Saturday, March 1, 2014

What Movie Deserves a Second Chance?

And is it from you or from everyone else?

Is there a movie you didn't like the first time, but know you need to see again in order to fairly form an opinion? Is there something you think you might like better if you saw it a second time?

Or is there a movie you feel like audiences didn't give a fair chance the first time? Plenty of movies become beloved after being rediscovered. What movie is most deserving of a second chance?

38 comments:

  1. I think for me it would be Oldboy, the original, or There will be Blood. Both of those films did not grab my attention as much as I was told they would. Maybe another viewing will change my mind.

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    1. I didn't really start loving There Will Be Blood until I saw it a couple of times. Which isn't to say you will ever love it, just that I know where you're coming from.

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  2. This could be beating a dead horse, but c'mon people(outside the F! This Movie community, of course.), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters deserves to be reevaluated. I was almost positive this movie would be awful by the trailer and lack of originality. But thanks to Adam R. and later Patrick's recommendation, I saw it when it came out on dvd and realized I was very wrong.

    It's just disheartening to see that a lot of people who taste in movies I respect(Matt Singer, Killer POV, DC Pierson among others) shit on it while:

    A. Not getting the tone and fun of the movie.
    B. Not seeing it whatsoever.

    I was happy not seeing it on any "Worst Of 2013" lists, but truthfuly that might be more of critics seeing it, trashing it, and not giving it a second thought.

    They should have.

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  3. This one is only for me...The Lego Movie. I know, I know, EVERYBODY loves it now, and I was championing it going in, but certain aspects just didn't quite match my expectations, or perhaps they were TOO high. However, I feel like if I watch it again for what it actually is, I'll most likely enjoy it a lot more.

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    1. I had a similar reaction. I liked The Lego Movie but I feel like I didn't like it enough. I laughed a lot in the beginning and middle but I was worn out by the movie before the end.

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    2. Yes, agreed. I was tired of it by the time it was over, and frankly I didn't find it as sustainably funny (for me) as I had hoped, nor did I find the song infectious like most, but rather more kind of annoying. The movie had a nice message, though. I'll give it that.

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  4. Just gave The Master a second chance and I am no closer to being able to formulate an opinion.

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    1. I still haven't gone back to it, probably for that very reason.

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  5. Cobb starring Tommy Lee Jones is one of the greatest biopics ever made. It was barely released and no one saw it. That needs to be rectified.

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  6. The Spirit (2008)

    Yes, seriously.

    I think it suffered from the same preconceived prejudice that I read here that Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters did. It didn't exactly recreate the graphic novel (like Hollywood would have ever done that) so it sucks.

    I also believe that all comic book people have a kind of post-tramatic stress reaction anytime they see anything resembling humor in a superhero movie - "It's Adam West's Batman! Arrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!".

    On it's own terms I think it's great. And Samuel L. Jackson looks like he's having a lot of fun.

    So there.

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    1. I'm with you there. I enjoyed The Spirit. It's been a while since I've seen it now but when viewed as a comedy its not that bad.

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  7. Oscar. It has a terrible reputation, but it's a legitimately funny movie with a totally game, capable cast. Even Stallone manages to be funny (purposefully, for a change).

    As for one where my original take changed, Saw. Theatrically, I thought it was a jittery mess, not worth another thought. I skipped the second, and when the 3rd came out a friend convinced me to watch the first 2 with him, and he was right. I liked it a lot more on video, and over the next few movies (part 6 especially) grew into a big fan of the convoluted continuity of the series. Too bad about 7, though. That one is still a garbage movie.

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    1. I love Oscar, and had almost the exact same experience with the Saw franchise. Twinsies.

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  8. In every genre, even the sillier and less respectable ones, there are a few standouts. So while I've only seen it once on a plane, I'm here to say that, in the annals of absurd high concept romcoms, 27 Dresses is actually a terrifically enjoyable movie that, as a bonus, actually isn't utterly demeaning to women. (You hear that, Knocked Up? Having one great Harold Ramis scene doesn't mean you're not deeply mean-spirited, and terrible.) Cyclops makes for a charming romantic lead, and, say what you like about her as a person, Katherine Heigl is a truly luminous screen presence; it's easy to imagine Hitchcock making a masterpiece with her back in the day. It tends to be lumped in with the rest of her awful romcom filmography, but it's much better than that.

    Also, Celeste and Jesse Forever is great.

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  9. One of my closest friends swears by Last Action Hero. I saw it when it came out and didn't like it but after hearing his thoughts on the movie, I am planning to revisit it.

    I also think that "Made" is absolutely hilarious. People expected Swingers Pt.2 and that, it was not. Yes, Vince Vaughan was annoying, but I felt that's what his character was supposed to be. He was an asshole and that came across perfectly onscreen. The only problem I have with the film is Puffy. He is an awful actor.

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    1. I dont get the last action hero hate, its a great movie! not so much Made

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  10. Law Abiding Citizen. It was slammed when it came out for its violence and completely absurd story, yet when I watched it the first time a couple of months ago, I actually had a blast with it. The kills you got in there were pretty cool and I thought that both Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx play off each other very well so that way I think people may need to see this film with a different perspective.

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  11. I need to give pretty much any movie about the dying aristocracy another chance. I know there are deep messages and permeating themes in The Rules of the Game and The Leopard, but rich people giving sad looks for two and a half hours is more homework than an enlightening cinematic experience.

