The "Titanic" effect: Do you hate a movie more when it's popular?

[Pale Blue Dot]

I'm going to say something extremely controversial here: "Titanic" was not a bad movie. It is a well-produced film, with great special effects that did a nice job of allowing its audience to empathize with the victims of the tragedy. The acting was also very good, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Billy Zane all giving detailed performances.

It also slapped on a very conventional, sappy love story, that seemed designed to inspire teenage girls to see it over and over and over again.

Overall, I'd give it ***.

The problem lies in that "Titanic"'s success is completely out of proportion to its relative worth. And that inspires a level of hatred among some film lovers completely out of proportion to its relative badness.

What I am saying is, you'd have to be completely blinded by hatred of the film's devoted following to say that it is one of the worst movies of all time. It isn't.

I think that this happens all the time. I recently saw "Napoleon Dynamite", and the same thing happened to me. It's not a bad little film, but I hated it, mostly due to the fact that there were many, many better independent films this year that did not inspire the devotion or box office grosses that this one did.

So, what movies cause you to be a victim of the "Titanic" effect? Or do you think I'm all wet?

[celestia671]

1. I liked Titanic too

But I understand where you're coming from. I felt that way about Armageddon. It was this huge blockbuster hit, but I felt that it was way overblown and way too long.

[supernova]

2. Only if I see it played to death

and commercials are on every 5 minutes.

[sendero]

3. I basically agree with you...

... but one of the prime reasons I hate the #$%@# movie is having to hear Celine Dion's maudlin, histrionic vocals emanating from every electronic device I own.

That song could make me hate ANY movie.

[Pale Blue Dot]

5. Maybe I'll address the "Celine Dion" factor in another thread....

:-)

[phrenzy]

6. I have to agree.

As much as I loved the movie at the time, I couldn't escape the theatre fast enough to avoid that horrible blight on such a beautiful score to a move. Talk about out of place.

[Catch22Dem]

Watch "Bucket of Blood"

with Anthony Michael Hall, Justine Bateman, and Shadoe Stevens and THEN tell me Titanic is one of the worst movies of all time. LOL!!!

[phrenzy]

4. Titanic Was A Masterpiece Of Its Genre

Say what you want, but for me, Titanic hit all the right notes. It made people cry at the theatre that I never thought I'd see cry anywhere.

Titanic was NOT produced to be the next 'English Patient' or 'Citizen Cane' - It was meant to be a simplistic and almost iconic view of the plight of the ship. Jack and Rose were proxies for the hundreds of stories of broken dreams that were undoubtedly made on that ship but could never be told in a feature film.

In short, Titanic was meant to be 'Schlock' in a way. It was meant to be corny, sappy and at times cheesey. Much like many movies that are considered 'Classics' by today's standards. If you look back on many epic movies of the past they look wooden and contrived by today's 'realism' standard.

Anyway, I saw it 3 times in the theatre and I was 27 at the time. I cried every time and I am one cynical MF.

This isn't to say people who didn't like the movie are wrong - Rather to remind people to judge things within the scope of it's intended result. Even if you think it is sappy and corny, it was a master of that. Similarly, you don't have to enjoy action movies to be able to be able to identify a great action movie (Die Hard for example)

[jonnyblitz]

7. the hype causes higher expectations. so when you expect more

you are often let down. that is what happened to me with Napoleon Dynamite.

[mcscajun]

8. No film, no matter how well-done, can ever live up to its own hype.

Titanic is the biggest example, but not the only one.

Comedies suffer more from this than any other genre. The more people tell you it's "hysterically funny", "I split a gut laughing", "it's a riot; best comedy ever", the more impossible it is to actually enjoy the film, IMO.

Titanic was a decent enough movie; and would have been better without a huge love plot. Yet, The Boat Sank, Get Over It.

[El Fuego]

9. No I truly hated Titantic on it's on merit (n/t)

[Ramsey]

10. Absolutely

The more unworthy praise a movie (or movie star for that matter) receives, the less likely I am to be interested in it, and the more critical I am likely to be.

Titanic? I'd give it ** at most. I really hate Hollywood schlock masquerading as something good. Give me a real B-movie any day, one that revels in its own irony and makes lemonade out its low budget.

Kate Winslet was EXCELLENT in Sense and Sensibility; she was passably OK in Titanic. That makes all the difference.

But yes, undeserved accolades are the kiss of death for me. There are so many movies that fall into this category, but it is almost easier to name the undeserving stars, like Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts (although she's actually done a couple of decent flicks lately), recent Mel Gibson & Harrison Ford, and any number of others who just play the same damn character every time they make $20 million bucks for a starring role.

[Pale Blue Dot]

12. Winslet was also great in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

And, if you ever want to get really depressed, see her in a film called "Jude".

:hi: Did you get to see "Sideways"? Did you like it as much as I did?

[Downtown Hound]

11. Glad I read your post

because I was just about to post a thread stating that I liked Titanic due to all the Titanic bashing on DU. It was a good movie, pure and simple. Maybe it didn't deserve the Best Picture Oscar but so what? I've certainly seen worse movies in my life and I didn't feel like I wasted my money on Titanic at all.

[6000eliot]

13. I didn't hate Titanic because it was popular

I hated it because it blows. It had nothing going for it but its phony special effects. Otherwise, it was a cliche ridden piece of crap.