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ragingfluff 
"Currently lost in Canada"
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Chris C 
"Four words, never backwards."
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 Posted - 07/12/2007 : 18:52:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Diva
I loved this in the mid-80's, wanted to see it again last year, couldn't find it for rent, so had to buy new from Amazon USA. It's more than tripled in value since then, the cheapest 2nd-hand one for sale is US$70. I suppose that qualifies it for cult status. It generally got a lukewarm reception in France when it was released.
It's one of my all-time fave films.
I believe that The Shawshank Redemption bombed at the box office first time out. It does now fit Ragingfluff's requirement of "gaining in reputation over time". A lot of "Best Movie" lists have it somewhere near the top, and it has a FWFR rating of 4.7/5 - must be one of the highest scores on the site.
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 18:58:12
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| The Shank? Gotta love the Shank. |
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ragingfluff
"Currently lost in Canada"
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 19:13:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris C
quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Diva
I loved this in the mid-80's, wanted to see it again last year, couldn't find it for rent, so had to buy new from Amazon USA. It's more than tripled in value since then, the cheapest 2nd-hand one for sale is US$70. I suppose that qualifies it for cult status. It generally got a lukewarm reception in France when it was released.
It's one of my all-time fave films.
I believe that The Shawshank Redemption bombed at the box office first time out. It does now fit Ragingfluff's requirement of "gaining in reputation over time". A lot of "Best Movie" lists have it somewhere near the top, and it has a FWFR rating of 4.7/5 - must be one of the highest scores on the site.
I was going to mention The Shawshank Redemption in my original post but I was not sure how it first did at the box office. It got fantastic reviews whe it was released (it has a very high score at Rotten Tomatoes.com), but I didn't know if audiences liked it. I guess they didn't... great films sometimes take time to find an audience. Blade Runner had a very mixed response from critics and audiences, and lost out to E.T. in terms of science-fiction mojo at the box office that year...but it certainly grew in reputation.
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randall 
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 19:37:25
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| CITIZEN KANE. |
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 19:51:48
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and almost every other film Orson Welles ever directed.
Laughton's debut direction Night Of The Hunter was such a flop he never got to direct a film again! (Note he did a lot more directing, in the theatre, and was much respected for it.)
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 21:26:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
CITIZEN KANE.
It's actually the most OVERrated film of all time. It's probably the greatest cinematic achievement ever considering the era in which is was made, but to still call it "the greatest film ever made" is an exaggeration.
Of course, that's just my opinion. But A Touch of Evil is definitely underappreciated...or at least, it was. |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/12/2007 : 21:43:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
CITIZEN KANE.
It's actually the most OVERrated film of all time. It's probably the greatest cinematic achievement ever considering the era in which is was made, but to still call it "the greatest film ever made" is an exaggeration.
Duke Ellington: "Lady, if you don't know by now, you never will." |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 06:00:42
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| Touche! |
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Ali 
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 07:15:55
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The Shawshank Redemption did not bomb at the box office. It did not perform particularly well, but did not do that badly either. It was a mediocre success for what it was. It made, however, shit loads of cash in rentals, and was extremely popular with home audiences.
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Ali
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 07:17:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
CITIZEN KANE.
It's actually the most OVERrated film of all time. It's probably the greatest cinematic achievement ever considering the era in which is was made, but to still call it "the greatest film ever made" is an exaggeration.
You are wrong.
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Sean
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 07:44:52
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Shawshank is one of those unusual films that nobody could be disappointed with. It's No. 2 on the IMDb Top 250 list. The breakdown of the voting shows how widespread the appeal is:-
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/ratings
It didn't immediately jump out as "2nd best movie ever made" upon release as there was nothing unique about it's premise. At face value it's "just another prison movie" or "just another wrongfully-accused man gets his own back" movie. But what a perfect example of those genres it is. It's perfect. I challenge anyone to point out flaws or any aspect of it that could be improved. And there's nothing in it that could alienate anyone; no stereotyping, no excessive violence, no politics, no preaching, no boredom etc.
A quick perusal at the top of the IMDb 250 shows some pretty controversial movies that some will rate poorly, e.g.:-
Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas = too violent
Schindlers List = too real and painful
LOTR, Star Wars = fantasy, doesn't suit everyone
Dr Strangelove, Citizen Kane = political
whereas Shawshank and Casablanca stand out as wide-appeal family dramas that didn't change the world but everyone who sees them is going to thoroughly enjoy and rate highly. |
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Sean
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 07:47:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Ali
quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
CITIZEN KANE.
It's actually the most OVERrated film of all time. It's probably the greatest cinematic achievement ever considering the era in which is was made, but to still call it "the greatest film ever made" is an exaggeration.
You are wrong.
DT made three statements. I'm curious which one you disagree with. Any reason for not saying? 
Wrong thread for this discussion though. |
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Ali
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 08:47:51
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He's wrong that Kane is the most overrated film of all time, but, more egregiously, he's also wrong that to still call (Kane) "the greatest film ever made" is an exaggeration.
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Whippersnapper.
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 07/13/2007 : 08:51:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Shawshank is one of those unusual films that nobody could be disappointed with. It's No. 2 on the IMDb Top 250 list. The breakdown of the voting shows how widespread the appeal is:-
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/ratings
It didn't immediately jump out as "2nd best movie ever made" upon release as there was nothing unique about it's premise. At face value it's "just another prison movie" or "just another wrongfully-accused man gets his own back" movie. But what a perfect example of those genres it is. It's perfect. I challenge anyone to point out flaws or any aspect of it that could be improved. And there's nothing in it that could alienate anyone; no stereotyping, no excessive violence, no politics, no preaching, no boredom etc.
No stereotyping ???? Not the corrupt warden, the sadistic guard, the loveable old institutionalised prisoner who cannot cope on the outside, the mindlessly violent gay prisoners, the wrongly convicted hero, the wise insider?????
And the plot: prisoner who must inevitably escape and end up on an idyllic beach, warden must inevitably be exposed, guard who must inevitably get punished... And one prisoner gets kept in the same cell for umpteen years and somehow unnoticed by others makes a huge hole in the wall which just happens - unlike almost all other walls where there is known space on the other side - to lead into a labarynthine area of secret passages - just what prison designers put into their design plans! - which leads to the sewers, which lead to the outside. Yeah sure, really plausible.
The Shawshank Redemption is so predictable, corny and challenges absolutely no standard Hollywood values, including everything ending happily ever after. Entertaining yes, well made yes, well acted yes, but an entirely ersatz view of the world. If there is a shred of honesty in the film it was an accident.
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Underrated Films? Give Them a Second Chance?
