Obviously, we here at Scene-Stealers are obsessed with lists. Today we have a list from Lawrence, KS resident and sitegoer Blake Scott, a man who follows the cultural zeitgeist of movie lists closely and has now entered the hotly contested area of movie lists with one of his own, which is sure to ruffle a few feathers. If you have an idea for a Top 10 movie-related list of your own, email me at eric@scene-stealers.com. We’ve had tons of great user-submitted lists and they keep rolling on in. This one is a real doozy. Enjoy Blake’s list of the 10 most overrated films of all time. But first, his …
Honorable Mentions: A Beautiful Mind, Forrest Gump, Castaway, Gladiator, Little Miss Sunshine, West Side Story, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Tootsie, Caddyshack
10. Citizen Kane (1943)
OK…I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” has become so entrenched as the greatest movie ever made that it’s hallowed status has begun to squelch all debate. It has been atop Sight and Sound magazine’s greatest movies list for nearly 50 years, and every critical list of greatest films I’ve ever seen (which is a lot) has placed it number one, except for the Entertainment Weekly list, on which it was number two. Here’s the deal: Maybe “Kane”is the greatest, and it is certainly a cinematic achievement. But to say so unequivocally—nearly to the point of ridicule for anyone who disagrees (which seems to now be the case)—warrants a labeling of … overrated.
9. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Now that I’ve thoroughly alienated every film student or filmmaker within earshot (or rather eyeshot, I suppose), I may as well adjust my sights and alienate everyone else. Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” is a perpetual fixture at the top of the IMDb Top 250. That means that IMDb users (who are by and large reasonable movie fans) have anointed this movie to be better than “The Godfather,” better than “Casablanca,” better than Fellini’s “8 ½,” better than “Pulp Fiction,” better than … well anything. This leads me to assume that because no one hates this movie (as opposed to, say, “Dr. Strangelove” or “2001: A Space Odyssey” which some less cinematically inclined people may despise), the votes are skewed toward the middle of the road. And the middle of the road, of course, is where overrating runs rampant. Oh and one more thing—you really didn’t see that ending coming? Really?
8. Crash (2004)
I, for one, am still rankled that “Brokeback Mountain” didn’t win Best Picture. It was a way better movie and got it definitely got slighted. But even aside from that fact, “Crash” did not deserve the accolades it received, especially that most prestigious one, the Academy’s Best Picture trophy. It dealt with an important topic (racism) that had already been dealt with in smarter, more subtle, and more believable ways years before (see “Do the Right Thing” and probably ten other movies from more than a decade ago). It was preachy, and the whole “it’s a coincidence” rationale should not exempt the writer/director Paul Haggis from having to write a plot that makes sense. And you know what, I’ll just say it. This movie just wasn’t that good. And now we all have the spin-off show on Starz to look forward to? I mean why not make a crappy 2 hour film into a crappy 30-hour series? I sure it makes sense in Hollywood. At least we’ll have Dennis Hopper there to console us.
7. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Here is a movie that relies so strongly on a gimmick (oh I’m sorry … a twist) that it is amazing that the film is still even relevant to mention today. It is an OK movie, with OK acting and OK direction. The plot is mildly spooky, but certainly not terrifying in the way that “The Exorcist” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” are. Yet somehow it managed to spawn dozens of rip-offs, and catapult its director, M. Night Shyamalan, into a stardom that has now lasted many years past his prime (alright, I did like “Unbreakable,” but “The Village” was unforgivable and that was how many movies ago already? Two? Three? Whatever). Now it is starting to be considered a staple of the horror genre, even squeaking onto 2007’s AFI greatest American films list, and is mentioned in the same breath with “Psycho” (which to me is a laughable comparison). Why not just give all “The Sixth Sense”’s credit to “The Blair Witch Project”? It was just as influential and just as much a 90s staple, and at least that movie made me feel something … It was mostly nausea, but at least it was something.
6. Braveheart (1995)
Perhaps I lack whatever testosterone mechanism gets people fired up about movies like this and “Gladiator” and “300.” Or perhaps I just forgot about the subtle melancholic undercurrent of the early love story in the feigned bombast of the latter part of the film. Or maybe I just grew out of my teenage proclivity for public torture and castration. Whatever it was, I now fail to see a Best Picture winner or a box-office smash in this melodramatic lump of a film. If you gave me the choice between watching this movie again and spending the equivalent amount of time being flogged in a medieval galley, I might not pick the flogging… but I’d have to think about it for a minute. So remember—Mel Gibson may take a three-hour stretch of our lives, but he’ll never take our freedom to point out to our more gullible friends that this is a crappy movie.
5. E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Everyone has a film that is so nostalgically ingrained in their childhood that the very mention
that it may not be a great film must be thrown down and put to the sword at once. For me, that movie is “Star Wars” (or more precisely, “The Empire Strikes Back”). “E.T.”, sadly, is that movie for many people. To everyone else, “E.T.” comes with a mandate that you must pretend it is a great movie to satisfy your girlfriend’s (or boyfriend’s) repressed six-year-old ego. There are movies that I loved when I was young (“Crocodile Dundee” springs to mind) that were not terrible, but certainly aren’t classics, that no one has ever forced me—against my will—to laud. That “not classic” category is where I would file “E.T.” But because it was directed by Stephen Spielberg, the “E.T.” nostalgia-tinted militia has been given unfair ammunition. I might make my significant other watch “Better Off Dead” or even “The Dark Crystal,” but if she doesn’t like them, she’ll never be accused of sucking the magic and color out of my childhood dreams. When I watch “E.T.,” I see a weirdly phallic muppet hanging out for two hours with Drew Barrymore and the guy from “Legends of the Fall.” So I’m here to set the record straight: “Jaws” is a great movie, “Schindler’s List” is a great movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is a great movie, and “E.T.” is a good movie—for kids. If you are simply unable to accept this entry, however, please reread this segment and replace every instance of “E.T.” with “Star Wars.” But just remember, “Star Wars” is way more awesome.
