Top 5 Most Overrated Movies

Writing a blog is really just stringing several entertaining sentences together. It isn't something one needs a degree for. It isn't complicated. So, maybe I am not qualified to judge the artistic endeavors of Hollywood, but must we let them treat us like lemmings? "Lemmings", you may be saying to yourself, is harsh, but it is truth. Disagree? Then why did every female ages nine to dead feel the need to jump on the "Twilight" bandwagon? It is sensationalized, over dramatic, pretentious rubbish. Why is it that ninety percent of the human race thinks that "Ironman" was Robert Downey Jr.'s best work? It was sub-par at best. The narrow view that humanity has when it comes to the wonders popular culture has to offer is disturbing, for a narrow view is just a shallow view standing up. It hurts me to see the miraculous work of understated artists passed up for the emotional farce of movies like "Crash". For such atrocities, I harbor a pure disgust which has lead to this, "Top 5 Most Overrated Movies".

Before I get started, let me clarify what makes a movie overrated. In order for a movie to be overrated it must (in conjunction with being well liked) have won several big awards such as Oscars or Golden Globes, done very well in the festivals circuit, have a major cult following, be in "1001 Movies To See Before You Die", or be on other respectable lists of great movies. If it doesn't meet one or more of these standards then it isn't overrated, it is just bad. I understand that I may be sacrificing some sacred cows here, but there are movies I love that I am sure others hate. So, let's call it even.

5- "Saw II-VI" 2005-2009:

What would happen if the masses didn't realize they were being fed a "B" movie plot line with "C" movie acting? The answer: "Saw". The first "Saw" was actually really great. Very original with a plot line that wasn't overpowered by the "shock factor". It was intelligent, but mainstream and entertaining enough to have a following, which is a sweet money making combination, and I can appreciate that. Fast forward to "Saw II". Sometimes I wonder if Leigh Whannell, the writer of "Saw", is completely disgusted with the lack of respect his creative property has been treated with since the original, or if he is the puppet master. Does he pull the strings and ensure that each year his new ways for people to be tortured are displayed on the silver screen? There is no substance there. It is just creative ways to kill human beings, our own species. Consider this; if they made the same movie, but used puppies instead of people, the whole world would be outraged. Pay attention to the next "Saw" (and trust me, there will be a next "Saw"). It is just one shocking image after another to cover up the poor plot they have run so thin.

4- "Clerks" 1994:

Color me crazy, but I don't think that two hours of minimum wage employees talking about genitals and how hard their lives are constitutes as great art. It isn't even entertainment. It's silly and juvenile. The style was innovative, but what is the use of innovation without the talent necessary to properly execute it? Again, let's look past the shock factor and see the refuse we are being fed for what it is.

3- "Casablanca" 1942:

Thats right, I said it. "Casablanca" is OVERRATED. This may be the most sacred of all the greatly loved films that I am going to sully in this, my eighth, blog. I don't even feel the least bit bad about it. If "Casablanca" lovers do not want this film to continue to appear on "Overrated" lists all over the world, then stop talking about it as if it were cinematic gold. To many it is considered the greatest film not only of its time, but of all time. Therefore, when people see it their expectations are set unreasonably high. If the film doesn't do it for them, the disappointment is misconstrued with dislike making the movie feel much worse than it actually was. The result of this is an alienated audience. If critics and individuals would simply say, "It was good," or "I enjoyed it greatly," then all would be well in the world of the movie buffs. Those who love it wouldn't have to hear it spat upon, and those who didn't love it could simply appreciate it for what it is.

2- " Titanic" 1997:

When I was in the fourth grade, I begged my mother for months to let me see this movie. All of the cool girls had seen it, and I being, um, less than cool thought that seeing it would bump up my popularity status at least a degree. Finally, when I was a senior in high school I said, "Mothers be damned! I am watching this movie". And I did. Imagine my disappointment. "That was it?!" That was the dross on which my adolescent resentment had been growing like mold on bread? A silly, unrealistic love story? I am okay with unrealistic love stories now and then, but not when I am supposed to believe it really happened. It is insulting. I am too much of a realist to believe that Rose (Kate Winslet) held on to a couple of days of romance with a man she hardly knew for the rest of her life. It's silly fodder and I am having none of it.

