I'm skipping this one—changing the channel!

goldenhound32 said:Where exactly did I say that? Could I get a quote, please?

Here is my own rating for a few films that sit below a 7:
Spun (8), Pret-a-Porter (9), Aria (7), In Turn (10), May (8), Ararat (8), A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (8), Darkman (8), À ma soeur! (7), 2:37 (7), Night's Sex Comedy (7).

You didn't state it explicitly, though your immediate skepticism suggests you feel compelled to verify their quality online. As for why the source matters—it really shouldn't. One should simply surrender to the film and leave it at that. 🤷

Mark Wood79 said:I haven't seen anyone else say that yet, but honestly, if they did—kudos to them for coming up with the absolute stupidity of the decade.

On IMDb, it’s technically possible for twenty-five guys from a local gym to get together and give Rambo 10 a perfect score. If they did that, you could basically math your way into making even a total piece of junk look like a solid 7 or 8 out of 10.
I’ve never really put much stock in IMDb ratings. To me, the site is mostly just a handy online guide if you can't quite remember what year a movie came out or something along those lines.

Honestly, letting other people dictate how you should feel or think is just sad. If we actually started digging into this, we’d end up deep in the territory of Plato, debating the whole gap between what we see and what we actually know to be true.

It wasn't anyone in particular; I was simply exaggerating a certain statement.

I have never placed much value on IMDb ratings. To me, the site serves as a useful online directory if you happen to forget which year a specific film was released, but that is about its utility.

Precisely; it functions as an excellent guide, yet it remains entirely unreliable as a metric for actual taste.

hiddenhound3 said:You didn't state it explicitly, though your immediate skepticism suggests you feel compelled to verify their quality online. As for why the source matters—it really shouldn't. One should simply surrender to the film and leave it at that. 🤷

You claim I watch a lot of garbage, yet I barely watch anything at all. I prefer my own way of doing things. 😉

By the way, right from the start, everyone seems just as questionable to me as Columbus. 😁

goldenhound32 said:You claim I watch a lot of garbage, yet I barely watch anything at all. I prefer my own way of doing things. 😉

By the way, right from the start, everyone seems just as questionable to me as Columbus. 😁

However, there is always the possibility of a pleasant surprise, just as there is the opposite; some films seem excellent, excellent, excellent, only to fall flat at the very end. That is precisely why I watch them all. 🙂
Whatever, nerd :nerd smiley face wearing thick glasses and a goofy grin:

After quite a while, I revisited Aliens. For the first hour, absolutely nothing happens, and once the action finally kicks in, the cinematography is so poor that I simply gave up on it.

I barely scratched the surface of The Godfather Part II because, frankly, mobster stories just don't interest me.

I find Transformers unwatchable. I have a real issue with how the military is positioned as the central focus and how they are portrayed onscreen.

I tend to avoid movies starring Tom Cruise; in my opinion, he lacks genuine acting range and carries himself with an air of conceit. I’m staying far away from Operation Valkyrie and War of the Worlds.

War movies aren't my thing.

I'm not a fan of boxing films either; I haven't even made it past the five-minute mark of Rocky.

I haven't stumbled upon a Western that actually held my attention yet, but I suppose hope springs eternal.

I never finished watching Chicago. I always have to stop at some point because the whole musical aspect feels incredibly dull to me.

I actually walked out halfway through Terminator Salvation while I was in the theater. The filmmaking felt uninspired, gray, and completely devoid of creativity.

With The Simpsons Movie, I wish I had walked out of the theater immediately. It was so poorly executed and failed so miserably; it isn't even worthy of a single episode, despite there being an abundance of source material to work with.

I watched about five minutes of The Shawshank Redemption before turning it off. It didn't grab me, and I generally have no interest in prison dramas.

I steer clear of anything featuring Scarlett Johansson.

I find Quentin Tarantino's films to be unappealing and tedious.

Woody Allen's films fail to interest me.

I've never sat through The Prestige until the end; it strikes me as a rather dull movie about magicians.

I never managed to finish The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.

