A new theory on film

nyarlothothep

I have discovered something based on analyzing patterns, a film with the title American in it is automatically good. For example, American Beauty, American Psycho, American Mary, American Pie, American Werewolf in Paris, American Graffiti and apparently American Hustle. I saw the trailer for the last one and thought it looked iffy but reports are coming in that it's really good. So I just thought I'd point out that this is a really interesting occurrence.

o1s1n

American Pie is absolute garbage. So there goes that theory :pac:

Mickeroo

American Werewolf in Paris was awful?

nyarlothothep

o1s1n wrote: »

American Pie is absolute garbage. So there goes that theory :pac:

Was it though? Because it was a huge commercial success, had a breakout character in Stiffler and had numerous sequels, it must have had some magic to be so popular.

Myrddin

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Was it though? Because it was a huge commercial success, had a breakout character in Stiffler and had numerous sequels, it must have had some magic to be so popular.

Yeah, it was crap. It might have been a commercial success, but that doesn't equate to a good film

Links234

Once Upon A Time In America?

weemcd

American Gangster was a very good film.

I'd like to poke a hole in your theory, but it stands up at the moment.

A film buff will come along any minute now and list terrible films with the word American in them now tho.

poundapunnet

It's a common enough word though, you're bound to land a few good uns. There are probably an awful lot of good films with "Day" and "And" in the title too, or films with one word titles tend to be xyz; but I'd hesitate to propose a causal relationship. I think we need a maths person to plot this out :P

And American Pie is only a bad films by the criteria which it blatantly dismisses, on its own terms it's successful and not only in a commercial sense. Just look at how much worse the bajillion sequels are. (That said, really very much not my cup of tea, but there are very many films which are far worse in every sense).

PS: Films with the word "Shark" in them are almost universally amazingly awful

PPS: Add American Mary to the original list!

Balaclava1991

o1s1n wrote: »

American Pie is absolute garbage. So there goes that theory :pac:

American Pie is a comedy classic.
It is quite simply one of the funniest movies ever made and a cultural icon as well as a massive commercial success - it cost about $11m to make and earned almost $250m.
The filmmakers must have been doing something right if tens of millions of people went to see it, it is still quoted by college kids and millions have bought it or rented it or watched it on TV or online ever since don't you think?

Anyways here is a list of more great movies with "American" in the title.

American History X
American Gangster
The American
American Gigolo
An American Tail
The American President
The Young Americans
The Quiet American
How To Make An American Quilt
My Fellow Americans
American Graffiti

OwaynOTT

Team America, **** Yeah!

o1s1n

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Was it though? Because it was a huge commercial success, had a breakout character in Stiffler and had numerous sequels, it must have had some magic to be so popular.

Balaclava1991 wrote: »

American Pie is a comedy classic....
The filmmakers must have been doing something right if tens of millions of people went to see it, it is still quoted by college kids and millions have bought it or rented it or watched it on TV or online ever since don't you think?

The Spice Girls - over 80 million albums sold worldwide, grossing between $500–800 million between 1996 and 1998.

Michael Bay's Transformers - Grossed $709 million in 2007

50 Cent Bulletproof - 1.2 million copies sold.

Some films which flopped at the box office;

It's A Wonderful Life
Once Upon a Time in America
Blade Runner

Numbers mean nothing in an artistic sense. Some of the most puerile nonsense makes millions while work that is absolutely genius goes by unnoticed by many people.

American Pie is absolute junk, as are the sequels. Simple as that.

Vinz Mesrine

o1s1n wrote: »

The Spice Girls - over 80 million albums sold worldwide, grossing between $500–800 million between 1996 and 1998.

Michael Bay's Transformers - Grossed $709 million in 2007

50 Cent Bulletproof - 1.2 million copies sold.

Some films which flopped at the box office;

It's A Wonderful Life
Once Upon a Time in America
Blade Runner

Numbers mean nothing in an artistic sense. Some of the most puerile nonsense makes millions while work that is absolutely genius goes by unnoticed by many people.

American Pie is absolute junk, as are the sequels. Simple as that.

Behold the be all and end all of movie opinion right here folks.

poundapunnet

People like explosions and catchy tunes, on their own terms Michael Bay films and Spice Girl songs achieve their every objective. Obvi-fúcking-ously they're not as good as Lou Reed and Citizen Kane, but that's like saying my radiator isn't a very good fridge.

o1s1n

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Behold the be all and end all of movie opinion right here folks.

