Well as much as I enjoyed Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining - I didn't find the film particularly scary so I'd say on a 'scary' rating it is very overrated.
Voted for 'Blair Witch', saw it at the cinema when it was originally released & thought it was pretty dull...I actually thought the sequel represented an improvement:o...
What the creators of CitW are doing surely couldn't be more obvious.
Then it should be lauded, not criticised.
And sadly, the many people I've spoken to in the REAL world (the one where everyone doesn't have genius-level IQs) very few people realised what the movie was doing. I mostly get: "it was rubbish, it had the same old characters and it wasn't at all scary".
*arched eyebrow* I never said I expected it to be a horror film nor did I say it was a 'crap horror movie'. I did see what the creators were trying to do, and it bored me. I've seen that kind of attempt before, especially in short films and graduate films. Wheldon and Goddard weren't the first to try turning a genre inside out and they won't be the last. In fact, it's a favourite with many directors and writers since the 1940s, especially Tarantino. Hence, my tongue-in-cheek mention of the Tarantinoseque bingo card.
Thanks for amusing me with your implication that I'm a brain-dead film goer, though.
Hahaha. OY. I've never insulted anyone on here and I'm not going to start now! I'm the nice one, remember. Bwa haa haaa!!!
What other movies have done this? I'd love to know.
And I'd love to know why Cabin bored you. To be honest, I didn't think the actual movie was great, especially after it had been bigged up so much, but on subsequent watchings I find it extremely watchable, just for all the meta content!
And sadly, the many people I've spoken to in the REAL world (the one where everyone doesn't have genius-level IQs) very few people realised what the movie was doing. I mostly get: "it was rubbish, it had the same old characters and it wasn't at all scary".
Even if some people don't 'get it' as you claim, it's the BIB that's still the most important factor by far. Or is 'getting it' somehow instrumental in finding it scary?
Perhaps, like me, they'd prefer a more effective, straightforward horror film over this weak, faux-smartypants guff.
I would like to ask the few people who consider that Psycho is 'overrated', what is it that makes them think that.
When first released, it had many bad reviews, one said it was a blot on Hitchcock's career, one said it was just a gimmick film and another that it was a cheap TV show padded out. That was in the US, in Britain it was universally panned.
Of course it made a lot of money because the public paid to see it in large numbers. But you can not under rate or over rate the cash made, the money is just a number of an amount. So if you think that being a blot on his career, being just a gimmick and a cheap TV show padded out, is overrating it, what do you think of it?
OK I realise that you are just trolling and I am just falling for it, but in the hope that you decide to have a go, how is it overrated and who by?
Ask them. It's not a secret poll. Just click on the number of people that have voted.
Well as much as I enjoyed Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining - I didn't find the film particularly scary so I'd say on a 'scary' rating it is very overrated.
I first watched that with friends in the late 80s. I was about 13 or so. It seemed more like a comedy with Nicholson gradually going mental. It should have been scary but was more amusing than anything. The biggest flaw? His wife and kid were annoying. So we were actually cheering for their demise. It's hard to be scared during a film when you're on the side of the villain.
The Blair Witch Project.
After all the hype I was looking forward to watch it and boy was I disappointed.
Watching some actors running around in the woods saying "Ooh, I'm scared" and shining torches up at their face did absolutely nothing for me.
This is only my opinion and no doubt many will disagree, but here are mine:
The Blair Witch Project (you've seen it once, you don't benefit from a second viewing)
The Exorcist (I was 16 when the ban was finally lifted but by that time I had heard/read about the film's thin plot so it was no surprise or shock to me when I did see it. I think that The Omen is far better film)
The Howling (Boring)
I would also say that The Birds is also overrated. I can't remember what other films I could think off when I ticked something else.
I consider The Shining and Psycho to be more psychological thrillers than horror because there isn't much blood in them and they rely on tension & psychopaths. The first Saw film has also been regarded as more of a psychological thriller than the sequals but there is still a little bit of blood within the film.
Damn! I overlooked Paranormal Activity, otherwise I'd have included that bag of balls. Can't agree with The Blair Witch Project being #1 though, it stills holds up as a
I'd also add:
Last House on the Left
The Hills Have Eyes
Dawn of the Dead
Hostel & Paranormal Activity (franchises) get my vote! 😊 ... Hostel because of its lame attempts to shock & Activity cause I've seen episodes of Coronation St more scary! 💩
Actually I will make the same comment on Blair Witch as I did about Psycho. How was it 'overrated'? Critics disliked it and all the press said it was no good and most people disliked it. But quite a few thought it OK and made it profitable.
