Great masterpieces... that suck!

[Singularly Datarific]

The film version of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The original novel I truly enjoyed and found deserving of its general status as a "classic" back when I read it a few years ago in English class. The film, on the other hand, was a bowdlerized and mediocre hollowed shell of its source material. Why it's held in the same high regard as the novel is something that confuses me to this day.

I think this usually has to do with corners cut when filming, to make it under 6 hours long. I noticed imagery and key points removed or mashed together to save time. All in all still great, but the book was better.

What I don't really like is Watchmen. Not that it isn't interesting, I think I entered it in the wrong sense of mind, thinking it was something it wasn't. It was compelling, I finished it, and thought it to be strangely anticlimactic. Despite this, it was definitely worth it, and it was very intriguing, and is also fun to draw parallels between that and The Incredibles.
Wait-
I think this is probably brash to say, but I think The Incredibles was a better Watchmen movie that Watchmen: The Movie.

 

[thylasos]

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. Had to read it for an English Literature course back when I was 16. I loved Oliver Twist though.

This, pretty much. except I hate his entire oeuvre. The only good thing to come out of it is "Bleak Expectations", the Radio 4 pastiche of it.

 

[eggy32]

*snip*

I've never encountered anyone who would dub Tron Legacy a masterpiece.

OK, it probably isn't but I've been really annoyed recently with a lot of people saying how awesome it is and berating me for not liking it. I just wanted that out of my system.

 

[Death_Korps_Kommissar]

Mona Lisa.
Wtf is that?
there is so much better shit leading up to it!

 

[Koroviev]

*snip*

I've never encountered anyone who would dub Tron Legacy a masterpiece.

OK, it probably isn't but I've been really annoyed recently with a lot of people saying how awesome it is and berating me for not liking it. I just wanted that out of my system.

All right then.

 

[Hollock]

I was pretty underwhelmed by Brazil

 

[weirdaljedifan2]

I wasn't that crazy about Fahrenheit 451.

Also, I nearly fell asleep watching the original King Kong, the production of the film itself was more interesting.

 

[PeePantz]

I was pretty underwhelmed by Brazil

Which version did you see. The one that was released to the US was utter shit. However, the original uncut version that was intended, I felt, was absolutely amazing.

 

[moosek]

The Great Gatsby. It fucking sucks, which is weird because it comes from an era of remarkable American literature.

EDIT: Anything that Terry Gillium rubs his awful english-ness on turns to garbage. Time Bandits? Fuck that movie.

 

[Volafortis]

Anything outside of Abbey Road and The White Album by the Beatles. (an half the White Album, at that, although, I'm willing to throw Hey Jude and Revolution in with the list of good Beatles stuff)

 

[bobknowsall]

I blame the shallow nerds and their "intellectualism" air of a superiority complex who deem them a worthy act of the 1990's. So many other bands stand out above them.

If you're going to make a big, contentious statement like that, at least provide examples of these superior bands, and explain why they're better.

Otherwise, you come across as being strongly-opinionated and reasonably intelligent (Typical of someone who criticizes Radiohead without resorting to ALLCAPS), but vague and sweeping in your approach to criticism (Typical of most internet debaters, as we don't seem to encourage backing one's facts up). Which is a pity, because you have a point.

Go on, give us a quick list. Maybe I'll discover a good new band. That's my stake in this matter.

 

[Johnny Impact]

Had to read Anne of Green Gables in sixth grade. I'm an avid reader, always have been, and that, that....for lack of a better word BOOK almost put me off reading forever.

Hate the Grateful Dead.

I hate fanboys of Halo and Final Fantasy. Not the games, just the fanboys. Does that count?

 

[epunk35]

The Watchmen - This book annoys me and I am sick of hearing about it. It's not that it's horrible, but it's basically the most pretentious thing I've ever encountered. Why is it that whenever someone makes an alternate history people will stare in awe and hail it as unbelievably creative?

Blade Runner - It didn't "suck" but it's way overrated. It just failed to draw me in.

 

[Nomanslander]

Well since The Social Network is being hailed as the new Citizen Kane of our Generation.

I like to add this movie onto the list just in spite.

lol

Truth me told, the movie just didn't have the pace and material to keep me interested. There wasn't a likable character in site to ground the movie, and someone needs to put an end to all the Facebook praising since I'm pretty sure two years from now another social networking site will come out do to it what FB did to Myspace.

Hmmm.

Probably then we can have another CITIZEN KANE OF OUR GENERATION.

/shakeshead

 

[Skuffyshootster]

Gah, I'll never understand the hate for Of Mice and Men. It has a message relevant in any time period, solid characterization, and best of all it's short enough to say what it wants to in an effective manner while not dragging on forever.

 

[Logic 0]

A street car named desire, Forced to read it in high school and to be frank I found everyone in that book to just be plain unlikeable.

 

[Keepitclean]

Avatar, Avatar, fucking Avatar. Not the cartoon; the Cameron movie.
The story was cliched, there wasn't a single memorable line that you could say with a straight face ("I see you"? Really?), and the whole premise was just... kinda creepy in my opinion. The action scenes were ok, and the effects were awesome, but I like a good story.

Also, Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Unreadable. It's ok on screen, but on a page, I just want to go back in time and bludgeon Stevenson to death with a copy of Kidnapped.

Judging by your avatar I'm surprised you didn't say Pokémon.

I fucking love Pokémon btw.

And on the subject of Avatar, if you hadn't seen Dances With Wolves and/or Pocahontas would you still hold the same opinion? This is assuming you have seen them as they are both very popular. If you haven't seen Dances With Wolves go and see it now, there is no time to lose.

 

[MrHero17]

I'm surprised by how many people let a thread called "Great masterpieces that suck?" bruise their ego's so badly. Someone didn't like a thing you love? In a thread about pissing on things most people like? Oh the humanity!

OP: I saw Blade Runner once on DVD and I was honestly just bored by it, be willing to watch it again but I seriously considered not finishing it.

 

[SeriousSquirrel]

Gah, I'll never understand the hate for Of Mice and Men. It has a message relevant in any time period, solid characterization, and best of all it's short enough to say what it wants to in an effective manner while not dragging on forever.

I just hate Steinbeck's style, lulls me to sleep. And don't get me started on the The Pearl...

Suspiria- I had heard nothing but praise for the movie, and that every horror fan should see it. I wasn't impressed. It was shot well and the sets were just beautiful, but the characterization and plot were non-existant.