I make a conscious effort to avoid anything produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

Melissa Evans, you're such a legend, haha
I'm actually curious what you're into (do you have a link to some kind of personal top list or something?)

rustyscout34 said:Melissa Evans, you're such a legend, haha
I'm actually curious what you're into (do you have a link to some kind of personal top list or something?)

I would quite gladly transcribe his entire list from memory.👍I find myself facing the exact same dilemma whenever I attempt to list the films I dislike.

hiddenhound3 said:However, there is always the possibility of a pleasant surprise, just as there is the opposite; some films seem excellent, excellent, excellent, only to fall flat at the very end. That is precisely why I watch them all. 🙂
Whatever, nerd :nerd smiley face wearing thick glasses and a goofy grin:

There is some truth to that, I suppose, though it rarely happens often enough to actually shift my perspective on cinema.

Fortunately for me, when Ebert gives a film a thumbs up—specifically when he hits that four-star mark—it usually lands well with me too, at least scoring a 7 out of 10 in my book. The man maintains a "Great Movies" list featuring over 300 titles. I haven't sat through about 100 of them yet, so I'm slowly working my way through that list (though, frankly, I have no intention of watching certain ones, like Star Wars). So far, not a single one has fallen below a 7 by my standards.

I just can't stand Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt, mostly because everyone treats them like they're some kind of icons, but I honestly find them pretty repulsive

Then there's Julia Roberts with that horse-like jawline, and Scarlett Johansson, who always looks like she's got her mouth hanging open as if she's struggling with a wisdom tooth or something

I guess when I see a movie isn't an American production, I immediately assume it'll actually be good, so I end up falling for that trap quite often myself

hiddenhound3 said:It strikes me as incredibly narrow-minded when someone claims they refuse to watch any film that carries an IMDb rating lower than a seven. 🤷

I certainly do. I find myself doing it quite frequently simply to satisfy certain social expectations. For instance, when I am sitting there watching one of those mindless, overly sentimental teen comedies with my cousin... what else am I supposed to do? 😍

Well said... honestly, just go find some old-school trash and you'll have a blast—I mean, some of these modern flops have ratings like a 1.6 on IMDb or something equally pathetic. Personally, I’d take genuine cult trash from the 50s or 70s over all this new Hollywood garbage any day of the week. Usually, I’m quick to flip the channel the second I see a rom-com, some teen comedy nonsense, or those so-called "true stories" (well, most of them, anyway)—not to mention this recent wave of "epic historical" movies, you know, like *Troy*.

Nicholas Edwards4 said:I just can't stand Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt, mostly because everyone treats them like they're some kind of icons, but I honestly find them pretty repulsive

Then there's Julia Roberts with that horse-like jawline, and Scarlett Johansson, who always looks like she's got her mouth hanging open as if she's struggling with a wisdom tooth or something

I guess when I see a movie isn't an American production, I immediately assume it'll actually be good, so I end up falling for that trap quite often myself

I feel exactly the same way about those two, though I must give Leo his due credit for his performance in Total Eclipse. 🙏

Melissa Evans said:After quite a while, I revisited Aliens. For the first hour, absolutely nothing happens, and once the action finally kicks in, the cinematography is so poor that I simply gave up on it.

I barely scratched the surface of The Godfather Part II because, frankly, mobster stories just don't interest me.

I find Transformers unwatchable. I have a real issue with how the military is positioned as the central focus and how they are portrayed onscreen.

I tend to avoid movies starring Tom Cruise; in my opinion, he lacks genuine acting range and carries himself with an air of conceit. I’m staying far away from Operation Valkyrie and War of the Worlds.

War movies aren't my thing.

I'm not a fan of boxing films either; I haven't even made it past the five-minute mark of Rocky.

I haven't stumbled upon a Western that actually held my attention yet, but I suppose hope springs eternal.

I never finished watching Chicago. I always have to stop at some point because the whole musical aspect feels incredibly dull to me.

I actually walked out halfway through Terminator Salvation while I was in the theater. The filmmaking felt uninspired, gray, and completely devoid of creativity.

