Films which disappointed you

[Stalbansclaret]

Can’t believe The Godfather, an absolute masterpiece, has been nominated here, or Blue Velvet , or Banshees of Inisherin which, of recent films, I think is genius !
Totally agree though about The Irishman which massively disappointed me and was ridiculously over-long. Also agree about The Royal Tennenbaums , just don’t like Wes Anderson’s fins at all. As an additional nomination I thought There Will Be Blood was truly awful with Daniel Day Lewis a massive ham (see also Gangs of New York)

[houseboy]

Likes or not are down to personal taste so there is no definitive. But Pulp Fiction is unfathomable to me. Never been able to understand the hype.

[fatboy47]

Hardly ever enjoy a film these days...just garbage.

But in terms of being bland, clichéd, simplistic and downright crappy, I'd find that Shawshank Redemption thing as vomit inducing as anything I've seen.

[claptrappers_union]

Blair Witch Project, the hyped-up ‘realism’ turns out to be a bunch of divs making themselves scream. You’ll see better on you tube in the style made by kids.

I hired the Blair Witch from Blockbuster Video in my late teens. My mum and dad had gone away for the weekend and I had the house to myself. I'd done most the horrors, sitting with friends watching films such as Texas Chainsaw, Evil Dead and i’d watched The Shining and so on... And I am more than comfortable watching scary movies. None of which really frightened me that much.

I figured is get it out the way as I late to the party with it and have a night in my myself and enjoy it as a movie just to tick off a list.

I slept with the light on that night.

I was a media studies student at the time, I think I really invested in the characters and the plot. I found the film quite relatable.

[Bin Ont Turf]

Every CGI film that I've ever seen and action film since around the turn of this century.

You never see anything with so many changes of shots and camera angles. Car chases are the worst. Shite.

[claptrappers_union]

Just to carry on, you mention youtube... If the Blair Witch was made today, That's where it would live now. You have to appreciate the context of when it was released and it kicked off the ‘found footage’ genre.

I remember watching a crappy mockumentary about an Alien invasion, I reckon it was made in 1997ish. It centred around a dysfunctional family trying to celebrate Thanksgiving but a spaceship crashes in a nearby field and it witnessed by one of teenage kids who films it on a Hi-8 camera... The rest of the family won't have it though.

The best part is where the aliens fire a spooky beam into their home, which on reflection, was probably just the director waving a laser pen around, but that type of tech wasn't really a thing back then so it looked effective.

Blair Witch Project and Signs and Cloverfield have certainly borrowed from it. I cant remember what it was called, but it doesn't get the credit it deserves. Probably a god-awful movie to be fair, but it undoubtedly had a very low budget.

[4:20]

Just to carry on, you mention youtube... If the Blair Witch was made today, That's where it would live now. You have to appreciate the context of when it was released and it kicked off the ‘found footage’ genre.

I remember watching a crappy mockumentary about an Alien invasion, I reckon it was made in 1997ish. It centred around a dysfunctional family trying to celebrate Thanksgiving but a spaceship crashes in a nearby field and it witnessed by one of teenage kids who films it on a Hi-8 camera... The rest of the family won't have it though.

The best part is where the aliens fire a spooky beam into their home, which on reflection, was probably just the director waving a laser pen around, but that type of tech wasn't really a thing back then so it looked effective.

Blair Witch Project and Signs and Cloverfield have certainly borrowed from it. I cant remember what it was called, but it doesn't get the credit it deserves. Probably a god-awful movie to be fair, but it undoubtedly had a very low budget.

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[claptrappers_union]

Thats it. I've done a quick wiki to verify it for myself. The poster's design doesn't depict the actual tone of the film appropriately, but that's it. I'll have to dig it out; I'm sure it'll be on YouTube or Dailymotion.

[4:20]

Thats it. I've done a quick wiki to verify it for myself. The poster's design doesn't depict the actual tone of the film appropriately, but that's it. I'll have to dig it out; I'm sure it'll be on YouTube or Dailymotion.

