big trouble in little china, john hughes and today fm

Bowlardo

Was listening to today fm today and they were doing a segment on old cult films. It was john carpenters "big trouble in little china". So the presenter went" from the maker of " and proceeded to list out some john Hughes films. The movie guy corrected by saying john carpenter but the movie guy went on to say he never seen the film.
Does anyone think it ****ing mental that a movie reviewer has not seen big trouble in little china. I admire his honesty in not seen this but it is taking the piss calling yourself a movie guy when you haven't seen this film....it's up there with Lottie Ryan not knowing who the stone roses are yet doing the entertainment segment.

Straight Edge Punk

I consider myself a bit of a movie buff but you would be shocked by some of the movies I haven't seen. Big Trouble being one.

Harry Palmr

Strangely enough even film reviewers can't don't and won't see everything ever made!

Bowlardo

Straight Edge Punk wrote: »

I consider myself a bit of a movie buff but you would be shocked by some of the movies I haven't seen. Big Trouble being one.

Your buffness has dropped 1 on movie buffer scale

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Strangely enough even film reviewers can't don't and won't see everything ever made!

John carpenter was on fire in the 80s Halloween, the thing escape from new york etc. It's a cult film. Any film reviewer that did not see this is a taking the piss .although I would let them off I they over 50 or under 30 but they guy on the radio sounded 40ish...he might as well have said he never saw die hard

Dubwat

I'm not a film buff but I did see 'Big Trouble in Little China' at the time. I wouldn't have thought it was a 'must see', tbh.

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?sort=moviemeter,asc&title_type=feature&year=1986,1986
IMDB have a list of the most poplular movies from 1986 and it's #10 on the list!

1986 was a good year for movies. Top 5 (in USA?) were Highlander, Stand by me, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Top Gun & Aliens.

Can't believe Manhunter only got to #17! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091474/)

AnonoBoy

Meh. Wouldn't worry about it.

It certainly wouldn't colour my opinion of a movie reviewer if he'd never seen it.

It's one film and to be honest, I wouldn't have thought it was really something that film critics would care too much about.

Sad Professor

I would expect film buffs of a certain generation to have seen Big Trouble in Little China. However, a film critic isn't a film buff. A film buff is just someone who loves movies. They haven't necessarily seen a lot of them. Many of them just watch the same films over and over, especially as they get older. If he said he had never seen Vertigo, Citizen Kane or Seven Samurai, that would be another matter. Critics should have a good knowledge of film history. As awesome as it is and all, Big Trouble isn't exactly Star Wars, is it? It's a cult film.

Arghus

I suppose it is impossible to have seen everything, but I would like to imagine that every film critic worth their salt has some appreciation for John Carpenter: He's one of the key American directors of the last 30 years and Big Trouble is one of his most beloved films. So if a film critic hasn't seen it my suspicions are a little bit up. Why haven't they and what else haven't they seen?

AnonoBoy

Arghus wrote: »

I suppose it is impossible to have seen everything, but I would like to imagine that every film critic worth their salt has some appreciation for John Carpenter: He's one of the key American directors of the last 30 years and Big Trouble is one of his most beloved films. So if a film critic hasn't seen it my suspicions are a little bit up. Why haven't they and what else haven't they seen?

I'd put Big Trouble somewhere in the middle of Carpenter's films. Six or seven on the list maybe.

If a critic hadn't seen Halloween or The Thing I'd worry a lot more.