Surely for a film to be called 'overrated' it must have been generally said to be at least very good by quite a large proportion of commentators. Blair Witch was a cheapo mundo film where almost all of the money was spent on altering the sound track in the studio when a few original showings demonstrated that enough people liked it to think about a limited release even though it was not made for showing in normal cinemas.
As for Saw, I watched it on TV, at least part of it, and thought it junk but not at all overrated because hardly anyone liked it.
"Don't Look Now" is considered a classic piece of cinema, but it's just plain awful.
I don't get the Blair Witch hate. It is one of only three films that have ever scared me (the original Evil Dead and John Carpenter's The Thing being the other two) and it has been undeniably influential.
I'd like to add the Babbadook to this list please. It's being treated as if it were the flippin' Second Coming of horror, when in fact it was a rather boring little film with an annoying main character.
Comments
Little do we see films with such intense atmosphere as that. Truly a classic.
The Shinging is most overrated - it is as highly strungs as Jack Nickolas's acting.
Then it should be lauded, not criticised.
And sadly, the many people I've spoken to in the REAL world (the one where everyone doesn't have genius-level IQs) very few people realised what the movie was doing. I mostly get: "it was rubbish, it had the same old characters and it wasn't at all scary".
Hahaha. OY. I've never insulted anyone on here and I'm not going to start now! I'm the nice one, remember. Bwa haa haaa!!!
What other movies have done this? I'd love to know.
And I'd love to know why Cabin bored you. To be honest, I didn't think the actual movie was great, especially after it had been bigged up so much, but on subsequent watchings I find it extremely watchable, just for all the meta content!
Perhaps, like me, they'd prefer a more effective, straightforward horror film over this weak, faux-smartypants guff.
Ask them. It's not a secret poll. Just click on the number of people that have voted.
I first watched that with friends in the late 80s. I was about 13 or so. It seemed more like a comedy with Nicholson gradually going mental. It should have been scary but was more amusing than anything. The biggest flaw? His wife and kid were annoying. So we were actually cheering for their demise. It's hard to be scared during a film when you're on the side of the villain.
After all the hype I was looking forward to watch it and boy was I disappointed.
Watching some actors running around in the woods saying "Ooh, I'm scared" and shining torches up at their face did absolutely nothing for me.
The Blair Witch Project (you've seen it once, you don't benefit from a second viewing)
The Exorcist (I was 16 when the ban was finally lifted but by that time I had heard/read about the film's thin plot so it was no surprise or shock to me when I did see it. I think that The Omen is far better film)
The Howling (Boring)
I would also say that The Birds is also overrated. I can't remember what other films I could think off when I ticked something else.
I consider The Shining and Psycho to be more psychological thrillers than horror because there isn't much blood in them and they rely on tension & psychopaths. The first Saw film has also been regarded as more of a psychological thriller than the sequals but there is still a little bit of blood within the film.
The first one of this series has everything that makes a horror film great.
I'd also add:
Last House on the Left
The Hills Have Eyes
Dawn of the Dead
Rubbish film, not in the slightest bit scary.
Surely for a film to be called 'overrated' it must have been generally said to be at least very good by quite a large proportion of commentators. Blair Witch was a cheapo mundo film where almost all of the money was spent on altering the sound track in the studio when a few original showings demonstrated that enough people liked it to think about a limited release even though it was not made for showing in normal cinemas.
As for Saw, I watched it on TV, at least part of it, and thought it junk but not at all overrated because hardly anyone liked it.
"Don't Look Now" is considered a classic piece of cinema, but it's just plain awful.
I don't get the Blair Witch hate. It is one of only three films that have ever scared me (the original Evil Dead and John Carpenter's The Thing being the other two) and it has been undeniably influential.
People who enjoy watching films like Hostel are in need of urgent psychiatric help.
i've never watched it, just the odd bit of clip....rubbish shaky film me thinks
where is the horror thread gone ? been searching for ages
i have a whole new list of horrors i gonna buy
Apart from Kermode, and a few other critics, I don't know anyone who likes it. Shame cos it starts off well.