The best part of having cable movie channels for me is the ability to just “bump into” movies that you didn’t know you want to watch, which often leads to me remembering how good those stories were the first time around. A recent rewatch of 1999’s ‘American Beauty’ threw me for a loop, though, as the movie feels very different fifteen years after the fact. Sure, there’s still great power in the performances, even Mena Suvari’s jiggly nose-talking, and it still holds up as a viewing experience, but I had forgotten how literally EVERYONE in the film (save maybe for the Jims next door) is non-functional as a human being and kind of awful. Even Kevin Spacey, who holds the whole thing together, has moments of bastardry that are hard to overcome, leading me to cycle back and forth between loving the movie and hating every one of its characters every ten minutes or so, which leads us to today’s bilateral query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is also very conflicted on the merits of ‘Walker: Texas Ranger’ as well, mostly because of that theme song, asking: What pop culture do you find yourself loving and hating all at the same time?
3 Comments
Game of Thrones. I sometimes get too hung up on the small changes they make for what seems like no reason at all. Or when they cut things to make room for pointless sexposition, but it is HBO after all. This season in particular had some big changes to the characterization of some of the main roles. Ah well, the show is its own beast. They are different but still really good. Hence the love / hate.
Sons of Anarchy. I know it’s shakespearian roots make it riveting viewing but MAD GEMMA went too far last season. I really don’t know if I can watch the final season to see the devolution of Jax and co.
I have this type of love/hate with almost every comic-book movie adaptation. Even the Marvel stuff of late, which have been very good in quality, still kill me because some of the wonder and splendor and madness of the comics is inevitably lost when it is filmed with real people in the real world. The fantasy and magic just gets lost in it all.
Yet, I still keep coming back to watch, and enjoy many of the movies. Love/hate, go figure.