With The Simpsons Movie, I wish I had walked out of the theater immediately. It was so poorly executed and failed so miserably; it isn't even worthy of a single episode, despite there being an abundance of source material to work with.

I watched about five minutes of The Shawshank Redemption before turning it off. It didn't grab me, and I generally have no interest in prison dramas.

I steer clear of anything featuring Scarlett Johansson.

I find Quentin Tarantino's films to be unappealing and tedious.

Woody Allen's films fail to interest me.

I've never sat through The Prestige until the end; it strikes me as a rather dull movie about magicians.

I never managed to finish The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.

I make a conscious effort to avoid anything produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

Hmm, I'd say I agree with about 75% of that... quite an interesting perspective, actually. 👍

Melissa Evans said:After quite a while, I revisited Aliens. For the first hour, absolutely nothing happens, and once the action finally kicks in, the cinematography is so poor that I simply gave up on it.

I barely scratched the surface of The Godfather Part II because, frankly, mobster stories just don't interest me.

I find Transformers unwatchable. I have a real issue with how the military is positioned as the central focus and how they are portrayed onscreen.

I tend to avoid movies starring Tom Cruise; in my opinion, he lacks genuine acting range and carries himself with an air of conceit. I’m staying far away from Operation Valkyrie and War of the Worlds.

War movies aren't my thing.

I'm not a fan of boxing films either; I haven't even made it past the five-minute mark of Rocky.

I haven't stumbled upon a Western that actually held my attention yet, but I suppose hope springs eternal.

I never finished watching Chicago. I always have to stop at some point because the whole musical aspect feels incredibly dull to me.

I actually walked out halfway through Terminator Salvation while I was in the theater. The filmmaking felt uninspired, gray, and completely devoid of creativity.

With The Simpsons Movie, I wish I had walked out of the theater immediately. It was so poorly executed and failed so miserably; it isn't even worthy of a single episode, despite there being an abundance of source material to work with.

I watched about five minutes of The Shawshank Redemption before turning it off. It didn't grab me, and I generally have no interest in prison dramas.

I steer clear of anything featuring Scarlett Johansson.

I find Quentin Tarantino's films to be unappealing and tedious.

Woody Allen's films fail to interest me.

I've never sat through The Prestige until the end; it strikes me as a rather dull movie about magicians.

I never managed to finish The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.

I make a conscious effort to avoid anything produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

Seriously though... what kind of movies are you even watching, man?? There’s gotta be something in this world you actually find interesting.👍

Anthony Smith3 said:Seriously though... what kind of movies are you even watching, man?? There’s gotta be something in this world you actually find interesting.👍

I watch movies mainly because, every once in a while, a true masterpiece actually drops. I'm talking about gems like High School Musical 3, or those classic rom-coms, or even something like a blonde from Harvard. It keeps me watching.

goldenhound32 said:Before I even sit down to watch a movie, I make sure I already know the premise and the production credits; if I don't, I won't waste a single minute of my time on it.

If I happen to stumble upon a film and it turns out to be some horror flick, a kids' movie, a family drama, an Agatha Christie mystery, or something involving a serial killer, high-octane action, or a Danielle Steel adaptation, I’m switching it off immediately. Once I have internet access, I usually find myself running back to my computer to look up the details just to decide whether or not the film is worth the effort. If I'm ever in doubt about whether to stick with it, I typically rate the uncertainty as a 6 out of 10—for instance, something like Debt Collector with Pierce Brosnan or King with Stephen King adaptations—and occasionally a 7 out of 10.

Exactly—you don't just stumble into movies by accident...

goldenhound32 said:Well, if they actually show up to the podium, then maybe we'll see something happen. 😁

By the way, "cheerleaders" aren't just fans or spectators. I honestly don't know if there's even an American term that captures the nuance perfectly, but we definitely need a better word for that concept.

@goldenhound32 - For me, that monologue was easily the highlight of the entire film. Honestly, I think the characters could benefit from breaking the fourth wall a bit more often—just to acknowledge their own existence as characters within the narrative.

