I am so fed up with recommending films to people only for them to tell me they are shit. As you may remember, I got very excited about Hot Fuzz when I saw it. So much so that we went back to see it again. Both times we watched it, Ricardo and I laughed and laughed about all the funny parts on the way home and then again later lying in bed, evoking laughter tears from me and his superb loud laugh from him. When I got into work after the first time we saw it, I raved about it to my colleagues. They were fans of Shaun of the Dead so I was convinced they would love it like I did. No-one thought it was that good. No-one thought it was that funny. They are all stupid.
It makes me so irrationally angry when people don’t like films I like. I get frustrated and huffy. I hate reading reviews that I don’t agree with. I do try to get philosophical about it, kind of “oh wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we all agreed on things” but deep down I think that is a load of crap. I think the world would be a MARVELLOUS place if everyone agreed with me. Seriously. Ask Ricardo.
My crap recommendations struck again this week. On Sunday we went to see 300. Now, I know that people are likely to have different views about this. I wasn’t sure what to expect myself. I thought the look of the film was fantastic – so beautiful. The fight scenes were stylised so that the violence was less horrific than it could be and the mythology was the centre of the film. The hunks o’ man didn’t hurt, either. However, this was all lost on my friend who thought it was boring and crap. I mean, come on. Kick-ass fight scenes? Strong hero types. MOONLIT BUM? I am at a loss. I think I might never recommend a film to anyone ever again.
A short while ago, Ricardo and I were shocked to be told by a close friend’s girlfriend that ‘you lot like shit films’. We thought it was rude. Her attitude really grated. However, maybe she was right. Maybe I am easy to please when I go into the cinema. Or maybe I just want to get the best out of whatever film I see. Like any sane person, I usually only spend money on going to see a film I expect to like so I end up enjoying 99% of films I pay to see. Which means that all those losers (well ok, they are my friends but right now I am MAD so they are losers) that watched these films and didn’t appreciate them wasted their money and all they got was something to whinge about. It looks like I am right after all. I knew it.
Can you help it if other people don’t have good taste?In some ways, the expectation of others all sharing your good taste is unlikely, but not totally irrational. You like something. You want to share that with the world, and when they don’t freakin’ appreciate it, you want them to understand what horrible horrible taste they have.I have not seen either of the two films you specifically mentioned, though the few things I have heard about 300 have been positive.I am also the same way. I don’t get to see movies too much in the theater anymore so I generally appreciate the ones I see (except for me, it’s because of the kids).I also will temper my recommendation with the type of viewer and the reason for watching the film. There are some movies I watch for pure dumb fun. Others are very thought provoking. And then there are the fewer films that are just winners on every level. And that’s what I usually mention to people because the mood in which they see the film does make a difference. (Of course, my recommendations are fewer now that I see a movie about 3 mos after everyone else.)Unfortunately, it just may be that your friends have horribly poor judgment and taste and you cannot pass on your recommendations to them. This nice guy at work, I swear, he recommends every crap film he watches. There were a couple of comic-based films he recommended that I thought were boring. I love sci-fi and can appreciate a good action flick, but the films he recommended were not anything interesting. I mean, I will rent it to watch it, but I wouldn’t pour praises of it on people. There’s a difference. And then there was one film (don’t remember it) that was just so freakin’ violent for absolutely no reason other than to be violent. Zero point for the film.Just put your recommendations out here or something, where there’s sure to be some audience who can appreciate your opinions
.
Spartans! Enjoy your breakfast, for tonight we dine in Hell!
How can you not love a film with a line like that?!!
There’s also the pseudo-intellectual thing to consider, you know, if it’s not French, with subtitles, then it’s crap. To me, films are like books – I like a whole range of them, because I know they give me different things. I’m not going to go into the latest Hollywood romantic comedy expecting it to be the filmic equivalent of Jane Eyre. I know what I’m buying: a couple of hours of fun, laughter and maybe a tear or two because I’m a sentimental idiot. I just know I would ADORE Hot Fuzz.
I have not seen 300. My husband has & loved it! He thought it was wonderfully created. It’s just not my cup of tea. I left you a little present over at my site.