Current Events > There isn't a single movie I hate more than Requiem for a Dream

(+) Yeah! (+)

Generally I judge art by what its intentions are and whether it achieved them, the attention to detail, and the feelings it evokes. Most stupid blockbuster movies were meant to be stupid blockbuster movies, and if their intention was to make something lucrative that allows you to shut off your brain -- then I would say they're good or well made. I compare art to itself.

That being said - the only film that I think misses a million marks, and yet everybody gives it endless praise is Requiem for a Dream. Aside from the mother the acting was atrocious. What the fuck was that accent Jared Leto was trying to do? The screenplay removed all of the character building and emotional gusto of the book. There were tons of unnecessary and meaningless editing and camera techniques that added nothing and were simply done to experiment and seem more highbrow; aside from the fast cuts, which worked -- lots of the techniques like the random poorly done slow-motion and fish-eye lenses were so forced. The score was sooo bad and didn't fit the film at all; it started with the overly dramatic orchestral piece before anything dramatic even happened, and then during scenes of actual drama it played weird EDM that seemed jarring.

The most atrocious thing about the film was the poorly-thought out attempt at shock. The book had blowjobs for drugs -- the ass-to-ass was purely added in as an ill-conceived attempt at shock. Rather than actually being shocking, though - it instead made itself into a meme. Nothing in a film that's meant to be a serious analysis of addiction should become a meme, and this film shouldn't get a free pass -- nobody is out there un-ironically calling Silent Night Deadly Night 2 a cinematic masterpiece because of "garbage day!?" The ass-to-ass scene is easily as laughable as "garbage day!?" or "no bra, no panties" in Thirteen. Shouldn't that detract from the seriousness of the film that barely even takes itself seriously to begin with?

Instead of acknowledging all its shortcomings people act like Aronofsky is brilliant, and this film is actually shocking or sad. Aronofsky is not brilliant - at least based off of this film alone, and the film doesn't take itself or its characters seriously enough to evoke any sort of emotional connection that could warrant it being considered shocking or sad. It's just a literal piece of shit, and it makes me not want to watch a single other film from Aronofsky.

It was ok

---

spaces between the paragraphs or else i ain't reading

---

ess ta ess!

---

Great movie but everytime I watch it I get super depressed and wonder why I watched it

---

Youre full of awful takes today.

---

the ass to ass scene was pretty hot


---

bobbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

---

au_gold posted...

Youre full of awful takes today.

Did you even read my post? I pointed out lots of reasons why it's a totally shitty movie. My girlfriend was actually mad at me for making me waste her time by re-watching it.
EDIT: And I know you're also referring to my Thing post, since CE has the biggest hard-on for that movie. But I never said The Thing was a bad or poorly made movie -- just that there are dozens of critically acclaimed horror films that are better.

I don't hate it, but I will never watch it again
---

Yeah. I've seen that movie once.

I didn't think of it as especially shocking or thought provoking. I just thought it was boring and unenjoyable.

I felt nothing but contempt for most of the characters.

Hmm...

I'm not sure what film I have the most hatred for. Until last year, I probably would have said Jurassic Park III. But I rewatched it August and... it was bad. It was a bad sequel and not the soul-crushing, childhood-ruining trainwreck I remembered.

Esrac posted...

Yeah. I've seen that movie once.

I didn't think of it as especially shocking or thought provoking. I just thought it was boring and unenjoyable.

I felt nothing but contempt for most of the characters.

Thank you.
It's a waste of time for a film. If you want to watch a film that's actually as shocking or uncomfortable as people claim Requiem for a Dream is -- then you'd be better off watching In a Glass Cage, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, or a dozen other, better movies.

It's mediocre at best, and even that might be too generous.

---

FortuneCookie posted...

Hmm...

I'm not sure what film I have the most hatred for. Until last year, I probably would have said Jurassic Park III. But I rewatched it August and... it was bad. It was a bad sequel and not the soul-crushing, childhood-ruining trainwreck I remembered.

I don't think I've ever watched the Jurassic Park sequels. I remember seeing the original in theaters as a kid and liking it, but not loving it. People hating the sequels seems to be a pretty common theme, though - so I'm not in any rush to watch them.

I liked it, but been over a decade since I last saw it so who knows what I'd think now.

---

In my opinion, it was a product of its time. Kind of like movies like American Beauty and Juno.

---

bobbaaay posted...

I don't think I've ever watched the Jurassic Park sequels. I remember seeing the original in theaters as a kid and liking it, but not loving it. People hating the sequels seems to be a pretty common theme, though - so I'm not in any rush to watch them.

Incidentally, my wife and I just watched the original Jurassic Park a few days ago. It still holds up as pretty great.

The special effects dinosaurs still look great, considering they're from the early-mid 90s.

Funkydog posted...

I liked it, but been over a decade since I last saw it so who knows what I'd think now.

If you've matured then I'm sure you'd probably see more of its flaws. I know back in like '04 when I didn't know any better, I watched the film and kind of felt annoyed by the ass-to-ass scene and wasn't too fond of the film - but I thought it was competently made. Re-watching it as an adult I can assuredly say it's nothing close to competent.
Which is fine if you still like it. I like lots of stuff that's clearly incompetent. Just saying you'd probably be a little more keen to its shortcomings with age.

Prestoff posted...

In my opinion, it was a product of its time. Kind of like movies like American Beauty and Juno.

I can understand and agree to some extent. I remember when every single girl I talked to over AIM in High School had Requiem on her Myspace/Xanga/Livejournal/Blurty/etc. as a favorite film -- alongside stuff like American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Virgin Suicides, Fight Club, etc.
There's a strong early '00s feel to it that seemed much cooler and more hip back then. Just like all those quirky indie-comedies back then, like Me and You and Everyone We Know and the Science of Sleep, etc.

Funkydog posted...

I liked it,

---

I always thought a perfect song to fit that movie was Change by Deftones.

---

TC picked the wrong day to type out a wall of text.

---

TC, if it makes you feel better, nobody I know considers Requiem a profound movie. Its like we watched it, then blocked it out of our minds.

Shawshank Redemption and Good Fellas still hit the proper nostalgia buttons, though.

---

The old lady's story is the only good one. That one's pretty sad

---