1- "Forrest Gump"1994:

I can appreciate the "cutesy" parts of it. I can even understand the entertainment factor. I even like Tom Hanks for the most part. But there are two things I just don't get; A. What is this sick obsession with the baby boomer era? It was a great time, but "Forrest Gump" over-idealized it to a degree I have never seen before; B. Why did it have to drag on and on? Why, why, why was it so so long? The characters were all fully developed after the first five minutes, so there is no excuse there. It was as if they were trying to say, "Watch me! I am long and I have something important to say. I will take my time saying it so you know just how important I am". The combination of the self praise and unbearable length made it hard to relate to.

"Forrest Gump" felt as if someone were trying to hide depth in a shallow pool by darkening the waters. There was nothing there. What I am trying to say is that I get it. In fact, I see it so clearly I could have done this movie in 2o minutes or less. It would go like this; Sitting on a bench, life is like a box of chocolates, braces on your legs, meet Jenny, go together like peas and carrots, war, think about Jenny, war hero, Bubba-Gump shrimp, Captain Dan, think about Jenny, a series of unintentional run-ins or creations of pop culture icons, Jenny does bad things, you and Jenny get it on, AIDS, a kid, Jenny dies. The end. Roll Credits. Applause. Thank you! I'll be here all week.

An Article By My Good Friend Joe Firmage!

A good friend of mine wrote this and it is really good! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

p.s. Coming soon, "Top 5 Most Overrated Movies"



A Movie Report

The parentheses represent the number of times I’ve seen the film. The plus and minus has to do with the film affecting me positively or negatively; either way, it says something positive about the filmmaking if there is a plus or minus, since that represents the power of the filmmaker to affect this audience. The end grade is a combination of elements such as: would I recommend it; would I watch it again; the affect it had on me, does it stand up on subsequent viewings; did I like it; was the directing clear, convincing, affecting, true; was the screenplay well written and effective; was the casting appropriate; how was the acting; did this film contribute significantly to the canon; how was the entertainment value; did the film pull me into the world of the story (a lot of times this has to do with the audience and environment I watched the film with—were they talkative, was the contrast on the screen off, etc)


Movies I have seen Rating Year I saw it
1. Goodbye, Mr. Chips A 2010
Just watched it last night and I am in love with the good. I can’t help comparing this to the impressionable “Dead Poet’s Society.” And although Poet’s deals with a closer look at the children, the subject matter is essentially taken directly from Mr. Chips. And Mr. Chips would win in every conceivable war of the good between the two. However, Mr. Chips would never allow such a war, would watch Dead Poet’s with quiet candor, and go on improving the world one child at a time.

2. The Fantastic Mr. Fox A+ 2010
One of the best films I have ever seen. Immensely watchable, clever to the teeth, and truly one of the most original stop action movies I have seen. I am in love with Wes Anderson and crew once again.
But perhaps I am overreacting. Anderson has long been on of my favorite directors. So to say that this is one of the best films I have ever seen has so much more to do with taste than with technicality. But even so the statement still remains true. I do love this film more than most I have seen and already know that it is rated very high on my favorite movie list.
Ps. I didn’t leave my theater seat until they kicked me out, or until the theater girl patiently waited for me to leave my seat so she could sweep underneath my chair.

3. Where the Wild Things Are (2) A+ 2009
This movie is brilliant. It hit me on a more emotional level than anything else, but it is indeed brilliant.
There will be more notes on this movie to come. I will write a paper on the brilliance of this movie once I have it in my paw and clutches. Brilliant!

4. Giant A+ 2010
What can I say about Giant? It is a giant appreciation I give to this film for captivating me for such a long time and then compelling me to think about this film long after its viewing. Giant is a luscious film with themes like the landscape, subtle yet looming, almost invisible yet ever present, never ending and never beginning, just there, embedded deep within each character, essential and justified by the sheer velocity and scope of their existence.
If I could go back in time and choose a role to play I would pick the isolation, loneliness, sorrow, pity, arrested development, madness, and misdirection of Jet eight times out of ten. The other two times I would be the one holding Elizabeth Taylor and messing up the kissing scenes just to do a few more takes.
My new favorite Western Epic. However, about the epic, I like what Stephen Farber said, “Masquerading as a Hollywood epic, Giant is intimate and low-key rather than melodramatic, an uncommonly realistic look at a troubled marriage and a conflicted family…”

