Film that gave you the greatest sense of ennui.

[a_unique_person]

I think it is a toss up between the 'action' movies, like Die Hard II, and some of the arthouse films.

Die Hard II was just so predictable, that is, you knew it would end ok, and the baddies would die, and there would be several explosions and plot twists. Ho hum.

Contrast this with 'Scenes from a Marriage'. No explosions, or plost twists, but I was riveted the whole way through. Plus the camera shooting through the glass coffee table bit gave them a good gag to use in a comedy later on, whose name escapes me now.

For an arthouse film that failed, there was "Vagabond", 1992, for example.

This review from the IMDB sums it up for me too.



Summary: One of the few films I truely disliked.

One of the few films I truely disliked. It's basically about a young vagabond who drifts through life, constantly taking advantage of people, and getting angry when they ask for the slightest bit of thanks or respect in return. The is no explanation for her actions, and this uninteresting story is told in retrospect, which to me, makes it even worse.



I also couldn't stand the "Three colours Blue, Red or White". Enuui all the way.

[Wudang]

On the action movie front H*ghl*nder II. I think the script was written by a committee of AD/HD 6 year-olds all yelling "and then .... happens!!!!". Come to think of it, I've got a worse one whose name completely escapes me. Billy Zane is in it. Keep meaning to pop it in the microwave. Watched 10 minutes, 10 more in MEGO mode, snapped out of it and turned the thing off.
Zabriskie point?
Gone with the wind? No, I don't give a damn either.
Any yuppie angst movie, in which category I'd include "The Net".

[a_unique_person]

Wudang, Zabreiski Point. You are my hero. We were shown this in high school. The film they were meant to show us had the booking stuffed up, (this was in the pre video tape days, you had to hire film), so they got this instead. Even the teachers hadn't seen it. (This was at a Catholic College). We all watched it and thought, Ennui.

I was going to mention this, but I thought that about as many people would have seen it has had seen Vagabond.

Just goes to show that film making is just as much about luck as anything else.

Also agree about "Gone with the Wind". "Frankly m'dear, I don't give a *****".

[AmateurScientist]

Originally posted by a_unique_person


Also agree about "Gone with the Wind". "Frankly m'dear, I don't give a *****".

It is perhaps an idiomatic and quintessentially American story and film. Perhaps it is little wonder you did not enjoy it.

Frankly, few of us give a damn that you didn't like it.

AS

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by AmateurScientist


It is perhaps an idiomatic and quintessentially American story and film. Perhaps it is little wonder you did not enjoy it.

Frankly, few of us give a damn that you didn't like it.

AS

This gives you a certain sense of "Ennui"?

[Wudang]

Originally posted by AmateurScientist


It is perhaps an idiomatic and quintessentially American story and film. Perhaps it is little wonder you did not enjoy it.

AS
Nah, chickflick.

[shemp]

Another thread about ennui? Who cares?

[Glory]

Any romantic comedy with Jennifer Lopez. I am so bored with her.

The Hours. It felt like days.

Austin Powers. I lost interest in about 20 minutes.




Glory

[Psi Baba]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Wudang, Zabreiski Point. You are my hero. We were shown this in high school.
One of those movies that I've never seen but own the soundtrack record. I bought it for the Pink Floyd tracks.

[Mike B.]

Originally posted by a_unique_person

Also agree about "Gone with the Wind". "Frankly m'dear, I don't give a *****".

A-Fricking-Men

[Wudang]

Originally posted by Psi Baba

One of those movies that I've never seen but own the soundtrack record. I bought it for the Pink Floyd tracks.
That's why I went to see it. Trust me, stick with the soundtrack.

[billydkid]

The movie based on the Play "Little Murders". Felt extremely desolate afterward.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Die Hard II was just so predictable, that is, you knew it would end ok, and the baddies would die, and there would be several explosions and plot twists. Ho hum.
Here's something I realised only recently, just to show everyone what a sad movie buff I really am. ;)
In Die Hard II, the villain is played by William Sadler. In one scene, to teach the good guys "a lesson", he deliberately crashes a plane by resetting ground level, killing everyone on board. The pilot of the plane is played by Irish actor Colm Meaney. About a decade later, in 1999, we reach the last season of Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and William Sadler is playing the villainous Sloane from Section 13. In the end, he is killed by the concerted efforts of two of Starfleet's finest: Dr. Julian Bashir (played by Alexander Siddig) and Chief Miles O'Brien, played by... Colm Meaney! So, nine years after William Sadler killed Colm Meaney, Colm got his revenge on William Sadler! A case of "what goes around comes around"... or am I just a sad, lonely individual with too much time on my hands? :p

