A few months ago I did a post on what I felt like were overrated movies.  Now I was very clear to state “these are not necessarily bad movies.  I just think they aren’t as good as they are touted to be.  Basically I was expecting to be wowed and left feeling blahhh”.  Meaning I was disappointed but not necessarily repulsed or miserable.  Save that for my post on movies I hate.

The response to my little movie post has blown me away.  I have 83 comments, and that’s just the comments that were postable.  Some were so over the top in their name-calling I did not approve them.  This is not a forum of free speech and if you can’t treat others with a modicum of respect I have no time for you.

The thing that amazes me is I’ve done posts about gay marriage, abortion, religion, politics and not gotten near the vitriol that a simple post on movies got.  Nothing else even comes close. IT IS JUST THE MOVIES PEOPLE!

To give you a feel of some of the comments I got both posted and not:

“i can tell that you know absolutely nothing about movies. giving and opinion doesnt make you an expert about films.”    Did I ever claim to be an expert on films?  This is just my personal blog for my friends and family?

“that perfectly demostrates that real art its perceptible only for few. keep sleeping kid.”   My response to this is if the movie/art is as good as you say it is why are you so threatened by someone who wasn’t even saying it was bad?  Art should be open to a variety of responses if it is good art.

AND WHY AMERICA DO WE HAVE TO THINK THE SAME WAY ABOUT EVERYTHING?

I was also told (along with my fellow commentators)

“You people all have the brain capacity of a roach.”

Another person said:

“This country has done nothing but breed sissy men and women for the last 30 years”   So now because I didn’t like the Dark Knight the entire country is to blame?  I am also in a tiny minority on the DK front so maybe others were educated in being more manly than I was?

You are “completely r@$%$$d”  (profanities to follow)

I was also told my list was ‘laughable‘ and that I was the worst ‘critic of overrated movies of all time‘  Here’s a thought- I’m not a critic!  I’m just a girl with a blog that writes about movies occasionally.  I have done nearly 700 posts in my blogging career and by my count 26 of them have been about movies.

I had to laugh when one person said I made them ‘cry’ to include The Graduate on the list (we actually had a delightful back and forth after that and I may give the movie another shot. )

Roger Ebert once said ‘I know as a critic I’m required to have a well-armored heart’.  He also said “In my reviews, I feel it’s good to make it clear that I’m not proposing objective truth, but subjective reactions, a review should reflect the immediate experience”

Thank you Roger.  It’s just my subjective reaction.  Why does that bother some so much?  Its not a truth carved in stone that everyone has to LOVE the Godfather.  What is wrong with thinking it was ok but a little slow?  Why is that so offensive?

I’d understand if you were in the movie, made the movie, wrote the movie but to be so upset over a simple opinion boggles the mind.

That said, I don’t want to give you the impression I was discouraged by the post.  Most of the 83 comments were constructive, insightful and interesting.  For that, I am overwhelmingly grateful.  If anything, I’ve been wracking my brain for other movie-related posts I could enter (oddly enough during this period I’ve watched little to no movies and none in the theater for at least 6 months).  Any suggestions of movie posts you’d like to read?

I welcome those with differing opinions, even strongly worded ones that say something instead of merely insulting me, my readers and/or all Americans.  One of the things I like about my roommate is she has such strong feelings on so many things.  Its fun to be around someone that makes you think.  I hope I do that for people.  I hope they say hmmm ‘I’ve never thought about it that way…’.

So please comment away but try not to cry.  It really is just a movie!  Relax!