5. The Wild Bunch F 2010
The Wild Bunch is morally deplorable. Although it has remarkable symbolism, imagery, actors, and a spectacular opening, it is an amoral film about amorality. If I have to comment on rape by showing a rape, then I am at best a contributor to the disease.
I would praise this movie for some of its merits but I will save that for the critics. I will say this, Nabokov’s Lolita was once described by an Elle magazine reviewer as, and I paraphrase: “The only convincing love story ever written.” This is rubbish. It is a story about a pedophile who manipulates the unfortunate girl’s mother’s demise, and kidnaps and forces himself upon a 12 year old girl.
We have enough Lolita stories to go around, not enough China Towns, and a result is a filmmaker who has spent a long while in peril with an iron clad future .

6. Marty A 2009
I love Marty for this more than anything else: honesty, integrity, and a Hollywood film willing to take its makeup off to look at itself through the mirror of the honest lives of ordinary people. Marty is endearing and acted finer, funnier, and more bitter-sweet than a lot of films of loneliness and love are capable of.
And if you ask Nate, we couldn’t have viewed it at a more appropriate moment. If only there was a car wreck.

7. Inglorious Basterds F- 2009
Inglorious Basterds is another deplorable film. This is art commenting on art. It is ultraviolent and finds bliss in its own masturbation. Some of the scenes are spectacular and some of the subplots are wonderful in parts. Of course it is a smart film, more of a cinephile’s film, than a traditional war film, which is what I thought Tarantino would be going for in my naïveté. And we fall in love with a few of the characters but in the end I could never recommend this film to anyone.
I am reminded of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, which at one time in my life I was very fond of. McDowell’s character goes through radical shifts; imposed upon him by outside forces. Where once he craved and sought out “ultra-violence” (the 1st time I heard the term) he could no longer stand even the sight of the temptation of it.
I believe in radical shifts.

8. Angels and Demons D 2010
At times I am with company and they suggest a film I would not normally see. I concede saying something to the effect of, “Yeah, you can bring it over. It’s a sick movie.” A sick movie is a movie I welcome anytime I am too sick to want to think heavily or even mildly. I thought Angels and Demons was one of those movies.
I would now avoid this film no matter the pandemic.
Tom Hanks, please do other things with your time. And thank you, thank you Audrey Tatou for not taking this project any further. I can still have giant crushes on you. And Ron Howard, keep making proficient movies about proficient people. You will be welcome on most sick days.

9. Look Both Ways (2) A+ 2009
This is a small Australian film about people, death, relationships, forgiveness, and the ability to come together and change for the better of the whole. I was deeply touched by the sincerity and effectiveness of the film. One of the first things I was conscious of was the screenplay. Usually this is a bad thing. When one element of the film draws attention to itself over the other elements it usually screams, Drama queen! It’s like inviting Kanye West to an awards show.
But this screenplay doesn’t scream but allows the audience to know as much information with as much economy and congruence as I have seen in most films. From the start the needed information is displayed so naturally that I just am enveloped in the charm of this film.
I have never seen a film like this, and yet it is not Brazil. Watching it was akin to watching, perhaps, JuneBug. Everything is genuine and found in your neighborhood and city. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about the film when it was over and watched it immediately again, and then watched the special features, and yes, I think I am still thinking about it.



Josef Firmage
(Jan. 2010)

Top 5 Movies of 2009

The Vikings were great. They were not "good" but they did have an air of greatness. I would love a Viking's burial. I guess it's not so much a burial as a ship burning. Nonetheless, I would love one. The serenity of having my ashes mixed with the algae and coral, and if I am lucky some might make it to the aquifer. I may even be reincarnated as the dolphin, defender of aquatic justice, I would be respected among all sea creatures. Though, I always thought I would make a better villain so maybe the evil sponge would suit me. I could be the master of absorption, I am sure my tyranny of aqua retention would be widely revered. I would be a greedy sponge and the people would fear me.

You may be asking yourself what this has to do with film. The reason I bring up the mighty Viking is I have been spending a lot of time this week thinking about greatness and what makes a great film. Is a good movie a great script and amazing story line, or is it a great cast with great cinematography? Philosophical conundrum; ideas vs. execution. How I decided was I looked at my long list of films as if I were an artist. Artists do not look at their art and ask, "Is it moral? Is it accurate? Is it clean? Is it nice? Is it me? Is it you? Am I crazy? Will they like it?", and so on and so forth. They only ask, "Is it good", and if it is good, they show the world. So I asked myself, "Is it good", and here is what I came up with for "Top 5 Movies Of 2009" in no particular order.