[a_unique_person]

I think you need to get out and smell the roses. Or change the TV to the gardening show.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
I think you need to get out and smell the roses. Or change the TV to the gardening show.
No thanks; I'm not that much of a pansy. :D

[Azathoth]

These leap to mind:

All the Vermeers in New York
The original Russian "Solaris"

[Psi Baba]

Originally posted by Azathoth
The original Russian "Solaris"
I had to watch that in two goes, as I fell asleep on the first attempt. And this from someone who finds "La Jette" (more of a slideshow than a film, it's the precusor to 12 Monkeys) exciting and "The Race for the Double Helix" (docu-drama about Watson and Crick, starring Jeff Goldblum as the ineffable Watson) absolutely enthralling.

Here's one: Incubus (1965) with William Shatner, the first (possibly the only) film done in entirely in Esperanto. I believe the Esperanto word "Enua" applies here.

[Thanz]

There was this one movie, but I can't remember the title because by the time I got to the end I just didn't care anymore. Oh well.

[Mr Manifesto]

Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Psi Baba
..."The Race for the Double Helix" (docu-drama about Watson and Crick, starring Jeff Goldblum as the ineffable Watson) absolutely enthralling.
Wasn't it called "Life Story"? Tim Piggot-Smith as Crick, as well.

[Psi Baba]

Originally posted by Kimpatsu

Wasn't it called "Life Story"? Tim Piggot-Smith as Crick, as well.
Yeah, that's what the IMDB calls it, but when I taped it from A&E it was called, "Race For the Double Helix." Ya gotta admit, "Life Story" is a dumb title for that movie. I get the play on words, but if you didn't already know what it was about, you certainly wouldn't guess it from that title.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Psi Baba
Yeah, that's what the IMDB calls it, but when I taped it from A&E it was called, "Race For the Double Helix." Ya gotta admit, "Life Story" is a dumb title for that movie. I get the play on words, but if you didn't already know what it was about, you certainly wouldn't guess it from that title.
I saw it on TV in Britain when it was first made, and "Life Story" was its title. Looks like that got changed on your side of the pond. BTW, if you enjoyed that movie (whatever you want to call it), try "Glory Enough for All" as well, which is about the race to determine what causes diabetes (i.e., to find insulin).

[demon]

Dr. Zhivago.
Saved only by "Lara`s theme"

[sackett]

Anything by Karl Dreyer. Make that everything by Karl Dreyer.

No, wait: anything at all ever even touched by Stan Brakhage.

I hear somebody yelling "No fair! Brakhage didn't make movies, he just hated celluloid and wanted to kill it."

[sorgoth]

Gosford Park.


How could the ACTORS stay awake? It was just so boring...

And 8-mile. Just. Horrible. I think about 40 people walked out.
NOTHING HAPPENED.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by demon
Dr. Zhivago.
Saved only by "Lara`s theme"
You're kidding! Dr. Zhivago was brilliant.
For a really boring movie, try "Iron Eagle II" on video. Best watched with copious amounts of alcohol, and naughty stuff you're not allowed to smoke except in Amsterdam. ;)

[Tony]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Gosford Park

...i'll think of more later.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Tony
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Gosford Park
We already know you have poor taste, but this criticism proves it. What, exactly is wrong with these movies?

[specious_reasons]

Any Gregg Araki movie.

Made the mistake of voluntarily watching "Doom Generation". Accidently caught parts of his other movies.

Everyone is so detestable in these movies, it's deflating.

[Glory]

Mars Attacks

I am surrounded by people who love this movie. I feel that when Tim Burton set himself to the task of making a bad movie, he succeeded. It wasn't even so bad that it was funny. It was the, IMO, the worst thing a movie can be. It was boring.

Glory

[BillyTK]

Ishtar, Attack of the Clones and Matrix:Reloaded gave me a terrible sense of ennui. And a numb bum.

[alfaniner]

Chicken Run.

I love most of Nick Park's work but for some reason just could not get into this one -- it took me three nights to get through the whole thing.


Vertigo.

Two hours of Jimmy Stewart walking.