4. Animal House (1978)
Comedies are funny things (and by funny in this case I mean odd, because of course they are humorous … or try to be anyway; but I digress). When the movie is over, you tend to only remember the funny parts. Which in the case of John Landis’ “Animal House” is about 30 minutes of its 109-minute running time. Sure, the toga scene has its moments, and the whole zit joke was classic, but there is like an hour and 45 minutes lost in there somewhere, and frankly, when I watch that movie sober and sans drinking buddies … I’m (gasp!) bored. And we’re talking about a movie here that is often compared to “The Producers” and “Airplane!” and called one of the funniest comedies ever made. My advice: If you want to watch this movie again, put it on and watch the first fifteen minutes or so, then doze on and off for an hour then wake up to watch the end … Or you can just put on “PCU,” it’s the same movie, but as I recall, there are at least a few chuckles in the middle hour.
3. M*A*S*H (1970)
I like Robert Altman. “Short Cuts,” “Nashville,” and “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” are all great. But “M*A*S*H” is considered perhaps his best, and is beloved nearly 40 years after its release. And it is beloved because of its … sound editing? Because it has a groundbreaking football segment at the end? Because Donald Sutherland is so … uhh … memorable as Hawkeye? No. We remember this movie because of the TV show spin-off that eventually became one of the most popular series of all time. If it were not for the TV show, this film would be considered a promising but undeveloped early work in the career of a great director. I imagine the people who love this movie also love “The Bourne Ultimatum” for its sound, “The Longest Yard” for it’s great use of football in film, “Dr. T and the Women” because Robert Altman directed it, and the movie “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” because Donald Sutherland is so awesome. If not, then maybe “M*A*S*H” isn’t such a great movie either. And by the way, the only people who care about sound editing are sound editors.
2. Scarface (1983)
Here is a prime example of a film that has achieved classic status for exactly the wrong reasons. De Palma’s three-hour gangster epic has come to represent the exaltation and idolization of the drug-dealing criminal lifestyle, when it is really the story of a sociopath who is eventually violently destroyed because of his own hubris and criminal antisocial tendencies. It is overrated in the public moviegoing audience because this message is misunderstood (or ignored), but it is also overrated by the critical audience. This is a disjointed, overlong, over-violent, badly edited movie … admittedly with a kick-ass funky soundtrack. And it has become the fashionable product for movie posters, clothing, and all number of spin-off merchandise. It pops up periodically on lists of great films including Ebert’s Great Movies, and EW’s New Classics list. Al Pacino is sporadically good as Tony Montana, and director Brian De Palma tries to do some interesting things, but it is hard to tell why this film has become a cultural, let alone cinematic, legend.
1. Titanic (1997)
There has been some backlash against James Cameron’s “Titanic” in the last few years, but here are the facts: EW recently named the movie number three on their list of new classic movies (It was behind only “Pulp Fiction” and “Lord of the Rings” for the greatest film of the last 25 years), it won 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, it made the last half of AFI’s Top 100 movies, and it remains to this day the highest-grossing film in recorded box-office history. But what is “Titanic” really? It is a film whose entire success is based on the hormonal imbalance of millions of 12 and 13-year-old American girls. Had this demographic not fallen in love with heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, the movie would have had few repeat viewings and would never have generated the capital to become a cultural phenomenon. And as a result would have never swept the Oscars (because Oscar loves nothing better than a cultural phenomenon: see “Forrest Gump” beating out both “Shawshank” and “Pulp Fiction” for Best Picture and Best Director), and the movie would now be a footnote in annals of Billboard magazine’s most popular movie soundtracks. The film is waaaayyy too long, has a foregone conclusion, a pat, melodramatic storyline, mediocre special effects, some stilted acting, and a script so filled with sappy sentimentality that I was compelled to wipe the bottom of my shoes as I left the theater (Yes, I saw it in the theater! Didn’t you?). Given its persistent acclaim and glaring flaws (if you don’t believe me just go watch it again … I dare you), I feel my choice is vindicated. “Titanic” is the most overrated movie of all time.
In the graphic novel “Watchmen,” what is the first name of the kid who is reading “Tales of the Black Freighter”?
In many ways I agree with your list; especially with Braveheart, Crash, and Titanic. I consider Crash and Titanic to be good movie but I really hate Braveheart.
The Deer Hunter. I tried watching this again to see if I had missed something. I hadn’t. Overindulgent, choppy, and a wedding that just wouldn’t end.
woh, ballsy list. nice.
I’m interested to know what movies you consider to be great. I personally like a few movies on this list and think they are memorable milestone films.
As always, lists are subjective so you are entitled to your opinions. I agree with Crash, but not that Brokeback Mountain deserved to win either. Forget the supposed shock factor of gay cowboys, the movie itself was boring, and had more merit for location and art direction than actual directing. Training Day is the most recently overrated movie I can think of.
Crash, Animal House and West Side Story are REALLY overrated.
Crash is actually terrible, Animal House is dumb and not fun AT ALL, and West Side Story is just cute, not memorable.
Why - oh why - didn’t you include WSS in the Top 10, instead of E.T. or Shawshank? Those movies are great!
Just read the comments and I agree with “The Dude”: Brokeback is loooooooong and boring. How come you say Titanic is “waaaayyyy too long” but thinks Brokeback should have won Best Picture?
Titanic was not a phenomenom because of 12 year olds. I know many people (myself included) who were older and weren’t in love with DiCaprio, but really liked the movie and wanted to see it again and again.
