Welcome back to the regular schedule. As you may have noticed my posts have not been as regular for the last two weeks. Not because I didn’t want to post, but simply because I didn’t have the time to prepare as much as I’m normally able to. Also had a week off from work so thought it would be nice to do the same for the blog (basically allowing me to do anything I want with my time (except for a couple of fun activities)). So I went to the movies last week and saw two very different movies: Boyhood and Sex Tape. Reviews of both those movies will be up soon (you might be surprised to hear though that I wasn’t as crazy about Boyhood as everyone seems to be).
But back to business, the question of this week. This past weekend I was looking forward to seeing A Haunted House 2. Yes, you are probably thinking why, but unlike most people I actually enjoyed the first movie and thought its humor was hilarious. So I sat down to watch it and within 20 minutes I knew this would be a movie I simply would not be able to get through. Almost all the jokes I was seeing weren’t funny and after that period I had to do something I almost never do: I switched it off. My question to you for this week:
What is the last movie you didn’t finish?
I usually finish films but sometimes, there’s films that are so fucking bad that you just don’t want to watch the rest. Grown Ups 2 is a big example. It’s like watching a loop of nothingness. It was never funny. It wasn’t entertaining. It really didn’t do anything. Watching paint dry had more life than this. I felt like part of me died watching that piece of shit.
But why would you start watching Grown Ups 2 😉
Well, I have this sick sadomasochistic tendency to watch bad movies just to see how bad it is and how much I could take it.
I gave John Carter a shot and 40 minutes in, I turned it off, the leading man Taylor Kitsch just has zero screen charisma and the story bored me to death.
I actually enjoyed the movie myself, but looking at all the negative reviews I know I am one of the few who did.
The last movie I turned off was Doctor Zhivago — just last week! — but for a completely different reason. It’s one of those classic films that I feel like I “need” to see at some point, but at about 20 minutes in I realized that I was just too tired and there’s no way I could sit through the full 3-hours-plus. So I figured it was better to turn it off and hopefully come back to it when I’m more rested and can try to appreciate it.
That is such a long movie, so you really have to know you will be able to get through it. Think it was a good choice to watch it another time.
Last one I didn’t finish was Once Upon a Time In America. Nothing against that film, but it’s just so freakin’ long. It was barely starting, and then I glanced at the runtime one more time and was like “NOPE”.
Although I have watched it in the past there isn’t anything I can remember about it. Might have to rewatch it.
Thankfully, I normally finish most movies, but a couple I haven’t been able to finish – Irreversible and My Blueberry Nights. Both different types of film, and both utterly awful for entirely different reasons.
Knowing what Irreversible is about I decided not to watch it. Haven’t heard of My Blueberry Nights, but I know I won’t have to see it now 😉
“Anchorman” was the last movie I walked out of. I already gave them my money, I was not going to give them any more of my time.
As for films at home, there have been quite a few. Almost all are films most people have not heard of since I screen films for two film festivals.
I never liked the first one so decided I wouldn’t bother with the new one.
I know there’s a more recent film, but the last one I can remember having to stop was Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I felt like I needed to watch more Woody Allen and people seemed to like that one. 20 minutes in and I had enough of all the characters.
Yeah? Watched that for the first time a couple of weeks back and although I understand your reasoning I actually quite liked the film.
Great question, Nostra! I’ve actually been thinking of starting a weekly question on my site too. If I do, I certainly hope you will check it out.
The last movie I stopped watching in the middle of (that I can remember) is the The Town. I just didn’t love it like all the critics did, and I found it to have a cliched plot with an over abundance of language. Great question!
Thanks Kristin. The Town? I am with the critics on that one but people can’t agree on everything and there are always some movies that are widely loved that you don’t love yourself. 12 Years a Slave is a recent example I didn’t like.
Oh wow, not a fan of 12 Years a Slave? That’s one movie I never want to see again just because of how brutal it was. Out of curiosity, what did you not like in it?
The last movie I quit on was Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I watched probably 30 minutes, realized that I had absolutely no clue what was going on and I didn’t even care, so I just stopped it. And I pretty much never stop watching a movie after I’ve started it. I’m sure it’s good, just not for me.
Yeah, although I finished watching that I had exactly the same feeling!
I do try to get through all the films I start. However, I do have a tendency to skip through films I’m not enjoying that have been recorded on television. Most of the time, I’ll finish the film though but maybe not in one sitting.
Yeah, but there are always movie that you know that aren’t worth it..can’t justify wasting more time on them.
I try and finish everything, but I switched The Dictator off after fifteen minutes. Terrible!
I can understand, if the humour is not your thing than I can imagine that switching it off is the best thing to do.