Harry Palmr

I'd say there are only four Carpenter films that are must see for critics - Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and The Thing, everything else is optional with Elvis - the Movie and Escape from New York probably the next two most worth seeing. After that it's really pick and chose.

johnny_ultimate

As mentioned above, we're not exactly dealing with something widely considered part of the cinematic 'canon' here. As enjoyable as the film is, I definitely think someone could be incredibly 'well-watched' and not be any of the worse off for not having seen Big Trouble in Little China. As Sad Professor said, it's a cult film as opposed to one that has caused a notable shift in our perception or understanding of cinema (either as an artform or industry)

As an aside, having encountered plenty of film critics and indeed self-proclaimed film buffs, it's fair to say 'it takes all sorts'. I've met some people whose knowledge and grasp of cinema is completely humbling (although, like everyone, I'm sure they have some gaps to be filled!). I've met others who have devoted their careers to film in some shape or form and their awareness of film barely stretches beyond mainstream American film post-1970. And yeah, I've met professional critics - or at least reviewers - whose eyes would glaze over if you mentioned silent cinema or La Nouvelle Vague, let alone try to hold a conversation about 'em! While I for one would hope most people talking about film in the media would have at the very least a broad understanding of cinema history, that isn't always the case (not always a bad thing, of course, given the major variances in audiences).

Technocentral

Sad Professor wrote:

I would expect film buffs of a certain generation to have seen Big Trouble in Little China. However, a film critic isn't a film buff. A film buff is just someone who loves movies. They haven't necessarily seen a lot of them. Many of them just watch the same films over and over, especially as they get older. If he said he had never seen Vertigo, Citizen Kane or Seven Samurai, that would be another matter. Critics should have a good knowledge of film history. As awesome as it is and all, Big Trouble isn't exactly Star Wars, is it? It's a cult film.

I watched 10 minutes of it once, thought it was bollox, certainly not a must see.

0ph0rce0

I'm watching Big Trouble In Little China right now on netflix

What a movie :pac:

aaronjumper

I saw Big Trouble in Little China for the first time a few weeks ago.
I didn't like it.

As for him not seeing it, surely that would only matter if he was doing a review on it.

Tipsy McSwagger

Bowlardo wrote: »

Was listening to today fm today and they were doing a segment on old cult films. It was john carpenters "big trouble in little china". So the presenter went" from the maker of " and proceeded to list out some john Hughes films. The movie guy corrected by saying john carpenter but the movie guy went on to say he never seen the film.
Does anyone think it ****ing mental that a movie reviewer has not seen big trouble in little china. I admire his honesty in not seen this but it is taking the piss calling yourself a movie guy when you haven't seen this film....it's up there with Lottie Ryan not knowing who the stone roses are yet doing the entertainment segment.

I was listening to this yesterday and it was pure cringe, it was pure amateurish stuff with absolute zero intelligent discussion. The worst part was when they had some other idiot chime in saying Big Trouble in Little China Town is one of his favourites films. Personally I think if you call yourself a film critic then you should know the works of John Carpenter, since the guy reinvented the horror genre.

Bowlardo

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

I was listening to this yesterday and it was pure cringe, it was pure amateurish stuff with absolute zero intelligent discussion. The worst part was when they had some other idiot chime in saying Big Trouble in Little China Town is one of his favourites films. Personally I think if you call yourself a film critic then you should know the works of John Carpenter, since the guy reinvented the horror genre.

Thanks Tipsy. That was my feeling on it. The movie buff should know what they were going to talk about and surely to feck he would have a quick viewing of it. I'd forgive the presenter as he was only providing the filler for it.

I'm surprised the amount of people on defending the movie presenter. Fair enough that he never saw it but to not watch it when you were going to be doing a segment is amateurish.

Tipsy McSwagger

Anyone who disses The Thing hasn't a clue what they are talking about.

AnonoBoy

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Personally I think if you call yourself a film critic then you should know the works of John Carpenter, since the guy reinvented the horror genre.

They could know his horror work but still haven't seen Big Trouble.

I don't know the movie dude in question but some of the people they get on to review stuff on radio stations really don't have a notion. Sometimes it feels like they just searched for an Irish movie blog and hired the first suggestion that came up.

Having said that, not having seen one mid-range Carpenter film doesn't mean someone doesn't know anything about films.

Greyjoy

I wouldn't regard knowing Carpenter's work as criteria for being a film critic. Having said that the movie presenter on Today FM described himself as a fan of John Carpenter but then said he had never seen "Big Trouble in Little China" which made absolutely no sense to me.