8 Overrated Films
 

As you can probably tell, I love lists and countdowns; they're the best way to discover movies in genres you like, and discuss all the films you've seen and how you would rate them. There have been many best horror movie countdowns, some state the obvious (Psycho, The Exorcist) and some really investigate all horror films out there (countdowns on this website). After looking at dozens of lists, these films were mentioned over and over again as being excellent horror movies, but I think are too overrated.

Peeping Tom (1960)
Black Sunday (1960)
Don't Look Now (1973)
Hour Of The Wolf (1968)
Hellraiser (1987)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Vertigo (1958) (I love Hitchcock, but I don't understand the appeal of this one).

this should be interesting

Its funny how the word "overrated" means different for different people. Ask The_Return this and he would say "Jaws" without blinking an eye in a flash.

I don't think any movie is overrated. It's all in one's perception of a certain film. There are underrated ones yes, and most good films which go under the radar come under this. But to be overrated, a film has to be popular enough by the masses to be disliked by a certain group of people.

Like I said, it's all in the perception of the person viewing it, and what he has heard/seen about it before going into watching it.

All brilliant films for one reason or another.

Films definitely can be overrated. When I said I didn't like Psycho I was treated by my fellow horror fans like a leper with body odor. It's sacrilegious to not put that in your top ten all time. If I remember right it had two killings and the psycho had the physique of a backup punter. Janet Leigh could have smothered him with the shower curtain. I know it's fifty years old but they made scarier movies even back then. I'd take Christopher Lee's Dracula any day of the week. My vote for the most overrated modern 'horror' film was Paranormal Activity. I understand they had a budget of about fifty bucks and it would have got an A as a sophomore film school project, but when the most frightening thing is somebody standing by the bed wobbling like a drunk at a urinal I felt ripped off.

As I've stated before, my definition of the term overrated:

A word someone uses to describe things otrher people like, that he doesn't.

I think you're grasping at straws now.

Ditto.

Fixed..[:D]

(No offense buddy, just trying to say there are pretty favorites of mine too.:))

So, controversy just isn't allowed? What a shame.

And another attempt to grasp at a straw. Who said controversy isn't allowed?

Are we not allowed to react to your posts? Or is the only reaction allowed "Oh, you're so brilliant! You're absolutely right! "

I don't need people to agree with me (I want other people's opinions); but when someone writes in telling me I should leave the forum for daring to criticize a film that I get defensive.

Well, Rod wasn't saying YOU should leave- he said perhaps it was time for HIM to leave. Bit of a difference. I, for one, am willing to forgive Rod a bit of petulance... he's a working screenwriter in Hollywood, and is perhaps a bit sensitive on some subjects.

Maybe I am biased because this is my favorite movie but I've never seen this film as overrated. Hails praise from horror fans, but not much beyond that.

Sorry neverending, I misunderstood what he said.

That's true, but a lot of the countdowns I looked at were from websites dedicated to horror. I didn't REALLY hate this movie,the Cenobites were cool. I just thought it was a little slow in parts.

That's how I describe "overrated" - What's wrong with that?

Well, why not call it what it is, then? 8 films I don't like that others do....

This right here

Because "overrated" is shorter. :D

Sounds like somebody's trying to create controversy.

Good movies, sorry you didn't like them, some people only have taste in their mouths.

But not as accurate...

I completely understand where you are coming from on this one. Just because someone says its overrated doesn't mean they didn't like it. I'm often misunderstood when I say something was "overrated", because I am constantly asked "why didn't you like it" and then I would have to explain I did like it, I just feel that something is overrated, which doesn't mean I hate it.

Ahhh - If that's NE's argument then, OK, I agree. It's not necessarily accurate.

So then "overrated" is a lot "softer" than we usually use it most of the time, being that it's used to describe finding something that is popular to be not to your liking.

Fine. But the term "overrated" DOES encompass that definition. It just means "praised too highly" on a broader scale.

Like - Sure, I loved Avatar and Paranormal Activity (both for different reasons), but do I think they deserved all of the praise they got? Not necessarily. But I still like both of those films.

I honestly feel as though Pan's Labyrinth is overrated. Incredibly beautiful film, but definitely not as strong as Devil's Backbone. Also, I
thought that it spread itself a bit thing. Incredible movie but a wee bit overrated.

Hellraiser I do think is overrated. If it was THE CENOBITE MOVIE then I think it would have been amazing. I mean, it should have been a softball:
Awesomely creepy horrifying monsters
Innocent co-ed
Literal Pandora's Box

The movie should have been a straight-out monster movie. None of this bad-80s-hair-kill-you-with-a-hammer-crap. I found the actual plot that it focused on (whatsherface killing people to bring her ex lover to live) LAME. It should have been a good quality haunted house film with some damn scary monsters. Spare me the bad acting and writing. GIVE ME MONSTERS.