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  12. Out of the Furnace. I feel like people either didn't see it or forgot about because of awards season, but I think every performance is great, some moments are really intense and well-done, and it works all around

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  13. Charlie Kaufman's Human Nature is a very interesting movie that I feel doesn't get enough attention. It's more outwardly comedic and wacky than Kaufman's other work but like his other work, it has a whole lot to say about alot of things.

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  14. For me its Freddy vs Jason

    While I will fully admit it doesn't follow hardly any of the continuity of either franchise (It looks like Jason was just hanging around waiting for Freddy to wake him up) but for a movie with the ridiculous premise of Freddy vs Jason fighting one another I think the movie is a lot of fun and the best we could have hoped for. Its not the best of either series but it clealry knows what type of movie it is and I appreciate that.

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  15. I've thought for a long time that Hulk (Ang Lee's version) didn't get a fair chance when it was released. I know it doesn't stay close to the source material and it wasn't wall-to-wall smashing like some were expecting, but I do think it is underrated by most.

    For myself, I definitely need to give The Deer Hunter another chance. It's not that I didn't think it was a good movie, I just wasn't enjoying it because I wasn't in the right frame of mind while watching it which kept me from enjoying it.

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    1. Hulk isnt a bad movie at all, its just not the Hulk.

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  16. I recently watched Tokyo Story in anticipation for my Film History Class' look at Japanese Cinema post 1945. I've never seen a Japanese film this old other than Godzilla, and had noooo idea what to think about it. It was just so different than any other film I saw before that I wasn't able to properly take it in as I was watching it. It's been on my mind weeks after I've seen it, and I intend to watch it again as soon as I go home for the summer break (I hate watching films on my computer monitors).

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    1. Please do. And, if you were to like it, please give director Yasujiro Ozu a couple of more cracks with "Late Spring" and "Early Summer," the unofficial companions to "Tokyo Story" as part of the 'Noriko Trilogy' (the lead actress, Setsuko Hara, plays a character named Noriko in each movie that is unrelated from one movie to the next; in fact, the same actors appear on all three movies and keep switching roles/ages/types throughout). Ozu is one of the best director discovered I've made in recent years, with a streak of movies so universal and yet deeply Japanese that jettison show-off camera angles and needless narrative tricks for an eye-on-the-wall peek into everyday character's everyday life. And, like you, Gorjan, it all started with "Tokyo Story." Give it another shot. ;-)

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  17. Her, I've only seen it once (yesterday) and I sat in the cinema staring at the ceiling, the curtains, the lights, anything to distract me from the guy on screen talking to himself. However now, I keep reflecting on it and seeing very relatable things in it. Gravity as well, I've just been highlighted to the whole rebirth subtext and I'd like to look more into that

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  18. I saw YOU'RE NEXT the weekend it came out and thought it was...fine. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, just thought it was a good movie. I watched it again a couple of weeks ago and something clicked. I loved it. I feel like I saw a different movie the second time around.

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    1. I really liked "You're Next" up until the last 15 seconds, which made me roll my eyes and sour the movie for me. I know people love it, but I didn't.

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  19. Oh and Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises (hate all you want). All films that I thought were ok when I saw them in the cinema, but now having gone back and looked into the subtext of each I have to watch them at least every 6 months. I love that Memento has this Online presence that expands the story and informs the lead character, I love that inception is so much more than "did the spinning top fall" at the end, with the whole movie making metaphor and I love that pretty much everything that happens in the Dark Knight Rises refers to the title, but all anyone really cares about is how did bruce get from the pit to Gotham in such a short period of time? answer? superman, he owed him a favour. lol tbh, its probably the same problem I have with ang lees hulk, it wasnt hulk, it was just a big green angry thing.

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    1. I like Rises more and more each time I revisit it (which isnt that often to be honest). I was really underwhelmed when I saw it at the cinema, but now Im able to put aside the odd emotional starting point issue and enjoy the grand scale epicness of it. When viewed as The Dark Knight part 2, rather than a stand alone movie, a lot of my issues with it are reduced.
      Its probably Nolan's weakest movie in terms of structure though, but still pretty good.

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  20. I keep thinking I need to give Sin City a second chance, then I hear the voiceover narration and realize I've made a huge mistake. Still the only movie I've ever walked out on.

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  21. I really hated John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A. when I first rented it back in the late 90’s because there was way too much comedy & it lacked the dark grittiness of Escape from New York. However, when I watched it several years ago, I finally “got” it. I loved how Carpenter was making fun of over-the-top action movies & all the broad performances are just perfect for the tone. Bruce Campbell, Pam Greer, & Steve Buscemi are freakin hilarious. Kudos to the late Cliff Robertson as the ruthless right-wing nutcase President. (I bet Vargas & Bromley loved that character.) L.A. still has one of my favorite endings in an action movie. It’s a choice that an anti-hero like Snake Plissken would make.

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    1. As a regular viewer of Fox News-as-taped-and-edited-by-MSNBC-and-The-Daily-Show-for-bit-sized-consumption I approve of Uncle Ben's portrayal in this movie. :-)

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  22. Remember when I didn't take random shots at people for their political beliefs?

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  23. I think I should give The Place Beyond The Pines another shot. My opinion of it now might be too overshadowed by the initial reaction of "how is this still going oh my god how many movies are in this." I spent the last 45 minutes honestly thinking the end was right around the corner.

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