What Lies Beneath.

Two hours of Michelle Pfeiffer. Walking. Very. Slowly. (Which to some people might not be all bad).

[Melissa Johnson]

Pelle the Conqueror.

The English Patient.

My Dinner with Andre.

[Ed]

Originally posted by Kimpatsu

Here's something I realised only recently, just to show everyone what a sad movie buff I really am. ;)
In Die Hard II, the villain is played by William Sadler. In one scene, to teach the good guys "a lesson", he deliberately crashes a plane by resetting ground level, killing everyone on board. The pilot of the plane is played by Irish actor Colm Meaney. About a decade later, in 1999, we reach the last season of Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and William Sadler is playing the villainous Sloane from Section 13. In the end, he is killed by the concerted efforts of two of Starfleet's finest: Dr. Julian Bashir (played by Alexander Siddig) and Chief Miles O'Brien, played by... Colm Meaney! So, nine years after William Sadler killed Colm Meaney, Colm got his revenge on William Sadler! A case of "what goes around comes around"... or am I just a sad, lonely individual with too much time on my hands? :p

Joe Pesci beats hell out of Frank Vincent in Raging Bull and Goodfellas and in Casino Vincent kills the Pesci character.

[KelvinG]

I could name a lot of movies, but the most recent one for me is "Kill Bill." What a pointless exercise in visual excess. Sure, stylisticly is amazing, but it left me totally empty, bored and annoyed. I won't be seeing "Kill Bill 2."

[Tricky]

Originally posted by alfaniner
Chicken Run.

I love most of Nick Park's work but for some reason just could not get into this one -- it took me three nights to get through the whole thing.
Well, you are pretty much alone in that judgment. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ChickenRun-1098064/) I couldn't stop laughing.

Boring movies that others thought were great? Number one on the list for me is Chariots of Fire. I fell asleep and was grateful for it. Remains of the Day was pretty dreadful too. I also concur on The English Patient. And frankly, I never could see what was so great about Citizen Kane.

Now I admit that these movies are well-crafted, but simply not my cup of tea. These shouldn't be confused with truly horrible movies which don't bore you, but rather make you want to retch, like for example, anything starring Jean Claude Van Damme.

[Melissa Johnson]

Originally posted by Tricky

Well, you are pretty much alone in that judgment. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ChickenRun-1098064/) I couldn't stop laughing.

Boring movies that others thought were great? Number one on the list for me is Chariots of Fire. I fell asleep and was grateful for it. Remains of the Day was pretty dreadful too. I also concur on The English Patient. And frankly, I never could see what was so great about Citizen Kane.

Now I admit that these movies are well-crafted, but simply not my cup of tea. These shouldn't be confused with truly horrible movies which don't bore you, but rather make you want to retch, like for example, anything starring Jean Claude Van Damme.

Some of those vomit-inducing movies are funny when you MST3K them.

[fsol]

Chicken Run.

Dreamworks.

[Glory]

Jane Horrocks made Chicken Run for me. (she plays Bubble in Absoluetly Fabulous) I can listen to her all day.

Glory

[HarryKeogh]

meet joe black.

i did meet him and never want to again.

also a midsummer night's dream (1999). if i had a length of rope w/ me in the theater i would have hanged myself

[pupdog]

"Day for Night" was pretty dull. Another contender is "Beau Travail"--the flyer said something about the French Foreign Legion, so quite a few folks thought it was a remake of "Beau Geste"--but it was really more a remake of "Billy Budd"...sort of. Sure, it involved the Legion, but during peace time; perhaps the highlight scene was of the Legionaires doing their laundry. I never saw so many people walk out of a theater.

[sorgoth]

Originally posted by Kimpatsu

We already know you have poor taste, but this criticism proves it. What, exactly is wrong with these movies?

I haven't seen Monty Python, but Gosford park was incredibly boring. I'm not saying that a movie needs action...it just needs SOMETHING interesting. Gosford park was incredibly boring.

[Ladewig]

Anything with Melanie Griffith (with the possible exception of "Something Wild" but I'm not will to fall on my sword for that opinion).

[Halbert]

Anything with Melanie Griffith Hey, 'Cherry 2000' is a campy Sci-fi classic.

[Ladewig]

Hey, 'Cherry 2000' is a campy Sci-fi classic

You are citing a film which required M.G. to be cast against androids in order to make her appear life-like.

