“....Yet while the critics have been fussing over wrestlers and Mumbai quiz shows, audiences have been flocking to Gran Torino — an Oscar outcast that’s been doing laps around the competition at the box office....”
My rule of thumb for years:
Hollywood likes movie = Not worth seeing
Hollywood ignores or trashes movie = Probably a pretty good flick.
Works 90% of the time.
That was especially true of that horrible “Steel Magnolias”, what an awful movie, the whole movie was a bunch of women sitting around complaining about everything under the sun. But the critics gave it rave reviews, they made it seem like the greatest movie ever made. What tripe!
Hollywood likes movie = Not worth seeing
Hollywood ignores or trashes movie = Probably a pretty good flick.
Works 90% of the time.
Works for me, too.
Back when Gene Shalit was on the Today show, ANY movie he thought was good (usually something nobody ever heard of), I avoided, while any movie he panned, was a very good movie.
Works GREAT for Roger Ebert, too....
I thought The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire were both really good. I liked Gran Torino better though. I have heard several people say Slumdog Millionaire is already one of their absolute favorite movies.