I don't particularly mind when a film decides to break the fourth wall. It can work if handled correctly. However, I felt that the execution during that specific monologue missed the mark entirely. I'm planning to revisit it on YouTube later to see if it's actually available there, and then I'll provide a more definitive take on what exactly went wrong.

Not really my thing. I mostly stick to watching movies on my PC. While I was browsing through some TV channels, I stumbled upon all sorts of absolute garbage. Honestly, I don't even regret it; it’s all just part of the job.

+1.

Heh, acting like we’re analyzing the complete works of James Joyce... what’s the point of studying this guy's filmography when every single movie he makes—with the exception of JCVD—follows the exact same formula? And let’s be clear here: I’ve sat through far more than five Jean-Claude van Damme films, and that’s not even counting JCVD.

Actually, calling them "fans" is a pretty solid way to translate it. At their stadiums, you usually just have spectators, not hardcore supporters—the only ones actually cheering are, well, the cheerleaders. And come on, don't be such a stickler, I know you can 😉 😬

rustyscout34 said:Look, I believe you that he's good and his performance was great! But I think calling him the best of 2008 is a stretch. He's good, maybe even excellent, I don't doubt that, but I won't know if he's truly the best until I see it myself (though I have my doubts...) 👍

p.s.
goldenhound32, you've got me on your ignore list, so I can't really respond to you...

Personally, I found that movie to be mediocre at best. I can't deny that Jean-Claude Van Damme was solid in the lead role, but the film itself was a bore, with the exception of that famous monologue and a few other scenes. I should emphasize that I wasn't expecting any action sequences before watching it.

On topic: I generally avoid Hallmark productions and similar "based on a true story" movies that air on PBS or FOX around 2:00 PM. I usually just change the channel whenever I see Leo Thompson in anything other than Back to the Future; perhaps it's because of that awful "Jane Doe" series that they just never seem to stop filming. 😁

Mark Wood79 said:What am I even supposed to say to you now? You’ve already seen where I stand on this.

Hmm, well, I'd definitely recommend checking out Ghost World and American Splendor. Neither one has all those crazy special effects or superheroes and stuff. Honestly, Ghost World is worth it just for the best performance of Steve Buscemi's life, and Paul Giamatti is absolutely killer in the other one.
I mean, they're both dramedies, even if they're based on comics. Personally, I like Ghost World a bit better, but they're both great flicks.

This is such an engaging topic! Some points have already been touched upon, but here is a list of things I personally tend to steer clear of.
I’ve just never been a fan of Westerns, if I'm being honest. I realize that makes me miss out on Sergio Leone and his iconic masterpieces, but truly, every single one I've attempted to watch felt incredibly tedious. Plus, they always seem to drag on forever.
I also can't stand those "historical epics" like Alexander the Great, King Arthur, or even movies about Jesus—you name it. I don't necessarily regret skipping them since I hear the reviews are usually pretty poor, but generally speaking, those films about kings and pharaohs just don't appeal to me. Now, WWII movies are a completely different story; those actually fascinate me.
Then there's the whole action star era: Dolph Lundgren, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan...
Musicals? Never. And as for kids' movies, the only ones I'll touch are certain animated features like Shrek, Finding Nemo, or WALL-E (though, let's be real, WALL-E isn't even really just for kids). 😁
Oh, and black-and-white films. People often call me out for this, but I just find that watching something in black-and-white is a fundamentally different experience than watching something in color.
I'm also not into the Matrixes or Terminators—anything involving robots or people with superpowers.

Regarding directors, I don't really have anyone I particularly love or specifically avoid. When I sit down to watch a movie, the director's name isn't actually that important to me.

Emily Thomas3 said:Actually, calling them "fans" is a pretty solid way to translate it. At their stadiums, you usually just have spectators, not hardcore supporters—the only ones actually cheering are, well, the cheerleaders. And come on, don't be such a stickler, I know you can 😉 😬

The mere act of spectating is what makes someone a fan.