As a matter of fact, I saw it again the other day and I still love it.
You can see from the link I included in the list that I think “Crash” is an awful, awful, movie. but the best film up for Best Picture that year was not “Brokeback Mountain,” it was Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” a complicated, heart-wrenching thriller/drama about losing your soul.
I love this list because it generates discussion about why people’s tastes change and how movies look different as time passes. That said, I think Blake is dead wrong about “MASH” and “Animal House.” And although I think “Citizen Kane” is an inspiring masterpiece, I love the fact that he is questioning its vaulted position simply by virtue of its almost unanimous consensus. After all, I like “This is Spinal Tap” better than the clinical “Kane” because it strikes deep, deep chords in my heart.
E.T.?!?! That just makes me sad.
I would add Blade Runner in there somewhere. Talk about a snooze fest. And A Beautiful Mind blows, too.
What about “American Beauty”? Not the box office powerhouse of the others, but over-discussed, over-analyzed, and overrated.
Yeah I thought about putting on Blade Runner but I’m a sci fi geek, and definately West Side Story and a Beautiful Mind deserve to be here, and Deer Hunter was the last movie not to go on Honorable Mention, but alas… not enough slots.
Training Day did suck pretty bad but to be honest I never thought of it. And as for Brokeback Mountain I love that movie… but then again I’m a sucker for cinematography and it is beautifully photographed.
I can’t believe I’m not being lambasted for Shawshank or Kane.
And ashley, I love Kill Bill, Jaws, Kieslowski’s “blue” “white” and “red”, Apocalypse Now, Raging Bull, “Aguirre the Wrath of God”, “The Godfather”, “Lady from Shanghai”, “Lord of the Rings”, “Empire Strikes Back”, and long walks on the beach
Good list. Definitely agree with you on Crash, Scarface, M*A*S*H, and Titanic. I think that Crash is one of the worst movies ever, the rest are just overrated.
I got to go the other way on The Sixth Sense though. I agree it’s not particularly scary but I think it is still a great film. The performances were great (especially Willis, one of the all time underrated performances) and the direction was great. Remember, this is Pre-Village Shyamalan, the twist was still a twist, it hadn’t become a gimmick yet. I think that Shyamalan’s recent failures have tainted the reputation of this film but they shouldn’t, its a brilliant film.
I’m going to second Eric’s notion that “Munich” was the best picture of 2004. I did love me some Brokeback Mountain (it serves as a beautiful theme flick much like “In the Mood for Love”), but Spielberg’s last great film more truly deserved the crown.
I’ll admit that E.T. getting the overrated tag hurts me in my soul a little, but I’m willing to state that it’s a generational thing. I can see how those who caught it well past its original theatrical run might miss out on its charms, or how it captured the burgeoning anti-government Reaganism of the time.
But how, oh how do you have a list of most overrated films and not even mention “Forrest ‘Fuck you, Pulp Fiction’ Gump”? Leaving aside the fact that its treacly sweet message makes Shawshank look like “Bad Lieutenant”, it trivializes nearly every benchmark of the last 30 years, all topped off with performances that would have been considered trite and hammy on an episode of Eight is Enough….
I put Gump on the honorable mention. And I’ll agree it is much worse than shawshank, but no one is calling Gump the greatest movie ever either…So i figured it was less overrated. Nice bad eighties sitcom referece by the way…
This list certainly has some hits and misses. Scarface, Titanic, Braveheart, E.T., The Sixth Sense, and Animal House are certainly very overrated. As we all know, the greatest films are usually not very profitable. We can agree that these films were successful if not entirely profitable. I believe the first three films on this list are great and I don’t believe they are overrated and that’s entirely my opinion. However, I think only five-percent of great films are truly flawless. The only film on here that I would place in that category is Citizen Kane.
I really do think it’s impossible to coin a film as the greatest movie of all time. This is for a lot of reasons. Defining movie greatness is relative and always will be. The example of The Birth of a Nation comes to mind. The greatness of The Birth of a Nation is surely limited nowadays. As well as the greatness of Citizen Kane can be debated. Films have varying levels of greatness and relevance. Citizen Kane and The Birth of a Nation are flawless in their relevance as pieces of filmmaking. Critics and institutions select one certain film because it’s often very easy (and generally profitable). Titantic is one of the most entertaining and supposedly captivating films of all time, but it certainly doesn’t introduce anything new into the realm of cinema.
Music and movies are very similar in determining one’s certain value (I suppose the older the subject is, the harder it is to determine). The main question is: is something great because it is in fact, great, or because people tell you it’s great? (The Beatles come to mind.) I’m a huge Star Wars fan and I believe the first three are great films, but there are countless flaws in them. One must separate and discern between the three major aspects of movies: the quality of art, the quality of entertainment, and the quality of the message in films.
On the note of some of the honorable mentions (I have nothing to say about anything on the main list):
West Side Story: I believe it’s really more interesting from a theatre and dance point of view–the choreography is good, and it’s a nice example of “Shakespeare lives! Still!” In and of itself it’s a “meh.” movie. Not good, not bad.
Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, and so on: Well, they’re highly rated because they’re iconic. I say “Wizard of Oz” or “Star Wars” and there isn’t a single person in the U.S. who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. They’ve become cultural icons, and little bits of them have become cultural memes, like “Luke, I am your father.” or “Run, Forrest, run!” or “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” etc. There are folks out there who haven’t seen the movies who know the quotes. That’s how iconic they are.
Kenny I agree with a lot of what you say… And I am not debating the greatness of Citizen Kane. But it is rated the best movie ever.. over.. and over and over. Just taking into account Welles himself, why not Touch of Evil, why not Lady from Shanghai or The Magnificent Ambersons. They are equally good films, he was the Mozart of filmmaking…none of them were blockbusters like say Casablanca, none of them won Best Picture (though Kane was nominated) so why is Kane considered the best by every rating system and movie critic out there? That is all i’m saying by placing Kane on the list.