Its on YouTube....in glorious HD upscaling, apparently!

https://youtu.be/oPIO72sJZNU

[Belial]

How about those 3 sh1t Star Wars ones? I can't remember what numbers in the sequence they are, but the ones with Jar Jar Binks and all CGI crap

[elwaclaret]

I hired the Blair Witch from Blockbuster Video in my late teens. My mum and dad had gone away for the weekend and I had the house to myself. I'd done most the horrors, sitting with friends watching films such as Texas Chainsaw, Evil Dead and i’d watched The Shining and so on... And I am more than comfortable watching scary movies. None of which really frightened me that much.

I figured is get it out the way as I late to the party with it and have a night in my myself and enjoy it as a movie just to tick off a list.

I slept with the light on that night.

I was a media studies student at the time, I think I really invested in the characters and the plot. I found the film quite relatable.

Funnily enough I was doing my HND in Media and Comms about the same time. I thought completely the opposite, thought it was absolutely dreadful and I love montage, new wave, expressionism. Just thought it was irritating.

Edit… thinking about it I think it was a few years after, the film came out. Remember the hype and being intrigued though.

[claptrappers_union]

It is on YouTube....in glorious HD upscaling, apparently!

https://youtu.be/oPIO72sJZNU

The light ray bit comes in around 48mins.

I remember a bit when things calm down and then you see a ‘gray’ just wander past the window. Then later the aliens are getting into the house from the roof... Both bits, amongst a few other little nuggets M Night Shyamalan nicked for Signs, I reckon.

[claptrappers_union]

Funnily enough I was doing my HND in Media and Comms about the same time. I thought completely the opposite, thought it was absolutely dreadful and I love montage, new wave, expressionism. Just thought it was irritating.

Edit… thinking about it I think it was a few years after, the film came out. Remember the hype and being intrigued though.

I totally get that. The irritating characters and their egos though, made it more believable. It sorta took the typical tropes of horrors and rebadged them for a real life scenario. And it worked for me. No one is likeable, they're no friends but they just sent out with a common goal to make a documentary. There's no plan or leadership and ends up finger-pointing, it's basically a story about teenagers not taking responsibility and getting hopelessly lost in the woods. At the same you are not sure if the myth is real - yet creepy **** is happening that you never see.

I'll always have a soft spot for it for some reason. I think I liked it so much because it caught me by surprise and I bought into it.

That said, if I watched it with friends instead of alone in a quiet house, I probably would've thought any more more of it.

[elwaclaret]

I totally get that. The irritating characters and their egos though, made it more believable. It sorta took the typical tropes of horrors and rebadged them for a real life scenario. And it worked for me. No one is likeable, they're no friends but they just sent out with a common goal to make a documentary. There's no plan or leadership and ends up finger-pointing, it's basically a story about teenagers not taking responsibility and getting hopelessly lost in the woods. At the same you are not sure if the myth is real - yet creepy **** is happening that you never see.

I'll always have a soft spot for it for some reason. I think I liked it so much because it caught me by surprise and I bought into it.

That said, if I watched it with friends instead of alone in a quiet house, I probably would've thought any more more of it.

It’s good when you get pleasantly surprised by a film… I was Dreading Battleship Potemkin, loved it. Was also caught out by Catch Me If You Can (LDC and Tom Hanks). Some films just stay with you for no reason then it was what you needed at the time. Still bore the other half rigid, watching the production instead of the film 30 years later. Sure you are the same.

[4:20]

The light ray bit comes in around 48mins.

I remember a bit when things calm down and then you see a ‘gray’ just wander past the window. Then later the aliens are getting into the house from the roof... Both bits, amongst a few other little nuggets M Night Shyamalan nicked for Signs, I reckon.

That light ray bit, ha ha, like a laser pen or hunting laser sight or something. I love low budget shenanigans.
I had to watch it, crap but compelling, I couldn't turn it off, would make for a good Best Of The Worst on Red Letter Media.

As for The Blair Witch Project, I too was halfway through a media course when I saw it back around Halloween 99'. I was going through a bit of a horror phase, having really gotten into the lore of The Exorcist (it had a re-release in the cinema in either 99 or 98). I was also into pro wrestling around this time and so suspending my disbelief was second nature. I fully bought into Blair Witch, the hype, everything....although I did go into the film pretty blind (I still didn't really know if it was all a work or a shoot and this added to it all). The whole experience scared me, job done. I'll always have a soft spot for it.

