"Overrated" is overrated, ... Options

[expoised]

Seriously.

"I like Movies!"
"Movies are overrated..."


"I like Blahblah band!"
"Blahblah band is overrated..."


"I like school!"
"School is overrated..."


"I like life!"
"Life is overrated..."



I mean, EVERYONE says blahblahwhateverblahblah is overrated. Even I say it all the time. But really... Sometimes things ARE "overrated", but isn't it all a matter of opinion?

[NoSex]

In the category of film, I'll wordsmith - given the opportunity - whatever I feel is overrated. I love to talk about bad movies, just as much as I like to talk about good movies. I got cinephilia.

An overrated film tends to be a flick that's alright, but everyone shits bricks about it (i.e. "Best movie ever!"); when there ain't no bricks that need to be shat (i.e. The Usual Suspects, Scarface, Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta). You can't have an overrated flick without tons of people shitting bricks over it. And, you tend to have a flick that is more easily accesible, tends toward just a tad bit above mediocre, ain't anything too special, but has its charms. In a few cases, you have a film that is absolutely adored by people, but it's true trash, thru and thru (i.e. Crash, Passion of the Christ, Kids, Elephant). Or, maybe, people should be shitting bricks, but people keep shitting bricks far too large in proportion (i.e. Pulp Fiction, Donnie Darko, The Godfather, Fight Club).

"Overrated" doesn't have to be too strict a term, I don't think. But, generally, it simply means a movie that people rate higher than the film's own merits. Of course, whatever cinematic piece fits that description is subjective. But, I think we can, as understanding and communicative human beings, create a reasonable and respectable level of standards and set of values to judge most cinema on. This isn't a science, and everyone has their aesthetic tastes. But, I don't think that is any excuse for saying that Fight Club is the "best movie ever made." I'll write that one off to ignorance, although I could chalk it up to stupidity.

Either way, in the end, the overrated shit doesn't tend to be worth it. What's really interesting is the underrated films that pass under the short radar (i.e. Brief Encounter, The Elephant Man, Forbidden Zone, Gummo). Or, even more interesting, those underrated gems that slip right into the radar, hang out for a while, and then get the boot, always floating around being remembered as that movie that "wasted two hours of your life"(i.e. The Blair Witch Project, Adaptation, Hostel, Jackie Brown).

Overrated, underrated, whatever. When the vast majority of people assume the position of critic, and they start rolling out in the masses, eventually something isn't going to draw equivalent to your own sense. In which case, get ready to defend yourself, because there isn't a tyranny on aesthetic judgement any greater than the bored unanimous cry of, "Best movie ever made," or "Shit hole bucket of scum crap!"