Why thank you. /takes a bow :pac:

poundapunnet wrote: »

People like explosions and catchy tunes, on their own terms Michael Bay films and Spice Girl songs achieve their every objective. Obvi-fúcking-ously they're not as good as Lou Reed and Citizen Kane, but that's like saying my radiator isn't a very good fridge.

I was simply pointing out that high grossing returns doesn't mean something can't be sh1t.

poundapunnet

o1s1n wrote: »

I was simply pointing out that high grossing returns doesn't mean something can't be sh1t.

I know, but sh1t can be a kind of subjective term like. Lensflare Abrams can direct a coherent action sequence like nobody else and Ihatecharacterdevelopment Lucas makes the best space westerns ever. what Michael Bay does, he does well, it's made him a rich man, more power to him.

e_e

*whispers* American Beauty is the most overrated movie ever. :pac:

Balaclava1991

o1s1n wrote: »

The Spice Girls - over 80 million albums sold worldwide, grossing between $500–800 million between 1996 and 1998.

I like my J.S. Bach and Boccherini as much as the next man but the Spire Girls were great. Four hot women in skimpy costumes and catch pop songs. What's not to like?

Michael Bay's Transformers - Grossed $709 million in 2007

The Transformer movies are great fun. Lots of crash bang wallop and some hot women thrown in for good measure.

50 Cent Bulletproof - 1.2 million copies sold.

50 Cent is great. I wouldn't call him Gustav Mahler or Richard Strauss but his music is fun.

Some films which flopped at the box office;

It's A Wonderful Life
Once Upon a Time in America
Blade Runner

They have made their money many times over since. There is nobody living today who doesn't love those movies.

Numbers mean nothing in an artistic sense. Some of the most puerile nonsense makes millions while work that is absolutely genius goes by unnoticed by many people.

Or maybe you are just a snob?

American Pie is absolute junk, as are the sequels. Simple as that.

American Pie is side splitting. It's hilarious. The sequels not so much but still great entertainment.

If you want to eat my liver with fava beans and nice Chianti. Fine.

Darkglasses

American Splendour best of the lot.

American Pie is one of the best silly comedies going. Some people hate that genre altogether, but I think it's a legitimate genre with a real demand. Beats the crap out of Van Wilder anyway.

TheIrishGrover

An American Carol
American Ninja/I/II/III/Kickboxer/Samurai!
American Wedding
Air America
America's Sweethearts
Made in America
American Dreamz(sic)

Truly you need to review your "theory" (Although American Samurai is actually awesome )

e_e

Balaclava1991 wrote: »

Or maybe you are just a snob?

Or maybe he doesn't like something that you like? No need for ad-hominems.

Balaclava1991 wrote: »

The Transformer movies are great fun. Lots of crash bang wallop and some hot women thrown in for good measure.

I'll never understand the people who defend these movies on those two terms. You can do so much better with both, without being given a headache too I might add.

e_e

I thought it was well established now that financial success doesn't mean a thing in terms of quality? By that logic you may as well call McDonalds the world's best restaurant.

Marty McFly

o1s1n wrote: »

American Pie is absolute junk, as are the sequels. Simple as that.

e_e wrote: »

Or maybe he doesn't like something that you like? No need for ad-hominems.

That tends to happen when people voice there opinions in such a manner .

For me I like American Pie as do many people they might not be everyone's taste but most films aren't that's the beauty of film and opinions.

Yea there not artistic in any way but there good easy viewing with the first one now nostalgic viewing for a lot of people.

poundapunnet

e_e wrote: »

I thought it was well established now that financial success doesn't mean a thing in terms of quality? By that logic you may as well call McDonalds the world's best restaurant.

Yeah but widespread popularity doesn't automatically mean a film is bad, and comparing American Pie or Avatar or something to Nil by Mouth or Blade Runner or whatever is pointless and misleading. To borrow your analogy it's like saying Mc Donald's is bad at making burgers because they don't serve whiskey.

Financial success doesn't have much of a relationship with quality, but there is a HUGE variation in quality amongst financially successful films, and there are well crafted, finely tuned popular films which people seem to dismiss on principle.

PS shut your filthy mouth about American Beauty :P:D

Mickeroo

I don't see why everyone is jumping in American pie when the OP mentioned American werewolf in Paris (even if it is most likely an honest mistake :pac:)

Darkglasses

I'd say a lot less people have seen it, I certainly haven't.

poundapunnet

Darkglasses wrote: »

I'd say a lot less people have seen it, I certainly haven't.