An Education- Short synopsis: Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is a smart, mature, sixteen year old girl who attends an all girl private school. Her strict father (Alfred Molina), keeps a close watch on her to ensure that each of her activities will keep her on the path to Oxford. One afternoon, standing in the rain after her cello practice, she is approached by David (Peter Sarsgaard), a nice looking thirty-something man driving a sports car. He offers her a ride home, claiming to be a music lover who doesn't want her cello to get wet. A romantic relationship ensues in which David exposes her to good music, good food and fun. The young girl is not completely naive, but she is taken in by the exciting life-style David offers. The film's tag line "A girl beyond her years and a man beyond his boundaries" is the perfect summary.

What I loved about this film was the unique balance they found between the characters. David (Sarsgaard) isn't completely despicable. His relationship with Jenny, while inappropriate, was based on love. David is definitely not a great man but he isn't the usual sexual deviant that one would expect in this genre of film. He is charming. He is kind. He is a good, decent, working man, even if his work is slightly less than honorable. Jenny is not unbelievably naive. Granted she puts herself in a position of vulnerability but her arguments for her actions are very convincing. She is an intelligent, well spoken girl and it is felt through out the entire movie that she is not being manipulated but trying to find herself in a world where she has always been controlled.

In order for a film to be considered great there is one standard it must meet. It must cause a swell of unexplainable emotion. I want to feel despair, desire, joy, rage, pride, anger, anything even if it is without reason, it has to be there. "An Education" did that for me. There were so many scenes that weren't particularly emotional but there was a feeling of substance there. It were as if I was a witness to the beauty of humanity, despite our imperfections. This film encompassed the full spectrum of human emotion in a beautifully composed and effortless manner.

Brother- Short Synopsis: Grace Cahill (Natalie Portman) and Cpt. Sam Cahill (Tobey McGuire) have a loving marriage and two young daughters. Sam, a career marine, is sent back to Iraq. After his helicopter crashes he is assumed dead. Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), Sam's brother, is the black sheep of the family. Just out of prison he keeps finding trouble. After the death of his brother he steps in to help out his sister-in-law and nieces. After several months Sam is rescued from a make shift POW camp in Iraq where he has endured unimaginable torture. After returning home he becomes paranoid and violent. Jealous of his brothers new relationship with his family Sam slowly looses grip on reality.

"Brothers" is the most well acted film of the year. Each character brought an important element to the movie. Natalie Portman is currently one of the most under-rated actresses working today. She really is exceptional. When I watch her I never think, "There is Natalie Portman acting well." When I watch her act I forget who I am watching. I am completely engrossed in her character. She is heart breakingly believable in "Brothers". It is the small stillness between her movement and dialogue that make her so real. She keeps constant tension and it is beautiful. In 2o years Natalie Portman will be the next Meryl Streep, which is just about the greatest compliment I could give someone.

Jake Gyllenhaal is always pretty good so I don't have a ton to say about him besides he is pleasing to look at. Toby McGuire on the other hand was a big surprise to me. Normally I find him whiny and frail however he completely changed my mind in this film. He started so kind and loving then turned terrifying so quickly. He commanded attention every moment he was on screen. Which is what I found so impressive, he commanded attention where other would have to beg. I expect this to be a whole new beginning Toby McGuire.

"Brothers" was as well constructed and realistic and it was acted. I didn't feel as though I was being alienated but an unrealistic love affair. The characters were not disconnected from reality but living a human life. "Brothers" was just a story of a family and that story had no ulterior motives. I so was impressed by the dignity with which this movie conducted itself. It felt like a voice in the dark, like a whisper in a crowd. Despite the intensity of its surroundings this voice was determined to be heard.

Coraline- Short Synopsis: In this animated film, Coraline (voice by Dakota Fanning) moves to an old house in the country with her parents. Her adventurous spirit lands her in a world strangely similar to her real life. At first her "other" life, "other" parents, and "other" friends seem quixotic but she soon discovers a malevolent plot against her. She must choose between her seemingly perfect new life and her real life with the people who love her.

Animation is not my thing. I have very few animated movies that I have enjoyed as an adult but "Coraline" took the standard to a whole new level. I am not a qualified judge of how well the animation itself was done but I can say it was captivating to watch. Coraline's real world was life-like and her dream world was dream-like. Though it wasn't exactly a "children's movie" it felt like childhood. It was what all children want but with a lesson in the end that most children don't have to luxury of comprehending until adulthood. This film needs to be watched in order to fully understand its depth.

Inglorious Basterds- Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and several other Jewish Americans are dropped into Nazi Occupied France during World War II. There mission is to kill Nazis. Not as soldiers, but dressed as civilians they find Nazi troops and exterminate them. This story combines with the story of Shosanna Dreyfus's (Melanie Laurent) mission for revenge after the murder of her entire family by Nazis to create a completely inaccurate "historical" action film.

Did anyone not see this coming? I am an unabashed Quenton Tarantino fan. I think he someone who would have been an genius no matter what field he chose to go in to, but luckily for humanity, he chose the film industry. This film was old school Tarantino all the way. The cinematography was gritty and dirty but completely flawless. The dialogue was realistic and witty. The cast was superb. The Nazi killing was... satisfying to say the least. I have nothing negative to say about "The Basterds"

I remember the first preview I saw for this movie, it seems like years before the movie came out. Its the concept of that damn proverbial watch pot and its unwillingness to boil. I waited and waited for it. Opening night I was first in line. After all of the build up there was zero disappointment. I enjoyed every second of it, then I saw it again and enjoyed it more than the first time. But that's Quenton, his movies get better with every viewing. Pure genius.

I could go on and on about each scene in this film but I wont bore with the detail because if you have seen it you know what I am talking about and if you haven't I wont ruin it for you. I do, however, want to comment on one scene. The opening scene where Col. Hans Landa, aka "The Jew Hunter" (Christopher Waltz) is interrogating Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet) about a Jewish family who he believes is being hidden in a local farm. Every moment from the time Landa enters his home to the time he exits my heart was racing. I knew something bad was going to happen but I didn't know when. The tension was so well constructed that even though there was very little happening I was not bored. Denis Menochet was absolutely fabulous in his Oscar-Worthy performance as the the most despicable man on the planet.

500 Days of Summer- Short Synopsis: Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a true believer in love, works for a greeting card company. His day to day life leaves him restless. He dreams of being and architect and falling in love. Upon meeting Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), his bosses new assistant he is instantly taken with her. After a drunken night of Karaoke their relationship become less than platonic. They date for several months but as the relationship progress the differences in their feelings for each become more obvious. Summer's discontentment with the relationship becomes apparent during breakfast one morning where she tells Tom she doesn't want to see him anymore. Tom is heart broken but determined to win her back. What follows is a story about love, though it is not a love story.

The honesty of this romantic flick was disarming. It exquisitely exhibited the inexplicable 'x' factor in attraction. The 'x' factor is absurd. There is no reasoning it in or explaining it out. In "500 Days Of Summer" there was, somehow, an understanding of the mysterious. Director Marc Webb captured that, he captured the enigmatic ambiance of love and he did it in a way that did not antagonize his viewers. The non-chronological format makes being a part of each moment simple. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story had truth, beauty, honesty and above all it had love.

Truth, beauty, honesty, blah blah blah, its all true but the prize element of "500 Days" was the superlative sound track. From Wolfmother to Simon and Garfunkle and Carla Bruni to Temper Trap it smoked all other sound tracks this year and rapidly forced its way up my list of all time favorites to settle into the the respectable position of number two directly underneath the "Harold and Maude" sound track. It even had two of my favorite Smith's songs and a cover of "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" by Zooey Deschanel herself. The rise and fall of lyrics and melody can be a great ally to films in the romantic genre. The whole film was marvelous but the sound track was sublime.

To finish us off lets look at 2009 movies as a whole. When I started this "Top 5" I had a list of thirty films. It seemed like a lot until I really started to think about how many movies were actually released this year, I don't know the exact number but my guess is hundreds. Maybe this is just me being critical of other people's lack of artistic ambition but why were there more greedy, money grubbing publicity whores releasing movies than artists this year. To the produces of the world I say; by all means, make money in your profession but please, please, do it with dignity. I feel, however that 2010 will be a great year. Lets all pray for more Daniel Day-Lewis, more Meryl Streep, more Quentin Tarintino and peace on earth.