Film Fanatics - Chat Thread II

I refuse to believe that Tangled cost more to make than Avatar, unless someone at Disney is guilty of fraud on a massive scale.

Yeah but the fact she put them up there with Gladiator and Shawshank Redemption was pretty laughable

Yeah, it was more because you'd made it sound like HTTYD was worthy of that status, while Tangled wasn't.

Slightly unrelated point, but I'll make it anyway: the Shawshank Redemption seems to make everyone's best films list. Now, it is an excellent film, as there's almost nothing not to like about it, so I don't begrudge it its status as one of the best films of all time. All that it does make me wonder, however, is if this overwhelming consensus is, at least on the part of some people, because it's an easy film to say "yeah, it's one of the best films ever" about. It's the sort of film that people who aren't all that interested in films can claim as one of the best without self-confessed film fanatics (like all of us, hur hur) jumping down their throats; in the same way that Partick Thistle is the discerning Glasgow visitor's team of choice.

I know what you mean, I don't know if I'd include it on my best films list. There's so many great films out there I just wouldn't know where to begin.

That's the main point really: people are obsessed with trying to rank films and create lists. It's hard to come up with any sort of objective list, but if we're saying it's possible, then justifying it needs to be done. A lot of people say Shawshank but don't really give any reason beyond that.

Yeah I know exactly what you mean, although to be fair sometimes it is hard to give reasons. I find it kind of works like that for me but in the opposite way, I'll think a film is really great but then the longer it's been since I've seen it, the more I doubt how good it really was. Like when I recommend it to someone I think "oh wait was it really as good as I thought?"
I had this with Blue Valentine, I thought it was awesome but then when I recommended it to one of my friends (who is also more of a typical guy into action films) I thought actually...he might find it boring. But after he'd finished he said it was amazing.
Also I find when I watch a film I haven't seen in ages and I think, oh yeah I forgot how good this was. And I feel a little bad for not giving it the credit it should have.

Do you get this at all?

It's usually possible to give at least some reason: even if it's only vague and quite generic.

Well, sometimes my opinion changes or a film isn't what I thought it was. There're some films I remember as really good that I re-watch and find aren't all that great, and there are some films I'll re-watch, having not liked them, only to realise that the film is actually decent.

Sometimes I do over-hype films on the basis of my memory, or undersell them.

Oh yeah of course. But, again, with the example of blue valentine I was saying "this is great you have to watch this" and he asked what it's about and I described the plot and of course it doesn't sound anything special.

Hmmm. yeah see I find I hype them then immediately undersell them and then hype it again but then go away doubting myself. I'm sure there's something to be said about this, but oh well!

I usually revert to generic terms if I really can't remember; but normally I just try and describe what elements of the plot/acting were really good, what made it stand out etc. Think it's all in the way you describe how the plot works, rather than just relating it.

Yeah. Although I think sometimes I don't want to give too much away, also if they're unconvinced by what you've said then their expectations are lowered and the film is immediately better than they thought.

Im pretty sure it was you who explained why it cost so much to me.

Slightly unrelated point, but I'll make it anyway: the Shawshank Redemption seems to make everyone's best films list. Now, it is an excellent film, as there's almost nothing not to like about it, so I don't begrudge it its status as one of the best films of all time. All that it does make me wonder, however, is if this overwhelming consensus is, at least on the part of some people, because it's an easy film to say "yeah, it's one of the best films ever" about. It's the sort of film that people who aren't all that interested in films can claim as one of the best without self-confessed film fanatics (like all of us, hur hur) jumping down their throats; in the same way that Partick Thistle is the discerning Glasgow visitor's team of choice.

I's just come back from a big get together with lots of nerdy friends where we were gaming and watching films for 4 days straight on a HUGE screen with amazing sound system - I've truly spoilt myself! We watched Iron Man II, Machete, Sunshine, Avatar, Inception, The Fifth Element, Paul, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Reservoir Dogs

You watched nine films in four days of solid film watching? Lightweights, tbh.

It wasn't solid, it was 2 or 3 a night after days of drinking, gaming, card games, etc