5 Classic Movies I Couldn’t Trick Myself Into Liking
Classic movies are classics for a reason. They’re widely recognized as important movies, movies of quality, movies that defined a moment in time. You can quibble about ranking, you can debate the way they stand up to the test of time, and you can argue about their overall quality, but it’s tough to deny that classic movies are important.
But when it comes to the experience of actually sitting down and watching a movie, things get a little more subjective. Where you watch something, when you watch, who you watch it with, what’s going on in your life when you watch it – all of these can have an effect on your viewing experience. And sometimes, a movie with great elements – plot, characters, acting – can, for whatever reason, simply not coalesce into a coherent whole.
When this happens, and the movie is one of those famous ones, a clear Top 100, a real classic, it’s usually better to never bring it up in conversation. Or, if it comes up, to just fake it. Trust me, you’ve never experienced Purgatory until you’ve had a 15-minute conversation with two moderately drunk film majors about why you’re an idiot because you didn’t get Repulsion.
Ok I thought we were best friends … you don’t like the Big Lebowski?! Really? This has started my day off on the wrong rug. I think what was best for me is that I really started to love all the nuances within the Big Lebowski and the clever ways that the Coens do a great job at telling a story that ultimately is nothing more than that. There’s no point to the Big Lebowski other than the Dude trying to get his rug back. The cast, writing and witty banter between Walter and the Dude are what bring me back time and time again. It’s considered a “cult classic” so it’s not for everyone and I recognize that. To each their own.
Jaws is an entirely different subject though … granted it does nothing for me now – but for the generation that received it in theater in all it’s glory, they will still say it was an awesome experience. I think the movie itself is ok now but it suffers from age more than anything. The same can be said for many movies of it’s time.
The word Philistine comes to mind
Wow you can’t trick yourself into liking the Big Labowski? I have no words.
“Donnie you’re out of your element!!” All jokes aside I agree with you on Full Metal Jacket. Lawrence of Arabia is an interesting one for me too. I know it’s sacrilege to some, but I wouldn’t be too mad if a great modern day director took a stab at a remake.
To me Once Upon A Time in the West is a near perfect western. This movie features almost an overdose of what Sergio Leone does best. Often imitated but never duplicated. Great list and points.
It kind of sounds like you tricked yourself into NOT liking these….
Still, I’ll support anyone brave enough to write an article just to piss people off.
I know. The premise of this one kind of got away from me. This really isn’t my best work, but it’s been a long week.
I mean he isn’t stating a fact. I could say that I didn’t liked LotR because I thought it was slow, it had too many characters, I’m not really into fantasy stories, and was disappointed with a final (direct) confrontation with the dark lord. Still I have no statements to make against it being a well made, ambitious movies, and the influence they have had, they just weren’t enjoyable to me. Still the Hobbit I could make a case of it seeming more fan servicy do to it undermining the title character to more secondary roles.
What’s weird to me is that people are mad at you about The Big Lebowski but not Lawrence of Arabia. TBL is mad quotable and an all-around great, sure, but LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.
Full Metal Jacket is (relatively) minor Kubrick, IMO. I really want to like it. I like what it’s trying to do. It just doesn’t quite get there for me.
And just to jump in on the angst here, Pulp Fiction is in the bottom half of Tarantino movies at this point.
I could never bring myself to like Forrest Gump. I don’t know what it was about that movie that made me dislike it so much.
Am I the only one around here who completely agrees with your list/opinion?