Why people hate popular films or directors?

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I should clarify the “snobby” comment from me earlier. While I do think there are some who are definitely like this, it doesn’t necessarily mean their views and opinions are irrelevant or invalid as a result.

It isn’t meant to call anyone out, and I hope no one felt targeted.
I have the same opinion as Fran Lebowitz, there’s nothing wrong with being a snob about things people can control about themselves and are not do with birth, etc.



Arofonsky's films seem to get a lot of respect here as far I can tell...I like Spielberg's films (mostly). He's made a lot of great films and some duds too. I don't care if other people hate his films.


Who's trying to remove people's opinions? You have the right to like and post about it! We all do. That's fair. You should never feel bad or apologize for liking what you like. If you're a Nolan fan, more power to you. I guarantee there's lots of MoFo's who like the same type of films as you do.


MarkF one of the most respected MoFos, who's seen more films than the rest of us combined, LOVES Jaws and other Spielberg films too...so you're in good company

Ezrangel don't worry about what others like. I love old Hollywood musicals, most people hate those, I say that's their loss
I notice many people have been put off by his "obsession" themes and think he's trash.

Of course i never did. Also, of course by looking at my pfp you can see i'm a fan of C.Nolan films

So you're not a Spielberg fan? Fair..

In fact I think these directors and movies get TOO MUCH praise.

Oh god, I’m one of these snobby people you’re talking about aren’t I ?

On a side note, Wrestler is the only Arronofsky movie I care for. I find the idea of putting him up with Spielberg or Nolan silly, in either fame or greatness. 80% of people will know who Spielberg and Nolan are. I doubt even 10% of people know Aronofsky.
Note: I wasn't comparing them by popularity but because they get flack recently due to their lastest films being weaker than the earliest.



I have the same opinion as Fran Lebowitz, there’s nothing wrong with being a snob about things people can control about themselves and are not do with birth, etc.
The trouble with that is that 'snob' is seen as a derogatory term. A snob is someone who elevates their tastes over others because they want to project themselves as better than the other person.

There are genuinely people who don't like blockbuster / big action / superhero movies because they abhor the toxic fandom that it brings to cinema, and feel the art of cinema is being lost through over saturation of the same type of profit over integrity style of film-making. I'd probably count myself in that bracket. If people want to call me a snob then I guess it's up to them. But they'd probably be missing the point.



I suspect that it goes way deeper than movies. Americans at least and possibly other varieties of humans, resent people who are doing better in life, money, art, religion and politics than they are, unless that person keeps a very narrow path that echos the ideas of the person doing the resenting. It seems to be a key life motivator in about 40% of the people I've ever met, needing to criticize people who are rich, popular or whatever, and who stray from The Path (whatever that is). It's really especially easy for movies and their creators to stray because actors, directors and producers are seen as rich, glamorous, good looking, articulate people who live in big houses, make lots of money and are famous and buy extravagant clothes for the Oscar ceremony, unlike the people who do the resenting who see themselves as hardscrabble but honest and therefore, truly virtuous.

I'd say that this is a constant in American life because that's what I've seen, but I guess that it's universal. Nietzsche wrote about it extensively, so it isn't even 20th century. Movies are just a little part of it.



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I suspect that it goes way deeper than movies. Americans at least and possibly other varieties of humans, resent people who are doing better in life, money, art, religion and politics than they are, unless that person keeps a very narrow path that echos the ideas of the person doing the resenting. It seems to be a key life motivator in about 40% of the people I've ever met, needing to criticize people who are rich, popular or whatever, and who stray from The Path (whatever that is). It's really especially easy for movies and their creators to stray because actors, directors and producers are seen as rich, glamorous, good looking, articulate people who live in big houses, make lots of money and are famous and buy extravagant clothes for the Oscar ceremony, unlike the people who do the resenting who see themselves as hardscrabble but honest and therefore, truly virtuous.

I'd say that this is a constant in American life because that's what I've seen, but I guess that it's universal. Nietzsche wrote about it extensively, so it isn't even 20th century. Movies are just a little part of it.

A certain book of Nietzsche?


I actually liked a couple of movies mentioned above - "The Usual Suspects" (saw it in the late 90s when a friend brought it over) and "The Wrestler", which I saw staying at a friend's place... However, all the "twists" movies after would probably annoy me, because I already saw it. I also wonder if I feel the same about "The Usual Suspects", a movie I haven't seen in 20 years, but loved it when I did.