Just because it is great doesn’t mean it is not overrated.
I feel the need to stand up for Animal House….and maybe it’s because i saw it in a theater when i was 8.
One thing you have to take into account is the time period when the movie was released, not the time period you’re watching it in. Now true, some movies are timeless. Godfather for instance has theme’s that resonate now, that might not have when it first came out, and vice versa.
And I think Animal House definitely hasn’t aged well. But when it came out, it was a pretty big departure from the norm. And one of the examples you use of “better” comedy actualy proves my point. Would Airplane have existed in a movie world where Animal House didn’t happen and gross HUGE money? Possibly, but probably not I would say.
So I think maybe Animal House wouldn’t belong on this list, but i’d definitely put it on a “Top 10 Movies that aren’t what you remember” or “Time in a bottle: Cultural milestones that will just weigh you down”
And the PCU refrence is just plain mean
CTY I think you are right to an extent but how about the movies being iconic, but being Iconic doesn’t ensure quality, and vice versa. How about
“I feel the need… The need for speed.”
or “Show Me the Money”
or “Nobody Puts baby in the Corner”
or “I see you’re shwartz is as big as mine”
or “You can’t handle the truth!”
or “I’ll have what she’s having”
or “I’ll be Back”.
Nobody calls those great movies (well maybe terminator).
But I can’t think of a single quote from 8 1/2, or The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
I actually even think being iconic may lend itself to making a movie overrated. But this all just is my opinion of course.
Although I wouldn’t use Chris’ rationale, I will have to stick up for “Animal House” as well. It’s a really great character movie, believe it or not, and itself probably a direct descenedant of the rowdy anarchy of “MASH.” It doesn’t get boring for me at all, but I will admit that some of its edge is dulled by every single teen movie of the early 1980s ripping it off (with the exception of “Fast Times,” another classic.)
Ahh chris, but if the comedy becomes less funny outside of its original era, but the conception of the movie stays the same. Then in the modern context the movie might be considered better than it is by those who remember it, and those that didn’t see it at the time will just wonder what all the fuss was about. Don’t get me wrong, I see your point, and it is valid, but my perspective is just different than yours.
For example I know The Graduate was a cultural milestone… But I still never want to see it again.
but that is another list.
Great list Blake! You’ve stirred up plenty of fun and intriguing controversy!
It’s difficult to distinguish between films that were game changers for their time versus the iconic films that manage to evade the traps of being of their time (and only of their time).
But I would also argue that setting aside the precedent a film set and judging it solely on whether it speaks to you 10,20,30 or 40 years later is an easy way to deem almost any film overrated.
Without Animal House we would have never gotten Ghostbusters, so for that alone I’m eternally thankful to those ne’er do wells from Delta House.
Fair enough alpha… It is a slippery slope in judging these movies, but there is a reason I pick MASH and Animal House instead of say… Five Easy Pieces, & Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or Midnight Cowboy & Airplane. I don’t think they are as good, and are considered to be better than they really are. Of course this is all subjective. Lord knows not everyone likes apocalypse now and that is one of my favorite movies.
Lest the point got lost in the discussion: This was a well thought out and reasoned list, and it’s a wonderful discussion starter (as any good list should be); so well done there.
Thank you. I’m not trying to sound like a jerk or anything
just trying to fuel discussion.
I gotta admit, I agree with a lot of your submissions. I’ll argue that I do love Animal House, but only because it’s the best screwball college frat house comedy (which is like saying you’re the tallest midget in the room). I liked Braveheart and thought Gladiator was a cheap knock-off of that movie, but I didn’t cream my pants when I saw it. Likewise “The Matrix”. Likewise “The Godfather” (I much prefer Scorsese’s “Goodfellas”). And especially likewise (in my opinion), “Bladerunner” and “Welcome to the Doll House”.
Oh, and while I’m villainizing myself, I really, REALLY do not like any Disney film after “The Little Mermaid”. Call me crazy, but I can only handle so much force-fed cheese.
Great list, Blake! Personally, I would add The Big Lebowski.
I do believe that Kane is wrongly placed at the pinnacle of best films ever. They should just have a top ten films in no particular order. I don’t believe Citizen Kane is the best movie ever because it’s impossible and irrelevant to deem one movie the greatest of all time. Yet, I still don’t consider it overrated. The term “overrated” has different connotations for certain people. The term is different for film critics and serious movie fans than it is for an average moviegoer. I believe an overrated film is a movie that is regarded as greater than it is in fact to be. If a film is essential and clearly relevant to cinema itself and so many poor movies have been made, themes rehashed, effects overused, unnecessary remakes made, and massive budgets gone awry then the initial films that set the standards for great movies can’t be considered overrated, they may still be even regarded as underrated due in part to the lack of knowledge about such films by an average audience. And I’m not saying because a film is underrated that you should watch one-hundred times but that one should realize the importance of the film.
I agree on most, not all. I would add “The Piano” to the list. Perhaps I should have gotten over it by now, but it still annoys me. How can a movie get an oscar for its screenplay when there is a hole in the plot big enough to sail an aircraft carrier through? When Ada first meets George, he tells her that he can’t read. Later, she pulls a key out of the piano, writes a note on it, and tries to send it to him. This film is also over-the-top melodramatic and heavy-handed IMHO.
Good list, but in my opinion, nothing’s more overrated than Gladiator. I don’t just mean movies. I mean anything. On the movie list, I’d probably have Crash #2 and Scarface #3. So all in all, really solid.
This is a fantastic list Blake. I really think you got it just right with this selection of movies being overrated. And I just want to point out that even if you love some of these movies, you can still find them overrated and I think that was Blake’s point with Shawshank being number one on IMDB. As I was reading this list, I was just nodding my head going yep, yep, yep. lol. I’ve been thinking about submitting my own overrated list but this one just said everything I probably would’ve. (Even though I don’t think Animal House would have been on there). Bravo sir, bravo.
Can we agree that Crash SUCKED?
Yes. We. Can.
Thanks Ace. I personally love Citizen Kane and i own a copy of Shawshank on VHS somewhere… That’s exactly what I was trying to say.
I would have put Gladiator on the list (an not just (dis)honorable mention) but I thought the review would be too close to braveheart (epic action movie… Best Picture Winner). And I hate to disagree, but it can’t possible be more overrated than KISS (sorry eric)
And yes… We can all agree Crash sucks…
I personnally find Shakespeare in Love, Amadeus, and Rocky to be overrated. Shakespeare beat out Saving Private Ryan and Life is Beautiful, which I find incredible. Amadeus is one of my favorite films but it certainly isn’t accurate. Rocky just isn’t a great film in my taste, a great story maybe, but not a great film.
I catch hell around my friends for saying that Lost in Translation was over-rated…I guess i just wanted either a) something to happen or b) Bill Murray to be funnier.
Alright, Blake, I know your swipe at KISS was meant to fire me up, so here goes: KISS, if anything, is underrated. There’s certainly no critical consensus on their value to rock music. For example, they’ve been eligible for years in the RNR Hall of Fame and have never even been on the shortlist for consideration.
BTW, I think “Gladiator” has been ripped off too many time since then and its influence has been mostly negative on other, lesser movies. But, I think Crowe’s soulful performance–light on dialogue and heavy on feeling–carried the film to a higher level and made it a most personal epic. It never becomes the caricature that “Braveheart” was.
Tyler- I loved “Lost in Translation” because it conveys this shared idea of longing and being alienated. What better place for this to happen than in Japan where nothing seems familiar? It’s not really a comedy.
Blake,
Points well taken on Animal House, and to a certain extent we’re arguing the same side of the coin. My point is it’s become overrated, but if you look at it at the time (written by National Lampoon, the Onion of it’s day, Doing a really good job of setting up the smart-ass v. authority comedy, cast of largely unknowns) it’s a pretty solid film. However, add on 30 years of imitators, stadardization of the form, and a more media-savy world, and it doesn’t hold up as well
And on the Braveheart/Galdiator discussion. I don’t like either, but I will give Galdiator a leg up (or possibly cut off and flung at an enemy) because it’s just so much better shot. It’s also got a better supporting cast (for instance no stock crazy irishman for comedic effect)
Lastly on Kiss, I gotta agree with Eric, but with a different reason. They can’t be overrated, because they never sought rating. They’re a rock band who wants to put on a great show, end of story. They don’t want to end world hunger or put deeper meanings into a song. You don’t need a degree in composition or music history, you just have to want to rock (possibly all night, with daytime partying)
I agree with you Eric. Gladiator maybe overrated in the sense that everyone likes it and they know they like it, but it’s not overrated as a piece of film. Ridley Scott makes one great film in a lot of genres and I think he did a really great job with Gladiator despite the fact that millions of college frat boys love the film. Lost in Trasnlation is a film I admire as well. I seriously believe that tons of people go to the movies to see something happen, but to see a movie in which not a lot happens like Lost in Translation or Broken Flowers I find it a little refreshing. Those two weren’t perfect movies but I find them interesting to watch and they have two great soundtracks.
re: KISS
Music From the Elder.
Need I say more?
Eric and Kenny,
I hated Gladiator from the first viewing, long before anyone copied it. In fact, I thought it was a blatant ripoff of Spartacus crossed with Braveheart. The thing that galled me the most about it was that the movie won a special effects Oscar, even though the fight scenes were all of the shake the camera like an etch-a-sketch, then show a tiger paw, then swords clashing, then more shake it variety, and the CGI stuff in the coliseum looked like poop. That’s a minor point maybe. I didn’t like the major points, either.
One that I would have maybe included. It’s not rated that highly overall, but there are so many people that just adore the hell out of it –> American Psycho. Maybe I just didn’t get it and need to see it again, but I about offed myself waiting for it to end.
Also, every once in a while I heard a KISS song that makes me question the fact that I wrote them off about 19 years ago. I haven’t changed my mind yet, but I also don’t think they’re overrated anymore.
Probably the most overrated film ever:
Lost in Translation…
If I wanted to watch nothing happen I wouldn’t pay money for it, let alone someone to make a movie about it.
Lost in Translation definitely on the list,
Agree with E.T., I used to hate watching this as a kid. I thought it was too long and boring. Watched it again, still too long and boring.
Another possibly overrated movie.
Donnie Darko
I mean it was good, but not good enough to rant and rave about it.
Gladiator….bore
Breakfast at Tiffany’s…wow I actually wasted money to rent this..
Yeah, definitely agree on Donnie Darko seemed like they were trying too hard to show off how smart they were after reading Steven Hawking and thinking they got it.
Oh, and let’s leave a bunch of unanswered questions out there, and a few simplistic, yet unresolved moral quandries so they have something to talk about at Starbucks after they leave the theater
these comments are overrated.
I strongly agree that Titanic and Scarface are hugely overrated. I hated both of those movies. (And Gladiator, too, from the comments section.)
I do love Citizen Kane, though. If I made a list of the best films ever (an impossible task), it really would rank at or near the top.
And I still haven’t seen Animal House, The Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, or Crash. I don’t ever plan to see the latter two, which turn me off at face value.