Confession: I did watch the whole thing.

[espritch]

I personally really like "Chicken Run".

A movie I considered a real waste of my time and money was "Up in Smoke" by Cheek and Chong. Dumb humor without the humor. It blew chunks.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by espritch
A movie I considered a real waste of my time and money was "Up in Smoke" by Cheek and Chong.
Cheek and Chong? Are they any relation to Cheech (Marin) and Chong? :D

[espritch]

Whoa! Like, Cheek, you got a brother named Cheech? That's like...hey, is that peyote? :p

[Monketey Ghost]

Originally posted by Tricky

... Number one on the list for me is Chariots of Fire...

To this day, the only film I've ever walked out on... dull.

Almost left Matrix 2, but I'd paid ten bucks to see it at a midnight showing with a date.

Minority Report had its moments, but yecch.

[Fade]

Matrix 3 was hideously boring. Every single scene was too damned long. I could have easily cut out an hour of this movie and not changed the plot, or even THE DIALOGUE at all.

I nearly walked out of the theatre during The Hours. I was pleasently surprised that Meryl Streep finally figured out how to be believable without being VERY SMUG, but did she have to be a weepy lesbian? Aren't there enough weepy lesbians in this world? Anyway, only the "present" part interested me at all. The rest was just plain dull.

Dreamcatcher rankled me, in that the promotions made it sound mysterious and intriguing. Then, I get this lame too-long movie about a retard saving the world from something that fell out of a dogs ass. Lame.



I am surprised sometimes that the same American Entertainment Machine can put out such gems as Wit, and Fargo.. and then put out mind numbing crap right along side it.

[Tanja]

2001 Space Odyssey: very tedious and incredibly pretentious. I really don't like it.

I agree with the others about The Hours but I quite liked Gosford Park - although I admit I would probably like any film set in 20's England.

[El Greco]

It's funny because most people who have posted here are Americans and have not watched much European cinema. I would suggest to watch The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068278/), which will radically change your perception of time, space and matter :D

[TwoShanks]

Meet Joe Black is one very few movies to involve considerably more segments of "staring at each other" than dialogue, and left me deeply, deeply apathetic.

[Tony]

Originally posted by TwoShanks
Meet Joe Black is one very few movies to involve considerably more segments of "staring at each other" than dialogue, and left me deeply, deeply apathetic.


YES YES YES!!!

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Tanja
2001 Space Odyssey: very tedious and incredibly pretentious. I really don't like it.
The problem with 2001 was that it was based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story, so it was padded out in the middle with all those shots of weightless astronauts with a classical music background, to make the movie feature film length.

[Glory]

Originally posted by Kimpatsu

The problem with 2001 was that it was based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story, so it was padded out in the middle with all those shots of weightless astronauts with a classical music background, to make the movie feature film length.

The film and novel of 2001 were written concurrently. Both Kubrick and Clarke commented that it was an interesting and expensive way to do things. Kubrick didn't pad things out to make the thing longer. He took time to illustrate the reality of space travel even going so far as to show that it was, in fact, boring until something went wrong. He liked showing the mundanities of life in this very exotic environment.

I can say that I doubt the wisdom of intentionally using boring subject matter but I see what he was getting at.

Glory

[EdipisReks]

2001 is one of my 20 favorite films, along with Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver, Lost in Translation, Touch of Evil, Roger Dodger, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and about 11 others (this list is pretty subject to change, but these generally stay on it).

edit: oops, i forgot Casablanca, Beat the Devil, The Big Sleep, Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon which also are pretty permanent members of the list. yes, i'm a big Bogart, Huston, and Film Noire fan.

[nyarltep]

Crumb, the movie about R. Crumb gave me a tremendous feeling of ennui

[RSLancastr]

My daughter works at amovie theatre, and as part of her job, screens new prints of films (to make sure there are no sound problems, etc) once a week or so.

She has sat through some pretty awfjul stuff, but she walked out on her screening of The Hours. She told me later "it was the one movie that I literally wouldn't watch if you paid me."

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by nyarltep
Crumb, the movie about R. Crumb gave me a tremendous feeling of ennui

He was a very ennui type of person. Look at his family. I think his art was his outlet for the life he was born into.

[nyarltep]

i agree
his family was tragic
but his art was beautiful
it was wonderful to see the way he acted with his daughter