Titanic

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Poll question: Titanic

1953:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046435/


1997:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/

[MorningGlow]

1. I thought the 1997 LeoKateFest was one of the worst movies of all time

I was a bit of a Titanic aficionado, so I knew a lot of the real stories going in. I found them far more fascinating than the narrative that was front and center. I kept seeing bits of the real stories going on in the background, and I wanted to shout to Leo and Kate to get out of the fargin' way!

On edit: Although I voted for the "other" option as a negation of Cameron's mess, I prefer A Night to Remember. http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0051994/

[Orrex]

4. I'm not sure that it was one of the worst *movies* of all time...

But Kate/Lenny was certainly one of the worst love stories of all time.

The film as a whole gets points simply for the portrayal of the sinking. But the movie could have started about five minutes prior to the ice berg, and we'd have lost nothing of value.

[TZ]

8. I totally disagree with the bad love story bit--and I'm not a mushy person

Almost everyone I know IRL loves this movie, as I do. I also thought it was one of the most visually beautiful movies ever done.
Not quite sure why this movie gets bashed all the time.

[Orrex]

9. It gets bashed because of all the suck

The bored debutante who shuns the dashing but one-dimensional villain in favor of the street-rat with a heart of gold?

Puh-leeze!

I mean, it's no English Patient, and the execution of the production makes the 17-hour film worth watching, but the Kate/Lenny thing was the weakest part of the story.

[SKKY]

6. Worst of all time?

that's a bit harsh.

[MorningGlow]

10. I stand by my opinion

(insert arms crossed nose in the air "humph" smiley here)

I don't give props to movies that are visually arresting if there's no decent story as movies are, after all, a storytelling medium. And the LeoKateFest was as superficial as if it were written by a 9-year-old. Not my cup of tea. YMMV of course.

[SKKY]

11. That's cool. I personally thought "American Beauty" sucked...

...but it won lots of awards. Different strokes...

[MorningGlow]

17. Exactly

Definitely different strokes. I liked American Beauty. I didn't think it walked on water like the folks were saying at the time, but I liked it.

I will also come out of the film closet and say that I liked The English Patient. Which could get me drummed out of teh Lounge! :hi:

[jobycom]

13. 11 Oscars, 76 other awards by professionals and critics, and the greatest selling movie of all time.

Yeah, that doesn't mean you have to like it, but it's hard to argue that it was one of the worst movies of all times. For the overwhelming majority of people on the Earth who have any interest in movies, this one worked well.

And the love story is what made it work. Dozens of documentaries have detailed all the stories on the ship in so many ways that they are meaningless to most people. By creating a romance that highlighted class and economic differences as well as the human tragedy, the film made it mean something. It became more than a parable about tempting fates. Before that film, most people who thought of the Titanic thought only of the arrogance of the ship builders, the stupidity of the captain. It was one long morality tale, and the sinking was a just karmic justice.

Cameron made people feel it. They understood it. Not the history lesson, but the real story. And that makes people a little better, a little more compassionate, and that's a good thing in my book. I wish they'd make a film like that explaining what we did to Iraq. Maybe then people could care.

[MorningGlow]

19. ROFL like Hollywood always awards the most deserving films

Sorry, still gonna disagree. I've watched a lot of crappy films in my time, and this was one of the ones that had me longing for my money and two + hours of my life back.

I believe the opposite: the love story was what made it NOT work--for me, mind--I'm not going to speak for everyone. If I'm in the minority, so be it. But that superficial, childish romance got in the way of the other, more affecting, and more important, TRUE stories. Like I said, I was kind of a Titanic aficionado, and I knew the true stories. Seeing them played out on the big screen once again would not have dulled the impact for me--it would have made it stronger. There's no fiction that can trump a true story.

Cameron made me NOT feel it. Honestly, his take on the saga killed it for me. And I fear that now, when an entire generation thinks of the Titanic, they will not think of the hundreds of real people who lost their lives, but instead will think of Leo and Kate. What a disservice to those who died.

[av8rdave]

2. Didn't like either...I already knew what was going to happen at the end

Now when they make one where the boat doesn't sink, I'll be first in line to see it.

[no name no slogan]

16. Yeah, they almost get off the island, except that darn Gilligan f's it up.

Oh, and the perfesser makes a radio out of coconuts.

[JenaLaw]

3. no...A Night To Remember...

we need an 'other' option!

[BeachBaby]

5. GMTA.

I was just about to post the very same thing. :thumbsup:

[sarge43]

20. Yup. That's the one. n/t

[Lil Missy]

7. I won't watch it. I know how it ends. n/t

[no name no slogan]

12. Believe it or, I've never seen the 1997 version

I didn't go to many movies that year, and never rented it. Plus, that damn song beat out the totally awesome "Ms Misery" by Elliott Smith for best song at the Oscars.

And I've never had an urge to see it in the past 12 years, either.

[jobycom]

14. You should. Ignore the revisionism, it was an amazing film, despite the damn song.

[cordelia]

15. Other

A Night to Remember

[Danger Mouse]

18. Titanic, 1997...proof that people have no taste and will eagerly gobble up a massive shit sandwich.

[WinkyDink]

21. 1953, for sure. Young Robert Wagner, awesome Clifton Webb, sentimentality at its best!