Originally Posted By Dabob2 <a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2006/12/20/premiere-gets-brave-knocks-20-classics-as-overrated" target="_blank">http://www.cinematical.com/200 6/12/20/premiere-gets-brave-knocks-20-classics-as-overrated</a> This has the link to the actual Premiere article also. Their top 20: 1. American Beauty 2. Chicago 3. Clerks. 4. Fantasia 5. Field of Dreams 6. Chariots of Fire 7. Good Will Hunting 8. Forrest Gump 9. Jules and Jim 10. A Beautiful Mind 11. Monster's Ball 12. Moonstruck 13. Mystic River 14. Nashville 15. The Wizard of Oz 16. An American in Paris 17. Easy Rider 18. The Red Shoes 19. 2001: A Space Odyssey 20. Gone with the Wind What's nice is that for every "this is overrated" review, they have a rebuttal. Naturally, I agree with the rebuttal to Fantasia, for instance (which points out just how groundbreaking it was), but some of these I agree with. And how Titanic missed this list, I have no idea. Anyway - good fodder for discussion. Discuss.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I am amazed that 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Citizen Kane' didn't make the list.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip ^^^ Oops... my bad. 'Gone with the Wind' was on the list in the #20 spot.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>6. Chariots of Fire<< Thank goodness. I was bored to tears by this thing when it first was released, and that boredom turned to anger when it beat Raiders of the Lost Ark for Best Picture that year. A bunch of guys running in slow motion on a beach to Vangellis music vs. the pulse-pounding action of Indy fighting Nazis and John Williams' unforgettable score? I mean, really.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss RT, GWTW is #20. I'd be curious to know what they, whoever they is, think is the most underrated films. FWIW, I've only seen seven of the 20. I don't watch many movies.
Originally Posted By threeundertwo I agree strongly with some on that list, and disagree strongly with others. Obviously, they didn't ask me.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 IMO, Fantasia and Nashville don't belong on the list at all (though I understand how they got there - both just rub some people the wrong way); others are mystifying choices because I know few people who would rate Clerks or Monsters Ball among the best films ever, so why even bother putting them on the list? Films I'd have put on there: Titanic, Braveheart, Unforgiven, Animal House (only because some TV station just called it best comedy ever - please), Vertigo.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I very much agree with some of those, haven't even heard of a few and disagree with just a couple (mainly Fantasia!) I too think Citizen Kane should have been on the list - it comes screaming to mind every time I hear the word "overrated".
Originally Posted By alexbook Here are five I'd put ahead of any of the ones on that list that I've seen: 1. The Shawshank Redemption 2. Casablanca 3. Goodfellas 4. It's a Wonderful Life 5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan 1. The Shawshank Redemption -- WHAT! 2. Casablanca -- HEY NOW..! 3. Goodfellas -- I'M WARNIN' YOU... 4. It's a Wonderful Life -- THAT DOES IT!!!! 5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- Okay, I haven't seen that one. Whew!