I don't think people are attached enough to really care about someone who is making a ton of money. Why would they be jealous?


If a great movie is loved by millions, I don't think, "Well, they must have diluted their offering", but instead I think, "Hey, what a triumph for great taste".



A certain book of Nietzsche?


I actually liked a couple of movies mentioned above - "The Usual Suspects" (saw it in the late 90s when a friend brought it over) and "The Wrestler", which I saw staying at a friend's place... However, all the "twists" movies after would probably annoy me, because I already saw it. I also wonder if I feel the same about "The Usual Suspects", a movie I haven't seen in 20 years, but loved it when I did.


I don't think people are attached enough to really care about someone who is making a ton of money. Why would they be jealous?


If a great movie is loved by millions, I don't think, "Well, they must have diluted their offering", but instead I think, "Hey, what a triumph for great taste".
I haven't read Nietzsche for a long time, but I do recall him mentioning "resentement" (the translator's spelling) as a fundamental human motivator, what happens when the Will to Power is frustrated. In this context Will to Power isn't political but success and fulfillment in life. Ironically, his philosophy was co-opted and edited by the Nazis who pretty much exemplify the worst outcome of resentment.

Jealousy is a fundamental human dimension, whether we like that or not. They want to think that people are rich are "no better than the rest of us" but contaminate that with the idea that "they" got their riches by means that are not available to the rest of us and are full of greed, power and corruption. If we were still kids it would be, "Johnny got to go to the movies and I can't because I have to do my homework". When resentment gets the upper hand, things don't go well. Coupling that with a group of people who can be a target and it gets even more ugly, even when the coupling doesn't make any sense.

Film makers are an obvious target here since they are generally rich, glamorous, famous, go to the Oscars, get in the media, etc.



matt72582's Avatar
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I haven't read Nietzsche for a long time, but I do recall him mentioning "resentement" (the translator's spelling) as a fundamental human motivator, what happens when the Will to Power is frustrated. In this context Will to Power isn't political but success and fulfillment in life. Ironically, his philosophy was co-opted and edited by the Nazis who pretty much exemplify the worst outcome of resentment.

Jealousy is a fundamental human dimension, whether we like that or not. They want to think that people are rich are "no better than the rest of us" but contaminate that with the idea that "they" got their riches by means that are not available to the rest of us and are full of greed, power and corruption. If we were still kids it would be, "Johnny got to go to the movies and I can't because I have to do my homework". When resentment gets the upper hand, things don't go well. Coupling that with a group of people who can be a target and it gets even more ugly, even when the coupling doesn't make any sense.

Film makers are an obvious target here since they are generally rich, glamorous, famous, go to the Oscars, get in the media, etc.

I have all of his books, which I bought at 18, but it was a very difficult read.


There's a lot of directors who are rich, famous, etc., but who are well-liked. I do, however, spend more time trying to promote the underdog and the underrated. I started a thread about what movies we promote, and it seemed like many like myself could name their very favorites, but instead of the classics, I try to mention movies that didn't get a lot of attention since it would be redundant to mention movies many here either know or have seen.



I have all of his books, which I bought at 18, but it was a very difficult read.
There's a lot of directors who are rich, famous, etc., but who are well-liked. I do, however, spend more time trying to promote the underdog and the underrated. I started a thread about what movies we promote, and it seemed like many like myself could name their very favorites, but instead of the classics, I try to mention movies that didn't get a lot of attention since it would be redundant to mention movies many here either know or have seen.
I've long been a fan of both big and small movies, but for some people, the very idea of directing a movie, commanding resources and having actors on the big screen, a crew of technical people behind the scenes is so far beyond their lives that it teeters on the edge of resentment no matter what. Adding in politics, fame and glamour makes the wound hurt even more. Fortunately, many of us have lives where we escape from all that resentment, because it's toxic and self-reinforcing. I don't know whether I ever had the ability or ambition to be a Spielberg, but I don't lose a lot of sleep over it, so even though he has adulation, money and a long list of popular movies, I don't resent him for it. I just enjoy the movies as well as small, indie flicks and cheesy horror and go on with life.



Victim of The Night
I have seen plenty of Spielberg, Nolan, Arofonsky haters and people who don’t like their films.

Why do people need to attack or state their subjective opinion on a thing that is well liked by both critics and movies?

Same applies to the MCU, I am not sure how this applies.
Because stating one's opinion, even if it is not the most popular, is the basis of discourse? Which is what forums are for?



