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.
The director also made The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster. 'Nuff said.
My worst? MOMENT BY MOMENT. John Travolta. Lily Tomlin. Huge shame spirals for everybody even remotely associated with it. I'm embarrassed that it took me a whole 24 minutes to LEAVE. If it hadn't been the second part of a double feature at the drive-in, I never would have seen it.
KIDS was to be released by Miramax, which is part of Disney. But Disney boggled at the finished film, so Miramax created Excalibur, to release it, as it were, pseudonymously on its own.
As far as portraying an accurate picture of the American west in the late 1860's... it failed miserably.
Well, I guess that proves that tastes are different. I found it to be tedious, self-indulgent, and racist/xenophobic (my sister lived in Japan for many years and says that it portrays all the negative stereotypes of Japanese which is what I suspected).
I have walked out of several Woody Allen movies.
I don't doubt that it portrayed the West inaccurately.
Yes, I found it quite entertaining and the cinematography was awesome.
I can't believe someone else remembers that stupid movie! LOL!
Did you bother to read what opened this thread?
The worst film I have ever seen, or seen very little of was Out of Africa. What a boring film.
I just find it rather bloody stupid you would read what I had to say about that film and then ask me what I did not like about it.
Is that the one where they tried to convince us that Lily Tomlin was into men? LOL
Possibly. I didn't stick around long enough to find out. I harbor deep suspicions about the success of such an effort, though... :)
But what about the MST3K version? I loved that...
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