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FFA Movie Poll: 1955 - 1959 Countdown Monday is here! (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter KarmaPolice
- Start date
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#5 175pts
11 votes
Ridiculous
I first saw this film several months ago. I was stunned by what I saw. How is it that such an awful movie came to be known as a classic? What disgusted me most about it was the portrayal of the arrogant British officer (played by Alec Guiness) as an admirable and principled hero. What makes him arrogant? Trying to use laws to exclude him from working with the "grunts". What made this even more ridiculous was that the soldiers still obeyed and respected him after his little protest.
Another problem was the portrayal of the camp itself. The film sugar coats the real-life consequences POW's face for insubordination (there was not a single beating or execution in the entire film). I don't say this because I'm bloodthirsty, I say it because the lack of such violence trivializes the horrors of war.
So in summing up, I watched Bridge On the River Kwai expecting something worthy of being called a classic. What I got was a nearly farcical take on the war genre. Excellent performances (who plays a pompous englishman better than Guiness?) could not save this movie from its unintentional silliness.
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
11 votes
Ridiculous
I first saw this film several months ago. I was stunned by what I saw. How is it that such an awful movie came to be known as a classic? What disgusted me most about it was the portrayal of the arrogant British officer (played by Alec Guiness) as an admirable and principled hero. What makes him arrogant? Trying to use laws to exclude him from working with the "grunts". What made this even more ridiculous was that the soldiers still obeyed and respected him after his little protest.
Another problem was the portrayal of the camp itself. The film sugar coats the real-life consequences POW's face for insubordination (there was not a single beating or execution in the entire film). I don't say this because I'm bloodthirsty, I say it because the lack of such violence trivializes the horrors of war.
So in summing up, I watched Bridge On the River Kwai expecting something worthy of being called a classic. What I got was a nearly farcical take on the war genre. Excellent performances (who plays a pompous englishman better than Guiness?) could not save this movie from its unintentional silliness.
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#4 197pts
12 votes
Old is...well...old
Why do old movies need to be automatically classic just because they are old? This movie is horrible...period. The acting is bad...the story is unbelievable, in the literal sense...the production value weak. Hitchcock and Grant are given much too much credit...both are sub-par entertainers. A critics movie for sure and a waste of time for anyone under 50...
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
12 votes
Old is...well...old
Why do old movies need to be automatically classic just because they are old? This movie is horrible...period. The acting is bad...the story is unbelievable, in the literal sense...the production value weak. Hitchcock and Grant are given much too much credit...both are sub-par entertainers. A critics movie for sure and a waste of time for anyone under 50...
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I guess not enough transforming robots in NxNW for that last reviewer. 
Eephus
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#3 198pts
14 votes
Awful garbage
The use of colour is probably the only good thing about this slow and boring, overlong, dated film. The first half is much too long and slow and the repetitive driving scenes quickly become very tiresome. Kim Novak was always a poor actress, and looks ridiculous with her bleached platinum blond hair and thick dark eyebrows. Far too many scenes take place in the studio on very fake looking sets with painted backdrops. The opening scene is ruined because it is so fake, not that cops would be chasing a criminal over rooftops anyway. By far the worst thing however is the dreadful miscasting of Grandfather Stewart as Scottie. Stewart was clearly far too old to be playing romantic leads at this point in his career and he was actually more than twice Kim Novak's age (she was 24 and he was 49, though he looked at least 55). His grey wig is laughably bad and he just looks like an ugly old man chasing after his granddaughter. With a younger, better looking actor like Marlon Brando the film might have at least been watchable.
VERTIGO
14 votes
Awful garbage
The use of colour is probably the only good thing about this slow and boring, overlong, dated film. The first half is much too long and slow and the repetitive driving scenes quickly become very tiresome. Kim Novak was always a poor actress, and looks ridiculous with her bleached platinum blond hair and thick dark eyebrows. Far too many scenes take place in the studio on very fake looking sets with painted backdrops. The opening scene is ruined because it is so fake, not that cops would be chasing a criminal over rooftops anyway. By far the worst thing however is the dreadful miscasting of Grandfather Stewart as Scottie. Stewart was clearly far too old to be playing romantic leads at this point in his career and he was actually more than twice Kim Novak's age (she was 24 and he was 49, though he looked at least 55). His grey wig is laughably bad and he just looks like an ugly old man chasing after his granddaughter. With a younger, better looking actor like Marlon Brando the film might have at least been watchable.
VERTIGO
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
You wouldn't catch a modern movie or TV show using an older actor in a romantic lead with a young actress, that's for sure.
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
and on the theme of reviewers having a problem with the way people look in the classics...
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#2 236pts
12 votes
Has anyone actually watched this movie?!?!
