Underrated and overrated films (and other general filmy chat)

general topics
825

really I liked it a lot. sure it is an incoherent mess but it is a fun one with lots of great character actors.

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826

Humor changes mysteriously over time. I recently rewatched That Man From Rio, which is a Phillippe de Broca comedy action adventure outing starring Jean Paul Belmondo. Notable for its scenes in both Rio and in Brasilia (when it was mainly complete but still largely uninhabited), the movie seemed as remarkable to me as it did when I first saw it in the 70s (I was too young to see it when it was released in '64). After that I watched their followup movie, Up to His Ears, which came out to almost as much acclaim. I found it unfunny, boring, racist, and - other than the fantastic location shots - largely unwatchable.

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827

For a modern take on the spy spoof and one that skewers the sexism and racism of the time see the two recent OSS 117 movies with Jean Dujardin as the bumbling culturally insensitive clueless hero.

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828

LOL. I am becoming more convinced that the universe really does try to make sure that for every opinion, there is an equal and opposite opinion.

True, but still. The final “laugh” of the film was a slip-on-a-banana-peel gag. Was someone slipping on a banana peel really considered funny in 1963?

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829

it was still an incoherent mess but for me an enjoyable one.

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830

Sure, as by then it was intrinsically ironic.

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831

As well as potassiumic.

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832

See, that explains why I didn’t get it- I’m a Gen Xer, and we think we invented irony so it couldn’t have existed in 1963 :wink:

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833

Watched High Rise yesterday; I really liked it. I loved the look of it, and I think that Wheatley and Jump did a really good job of adapting the book. Hiddlestone was very good, as were the rest of a really strong cast.

Other good stuff I’ve watched recently: In The Mood For Love and Embrace of the Serpent.

Also The White Ribbon and A One and a Two, which I didn’t really get much out of, although I don’t think I gave them the attention they needed, and Steve Jobs, which I didn’t really see the point of.

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834

Love In the Mood for Love. The sequel 2046 is worthwhile too, if not quite as great.

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835

This will probably get me prodded, doxxed and shot, but I just saw Blazing Saddles for the first time and I really did not like it much. It wasn’t bad, as much as “eh? That’s it? Huh”. Based on everything I’ve heard, I was expecting to wet my pants but they remained very dry (that’s…probably for the best).

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836

I think as a spoof of the genre it’s masterful but it also hasn’t aged particularly well. I still love it, though - especially in the third act when everything goes completely off the rails. There’s far better Brooks films, though.

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837

We’re on to you, Donald Trump, Jr.

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838

I haven’t seen The 12 Chairs, but I’d count his good films as the following:

  • The Producers
  • Blazing Saddles
  • Young Frankenstein
  • The History of the World, Pt 1 (maybe)

Okay, I haven’t seen the following, either:

  • The 12 Chairs (previously mentioned)
  • Life Stinks
  • Robin Hood: Men in Tights
  • Dracula: Dead and Loving It
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839

Wat?! No Spaceballs?

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840

Ugh, no. Too little, too weak, too late. It in no way - beyond the name of the director - belongs in the same class as the first four on my list.

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841

Spaceballs is awful. The only decent Mel Brooks movies are:

  • The Producers
  • Blazing Saddles
  • Young Frankenstein
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842

I thought that one was really awful.

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843

I passed no judgement upon the quality of the movie, merely noted its absence.

Also missing: High Anxiety.

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844

I included only those that I have seen and think are good, and those I haven’t seen and so can’t properly categorize as awful or not good.

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