[Lancasterclaret]

Braveheart/Pearl Harbour

I get you have to take some liberties with actual history to make watchable films, but there are limits, and these two completely fly past that limit at about Mach 2

[LoveCurryPies]

Disappointed with Elvis. Style over substance.

The film is stunning, the actor is excellent but something about the script.....too predictable?

[LoveCurryPies]

E.T.

[Clarets4me]

The film is stunning, the actor is excellent but something about the script.....too predictable?

I agree ! Although I wasn't sure if you were " tongue in cheek " about the predictable bit ....

I spoke to someone who was involved in putting " Elvis in Concert " on a few years ago, a big screen show where the surviving members of Presley's band played live to a feed of his vocals on big screens, with his remaining backing singers and an orchestra. It did great business, but he said after virtually every show, some people would race back stage to ask if they could meet Elvis !

[CaptainKirk]

Hardly ever enjoy a film these days...just garbage.

But in terms of being bland, clichéd, simplistic and downright crappy, I'd find that Shawshank Redemption thing as vomit inducing as anything I've seen.

Someone's looking for a catch..........oh wait.

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Hamilton

[LoveCurryPies]

I agree ! Although I wasn't sure if you were " tongue in cheek " about the predictable bit ....

I spoke to someone who was involved in putting " Elvis in Concert " on a few years ago, a big screen show where the surviving members of Presley's band played live to a feed of his vocals on big screens, with his remaining backing singers and an orchestra. It did great business, but he said after virtually every show, some people would race back stage to ask if they could meet Elvis !

I saw the concert in Manchester. Got to meet all of Elvis’ band, backing singers, etc. But I didn’t ask to meet Elvis.

The large screens were superb. It was like Elvis was there. The huge sound the band created was astonishing.

[Coeus]

Lord of the rings. Was great to watch for first two hours but as the movie progressed and it got to thick end of 3 hours I thought how the hell are they going to end this. When it finished I left muttering that it was three hours of my life I wouldn’t get back. My son then told me it was a trilogy!

[Stanbill05]

Lord of the rings. Was great to watch for first two hours but as the movie progressed and it got to thick end of 3 hours I thought how the hell are they going to end this. When it finished I left muttering that it was three hours of my life I wouldn’t get back. My son then told me it was a trilogy!

I wish you'd posted earlier, just trawled through the entire thread looking for Lord of the Rings. Made my bones itch sitting still for that long enduring what other people seem to love.

[midlander63]

Sorry - it's been mentioned already but The Blues Brothers

Candidate for most overrated movie of all time thank to it's status as a 'cult classic'
Took me a while to actually see it but in 1988 I was working in Coventry and sharing a house with 2 other blokes off the site - they loved this movie and could seemingly quote the whole script.
I mentioned that I hadn't actually seen it - this was seen as a major failing in my life and it was duly rented from the local video store and we sat down to watch.
I'd heard a lot about it and believed I was really going to see something - one of the funniest films made apparently.

So we sat there - the other 2 laughed their heads off throughout - I didn't laugh once! I was bored rigid and to this day it remains one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

At the end I was asked what I thought - I replied something like "dunno - not really my thing" - they looked astonished that I didn't 'get' this terrible film!

Next day I was asked what films I found funny I answered "Sleeper, Airplane & Carry On Up The Khyber" - don't know if either of them ever watched those movies.

Apparently there was a sequel a few years ago which was panned - if it was worse than the original then it's a candidate for worst movie of all time!

[CoolClaret]

Most tbh I think most films are absolutely crap.

The worst being the cookie cutter superhero films, utter garbage

[CoolClaret]

I’ve just read through the thread.

Glass Onion is absolute turd, another predictable boring plot and wtf was that accent of Daniel Craig’s about?!

Once upon a time in Hollywood agree, that was a massive disappointment because I tend to like anything that Tarantino directs; however it was **** - just an aimless boring plot that goes nowhere.

[Spiral]

Lord of the rings. Was great to watch for first two hours but as the movie progressed and it got to thick end of 3 hours I thought how the hell are they going to end this. When it finished I left muttering that it was three hours of my life I wouldn’t get back. My son then told me it was a trilogy!

I wish you'd posted earlier, just trawled through the entire thread looking for Lord of the Rings. Made my bones itch sitting still for that long enduring what other people seem to love.

