Posted on 09/13/2005 11:31:27 AM PDT by Houmatt
Just for fun, what is the WORST film you have EVER seen? And why?
I know a lot of you will be inclined to insert a Michael Moore film, but I am talking about films that are supposed to be fiction.
To begin, here is my personal pick: Ron Howard's The Grinch.
Surely we all remember the classic story from Dr. Seuss. Very simple, all about the spirit of Christmas.
Now, we get to the film. To begin with, the Whos are portrayed as the exact dead opposite of what they are in the story: They are quite materialistic.
Then, there seems to be something happening concurrent to the X-mas celebration. Just what the hell is the "Whobilation?" The audience is never told.
And there's the Grinch. The story says nobody knows why he hates Christmas. So, naturally, he is given a back story that rather implies he should be hating the Whos, or at least certain Whos, but certainly not Christmas. AND he is given a love interest (played by Christine Baranski).
Considering the target audience of the book (and therefore the film), there is some humor and a particular dress worn by the aforementioned Baranski early on (accented by a camera angle) that is just not suitable for that audience. So why have it? Heaven only knows.
Finally, when we get to the stealing part of the story, we see the Grinch predicting some very upset Whos. Now we all know what happens in the original story. But guess what? In this version of the story, the Grinch is proven right. In fact, it takes one of the Whos to talk the others into believing Christmas is more than just toys and trees.
I was shocked when I saw this film upon its release in theaters. Was it true Theodor Geisel's widow actually approved of this? How could she, when it absolutely violated everything her late husband was trying to impart with his beloved masterpiece in children's storytelling?
Whatever the truth was, one thing was certain: This film was an abomination. It was not merely bad; it was offensive. And I have never been so angered by a film like that to this day.
It is worth mentioning, as an aside, the film went on to make $250 million dollars domestic box office, making it perhaps the most profitable Ron Howard directed film to date. However, about three years later, when they decided to repeat or at least further the insult with another Seuss classic, Cat in the Hat, people saw right through it and gave it the b*tch slap it deserved.
Do you think Valerie had any idea that she did nothing for those guys?
Animation: Pokemon The Movie.
Big screen to TV: John Wayne playing Genghis Khan in the Conqueror, 1956.
I'm astounded that apparently no one posting here but me has seen Plan Nine From Outer Space, generally accepted to be the worst film ever made.
Blair Witch Project - pointless
Any thing involving Sylvester Stallone AFTER Rocky II
Edward Scissor Hands - Absolutely unwatchable
Sorry, I actually think she's a lovely girl.
Voting is over: "Doctor T and the Women"
Natural Born Killers
Ishtar
My least favorite of all time is so bad I have forgotten its name. Joan Allen stars as a GOP-turned-RAT senator being considered to fill the Vice Presidency. Beyond words bad.
Groundhog day is on of those movies I can watch over and over again....
Kinda liked The NEverending Story (for a kid movie) agree on Young Einstein
One of the worst I've seen, One of the Reeves Superman movies (3 or 4?) the one he wrote/directed - Awful. My brother is huge Superman fan (since childhood) and he uses that disk from the box set as a coffee table coaster.
Is that all one movie?
By the way, Roger is wrong. He said he walked out of Caligula. Any film that pisses one off enough to make a film critic walk out is a bad movie, indeed.
Ah, but it was done well once.
"The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T"
I hear "Sophie's Choice" is supposed to be a good movie, but in the 3 or so times I tried to watch it, I fell asleep every time.
Oh I did forget, that one good scene with Kate when she "posed."
*shudder of horror*
"Can't Stop the Music"
My parents recommended this to me after watching it on HBO back in the early 80s. They said that it was a musical with a good song called "Y-C-C-A."
Yentl or whatever it was called. Really, anything with Barbara Streisand is rotted puke, IMHO.
Oh, bllleeaacgh!!! Good call!
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