c/no-filter-movie-takes

Serious question, is The Godfather actually boring or am I just broken?

I finally sat down to watch The Godfather last weekend after years of hearing it called the greatest movie ever. I found this stat online that said the first hour has like 45 minutes of buildup with no major action scenes, just slow dialogue and wedding stuff. I mean, I appreciate the acting and all, but I nearly fell asleep twice. On the other hand, my buddy says that's what makes it a masterpiece, the slow burn and character building. So which is it, am I missing something big or is it okay to think it's overhyped? What's a movie everyone loves that you think is actually kinda dull?

I finally stopped pretending I liked Blade Runner after that one film professor called me out

Back in 2012 at a community college in Portland, my film professor asked why I kept saying Blade Runner was my favorite movie. I admitted I'd never actually finished it without falling asleep. She said 'stop lying to yourself, it's okay to prefer The Fifth Element instead.' That comment made me realize I was curating my taste for other people, not myself. Anyone else ever catch themselves pretending to like a 'classic' just to fit in?

My buddy the film snob laughed at me for liking Armageddon and now I don't know what to think

He said it's just a Michael Bay explosion fest with no real emotion, but I told him the scene where Bruce Willis stays behind gets me every time. Has anyone else had a friend trash a movie you love and make you second guess your whole taste?

My movie projector bulb blew right at the climax of The Dark Knight

Last Saturday I finally set up my old Epson projector in the basement for a big Nolan rewatch. Got about 2 hours into The Dark Knight, right when the Joker is in the interrogation room with Batman, and the bulb just pops and goes dark. Total blackout, no warning, nothing. I sat there in the dark for a solid minute just staring at the ceiling. Checked the lamp hours later and it was at 4,200, way over the rated 3,000. Now I'm stuck deciding between a $300 replacement bulb or just admitting my home theater days are done. Has anyone else had a projector die at the worst possible moment?

Hot take: I used to roll my eyes at slow burn horror movies until one night changed my mind

I always thought slow burn horror was just boring, like nothing happens for two hours then a jump scare at the end. But my buddy Mark sat me down last month and made me watch The Witch with him at his apartment. He didn't say anything during the whole movie, just let it play out. Around the 45 minute mark when the goat started acting weird I felt this knot in my stomach that never went away. By the end I was gripping my couch cushion without realizing it. He just looked at me after the credits and said 'see, the dread is the whole point.' Now I get it, it's not about being scared it's about feeling unsettled the whole time. Anybody else have a movie that flipped your opinion on a whole genre like that?

Watched Titanic in reverse and liked it way more

I screened Titanic backwards at 3am last week and somehow the ship rising from the ocean and spitting people out made more emotional sense. Has anyone else done dumb editing experiments that accidentally improved a movie?

I keep seeing people call The Dark Knight a 'slow burn' and that is just wrong

Honestly, I saw it opening night in 2008 at a packed theater in Chicago and it was a roller coaster from minute one. People throw around 'slow burn' for any movie that has like 10 minutes of talking between explosions. The Dark Knight is literally non-stop action and tension, the Joker is in every other scene causing chaos. I think because it's deep and has themes people confuse that with being slow. It's not slow, it's just smart and dense. Have you noticed this with other movies too, where the description just doesn't fit what actually happens on screen?

Just realized my friend was wrong about watching the original before the remake

My buddy Mark swore I had to see the 1978 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' before the 1993 version. I watched the old one first and it dragged so bad I almost skipped the new one. The 1993 version stands fine on its own, has anyone else ignored this kind of advice?

Talked to my teenage nephew about Jurassic Park and realized I've been watching it wrong for 30 years

Hot take: I walked into a Cineplex in Austin and the popcorn machine hadn't been cleaned in a month

I went to see a late showing of Dune Part Two last Friday at the AMC on South Lamar. The smell hit me before I even got to the counter. Burnt grease mixed with something sour. I asked the kid working if they ever scrub the kettle and he just shrugged and said 'boss says it builds flavor.' I looked closer and saw a crust of black gunk an inch thick around the rim. Three other people in line turned around and walked out. I still bought a bag because I was starving and regretted it 20 minutes later. My fingers had this sticky film that soap wouldn't touch. Has anyone else noticed theaters just giving up on basic cleanliness?

Watched a movie with my grandpa who kept pausing it every 5 minutes to lecture me about the plot holes

It was during a screening of The Dark Knight at his house last Christmas. He hit pause right after the Joker's pencil trick and spent 15 minutes explaining why bank robbers would never use a machine gun that loud. Then he unpaused it, watched for 3 more minutes, and paused again to complain about how Batman's voice modulator sounded 'too digital.' I was frustrated at first but now I kind of miss his running commentary. Anybody else have a family member who ruins movies with their constant corrections?

Had a film nerd tell me my framing was 'compromised' - they were dead right

I was shooting a short on a GH5 and this guy pointed out I kept centering my subject in every single shot, which killed the tension. Now I actually think about the 2/3 rule and it made my last 2 scenes look way more professional - has anyone else had a random critique that totally changed how they shoot?