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Should I be Ashamed?

I like movies. I love movies, but in my own peculiar way.

I only go to see the movies with big stars in them. I go to the theater only if the movie had a considerable budget to spend on the special effects. Otherwise I wait until it's out on DVD, most of the time i don't even watch the movie I wanted to watch(For example Michael Clayton, No Country For Old man are still waiting somewhere, and there's a whole bunch of them I don't even remember of wanting to see). Of course, I have my rating for the movie and about 90% of them I skip based solely on the previews and ads available.

I bestow myself with a superpower of knowing when the movie is going to suck just by the description of it and a two-minute preview available. Ninety-five percent of the time I am not wrong.

But here is the problem. Am I lacking understanding of why a movie is appreciated? Some of the higher acclaimed ones:

1. Adaption - comedy? Boring, couldn't watch the 20 minutes of it.
2. Sideways - comedy? Don't even want to.
3. Napoleon Dynamite - comedy? Hah?

For whatever reason, Sundance Festival Winner, or Cannes Winner is like a red flag for me.

What do I lack in understanding "artsy" movies? I get the beauty of the shot, the story, and the flawlessness of the movie. But why do these things have to be in front of the "ENTERTAINMENT" factor.

Jason talks about "guilty pleasure." Well all of the movies that I love come from that category.

1. Reservouir Dogs
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Kill Bill
4. Star Wars The Original Trilogy (Part 4 is my favorite)
5. Lord Of The Rings
6. Fifth Element
7. Ace Ventura - Pet Detective
8. God Father (Part 1 is my favorite by the way)

Couple of movies that I liked that were destroyed by everybody else

1. Payback
2. Last Action Hero

I love these movies because I remember them ENTERTAINING me to no end.

What do I lack that I can't appreciate less pop-cultured movie-making?
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Comments

Jason said…
I don't see why you'd need to call any of your favorites (aside from Ace Ventura, maybe) "guilty pleasures" -- Lord of the Rings, the Tarantino films, and the original Star Wars were all very well-reviewed and remain highly regarded by both critics and the public. The Godfather is consistently referenced by film critics and academics as one of the best films of all time. And The Fifth Element, while not a critical darling, has found a strong fan base in the home video market.

I think the issue is simply that your tastes don't run to the "artsy-fartsy festival films." Neither do mine. Nor do a lot of other people's. I found Adaptation tedious, Napoleon Dynamite downright painful (for some reason, this is a deeply beloved film here in my home state, but I don't get it), and while I did like Sideways, it sure as hell isn't a comedy.

I've continued to think about the whole "guilty pleasure" concept, and I think maybe the guy I quoted the other day is correct: forget the guilt, just like what you like. You can be certain somebody out there agrees with you...
August 29, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Some dude stuck in the Midwest said…
Thank you, Jason.

Ace Ventura was the last Jim Carrey movie, that i thouroughly enjoyed.

What about enjoying jackie Chan movies, and basically any B-Type thing that was put-out by the Honk Kong studios over the ages.


I guess my biggest problem is that I certainly want to enjoy "artsy-fartsy" movies, but always find it difficult. I know there are movies from indy companies that I would certainly enjoy.

Lost In Translation, Fargo(loved it!) are some of the types that I enjoyed, and certainly would not put them in the main-stream movie making.

But these movies in my opinion did not put the entertainment value behind the "artsy" traditions.

What am I missing? There's got to me more of them. But again, any time I see a preceding Cannes or Sundance quote, it puts me off instantly.
August 29, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Ilya said…
Interestingly, brother, I largely share your overall approach to movie appreciation - entertainment above all! - but I have no affection for Tarantino or Ace Ventura. And I like Sideways quite a lot - and would, by the way, classify it more as a comedy than any other genre... De gustibus non est disputandum, truly.
September 1, 2008 at 6:22 AM
Jason said…
"...any time I see a preceding Cannes or Sundance quote, it puts me off instantly."

Perhaps it would help if you look at it from a marketing perspective and think of Cannes and Sundance as brands. In other words, certain kinds of movies with certain characteristics get those quotes. The brand appeals to some, which is why those quotes are used; the brand doesn't happen to be your cup of tea.
September 4, 2008 at 8:37 PM
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