Nice list. I’d throw any of the LOTR movies in for honorable mention. Not saying they thoroughly suck as badly as Tolkien purests tend to believe, but they’re definitely overrated.
I dare you to turn the channel whenever TNT shows the Shawsank Repemption. You can’t fucking do it! I think Shawsank is great and is worth all the praise it gets because it is infinitely watchable which you can’t say about most movies. I agree with the bulk of the rest of the list though. Crash is terrible. Also Brokeback is one of the most heartbreaking works in modern cinema to me. I hated that Phillip Seymour Hoffman won an oscar for doing an SNL impersonation for the entirty of a film.
I can’t stand “Star Wars,” “Airplane,” “Psycho,” “Animal House,” “Braveheart,” “M*A*S*H” & “Pulp Fiction”! But I luv “The Sixth Sense,” “E.T,” and “Titanic.”
Has anyone mentioned Donny Darko yet? American Pyscho would be another. I have to disagree strongly with Citizen Kane. It is #1 on everybodys list for a reason. It is the best movie ever made. I am split on Shawshank Redemption. I love it, but I would never rank it as high as it is on IMDB. I think it is an under rated movie over all, it jsut has good publicity on that site.
I am about to loose some moive cred on this one, but I thnk all of John Cassavetes movies are overrated. I lknow he is considered the father of American Independent Film, but I think his stuff is boring. Both to look at and listen to. As long as I am exposing myself, Richard Linklaters films are overrated too.
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Crash, sixth sense and titanic. Completely agree with you there. Titanic is just a total chick flick. When I saw Crash I just couldn’t understand what people saw in it, I just thought it was pretentious garbage.
Why is Animal House on the list? Maybe its an American thing but I don’t believe that film makes its self out to be anything more than it is.
About Scarface you said ‘but it is also overrated by the critical audience’ You are dead wrong there. Are you aware that the movie was panned by critics and subsequently bombed at the box office?
Movies that should have made the list. Pulp Fiction, Apocalypse Now, Clockwork Orange(couldn’t get though it all), 2001 Space Oddity. But S Kubrick did make some masterpieces.
I actually agree with most of these selections. I don’t think Shawshank should have been on there though. Also, how is ET even remotely phallic. I fail to see it.
Umm… What about the English Patient? That movie is ovrerrated. Braveheart, The Shawshank Redemption and Titanic are amazing films. I completely disagree with this list.
Ummm, you must be one of them cats who thought Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure was a prime film. Scarface was a tale of the early drug trade and Cuban influence on Florida. Brave Heart…..Christ on a pogo stick, that is easily one of the better cinematic masterpieces of our time. Your list is shite!
I have a big problem with Shawshank being on the list, but other than that the list is not all that unreasonable.
What almost made me leave your site was some of the movies listed in the honorable mentions. Those are completely unreasonable! Forrest Gump??! Castaway? Little Miss Sunshine?? Star Wars??!!!! The Wizard of Oz??!! Caddyshack??!!!! Woh, woh, woh. Listing those as even honorable mentions to be Over-rated lost ALL your credibility with me.
You probably listed those just to be controversial, but you would have been better off leaving them out. You lost me right there…
OldSchool and everyone else-
This list was written by a Scene-Stealers sitegoer, not me. I think it’s a well-written provacative list, but it isn’t mine. See the opening paragraph…
Fuck off man. E.T is overrated. Actually you mean Star Wars, that’s a movie I have to pretend is a classic to satisfy my partner’s repressed six-year-old ego. Star Wars sucks. E.T. is better and is a classic. If you find that difficult to believe then remember E.T. surpassed Star Wars both on it’s original release and it’s 20th anniversary re-issue. It has taken more at the box office. Remember that. As far as I’m concerned that makes it better and it’s nothing to do withy hype as there was hardly any money spent plugging it, unlike today’s shitty movies pal.
Alice,
you seem to have some anger issues, so I’ll pretend that since it’s your opinion, it must be fact.
However, please keep in mind that ET was the movie that ushered in crass product placement (Reeses Pieces) and for that it should be called out
Any list of overrated movies needs to begin with The Grandfather Of All Overrated Movies: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I have to say that I think no list of Overrated Movies is complete without mentioning the 4-hour long “Gone With The Wind”. Wow. I give credit to the first two hours, which is still to this day well-produced and directed. But it seems like some other director took over for the last 2 hours, 2 of the longest hours of my life.
You do not understand film. You’ve chosen to critique as a fan rather than as a critic.
I on the other hand understand film completely. I just choose to critique film as a space heater rather than as a critic.
DO NOT TIP!
Shawshank Redemption is a great movie, and the only thing on this list I really disagree with. Who cares if you know the ending, it was the perfect ending for the movie. In fact calling it overrated when it lost best picture to Forrest Fucking Gump is a joke. Talk about overrated look no further than that movie. Shawshank Redemption is close to being a perfect movie, and its only movie I’m not ashamed to say makes me cry everytime.
Oh Forrest Gump was in honorable mentions but still, shouldn’t have been over Shawshank.
I would give honorable mention the Evil Dead 2. I can’t understand for the life of me why so many horror fans adore this movie. I love a good crap-in-your-pants horror movie as much as anyone but this was just the most boring and pointless damn thing I’ve ever seen.
Now, I am not saying that in anyway this film is iconic, but why do girls love Pretty Woman so damn much? I mean Richard Gere and Julia Roberts definitely make the list of annoying actors for me, and I get that is a whore finding love, but still? The majority of girls who love this movie have not been prostitutes, so it is not like they relate to it…
Speaking of romance movies, what about the Notebook? (I know, possible blasphemy -gasp-) I remember being so proud of myself for going almost two years after its release and avoiding this movie until that fateful night in college…when the girls attacked me, sat on my lap and squished in close on the couch to prevent my escape, and made me watch this movie. I watched maybe fifteen minutes and wanted to scratch my eyes out at the sappy factor and the girls wooing all around me. Luckily for me I have great guy friends who came to my rescue with beer and Die Hard in tow.
