AaronForever said:

There are many examples of fictional screenplays that don't violate the viewers intelligence the way that "The Usual Suspects," "The Game," "No Way Out," and numerous other films do. I should have emphasized the "arbitrarily" and "surprise ending" parts of my original comments. Did anyone really feel that it was plausible that Kevin Costner was revealed to be the Soviet spy at the movie's end. If you did, then this post makes no sense to you, I'm sure. For me, it was a cheap shot to create a "surprise" ending.

In contrast to these films, there are other screenplays where the development of characters, their possible role in an unsolved event, and the unexpected climactic ending all fit into a seamless story. Some excellent examples like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "The Fugitive" come to mind. In the best movies, the screenwriter and the director are accountable for the movies twists and turns. No cheap plot twists needed.

In a lighter movie that illustrates this point, I groaned during the second Austin Powers movie when Vanessa was revealed to be a "fem-bot." Completely implausible and ridiculous, of course, but it fit with the tongue-in-cheek theme of the movie. There was another awkward logic-flaw in that movie involving time travel where he confronts himself. In that scene, he actually addresses the movie audience, saying "ignore this part because it doesn't make logical sense." It's fine with an Austin Powers movie, but it sucks when its supposed to be a serious drama that dismisses the reasoning capability of the audience.

Does that help?

AaronForever said:

!!!

BAD KITTIES. The Star Wars movies are NOT overrated!

I find the Matrix to be absolutely overrated. Bad acting by the lead (obviously) and absolutely boring at times. I got so antsy when I saw it that my boyfriend gave me money to go get popcorn, and he told me to not come back for at least 10 minutes...


the matrix

Okay... all you super film buffs will want to kill me now... but...

CITIZEN KANE is terribly overrated in my opinion. I liked it, but it was NOT the best movie ever made.

There, I've said it.

thescandalouslife said:

I love "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." I'm glad someone on this thread likes it, too.

"The Usual Suspects" - and any other of a number of similar movies where the actual outcome is arbitrarily decided by the screenwriter, then passed on to viewers as a "surprise ending."

endorphin74 said:

THANK YOU for saying this!

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

I love it too

The Wizard of Oz

I think in general I don't have a lot of respect for films that SHOULD be seen as a child but are instead seen 10 years later. You're a lot more critical of these types of movies. Oz is a fine example of this.

Natsume said:

I think this is an absolutely wonderful film.

thescandalouslife said:

I love "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." I'm glad someone on this thread likes it, too.

"Natural Born Killers"

Okay... all you super film buffs will want to kill me now... but...

CITIZEN KANE is terribly overrated in my opinion. I liked it, but it was NOT the best movie ever made.

There, I've said it.

All the Spielberg'ones since "Jaws"

High Fidelity

or pretty much anything with John Cusack.

Also I have come to dislike Bram Stoker's Dracula by
Francis Ford Coppola.I saw it when I was akid and loved it but then I read the orginal masterpiece novel by Bram Stoker and thought the film had done no justice to the story.