I have seen plenty of Spielberg, Nolan, Arofonsky haters and people who don’t like their films.

Why do people need to attack or state their subjective opinion on a thing that is well liked by both critics and movies?
I think that people have a different tastes and every likes something other. Various tastes are normal and obvious.
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I have seen plenty of Spielberg, Nolan, Arofonsky haters and people who don’t like their films.

Why do people need to attack or state their subjective opinion on a thing that is well liked by both critics and movies?
You're attempting to make a connection between individual people's opinions and the general consensus, though, and acting as though people only criticize popular movies merely as a backlash against their popularity, when most of the time there isn't much of an actual relationship between the two.



i feel very isolated sometimes in my opinion of films because i generally only have access to popular opinion. I appreciate it when someone writes negative reviews of films that are so popular because sometimes i just feel like a weirdo
That’s a pretty unusual take. You mean you feel isolated because you don’t like ‘popular’ films? What do you mean exactly re: access to popular opinion? You’re on this board, no?

No dig intended, I feel isolated 24/7 so was interested.



You're attempting to make a connection between individual people's opinions and the general consensus, though, and acting as though people only criticize popular movies merely as a backlash against their popularity, when most of the time there isn't much of an actual relationship between the two.
Well, to be fair, at times, there is. There is a sense among some people that purposefully dismissing all things popular makes you look edgy and art-house and ‘intellectual’. But not always, of course.

I have someone currently staying at my house who has so far dissed every single thing my family and I watched with the exception of Asghar Farhadi (conscious pick on my part due to the above), Nymphomaniac and Breaking Bad, which he also began to tentatively diss at the beginning due to its perceived ‘popularity’, before saying, ‘Oh, actually...’

It doesn’t feel genuine very often, but precisely as an attempt to assert one’s own refined taste.

P.S. to be clear: it did sound to me exactly like the ‘backlash against popularity.’



Because stating one's opinion, even if it is not the most popular, is the basis of discourse? Which is what forums are for?
Hate is based on preconcived notions and ignoring all stats that point about that "opinion" being wrong.

Like, I'm refering to the ones who disliked every single film of a franchise or director..

You're attempting to make a connection between individual people's opinions and the general consensus, though, and acting as though people only criticize popular movies merely as a backlash against their popularity, when most of the time there isn't much of an actual relationship between the two.
I don't see why people who criticize extremely loved films like TDK or Fight Club have to be "vocal" when saying it... i think a popular thing is more likely to get more flack than some unkown and obsucre indipendent film.

It seems like they're trying to be edgy, when all they got is an opinion in hand



@Ezrangel Do you have any movies you hate? or directors?
None. I dislike some Lynch films but on the other hand, I really like some, so would only rate him as hit or miss.

Don’t have any director yet. Not even Bay or Snyder.

As for films, the only one I could "hate" are the extremely bad ones. Like the last airbender or Batman and Robin.



Im not sure i understand, your asking why popular films are critiqued? Popular opinion dosnt make a film universally liked so people talk about it.



I do think theres a big portion of film viewers who are not going to be as harsh on films and just take it as a whole experience enjoying it for what it is. Seems it may be a big enough percentage to skew the vote but i might just be paranoid.



Victim of The Night
Hate is based on preconcived notions and ignoring all stats that point about that "opinion" being wrong.

I don't see why people who criticize extremely loved films like TDK or Fight Club have to be "vocal" when saying it... i think a popular thing is more likely to get more flack than some unkown and obsucre indipendent film.

It seems like they're trying to be edgy, when all they got is an opinion in hand
I don't even understand what your first sentence here is supposed to mean. Are you giving me the Universally Accepted Definition of Hate? And what are your "stats"? Box office? Most box-office is earned opening week and is actually based on marketing. Or a bad movie, like Suicide Squad, just inexplicably makes over $300M domestic alone when it should probably have never seen the light of day. Box office is hardly a metric of film quality. Critical reviews are all subjective and in the era of the internet, there are literally thousands of people out there being counted as critics who have no qualification for the title whatsoever.
And then quotes on "opinion" and saying that peoples' opinion is objectively wrong? That's not a thing.
So I don't understand your sentence at all.
And then this bit about people who voice an opinion being too "vocal"? What is this rant about, really?
It just sounds like you're cranky because some people didn't like some popular movies you did and said so and you're mad. So you started a thread about it?