Stands the test of time, does it? If the movie and its subject matter weren't so utterly tame by today's standards, perhaps this assertion would hold, but as it is, this heap is a relic of the deep dark past. There were two (and only two!) moments wherein I didn't actually laugh, but merely stated: "that was kind of funny..." that's it, I spoke the words, didn't actually laugh! The only thing that stands out about this "greatest comedy of all time" is the fact that Marilyn Monroe is so chunky! Not to condone our societies current body image ideals, but if Marilyn Monroe was even attempting to make it into movies these days, I doubt she would get her foot in the door... yet another counter to the "stands the test of time" statements. Additionally, neither of the two lead actors' performances even hold up to much of their other work... come on, tony Curtis was funnier in Spartacus! And Lemmon, as we know, just aged like a fine wine. At best, this is a really lame rated-G caliber attempted goof-ball romp that should entertain only very young children; but in reality, it is just an incredibly boring old movie that should not have survived past the decade in which it was born.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
12 votes
Has anyone actually watched this movie?!?!
Stands the test of time, does it? If the movie and its subject matter weren't so utterly tame by today's standards, perhaps this assertion would hold, but as it is, this heap is a relic of the deep dark past. There were two (and only two!) moments wherein I didn't actually laugh, but merely stated: "that was kind of funny..." that's it, I spoke the words, didn't actually laugh! The only thing that stands out about this "greatest comedy of all time" is the fact that Marilyn Monroe is so chunky! Not to condone our societies current body image ideals, but if Marilyn Monroe was even attempting to make it into movies these days, I doubt she would get her foot in the door... yet another counter to the "stands the test of time" statements. Additionally, neither of the two lead actors' performances even hold up to much of their other work... come on, tony Curtis was funnier in Spartacus! And Lemmon, as we know, just aged like a fine wine. At best, this is a really lame rated-G caliber attempted goof-ball romp that should entertain only very young children; but in reality, it is just an incredibly boring old movie that should not have survived past the decade in which it was born.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#1 238pts
12 votes
Misogynist and racial
This movie clearly misogynistic and racially biases. It represents the typical mental superiority complex of Americans. of the 12 jurors not even one is a woman, neither is one that represents the African American or hispanic or any other race that still part of the American system. Movie is shot in poor taste, acting is superficial and mediocre at best, this movie does deserve to be in top 250 movies of all time. I can think of 500 movies which have a better set of actors and better story and better director. Only reason this movie is in the top 10 is for a counter argument, that should never exist in the first place if the jurors had an iq that was better than 2 digits.
12 ANGRY MEN
12 votes
Misogynist and racial
This movie clearly misogynistic and racially biases. It represents the typical mental superiority complex of Americans. of the 12 jurors not even one is a woman, neither is one that represents the African American or hispanic or any other race that still part of the American system. Movie is shot in poor taste, acting is superficial and mediocre at best, this movie does deserve to be in top 250 movies of all time. I can think of 500 movies which have a better set of actors and better story and better director. Only reason this movie is in the top 10 is for a counter argument, that should never exist in the first place if the jurors had an iq that was better than 2 digits.
12 ANGRY MEN
Ilov80s
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
The rest that got votes:
40-49pts:
Ben Hur
Rebel Without A Cause
To Catch a Thief
The Ladykillers
Bad Day At Black Rock
30-39pts:
Guys and Dolls
Oklahoma!
Rio Bravo
Picnic
Witness for the Prosecution
20-29pts:
The Man Who Knew too Much
Lady and the Tramp
Elevator to the Gallows
It, The Terror From Beyond Space
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Seventh Seal
Miter Roberts
The Trouble with Harry
The Defiant Ones
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Hidden Fortress
40-49pts:
Ben Hur
Rebel Without A Cause
To Catch a Thief
The Ladykillers
Bad Day At Black Rock
30-39pts:
Guys and Dolls
Oklahoma!
Rio Bravo
Picnic
Witness for the Prosecution
20-29pts:
The Man Who Knew too Much
Lady and the Tramp
Elevator to the Gallows
It, The Terror From Beyond Space
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Seventh Seal
Miter Roberts
The Trouble with Harry
The Defiant Ones
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Hidden Fortress
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I was going to post the review from the bigot that had a huge problem with all the gays in movies and TV, but thought I would stick with the running theme...
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
So I'm the only one that gave Guys and Dolls points (and I gave it 30)? Ouch.
This is by far the most variance in a list from my submission since we started this exercise.
This is by far the most variance in a list from my submission since we started this exercise.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I was hoping that I could finish that one in time, but got too tied up this weekend, and a foreign language film was not really an option to have on in the background while working. I'll have to go back to that one.
I'm also going to have to watch A Face in the Crowd given the praise it got here.
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
10-19pts:
Around the World in 80 Days
Old Yeller
The Big Country
No Time for Sergeants
Run Silent, Run Deep
Room at the Top
Kiss Me Deadly
I'm All Right Jack
The Mouse that Roared
Somebody Up There Likes Me
The Man Who Never Was
The Tarnished Angels
The Red Balloon
A Man Escaped
Single Digits:
The King and I
High Society
Damn Yankees
Sleeping Beauty
The Blob
Sweet Smell of Success
Some Came Running
Blackboard Jungle
From Hell It Came
Moby ****
Bell, Book, and Candle
The Great Man
Panther Panchali
Operation Petticoat
The Seven Year Itch
Gigi
Giant
The 3 Faces of Eve
The Girl Who Can't Help It
Thunder Road
The Rainmaker
The Man with The Golden Arm
East of Eden
Mon Oncle
Warlock
The FBI Story
Odds Against Tomorrow
Bob Le Flambeur
The Apu Trilogy (yes, all 3 in one vote, so suck it!!)
