I'll give you five. 1. American Beauty 2. American Beauty 3. American Beauty 4. American Beauty 5. Titanic
For The Matrix Trilogy, I've got to ask if you followed the story from the get go? It's complicated and may take multiple viewings to even understand the base of it. The first film is one of the greatest all time (#1 on my list), second was OK, and I didn't like the third. However, just because of how EPIC "The Matrix" (first film) is, I can't call the Trilogy trash. As for American Pie, it served its purpose as a teen comedy. Great movie at the time, IMO. Replay value out of this world. I can't even count how many times I've watched that film. I agree with the rest of your list, though. And I am stunned to find "The Shawshank Redemption" even being mentioned in a thread like this. But I guess a few people will say the same about my comments towards "American Beauty" so it's all opinionated.
Actually, I'm the only one it seems to hate Shawshank, but i concur with you on American Beauty as well.
Before I make an *** out of myself, are you from Australia or just live there? I ask because the movie is 'American Pie', and I could see how people from other countries might not get the situational humor involved. Granted, ****ing a pie probably translates the same in any country... except in a few South American countries and the Middle East... they'd burn you as a heretic for such shenanigans.
American Beauty is a classic movie, albeit it appeals to a certain demographic (suburban white America)
But the characters of the film argue this very same premise. Why is one man more important than the company trying to resuce him? Fubar. Many times they want to give up the search because they find it ludicrous. In the film, the President orders Ryan to be brought home because his brothers were KIA. This story was loosely based on actual events. I dont see how the premise is flawed at all.
You were saying Besides, you can't deny the performances of Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning in that movie. Plus it had one of the all-time great endings IMO.
I brand American Pie as low class humour, the kind of humour that takes little to no intelligence to understand and is aimed at a "dumb" audience. I feel insulted watching it I think for me, films have to have a little more substance, respectability and class. And, you know, I think you're right. it may just be a cultural thing. Our national pie being the meat pie, I think doing the same thing with one of those might just burn the thing right off
The first was definitely the best of the three. Was it the second or third one that had that weird mass dance scene that seemed to go on forever? WTF? For me it's the second and third one that bring it down. I got it at the time, only it's been so long since I've seen it that I've forgotten most of it. Keanu Reeves telling his multitude of fans that he wasn't going to respond to anyone unless they called him by his character's name kind of got to me too. Not that I'm a huge fan of his, I still see him as Ted Logan
Thanks for clearing that up. Its a cultural thing with a doubt. We Americans are definitely a dumb audience and expect nothing less than pie ****ing and poop jokes in our comedy. Anything more sophisticated than that and we get offended.
The ending is precisely what turned me off from the movie. It was sooooooo contrived. Its as if the filmmakers said this movie wouldn't be nearly close to Oscar worthy unless there's... Spoiler an unexpected death to the main character It just felt device-y, and overly so.
True, and I felt that somewhat at first until I remembered... Spoiler In the first line of the film Kevin Spacey's character says he'll be dead in year. It wasn't until I watched it the second time I realized he said that
Yeah, I guess, but that doesn't qualify the ending for me. See... Spoiler If he wasn't shot, and actually stuck with those changes he was making, then in effect, the Spacey at the beginning of the film would be dead. That would have been more powerful. IMO.
Well, that's not what I said but if you want to take it that far then ok. By "dumb" I meant "zoned out", "numb", the way one gets when watching movies they don't need to think too much about. They're orchestrated that way to be so obvious to make sure everyone "gets it". I can't stand British toilet humour either, and boy has there been a lot of that. I think it was Mel Brooks I heard say all you need to do is add a good fart joke to make people laugh. i.e.: You guys on this board are much funnier than American Pie is.