"Bad" Movie Memories

[moira finnie]

If you visit here often enough, you probably already qualify as a movie fan, dyed-in-the-wool division.

I was just wondering though, are there any bad experiences seeing a movie that make you dislike whatever movie it was, for non-aesthetic reasons? Cases in point: bad dates at the movies, associations with sad circumstances around the time you saw a movie, or something that happened during or after the movie that made you veer away from ever seeing it again? Thanks.

[jdb1]

The first thing that comes to my mind is Fatso. Anne Bancroft's character reminds me so much of my mother, that I can't watch the movie without feeling uncomfortable, so I avoid it. The first time I saw the scene where Bancroft, angry that her brother has eaten some of a cake, screams at him and digs her hands into the cake in fury and rips it up, I had to leave the room. I'm not kidding. That's exactly the kind of thing my mother used to do. I don't find it one bit funny.

So I suppose that in general I don't like movies that feature cold, controlling mothers with bad tempers (like Mommie, Dearest.) When you've been on the receiving end, it's not a situation a healthy person would want to relive.

[srowley75]

I generally don't watch films about high school or college because high school and college (even my Master's years) were hell for me. Pure and simple.

And for the record, let me just say here and now that The Breakfast Club was in no conceivable way, shape, or form a balm to those who found the adolescent experience an exercise in torture. Rather, it reaffirmed that as long as you are cute, charismatic, and a huge horse's behind, you will never want for companionship or understanding; but if you're an ugly, awkward nonconformist, you will always be everyone's toilet.

Whew! Well, I feel better.

[ChiO]

Dear Herr Doktor Moira:

What a timely topic! I have two, with connections to just last night.

1. 1978. 4th year of marriage (not to the wonderful Mrs. ChiO). Not going well for a variety of reasons, but we are in that bizarre discussion mode that maybe having a child would be good. Go to see PRETTY BABY. When Brooke Shields is brought out on the platter at the brothel, it really hit us the wrong way. It was the first (and the last) time I ever walked out of a movie in a theater. And I have not watched a Louis Malle movie since.

2. Last night. Session #5 of a class at Facets on F.W. Murnau. It thusfar had come nowhere near my expectations. Screening SUNRISE, my favorite Murnau movie. Achieves what I heretofore considered impossible: makes Murnau boring. Go to Facets' rental department and buy a VHS close-out for $1.99: THE FIRE WITHIN by Louis Malle. Will I be able to watch it?

[mrsl]

Wife beaters.

Can't think of a specific movie right now, but after spending 11 years in that circumstance, there is nothing that makes me want to be 'entertained' by such a scenario.

People say, why doesn't she just leave without realizing those women are consumed by that enormous sense of unworthiness he instills in you. Also, if they have parents who don't believe in helping, as in my case, you are truly all alone, until you run into friends who are there for you. It's a terrible circle.

Anne

[charliechaplinfan]

Anne, I am so sorry you had to suffer in that way.

For me I hate the type of person who sees such problems as black and white. If it were that easy women would leave, some don't/can't.

Don't judge a person and their decisions until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I remember this quote from when we visited Graceland. Mrs Presley instilled it in her son. I never expected to take something like that home as a lasting impression but that's one of the things that stayed with me.

I don't have a bad movie memory. My mother did tell me about when she went to the pictures with a boring young man and watched a boring picture. She found a cord and being curious of mind pulled it, only to have the curtains open, sunlight stream in and patrons quickly retrieving clothing and buttoning up garments. She immediately shot an accusing glance at her date and made a quick departure

[MikeBSG]

I remember two occasions in which fights nearly broke out in a theater. One was "Birth of a Nation." Oddly, race wasn't the issue. Some people thought that since it was a silent movie they could talk in normal voice throughout the film.

The other was Almadovar's "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" and the nastiness was related to the subject matter of that film. I've never been interested in seeing another Almadovar movie again, which is probably irrational, but the movie and the audience turned me off.

Someone mentioned really disliking movies set in high school. I have to agree, with a few exceptions. I like "Three O'Clock High," "Heathers" and "Brick." Interestingly, all three treat high school as an arena for violence (although this is disguised with a lot of comedy). I roared when I saw "Brick" and realized that the assistant principal was played by Richard Roundtree, because it always seems to me that the assistant principal at the high school is always "the enforcer" on the school staff.

[stuart.uk]

Moira

I can't say I've been put of movies by the subject matter.

However, I was thinking recently about the Piper Alfa disaster in the North Sea of Scotland 10-yrs-ago last week, caused by an oil fire. I imagine relatives might be upset if they sat down and watched The Hellfighters with John Wayne.

Films about terminal illness might prove upsetting to people that have watched loved ones suffer. However, I think Champions where John Hurt plays a real life jockey Bob Champion who beats cancer and wins the Grand National is a potential inspiration to sufferers

I lost a mother to senility just over a yr ago, but I'd still like to see Julie Christie in Away from Her. However, the degree of the illness wouldn'd be so bad in Julie's character

I think The Queen was made at exactly the right time. If it had been made directly after the death of Diana it would have been seen as in bad taste. I also think the film played Elizabeth in a sympathetic manner, rightly IMO, but she and her family ten-yrs before had to go through a very rough ride after Diana died. I can see a time in the not to distant future a movie about Charles and Camilla, which would be popular. A few yrs ago that would have been unthinkable

I remember Chaplin said he regretted making The Great Dictator after he discovered news about the Nazi death camps. I think he was wrong, because he did still alert people to the oppression of the Jews and for that he should be applauded

Sorry If i digressed of the topic

[charliechaplinfan]

I know Chaplin felt he shouldn't have made The Great Dictator but who knew in 1940 the horrors of the death camps. I agree if we had knowledge of the horrors it would have been a gross error of judgement.