If Movies are a controlled substance, and DVD’s are heroin, then The Criterion Collection is pure grade-A 100 % opium. I inhale these discs like the peace pipe De Niro chugged in Once Upon a Time In America. Vive Le Cinema! Vive Criterion!
I agree with the Altman nomination. Aside from McCabe and Mrs. Miller and The Player, I think the guy’s films are mostly unwatchable. Shallow, pedantic misanthropy masquerading as insight and caustic commentary. Sheer blowhardiness, sez I! I don’t even care that blowhardiness isn’t a word, I’m using it to define him.
But for overrated, I’m going for the White Whale on this one; Alfred Hitchcock. Yep, THAT Alfred Hitchcock. YEP, THAT overweight, bald British filmmaker that people routinely stand in line to get their opportunity to perform cartwheels over and generally drool at every frame of celluloid ever printed with his name attached to it. Why oh why, you ask, would I do such a thing to a venerated icon of the industry who generates such acrobatics and saliva on a consistent basis?
The question is who’s OVERRATED, not who sucks, per se. Of course Hitchcock was a genius. Of course he made multiple masterpieces. Of COURSE, he managed to change the art form itself with seeming effortlessness on more than one occasion. and he resides in the pantheon of great directors like Chaplin and Welles and even Griffith in regards to filmmakers who’s inventiveness in contructing film narrative techniques laid groundwork for cinematic storytelling method that is still the norm today. I ain’t disputin’ any of that.
But I AM disputing the incredibly wide-held belief that EVERY DAMN THING HE FILMED was a MASTERPIECE! I ain’t hatin’ on tha man, just on his Dogmatic legions of worshippers, some of which haven’t seen actual sunlight in years I suspect, who propose that he is THE titan of 20th century filmmaking by which all others must be judged. He made 80 films, stretching from the silent era to Bill Devane. Out of the 80, how many are actual masterpieces? Out of the 80, ask yourself this; how many are actually mediocre? Or flat out terrible? Not even counting his post-Marnie phase, anybody catch The Paradine Case lately? Or Stage Fright? Or Jamaica Inn?
I’m one of the few that will even challenge what’s supposed to be Film Geek Law; Vertigo is a bore. And North By Northwest ain’t the grand ol’ time it’s cracked up to be.
Now, I’m not forgetting that Hitchcock is, of course, Hitchcock. By which I mean to say, he is da man. But we’re talking overrated. I’m merely saying I believe that the notion put forth by some that he is the cinematic equivalent of the Christ babe in swaddling cloth is a bit, um, excessive, maybe?
Heretofore I present two items of debate;
1. My Top 5 Hitchcock Films. Ever.
Rear Window
Saboteur
Strangers On A Train
Lifeboat
Notorious
2. If The “Director Of The 20th Century” be not Hitch, then who it be?
Good film, but I can’t help but feel that a more daring or passionate filmmaker would’ve done better. The words “magical” and “buoyant” keep getting thrown at this flick, but it kinda just lays there at the end, and the dance finale feels forced. No knock on Boyle, per se; he keeps choosing interesting projects and you always wanna see what he’s working on next. But with the exception of Trainspotting, he’s a fairly formulaic storyteller who can never quite nail the third acts of his films. As a side note, I’m happy to see the increasing infiltration of Bollywood into American/European film, even if it’s only in the art houses for now.
Criterion junkies here? over 3 years ago
If Movies are a controlled substance, and DVD’s are heroin, then The Criterion Collection is pure grade-A 100 % opium. I inhale these discs like the peace pipe De Niro chugged in Once Upon a Time In America. Vive Le Cinema! Vive Criterion!
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Who do you think the most overrated director is? over 3 years ago
I agree with the Altman nomination. Aside from McCabe and Mrs. Miller and The Player, I think the guy’s films are mostly unwatchable. Shallow, pedantic misanthropy masquerading as insight and caustic commentary. Sheer blowhardiness, sez I! I don’t even care that blowhardiness isn’t a word, I’m using it to define him.
But for overrated, I’m going for the White Whale on this one; Alfred Hitchcock. Yep, THAT Alfred Hitchcock. YEP, THAT overweight, bald British filmmaker that people routinely stand in line to get their opportunity to perform cartwheels over and generally drool at every frame of celluloid ever printed with his name attached to it. Why oh why, you ask, would I do such a thing to a venerated icon of the industry who generates such acrobatics and saliva on a consistent basis?
The question is who’s OVERRATED, not who sucks, per se. Of course Hitchcock was a genius. Of course he made multiple masterpieces. Of COURSE, he managed to change the art form itself with seeming effortlessness on more than one occasion. and he resides in the pantheon of great directors like Chaplin and Welles and even Griffith in regards to filmmakers who’s inventiveness in contructing film narrative techniques laid groundwork for cinematic storytelling method that is still the norm today. I ain’t disputin’ any of that.
But I AM disputing the incredibly wide-held belief that EVERY DAMN THING HE FILMED was a MASTERPIECE! I ain’t hatin’ on tha man, just on his Dogmatic legions of worshippers, some of which haven’t seen actual sunlight in years I suspect, who propose that he is THE titan of 20th century filmmaking by which all others must be judged. He made 80 films, stretching from the silent era to Bill Devane. Out of the 80, how many are actual masterpieces? Out of the 80, ask yourself this; how many are actually mediocre? Or flat out terrible? Not even counting his post-Marnie phase, anybody catch The Paradine Case lately? Or Stage Fright? Or Jamaica Inn?
I’m one of the few that will even challenge what’s supposed to be Film Geek Law; Vertigo is a bore. And North By Northwest ain’t the grand ol’ time it’s cracked up to be.
Now, I’m not forgetting that Hitchcock is, of course, Hitchcock. By which I mean to say, he is da man. But we’re talking overrated. I’m merely saying I believe that the notion put forth by some that he is the cinematic equivalent of the Christ babe in swaddling cloth is a bit, um, excessive, maybe?
Heretofore I present two items of debate;
1. My Top 5 Hitchcock Films. Ever.
Rear Window
Saboteur
Strangers On A Train
Lifeboat
Notorious
2. If The “Director Of The 20th Century” be not Hitch, then who it be?
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If you had to pick ONE film as your favorite... over 3 years ago
The Third Man.
Aida Valli, Zither music, and the Cuckoo Clock. ’Nuff sed.
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Directors over 3 years ago
Sidney Lumet. 50 films in 50 years. And still going strong.
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Slumdog Millionaire Overrated Film of the Year over 3 years ago
Good film, but I can’t help but feel that a more daring or passionate filmmaker would’ve done better. The words “magical” and “buoyant” keep getting thrown at this flick, but it kinda just lays there at the end, and the dance finale feels forced. No knock on Boyle, per se; he keeps choosing interesting projects and you always wanna see what he’s working on next. But with the exception of Trainspotting, he’s a fairly formulaic storyteller who can never quite nail the third acts of his films. As a side note, I’m happy to see the increasing infiltration of Bollywood into American/European film, even if it’s only in the art houses for now.
Go to Comment