Originally Posted By gadzuux 1. Out of Africa 2. Passage to India 3. Ghandi 4. Lawrence of Arabia 5. The English Patient 6. Forrest Gump 7. Dances with Wolves 8. E.T. 9. Steel Magnolias 10. and of course, Titanic
Originally Posted By barboy Yep, "Out of Theater" was the most overrated ever. Of the hundreds of movies I went to see Out of Afica was the only one I ever walked out on.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Articles like this are the journalistic equivalent of kids who pull the wings off flies just to annoy their elders. Two films that have NO business here are The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. Oz is, simply, the greatest fantasy musical the Hollywood film industry ever produced. It was popular when it was released, popular through years and years of annual televsion airings, and still remains a benchmark for producers today. Gone With the Wind is the quintessence of the historical epic on film. Whether one likes the film or not, that cannot be taken away.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Field of Dreams? Well, at least I know I'm not missing anything by not reading or buying Premiere
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 <<Two films that have NO business here are The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. Oz is, simply, the greatest fantasy musical the Hollywood film industry ever produced. It was popular when it was released, popular through years and years of annual televsion airings, and still remains a benchmark for producers today.>> Whatever the artistic merits of "The Wizard of Oz", it was a resounding flop in theatrical release. It did not find its audience, and commercial success, until its television broadcast.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>I too think Citizen Kane should have been on the list - it comes screaming to mind every time I hear the word "overrated".<< I think a lot of people who see Kane without the context of its creation consider it overrated. And those who only see it once consider it overrated. But as I learned about the history and what Welles pioneered and created, and when I watched it a few more times, I was hooked. It is brilliant and it turned me into a Welles fan forever. I enjoy articles like this. The "Greatest Movies Ever" lists and articles become contests for what's number 1. But these spur conversation - one person's overrated film is another's ingenius piece of artwork. Of more recent films, the most overrated (IMO) were: Chicago Moulin Rouge Shakespeare in Love (Actually, let's just add every film Harvey Weinstein released in December as his Best Picture contender) Independence Day and Pearl Harbor (no one considered them great films but they are both so appallingly bad, so excrutiatingly painful, that their abysmal quality cannot be overstated). And sign me up 100% with Jules and Jim. I swear Truffaut was just trying to be weird for the sake of weird on that one. The 400 Blows is much better. Gone with the Wind is one of my favorites. Epic movie making at its finest.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I consider myself a movie buff ( I know - who cares -LOL) -- especially 30's and 40's movies....having taken movie history and movie genre classes with Roger Ebert in the early 70's when he was still teaching classes at the university of Illinois - Chicago.... and the one movie I have always felt was over rated was Gone with the Wind -- not #20 for me, but #1 -- not becuase it is the worst movie ( but it bores me to tears) - but because of the amount of hype it gets compared to the movie itself. I'd Place Titanic #2 - ( the movie ran longer than it took the Titanic to sink for cryin' out loud ) - Chariots of Fire #3 -- ( oh yeah, that theme song was lousy too ) Any list that adds Wizard of Oz to the overrated list -- is bird cage fodder...and Easy Rider - what are the people who put this together all 20 somethings ? If one was around and over 13 in 1969 - I am sorry but that movie mattered - love the movie content or hate it - it mattered, and cost pocket change to make.
Originally Posted By DlandJB Whatever the artistic merits of "The Wizard of Oz", it was a resounding flop in theatrical release. It did not find its audience, and commercial success, until its television broadcast.>>> Is commercial success the hallmark of a great film? Nah. Sometimes, like with Wizard of Oz it takes time. Also, we have to be careful in looking at films today with the advances that we now take for granted that very often some of these movies were very technically cuting edge for their time. Overrated IMO include: Titanic Dances with Wolves The English Patient Sideways Pulp Fiction
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA For me, it's Academy Award winning movies that amaze me. Many are overrated in my opinion. 'Ordinary People' beats 'Raging Bull' as Best Picture for 1980? Wow. Then again, 'Raging Bull' is a bit over-rated. 'Out of Africa' wins in 1985? I've never gotten through that movie it's so tedious. 'The English Patient' is another one -- saw it, and thought 'huh'? Then again, I think 'Jerry McGuire' is a great movie. In 1998, 'Shakespeare in Love' wins Best Picture over 'Saving Private Ryan'? You're kidding me.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>what are the people who put this together all 20 somethings ? If one was around and over 13 in 1969 - I am sorry but that movie mattered - love the movie content or hate it - it mattered, and cost pocket change to make.<< Excellent point. It seems like the people who made the list don't understand the context or historical contribution these films might make to either the art of filmmaking itself or the the culture. It's like when people get up in arms about Birth of a Nation. It's racist, misogynist, and has an appalling pro-KKK message. But it still ranks as the most radically innovative film ever made. Griffiths pioneered concepts that today we don't even think twice about - simultaneous storylines, flashbacks, etc.