As far as Donnie Darko is concerned, I confess I love that movie. Maggie and Jake play off of each other so well (duh), but I think it is the supporting, more minor characters who really steal the movie. Patrick Swayze as a motivational speaker with a secret kiddie porn dungeon, Mrs. Farmer who is obsessed with his Love-Fear Life Line, and of course how could you not love Cherita Chen, “Chut Up!”
And I agree with Animal House- give me PCU anyday. I mean George Clinton and the Parliament of Funk, bra-burning feminist lesbian ultimate frisbee players, and Everybody Wants to Get Laid…classic.
And Crash? Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, all in the same movie. Need I add much more?
the usual suspects, resevoir dogs, casino, chicago, all in my opinion are overrated movies. how can chicago win best picture over scorseses gangs of new york. i dont agree with you at all for putting shawshank redemption that was an excelent movie. the movies i listed should have been listed before shawshank. The departed was a good movie but it should not be compared with scorseses other film goodfellas.
“Crash” should be #1. Cronenberg’s film of the same name is FAR superior.
And of course, E.T….dead on it!
Very nice list. I gotta disagree on Animal House, but it took real guts to put M*A*S*H on here. I like Altman when he’s good (McCabe, The Player, Long Goodbye, California Split), but M*A*S*H is almost unwatchable. I think its status as a counter-culture icon clouds folks’ vision.
And ups to Meg for the compelling Donnie Darko exposition. You convinced me to finally rent it and judge for myself . . .
e.t.? really? over rated? try under rated. you obviously have zero understanding of the culture around you and any imagination what so ever. e.t. is a VERY interesting movie because if you were paying close enough attention e.t. is jesus christ and elliot is supposed to be a very jewish steven spielberg. he even states that the story was based off of his childhood. so obviously its a story about a young jewish boys struggles with christianity. he says it was based off an imaginary friend he had but, what jew is gonna admit they fell for j.c.
it is a VERY under rated movie.
i thought this was interesting i almost forgot btw:
http://www.beliefnet.com/section/quiz/index.asp?sectionID=&surveyID=167
Though I absolutely agree with most of this list, *the* most overrated movie I’ve seen is Scarface, and it should have been number one. Will someone please explain why Al Pacino saying “Say hello to my little friend” is so amazing as an ending? That line is neither cool nor climactic in any way. I didn’t think the story was particularly memorable, and I didn’t think the acting was extraordinary.
This movie seems to be loved the most by those in the hip-hop/wannabe-gangster realm. This makes me hate it even more than I already did. The next time you’re out, count how many Scarface shirts you see being worn by young, wannabe gangsters.
Titanic was decent, but it wasn’t *that* good. Like many of you, I was also shocked when I heard Crash announced as the winner of Best Picture. That movie is a mildly-entertaining/throw-away movie *at best*, and I think I’m being *very* friendly with that assessment.
Oh dear God, how I hate Titanic. But you put Lord of the Rings on it (I bet your a fan heh?) That movie is so overrated like the books. The first one is the only movie I ever slept, because it was so damn boring to watch. The other two are ok, but just to long.
I think Kevin Smith really hit the nail for me in Clerks 2 when Randel makes fun about them.
In generl all three movies that earned 11 oscars (Titanic, LoftR and Ben Hur) are overrated like many films that got a few oscars.
gotta disagree with kane and shawshank but I don’t think the point was that they are bad just garnered too much support (from various sources).
Definitely think that shakespeare in love should make it merely on what it beat out for both best film and performance, Gwynneth Palrow is better than Cate Blanchett, really?
I actually like a beautiful mind and gladiator a lot and think that they cannot be overrated because people like to bash them a lot.
I agree 100% with titanic, crash, sixth sense and scarface, but would also add sound of music, because everyone loves that snorefest so much.
I’d also like to defend lotr, I am a fan of the books but not obsessively so, but I loved the movies and I thought that Peter Jackson filled all of them with such a great sense of urgency and didn’t sit around like so many other movies
Except “Citizen Kane” I think the rest deserve to be on the list, although I have not Seen M*A*S*H so I can’t comment about it.
Some other additions could be,
1. West Side Story
2. Midnight Cowboy
3. Tootsie
4. Thelma and Louise
5. High Noon
So.. all you did was take a selection of everyones favorite films and found something to criticize about them? Give me you’re personal top five and I could do the exact same thing. Lazy article man.
I want to add Forrest Gump to the list. Please! I cannot sit through this movie, ever. It hurts! But I agree with the rest, even if I haven’t seen Braveheart. I’m working on it…
Your rationale for Citizen Kane is weak.
Idiotic! Blogging should not be done by all..hint hint. Everyone is entitled to there opinion. They can also keep it to themselves. Posting lists to get a response from people who have nothing better to do.Whatever..
putting Shawshank on there blew up the whole list. most of these movies are either good, well made, entertaining or very good. seems to me you guys said “let’s put a bunch of well liked movies on a list & piss off a bunch of people”. either that of you’re the types that think “fight club” is amazing.
this post is a year old….let it go people.
I simply cannot understand how “Pulp Fiction” not only didn’t make this list, but wasn’t then classified as the most overrated film of all time. Let’s face it, this film has about as much appeal as a road accident and has a plot with less substance than a supermodel’s breakfast which Tarantino vainly attempted to conceal by editing the film into a non-chronological sequence. How anyone could actually have enjoyed this film is beyond me. As overrated as “Forest Gump” was, it was still a much better film than this sleep fest. I suspect the vast majority of those who publicly lauded this film as brilliant, privately felt the same way, but were too scared of being ridiculed and labelled as artistically ignorant to openly express their true opinion of this piece of trash.
