Confession: Have You Ever Given Up On A Movie?

October 23rd, 2008

Inspired by the recent controversy surrounding Roger Ebert and how he wrote a complete review of the film TRU LOVED despite the fact that he stopped watching at the eight minute mark, it got me wondering.

Have you ever given up on a movie before the thirty minute mark by walking out of the theatre or turning off the DVD? If so, why?

As for myself, I have this philosophy that if I paid money for a movie that numerous people spend a good chunk of their lives making, I should at least have the courtesy to stick around to the end.

That being said (and getting off my high horse for a moment) I came incredibly close to walking out of the theatre when I saw HIDE & SEEK and THE RING 2. The former because I guessed the twist ending ten minutes in, but kept watching because I thought “It can’t be that. Only an idiot would write a twist like that thinking it’s still a fresh, original twist to have,” and then found out that an idiot had apparently written the film after all, then preceded to tack on twenty excruciatingly bad minutes after the twist occurred. The latter, because it was so bad, I was constantly aware I was a guy sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a darkened theatre watching moving images being projected on a screen. That’s a textbook definition of what a movie SHOULDN’T make you feel.

I’m also still shocked I sat through something as pervasively misogynistic as SHOOT ‘EM UP.

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7 Responses to “Confession: Have You Ever Given Up On A Movie?”

Michael Says:

October 23rd, 2008 at 8:56 am

The Thin Red Line on DVD. Absolutely couldn’t stand it. Oddly enough, my roommate’s parents said this is the only movie they’ve ever walked out on in the theater (and they go to a lot of movies).

Todd W in NC Says:

October 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 am

I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of a movie in the theater, usually because others are with me for the really bad ones (Silent Hill, Chronicles of Riddick), and the movies I go to by myself are usually pretty good or at least endurable. And I’ve probably regretted not turning the VCR or DVD player off sooner with some movies (Interview With a Vampire, Magnolia, Little Miss Sunshine, Half Nelson).

But, there’s one movie I absolutely couldn’t handle a second longer. Napolean Dynamite. I know some people love it. I couldn’t stand it. It was just too stupid and not my style of humor at all. I was extremely tempted to stop it at the 30-minute mark, but I decided to give it 15 more minutes since that was the exact midpoint of the movie. I couldn’t wait for the counter on the DVD player to get to 45:00. I’ll never get that 45 minutes back.

Oh, and I never made it all the way through Highlander 2: The Quickening either, but really, isn’t that true of all of human civilization.

Todd W in NC Says:

October 23rd, 2008 at 9:18 am

Michael, you must have been typing at the same time I was. I also agree with The Thin Red Line. Unfortunately, I was with a group of people for that one too, so I had to suffer through it.

The only cool thing I remember about the movie was a scene that looked like it was filmed on the deck of a real battleship. Otherwise, I only remember (1) a scene with some officer (played by Nick Nolte, I think) yelling over a radio to some soldiers to go up a hill for about 15 minutes, and (2) being annoyed by the voiceover monologues.

theREELaddict Says:

October 23rd, 2008 at 10:57 am

Funnily enough, back in high school THE THIN RED LINE was a movie I turned off about 30 minutes in because I was so bored watching it. At the time, and to this day, I wrote it off as me just not having been filmically mature enough for it, but based on both of your comments, it seems it’s been maybe for the best that I haven’t gotten around to watching it again (even though I love Terrence Malick, and yes, even THE NEW WORLD).

Todd, you are the first person I’ve “spoken” to who disliked LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE that much, or HALF NELSON for that matter. As for NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE, even though I liked it well enough, I totally get where you are coming from. If you’re not into it within the first 10 minutes, I imagine it’s a pretty excruciating things to sit though.

Todd W in NC Says:

October 24th, 2008 at 9:02 am

Little Miss Sunshine had some redeeming qualities, such as some of the cinematography, but I didn’t like the characters or the dialogue, and the plot was bad enough until the end of the movie when it went too over-the-top for me.

I suppose I can see why Ryan Gosling got an Oscar nomination for his performance in Half Nelson, but his performance was one of very few good things about the movie. And, I hated the artsy, anti-climactic ending. To me, that’s one of those movies that doesn’t have an ending — it just stops (kind of like No Country for Old Men).

Another film I would put in this category is Junebug. I had heard good things about it and was particularly intrigued because it was filmed right here in Winston-Salem, NC (where I live), and directed by a W-S native. It was torturous to sit through, even on DVD. I hated most of the story, the pacing was excruciatingly slow, and all but one of the characters was annoying. Amy Adams’s character & performance were slightly redeeming qualities.

If I’m painting a picture of myself as hating “artsy-fartsy,” Oscar-type films, that’s not entirely true. I like some of those kinds of movies, but for me, when those kinds of movies are bad, they’re usually horrible.

Paul Says:

October 27th, 2008 at 7:32 am

I’m very careful when selecting movies to see in the theatre (expensive evening these days) so I have never walked out but I have turned off a DVD. The most recent one not to make it past 30 minutes was 10,000 BC. I don’t think I made it past 15 minutes.

Mohammad Says:

October 27th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

I came close to walking out of the theatre when I went to see Ghost Rider. Worst Movie Ever.

The REEL Addict

Confession: Have You Ever Given Up On A Movie?

7 Responses to “Confession: Have You Ever Given Up On A Movie?”

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