I think I know what the problem is. You both must have watched the theatrical cuts of LOTR. You should have watched the much longer extended editions of all three LOTR films, ideally back-to-back, which are all far superior to the versions released in cinemas. After all, it's only 10+ hours of your life. That's basically nothing at all.

Seriously though, the extended editions are so definitive that the theatrical versions should be burned.

[Croydon Claret]

Tried watching Blade runner once. Bought it as part of a "4 for £20" deal at HMV having run out of other famous films to buy that seemed interesting.

Thought it was so awful that I could only watch it in 15 minute chunks as it was just pure torture.

The sensible thing would have been to just stop watching it but I'd paid for the damn thing and I was very much motivated by getting my money's worth in those days

[NottsClaret]

Ticked off nearly all my favourite films on this thread. That’s the great thing about opinions and why award ceremonies are ultimately pointless.

[jrgbfc]

Can't believe the amount of people saying the Godfather!

[Billy Balfour]

I've never watched a Starwars or TLOTR film through to the end.

[ClaretFelix]

I hired the Blair Witch from Blockbuster Video in my late teens. My mum and dad had gone away for the weekend and I had the house to myself. I'd done most the horrors, sitting with friends watching films such as Texas Chainsaw, Evil Dead and i’d watched The Shining and so on... And I am more than comfortable watching scary movies. None of which really frightened me that much.

I figured is get it out the way as I late to the party with it and have a night in my myself and enjoy it as a movie just to tick off a list.

I slept with the light on that night.

I was a media studies student at the time, I think I really invested in the characters and the plot. I found the film quite relatable.

Though I don't think it was a brilliant film, I loved the way the very last second of the very last scene related to a bit of a throwaway comment right at the beginning when they are discussing the stories they had heard about the Witch.
Hairs stood on end when seeing the friend stood facing the corner as they went down the steps

[Robbie_painter]

Some absolute belters on here.Can’t believe someone mentioned Happy Gilmore ffs.

[TsarBomba]

Watched The Northman recently, thought that was poor.

[claret59]

Escape to Victory.

[timshorts]

Most tbh I think most films are absolutely crap.

The worst being the cookie cutter superhero films, utter garbage

Well, yes, I think that most American films are crap. I'm assuming that the superhero tosh doesn't get listed here because most of us have such low expectations of them that they can't actually disappoint.

It may be the case that non-American films appear better because they have a much higher bar to reach before you get to see them in the first place, but there again, it's about the money and you have to give people what they want.

Superhero films, biographies about Americans and endless star War and Lord of the rings films are what Americans crave. They've got electrolytes.

[BillyIngham'sShorts]

I love Paul Newman but the Verdict for which he was Oscar nominated was disappointing

Bullit is a great movie but no fecking plot and leaves me strangely empty- still iconic and watchable though . McQueen just king of cool.

Taxi Driver. I can see that it is a masterpiece but just not enjoyable. For me Scorsese relies on narration in an obvious and unsubtle way and I don’t generally enjoy his films. Even Raging Bull was dull although a classic I am reliably informed. Goodfellas has some good scenes especially with little Pesci but give me Godfather any day of the week. Irishman is absolutely a director on borrowed time.

Third Man…don’t get it.

Any Bond movie.

Star Wars. Walked out.

Morecambe and wise riviera touch disappointed after intelligence men which had me under the seat howling. Not sure which was made first but I saw them in that order.

Loved life of Brian but meaning of life was too fragmented for me. I like a bit of a plot

[claptrappers_union]

Well, yes, I think that most American films are crap. I'm assuming that the superhero tosh doesn't get listed here because most of us have such low expectations of them that they can't actually disappoint.

It may be the case that non-American films appear better because they have a much higher bar to reach before you get to see them in the first place, but there again, it's about the money and you have to give people what they want.

Superhero films, biographies about Americans and endless star War and Lord of the rings films are what Americans crave. They've got electrolytes.

I think the Marvel films up to End Game was impressive - with all the characters, cast, plots, and different directors and styles and how they wrapped everything up in a neat now was an achievement. Not my kind of films though. I don't really like them.

I’m in the camp that they are not ‘proper’ films. I agree with Scorsese, they are more rollercoasters.

They need to stop making them now because they're getting worse, I believe.