I feel as though the above flaws honestly outweigh the positives that we gain with the delightful Cenobites. Ergo, I do not understand why everyone thinks it's SUCH A FANTASTIC HORROR MOVIE. Does it have some iconic monsters? HELL yes (literally - heh). Is it a great horror movie? GOD no.

That is why I find Hellraiser overrated. I believe that its praise outweighs itself.

Fair enough, however The Cenobites aren't typical monsters and their point is far more understandable in the book "hellbound Heart", but their point wasn't to kill but to go along with the theme of pain and pleasure on an extreme level for those who went searching for it. The actual antagonist of the movie was suppose to be Frank and it was suppose to be centered around Frank's escape. It was more suppose to be daunting with what she would do to be brought back together with Frank and what Frank was willing to do to stay alive.

The Cenobites were suppose to be this structured evil and Frank Chaotic evil. the Cenobites almost like deities of sorts who come just to do their job. I think the unfortunate part of the movie was that everyone knew about Pinhead and when they hear about the movie before watching it they suspect more Pinhead.

Man, this is 1 overrated thread. ;)

Hayo!

Over advertised would have got a stronger response from me. After Congo, I made an oath never to watch another movie advertised on Taco Bell cups.

Here here.

This was exactly what I was trying to say. Thank you for putting it so eloquently.

I look forward to theses TheWickerFan posts:) I guess that makes me a TheWickerFan fan:) very healthy debates. I always thought the Blair witch project was overrated and was just very well marketed, a great succses story for beginners.:cool:

Thank you, you're way too kind. Even though I really enjoyed The Blair Witch Project, I have to agree about it being overrated.

And a note to neverending; I am a woman.

Seems like everyone overlooked this ^. :)

Okay, you have a point. As I said before, I came to the conclusion that these films were overrated from looking at dozens of horror movie countdowns (most on websites dedicated to horror), so I guess these films could just be considered overrated within the horror community.

See, but if that WAS the movie, then it would have been better! I LOVE the Cenobite world, culture, mythos - I really do. I love the sadomasochistic element to it too. I think that the movie focused on the wrong parts of that story. It just glazed over Frank at the beginning and that SHOULD have been the movie. Not ugly bad hair hammer lady. This is why I call the movie overrated. Most of the fans that I talked to who LOVE the movie essentially say the same thing, "BUT THE CENOBITES ARE AWESOME." Well, yes, they are. I agree. But the movie focuses on an ugly 80s women seducing men and killing them with a hammer to feed her dead lover. What - WHAT?! Where's Pinhead in all this?! The focus should have been more on what you stated - the Cenobites and their twisted deism. The actual plot was LAME.

I agree. There just wasn't enough of the Cenobites.

I think you should have capitalized "THAT" instead of "WAS"

I think you should drink more beer.

always a good suggestion :d

Why is it a problem that declaring something overrated is a matter of opinion? Has somebody developed a magical device that measures praiseworthiness? If so, I would like to borrow it, so I will know how to finally perfect my spaghetti sauce. If such a device does not exist, than there is no problem with a person declaring something overrated. It is automatically going to be saying "in my eyes, X has received an amount of praise that does not seem proportionate to its quality" it is not saying "the Praise-o-vac 10000 has rated Eraserhead an 8. It's praise levels are at 9.3. This does not compute! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" And in regards to Eraserhead, which people call overrated, it annoys people because it has become inacessible because critics in praising it make people feel that the movie is a cerebral experience, a feast for the intellect. David Lynch is not an intellectual. David Lynch is from Montana. David Lynch thinks pie is a wellbalanced breakfast. David Lynch fixed a roof for several weeks in exchange for food and forgot he had done so, instead believing the people at the diner were just really nice. He is an awesome director, he is a visionary, but he is not (lucky for him) an intellectual. It's a visceral experience, it's a spiritual and intuitive one. Smoke a bowl. Converse with the deity of your choice. Play the drums. Leave your notepad behind. Bringing your brain to a movie about tearing open your head by a firm believer in transcendental meditation is a mistake. Don't do book reports on tarot readings.

Actually....it was just released two weeks ago.

I give you

The Praise-o-matic 10002

http://www.fahad.com/pics/washup_was...ine_toilet.jpg

if the product is not deemed worthy...it goes right in the shitter

I'll take 7.

I just think it's become hip & trendy to trash great works from past generations as not worthy of their stature. It just comes off as so much posturing to me. Cheap shots for a cheap effect.