Just saw someone said Pulp Fiction but all I have to say to that person “Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
reviewing this list, I’ve come to realize that everything is overrated. I would love to see this guys top 10 list. Not that I’m a movie buff or anything, in fact I hate movies (not for the sake of hating movies) but they’re nothing more than mindless distractions and should not be treated as anything more significant than that. As they say “Alcoholism is a symptom not the disease” (or something like that) That the entertainment industry out grosses any other facet of human endeavour should speak volumes of our current direction. I watch every movie that comes out on streaming websites. Once I watch a movie, I rarely watch it again. The main reason I keep up to date tough, is so that when some bumbling idiot comes along touting some pile of crap as the best movie since [insert movie that is definitely not the greatest movie of all time] I can say “No, [insert movie] was crap and this is why”. It’s almost like, having paid to watch it, most people are just embarrassed to bash it, or at least I hope so.. the real reason might blow my mind away
Okay… here goes
Top 20 Most Over-rated Films of all time.
1. Citizen Kane - Okay… lots of clever camerawork. And…??? Some rich guy mourns the lost innocence of his days with a sled.
2. 2001. Big noisy block of black stone… and monkeys can now think. Twenty minutes of flying through a ‘worm hole’… big psychedelic trip…. Yawn! “Daisy, Daisy…” Oh give me a break!
3. American Beauty - Some middle aged creep lusts after a 16 year old. And this won best picture?
4. Platoon - All Vets Are Screwed Up Psychos. Actually, no, very few in fact… and if this is supposedly based on Stone’s real life experiences in country, then why wasn’t there an inquest into the village massacre? Oh… it’s My Lai… okay… so EVERY Platoon did a My Lai? Tripe! For Lefties only.
5. When Harry Met Sally - Mega Ryan’s greatest performance: a fake orgasm. What a crap thing to be remembered for. Does anyone remember this film for anything else?
6. Being John Malkovich - Oh could we be more cerebral? (Pun intended). Chardonnay-sippers intellectual masturbation.
7. Anything with Julia Roberts in it. Which brings me to…
8. Thelma & Louise - fuel to the fire for man-hating feminists. Yeah, this one really helped the gender wars!
9. Mr and Mrs Smith - How many marriages did this flick send down the toilet?!
10. Easy Rider - Let’s ride bikes and get smacked up on dope. Okay. Anything else? Oh yeah. Let’s ride bikes and get smacked up on dope and blame the system for being spoiled middle class.
11. Gangs of New York - Tripe. Utter tripe. Who gives a toss about some butcher who goes around … umm… butchering people?! Tripe!
12. The English Patient - Yawn!
13. Solaris - Triple yawn. Even worse in Russian
14. Woody Allen - His early stuff; Two giggles here and there, but much better as a stand up. His later stuff…? Deplorable. See #6.
15. War Of The Worlds (Tom Cruise version). Okay… who wanted the stupid eldest son to be dead and stay dead? Yep. Just what I thought. Everyone. Secondly, the father was supposed to be seen as a dead-beat, but actually it was more a case of the wife coming off as a stuck-up thinks-herself-too-good bitch. [Memo to Hollywood: Dead-Beat Dads Who Make Good In A Crisis is old and was always wrong to start with anyway. They don’t. That’s why they’re dead beats.] Thirdly, stick to the book, okay! The story isn’t about family relationships. It’s about two worlds in conflict.
16. The Blair Witch Project - Why?! WHY is this supposed to be scary? Any bunch of teenagers that stupid deserve to die.
17. M*A*S*H - Hey kids… let’s all pretend we hate war, when really we’re attacking America. Like we couldn’t see through that! Phhhffffrrrrp!
18. Dirty Dancing - Yes, put Baby in the corner and slap the stupid moll’s snotty little face, too!
19. The Piano. Anyone that f***** inept deserved to die. Did anyone really care that he could play piano?! How hard can it be to open a f***** can of pickles for f***’s sake!?
20 (Tie). Donnie Darko and Buttery Effect - Let’s all be misunderstood, angsty teenagers shall we? Ummmm… no. How about we all get over ourselves and f****** grow up instead?
Further proof that critics are not even worth paying attention to anymore!
Braveheart overrated - oh yeah, cos it only told the true story (more or less) of Scotland’s history and took it to a whole bunch of people that had never even read it -and spurred a wave of patiroitism never seen before in my homeland.
As for your other “insightful” comments - meh! Exactly why i pay not attention to pop culture, or to so called “experts” or critics, etc - its all subjective, its ONLY your opinion and your opinions about as valuable as joe schmoe’s. Oh except youre on the internet and he’s not.
Yawns and crawls back under his rock
I totally agree with this list, after seeing Titanic in theaters, I still never felt any impulse to ever watch it again for some odd reason until I saw this list, was a little suprised at Shawshank since I am never bored of that movie although i will agree with you that other people overhype it for no reason, and I think E.T. should be number 1, cause it is such a horribly overrated piece of overemotional cheesiness that I saw when it came out when I was a little kid. and since you made this list, you feel about movies you love but also can see their flaws but mostly hate it when other people never understand them the right way or admit that what they love is now flawed because so many others have hyped it for both the right and wrong reasons, it takes that special feeling about a special film to you away. I agree that your list is sound with one exception that I noticed you didnt take in or ignored for the same reason you made this list and the same reason people defend the movies they love, if you want people to take you seriously about this list, then you have to put The Empire Strikes Back at number 1 and Im pretty sure you understand exactly what I mean.
One day Avatar will be on top of this list.