Just youtube the bit where he turns into a werewolf, it is a fairly stellar bit of special effects. Apart from that unless you have a particular fondness for campy-cult horror I wouldn't bother. And even if you do I'd watch it with a few drinks or something, I quite enjoyed it at the time that way, but I got retroactively annoyed that I'd watched it. And this coming from a girl who genuinely likes syfy movies like Stonado and Snowpocalypse.

e_e

poundapunnet wrote: »

and there are well crafted, finely tuned popular films which people seem to dismiss on principle.

Hmm not so sure about this. I don't see anyone outright dismissing films like Alien, Life of Pi, Inception, Lord of the Rings, The Godfather etc etc on account of them being financially successful. I agree with the rest of your post though.

poundapunnet wrote: »

PS shut your filthy mouth about American Beauty :P:D

brb I'm gonna go cry over a plastic bag blowing in the wind.

faceman

Didn't like American Beauty.

But I really liked American Buffalo.

biko

The main gripe I have with your reflection OP is that people like different things (besides the whole "the name decides how good a film is").

Mickeroo

poundapunnet wrote: »

Just youtube the bit where he turns into a werewolf, it is a fairly stellar bit of special effects. Apart from that unless you have a particular fondness for campy-cult horror I wouldn't bother. And even if you do I'd watch it with a few drinks or something, I quite enjoyed it at the time that way, but I got retroactively annoyed that I'd watched it. And this coming from a girl who genuinely likes syfy movies like Stonado and Snowpocalypse.

The effects in American Werewolf in Paris are really crap CGI from what I recall, I think you made the same mistake as the OP :pac: American Werewolf in London is the cult classic with the great effects (personally think its a brilliant film, but each to their own). Having said that, the sequel does have

Julie Delpy's boobs

in it.

poundapunnet

Mickeroo wrote: »

The effects in American Werewolf in Paris are really crap CGI from what I recall, I think you made the same mistake as the OP :pac: American Werewolf in London is the cult classic with the great effects (personally think its a brilliant film, but each to their own). Having said that, the sequel does have

Julie Delpy's boobs

in it.

I am making that mistake (hangover central over here) but I stand by my dislike for that film.

killing a werewolf with some kind of love bullet is a Twilight-level offence

and it feels like one of those films that you're not allowed not to like and I'm contrary about things like that, but the effects alone make it worth watching once I guess

But you've sold me on the sequel

Mickeroo

poundapunnet wrote: »

I am making that mistake (hangover central over here) but I stand by my dislike for that film.

killing a werewolf with some kind of love bullet is a Twilight-level offence

and it feels like one of those films that you're not allowed not to like and I'm contrary about things like that, but the effects alone make it worth watching once I guess

But you've sold me on the sequel

Did that happen? I just thought

they were regular bullets

!!

poundapunnet

Mickeroo wrote: »

Did that happen? I just thought

they were regular bullets

!!

Pretty sure

only someone who loved the werewolf could kill it, that's why that posh nurse had to do it

Mickeroo

poundapunnet wrote: »

Pretty sure

only someone who loved the werewolf could kill it, that's why that posh nurse had to do it

I never copped that at all, due a rewatch so.

wet_dog

poundapunnet wrote: »

Pretty sure

only someone who loved the werewolf could kill it, that's why that posh nurse had to do it

That doesn't happen.

She approaches him in the alley in the hopes that he'll recognise her, he snarls at her and the cops shoot him.

poundapunnet

wet_dog wrote: »

That doesn't happen.

She approaches him in the alley in the hopes that he'll recognise her, he snarls at her and the cops shoot him.

Goddammit how many goddamn films am I getting that mixed up with it's worse because I watched recently enough.

ArPharazon

What about American Ninja then?

biko

Tbh, it just shows how yanks will buy into anything with the word "American" in the title, and Hollywood knows it.

wet_dog

poundapunnet wrote: »

Goddammit how many goddamn films am I getting that mixed up with it's worse because I watched recently enough.

Well there is a scene where they talk about The Wolf Man, and David says that he thinks maybe a werewolf can only be killed by someone who loves them, and Alex just sort of laughs at him. But he turns out to be wrong anyway. It's sort of like how Jack scoffs at him in the porno theatre when he asks if he'd need to use a silver bullet to kill himself.