Saturday, January 22, 2011

Bad Movies


There are certain movies that They always cite as examples of "bad movies," and Ishtar (1987) gets mentioned more than any other. Yet I remember liking Ishtar when I first saw it. I re-watched it a few years ago, in case I was high the first time, and despite a bit too much tomfoolery, and the inclusion of a Superfluous Love Interest, it still entertains. The leads (Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty) play off each other well, and the "bad" songs (by Paul Williams) are the best part of the film. Writer/Director Elaine May said it best: "If all of the people who hate Ishtar had seen it, I would be a rich woman today."


Anything Else (2003) was panned by many critics who were put off by Jason Biggs' and Christina Ricci's impersonations of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, respectively. But, once, when Alan Smithee found himself stuck waiting for someone in a strange apartment in New York City, he read the only book he could find, "Tuesdays With Morrie." Anything Else is the only antidote to that book he has ever found. Jerry (Biggs) receives advice from father-figure David (Woody Allen), except the advice is always terrible. Hilarity ensures.


As long as we are discussing good bad movies, Alan Smithee would like to mention a bad good movie. Saving Private Ryan (1998), which was very well reviewed, was as emotionally manipulative a film as has ever been made. You can see the calculation in every scene, and as a result, the film is awfully predictable (or maybe that was because we'd seen some of the scenes before, in Full Metal Jacket and other films). Many veterans of D-Day remarked how realistic Saving Private Ryan was, which only proves that realistic films are not necessarily good ones. Spielberg has always been a master technician, and he has occasionally used his talent to stunning effect (as in Minority Report (2005)). But this film is an insult to the viewer's intelligence.

7 comments:

tut-tut said...

Honestly, I have never heard of Anything Else . . .

Ed & Jeanne said...

Do you think dysletics read it as "Saving Ryan's Privates"???

Megan said...

I kind of liked Ishtar, too.

dennis said...

Dennis watched part of the first two films and gave up, changed the channel, and watched some old sitcoms instead.

Dennis went out to the movies for saving private ryan and it was entertaining, but not as much as other war films. Dennis can re-watch Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, and The Sands of Iwo Jima and enjoy them again.

bitchlet said...

Thankfully I haven't had the opportunity to watch either of these good bad movies.

Though, I have read Tuesdays with Morrie. I find it hard to believe that people liked it.

Unknown said...

While I was out of town last week my husband saw Made of Honor. He told me it was great and he wanted me to see it with him. I know a guy named Kurt who implied that it was one of the worst movies of all time. Who should I believe?

Also, never read Tuesdays with Morrie, but I did read The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Gagfest. If I was ever tempted to read Tuesdays before I'm not now.

Bobby D. said...

Hello Alan,

I've completed the screenplay for a 15 second film (based on me being inspired by you) and now I'm in the middle of casting.