Around the World in 80 Days
Old Yeller
The Big Country
No Time for Sergeants
Run Silent, Run Deep
Room at the Top
Kiss Me Deadly
I'm All Right Jack
The Mouse that Roared
Somebody Up There Likes Me
The Man Who Never Was
The Tarnished Angels
The Red Balloon
A Man Escaped
Single Digits:
The King and I
High Society
Damn Yankees
Sleeping Beauty
The Blob
Sweet Smell of Success
Some Came Running
Blackboard Jungle
From Hell It Came
Moby ****
Bell, Book, and Candle
The Great Man
Panther Panchali
Operation Petticoat
The Seven Year Itch
Gigi
Giant
The 3 Faces of Eve
The Girl Who Can't Help It
Thunder Road
The Rainmaker
The Man with The Golden Arm
East of Eden
Mon Oncle
Warlock
The FBI Story
Odds Against Tomorrow
Bob Le Flambeur
The Apu Trilogy (yes, all 3 in one vote, so suck it!!)
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
I loved Guys & Dolls. I once bragged to my director cousin, who has wanted to remake it for years, that I could convert the mcguffin from a floating crap game to the WSOP and that the Fremont Street Experience would set just as good an opening as Times Square in the original. I musta watched it 40 times in a season trying to update the narrative logic but several of the songs were just too anachronistic for the doing and cuz didn't want to lose em. I only had room for one musical on my list and argued between Oklahoma, this, and my eventual winner, South Pacific.
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Eephus
Footballguy
I rewatched 12 Angry Men last week and wasn't particularly blown away. It's a fine film; Lumet does about as a good a job as possible in converting from the small to big screen and the ensemble acting is excellent. But as a straightforward movie conversion of a (tele) play, its success ultimately depends on the quality of the script. I'm probably more cynical than audiences were in 1957. Hell, I'm more cynical than I was in 2017. I didn't believe that Fonda's principled stance and quiet powers of persuasion could turn eleven angry men. More elaborate productions can disguise the central premise but it's right there front and center in 12 Angry Men and I couldn't buy into it.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
even tho i ended up moving it to my top 5 for historicity's sake, it's rather hilarious that the most epically Technicolor half-decade ever is now represented (though more by consensus than anything) by a one-room B&W picture
Eephus
Footballguy
True dat. Hollywood was racking their brains in response to the incursion of television and here we go rewarding a rich man's kinescope.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Except Fonda's juror didn't really try to persuade as much as he just asked questions.
And not all of the other 11 were angry either, just self absorbed, wishing they were somewhere else. They were forced to put aside their prejudices and see the situation not from the defendants point of view or even their own, but from that of Rule Of Law and Innocent Until Proven Guilty.
I think it's a very "American" film and one that should be considered when we watch the news and assume a cop is guilty when we see a suspect get shot (as a rush to judgement example).
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah pretty funny. The year by year breadown definutely captures the spirit of 50s movies a lot more than 12 Angry Men.
I knew people liked 12 Angry Men, but I am very surprised it won. Lots of surprises and I really can't explain how Ben-Hur was so low. I thought that would be up pretty high given it's legendary blockbuster release and regular network airitme since then.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
"Rat-a-tat-tat" is your answer. The epic lost out to the instant a long time ago. Probably a pretty interesting topic for debate as far who is more heroic, Spartacus or a guy who can hop from skyscraper to skyscraper and what are the moral & ethic implications of that.
Eephus
Footballguy
If the chariot race wasn't mentioned in the great scenes of the era, it should have been but overall I don't think the decades have been kind to Ben-Hur.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Great call on the chariot scene. The time hasn't been any less kind of Ben-Hur as it has been to The Ten Commandments. In general those big religious epics and sword/sandal epics didn't age all that well.
Eephus
Footballguy
Even Kubrick's Spartacus is overwrought.
Nicholas Ray's King of Kings has its moments though.
Eephus
Footballguy
Keith R
The Don
Happened to me in the 1992 poll. Gave American Me 30 (and the only movie I gave 30 that year) and no one else gave it any.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Also I know we are done but if anyone missed some and still wanted to watch TCM is airing many of them:
Tonight (16th) at 10:00 Anatomy of a Murder and 1:15 Some Came Running (Sinatra, Deano, Shirley Maclaine get drunk, fight, laugh, put on acting clinic)
18th at 1:00 AM is A Face in the Crowd
21st at 1:30 PM North by Northwest
Tonight (16th) at 10:00 Anatomy of a Murder and 1:15 Some Came Running (Sinatra, Deano, Shirley Maclaine get drunk, fight, laugh, put on acting clinic)
18th at 1:00 AM is A Face in the Crowd
21st at 1:30 PM North by Northwest
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