I usually don't do the best/worst thing. Opinion is so subjective and some people actually take offence - personal offence - when they like a movie someone else doesn't like.

But what the heck...

Mary Poppins - innovative special effects developed and used because the story needed it. An unexpectedly subversive main character (sweet? take another look - she's a real bitch), interesting, memorable supporting characters and a great use of a form unique to movies - the fantasy musical.

The Phantom Menace - state of the art effects but no story. No protagonist, no one to really care about (we already know the main character is going grow up to murder thousands of people) no one to identify with. But mostly because I was so disappointed. The writer took a great character and reduced him to sitting on a ship taking calls and doing blood tests for the first hour of the movie.

BTW - I know quite a lot about lighting, having worked as a gaffer and DP. What would you like to know?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

If you ask me what I think the best film ever made was, I'd probably tell you it was Citizen Kane, just becuase of the way it changed cinema and did so many things.

Now if you ask me what my favoirte film is, then Citizen Kane isn't on my list, even though it is a great film. My favoirte films include movies like
Once Upon a Time in the West- it's so stylized and well directed by Leone
Taxi Driver- Great script by Paul Schrader that gets into the mind of a sick man.
Drugstore Cowboy-Great acting my a young Matt Dillion with a good story and direction by a younger Van Sant

Also other films that I enjoy and think are great include movies like: Mullholland Drive, American History X, Reservoir Dogs, His Girl Friday, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Ragining Bull, Million Dollar Baby, Sin City, The Crying Game...the list goes on an on.

So if you ask me what I think the best film ever made was I'd say Citizen Kane for a number of reasons. If you ask me what my favoirte films are, I'd say the ones listed above.

quote:

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Originally posted by certified instigator

BTW - I know quite a lot about lighting, having worked as a gaffer and DP. What would you like to know?

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I'd like to know about lighting too. Could you just run through the raw basics real quick?

You really think The Phantom Menace is the worst movie ever?
Do you think these movies are better?

Glitter
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
Spice World
Kazaam
House of the Dead

my favorites include:
wicker park, sin city, identity, the trumanshow, lock stock and 2 stolen barrels, snatch... its the story thats gets me hooked, i think other elements(acting,music, cinematography etc) just compliment the story( plot dialouge and character motivation etc) although it has been said that Dialouge SHOULD compliment the visual and that all silent era movies (charlie chaplin, the pink panther cartoon..etc...)were the greatest movies of all time
Do you agree?
do you think that film (as an ART) is really about the visual thats complimented by the dialouge..?
or is it the otherway round? that film is a story (with big themes, metaphors..etc) thats complimented by the visual(symbols..etc)

metaphysics ... time and space

quote:

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Originally posted by MPW

You really think The Phantom Menace is the worst movie ever?
Do you think these movies are better?

Glitter
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
Spice World
Kazaam
House of the Dead

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Much better.

They each succeeded in their goal: showcase the characters (Power Rangers, Spice world), personality (Glitter, Kazaam) or theme (House of the Dead). I think all five of those films are terrible. But they are much better than Phantom Menace which failed to continue the characters, personality or themes of "Star Wars".

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

But they are much better than Phantom Menace which failed to continue the characters, personality or themes of "Star Wars".

Phantom Menace made a whole pile of money, was entertaining, and in my opinion set up Revenge of the Sith extremely well. I think they succeeded in their goals.

I think our definitions of GREATEST and absolute WORST film ever made are a little different.

I don't think any two people can come up with a list of what they think are the greatest and worst films of all time, becuase everyone is different and has different tastes. So, one person may love Phantom Menace, becuase he loves Star Wars and Sci-Fi films, where as another guy may hate Phantom becuase he is a fan of the horror genre and hates Star Wars. Everyone is different.

I agree strongbad. I happen to love Star Wars which is why I think Menace is the worst film ever made.

If making money is the criteria for a great film, then I would agree with you MPW. I happen to think it wasn?t entertaining because it destroyed three great characters from Star Wars and while it may have set up ROTS, I also think that movie is in the top five worse films ever made.

I think our definitions of greatest and worse are the same - I think we have different opinions on which films are the greatest and worse.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

I felt the new trilogy actually deminished the originals by turning the backstory depth into flat story points. I wouldn't say worst ever but that's pretty bad. Superman IV, Batman IV, Aliens IV were all criminally bad. Something about the fourth episode in a series just causes mediocrity.

Greatest movie ever made. I'd say Godfather 1 & 2. Yeah that's two movies but the second one compliments the first so perfectly that they seem like one and they seem epic.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA