Conversation" with Gene Hackman more than I did. I found it quite boring, although it received rave reviews. I know this is off topic, but since you mentioned "The Quiet Man", I have to say, I just love that film. Reply #5. Feb 18 11, 6:12 PM |
callie_ross
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"Casablanca" is not anywhere as good as what people say. Any movies with dancing, such as Fred Astaire films aren't what they're cracked up to be, either! Reply #6. Feb 18 11, 6:44 PM |
| Lochalsh
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Aside from "Quiet Man," I'm not fond of any Wayne's and Heston's movies. I wasn't responding to the actors per se, just using shorthand to indicate the movies I thought were overrated. Reply #7. Feb 18 11, 6:52 PM |
| Lochalsh
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And I would guess--by your mention of specific actors you don't like--that you thought I was speaking to the politics of both JW and CH. I wasn't: I just don't like testosterone-driven flicks. Reply #8. Feb 18 11, 6:56 PM |
TheRambler
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I personally loved Ben Hur, El Cid and The Ten Commandments with old Chuck Heston. Even though he wasn't that great an actor, I thought that his stature and looks fitted the part. I've watched these movies umpteen times. I also loved The Searchers and The Quiet Man with John Wayne. When he teamed up with the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, they were just great together. Great humour and stories. I also loved Richard Burton and Liz Taylor together in Cleopatra, again they were just great together. They don't make 'em like that anymore because they don't have the actors. Reply #9. Feb 19 11, 9:29 AM |
| daver852
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Richard Burton isn't one of my favorite actors; he was capable of turning in a fine performance, but a lot of the time he just seemed to be phoning it in, and he also had a tendency to chew the scenery. Two of his films that I liked the most are also among his most obscure: "Faust" and "Prince of Players." His leading lady in the latter was Maggie MacNamara; she has to be among the saddest stories ever to come out of Hollywood. She was so pretty and so talented, and now almost nobody's ever heard of her. Reply #10. Feb 19 11, 4:08 PM |
jolana
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I am with Callie about Casablanca. So boring to me. The only moment that woke me up was the Czech person called László. Take a torch and try to find a Czech person called László! It´s a Hungarian name! Hungarian doesn´t even fall to the same language family as Czech. It´s Ugro-Finnish, while Czech as well as English, French or Spanish are Indo-European! Reply #11. Feb 19 11, 7:18 PM |
boxjaw
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Daver, I think that his performance in "1984" was quite good. Reply #12. Feb 20 11, 2:31 PM |
Heleena
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I too did not care for "Citizen Kane" and don't understand why it is so highly regarded. I keep thinking I should watch it again as maybe there was something I missed when I saw it years ago, in my early 20's. Also, I too did not like "The Godfather" and have never seen "Casablanca". I did see "The Maltese Falcon" and was not impressed. Reply #13. Feb 20 11, 4:16 PM |
Cymruambyth
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I agree with those who think 'Citizen Kane' isn't as good as it's cracked up to be. Orson Welles 'Macbeth' is also pretty G*dawful as well. Any of C.B. De Mille's biblical epics leave me cold, but 'The Ten Commandments' tops that list, and you can keep both versions of 'Ben Hur', too (the silent version with Ramon Navorro and the Charlton Heston epic -speaking of scenery chewers, that was his major talent!) However, the chariot horses in both versions turned in fine performances. I'll get pilloried for this, but 'Dr. Zhivago' is one big yawn as far as I'm concerned, as is 'The Robe', the Burton/Taylor 'Cleopatra (their 'Taming of the Shrew' was a thousand times better!). 'Captains Courageous' is another snoozefest. Classic films I can watch over and over include 'The Apartment', 'Marty', 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'The Third Man', 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Goodbye Mr. Chips' (with Robert Donat, not the later, musical version starring O'Toole and Petula Clark), 'A Catered Affair', 'The Quiet Man', 'Gigi', and sevral others...including 'Casablanca'. Reply #14. Feb 20 11, 4:44 PM |
| daver852
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I think "Marty" was the worst film ever to win an Oscar for Best Picture. I have to admit that I love "Casablanca," though. I'm a sucker for tearjerkers. "An Affair to Remember" is another of my favorites. Reply #15. Feb 20 11, 9:33 PM |
| boxjaw
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Classic movies have to keep shifting to meet the newer generations of fans of cinema. Even when I was younger, I didn't feel that "Star Wars" deserved the acclaim it received. Reply #16. Feb 21 11, 3:17 PM |
tearose90
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labyrinth and the goodbye girl are definitely overrated. Reply #17. Apr 25 11, 7:14 PM |
| honeybee4
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I really liked anything with Edward G Robinson, especially The Red House. I loved The Graps Of Wrath. I don't like the Star War Movies at all. Reply #18. Apr 25 11, 10:13 PM |
ayakachan123
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some classic movies that I think are overrated are Gone With The Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, Easy Rider, The Godfather, and Wizard of Oz Reply #19. May 23 11, 1:45 AM |
SisterSeagull
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Overated?... 'Citizen Kane', 'The African Queen' and 'Casablanca' Underated?... 'The Night of the Hunter', The Shape of Things' and 'Metropolis' Reply #20. May 23 11, 9:07 AM |
46 replies. On page 1 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
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