Directors and Actors that you can't stand? (Movies, too)

[littlefuzzy]

I've seen several favorite actors threads, favorite Disney directors, etc., so I decided to switch it up... I apologise if my opinions step on some toes by dissing some of your favorite directors or actors, but then it's only my opinion...

Name some directors or actors you dislike.

For me, directors named Anderson don't seem to do too well!

Wes Anderson's stuff is too pretentious, and he seems awfully proud of his dialogue and directing (within the films.) It feels like he is trying to draw your attention to just how clever that last line of dialogue was, or how awesome the scene was that he just shot.

Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't fare any better, I've watched Punch-Drunk Love several times, and it gets worse each time. I'm a fan of Adam Sandler, and he actually touched some new depths in his acting, but the movie as a whole left me with a sour taste. Some of the cast was pretty good, the story was quirky, but it didn't come together. By the same token, I never thought a movie about the porn industry would manage to bore me for what felt like 4 hours (Boogie Nights), even on fast forward (after I gave up wanting to watch the whole thing...)

On the other hand, Paul W.S. Anderson may not be considered an auteur, but you know his films are going to be entertaining popcorn flicks - Aliens vs. Predator, Death Race, Resident Evil, Event Horizon, etc.

For that matter, people all seem to think Michael Bay is a horrible director, but if that's really true, why have his films made so much at the box office? I've seen 5 out of 8 films he's directed (and I own the other three), all of them were entertaining. No, they aren't some great arthouse masterpiece, but they aren't intended to be that.

Actually, some of the Uwe Boll films I've seen have been more entertaining than Wes or P.T. Anderson.

Darren Aronofsky - truthfully, I've only seen Requiem for a Dream, which was complete DRECK!! I *MAY* take a look at Pi or The Fountain someday...

Clint Eastwood as a director - Mystic River, Unforgiven, and several others just don't do anything for me. Bird was ok, but really only for the music.

Now on to actors:
I really don't have a huge list, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman will always top that list. I can't stand the guy! First of all, he's not physically appealing (not that I find any man attractive), and second, his performances always seem like "I'll be in your pedestrian little movie, I could be doing Shakespeare, you know!" I think there's a feel of him "going for the Oscar" in a lot of stuff, too. By that, I mean instead of just giving a good performance, it feels like he calculates what will be most Oscar-worthy, at the expense of the entertainment value of the film. Frankly, I doubt I'll watch any film where he's the star, or even a strong supporting player (he was even bad in Along Comes Polly, and a jerk in Patch Adams.)

Sarah Silverman would be another, I detested her in School of Rock (although that was kind of the point), and I don't care for her stand-up show.

I'll have to go through my list of '1' rated movies at IMDB later, of course many are from the people I've already mentioned.

[Escapay]

I was talking about this with Disneykid earlier tonight.

I cannot stand Russell Crowe's acting. I'm sure he's a pleasant person in real life, but his acting really turns me away for some reason. It sucks because he's made several movies with Ridley Scott, a director whose work I enjoy, and because of my dislike for Crowe, I often have to avoid a Ridley Scott movie.

Also, I dislike George Clooney. Every role he's been in since his post-ER days always come off with a smug "I'm George Clooney, and you're not!" attitude. I don't like watching him in a role unless it's a big ensemble piece (like Ocean's Eleven) or he's opposite someone who can hold their own against him.

For directors, I never really "got" the Coen Brothers. But I don't dislike their movies. I just am not a fan of them.

albert

[littlefuzzy]

For directors, I never really "got" the Coen Brothers. But I don't dislike their movies. I just am not a fan of them.

albert

Yeah, I've only seen "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" which was ok, but the rest of their works don't really interest me. I might take a look at The Big Lebowski some day, and maybe The Ladykillers (I have the original with Alec Guiness.)

[slave2moonlight]

Honestly, I never liked Julia Roberts, ha. I know everyone loves her, but I just don't get it. I don't think she's a "Pretty Woman" either, ha, and it does always annoy me when a woman's beauty is constantly being talked up and she does nothing for me personally, but I also just don't care for MOST of her films. Offhand, the only one I really love is Hook, even though I have my issues with it and she is one of them. Ironic that she should be cast to play one of my top two favorite females ever, TinkerBell.

Okay, now the names and faces are coming to me. Here's some I just can't stand: Kathy Griffin, Janine Garaffalo (sp?), and Chelsea Handler. Griffin is just plain annoying, Garaffalo is a stereotype, and Handler just comes off as a cynical hag. That's not to say none of them have ever entertained me, but I just don't like them.

Of course, for a loooong time I couldn't stand Whoopi Goldberg. I think it is just because she was popping up everywhere, especially if you were watching something crappy.

Oh, and Penelope Cruz. What's the deal with her? She reminds me of a female chihuahua.

Now, I'm not trying to pick on women. There are a ton of males I can't stand, I'm sure, but I don't really think about males much, ha, I just avoid seeing them if I don't like them, and then I don't think about them. Whereas with females, I always have them on the brain.

A couple more come to mind. Though I sometimes like movies she is in, I can't stand Selma Hayek. Her accent drives me nuts and I don't really find her attractive, and her acting isn't that great either. And while I wouldn't say that I can't stand Angelina Jolie, I just don't like the idea of American "Royalty", ha. What's so great about her? I never figured it out. I can't even think, offhand, of any movies she's done that I really liked.

One male that does come to mind is Bill Maher (sp?). It's not even so much about disagreeing with him. I agree with him a lot of the time. I just hate his "everything I think is right and everyone else is an idiot, even on topics that can only be theory on either side of the coin" attitude. I just hate that obnoxious superiority, even when I agree with someone. It's one reason I quit watching Comedy Central for a long time too and am very careful of what I watch on HBO. They're both on the extreme Left, and that's okay, I lean in that direction, but they are overly obnoxious/preachy about it, and I hate that they seem to think the only sort of comedy out there is political or sex humor. Bill Maher is probably the worst though. And I know there are guys just as bad on the far Right, but I don't watch those shows so I have a harder time remembering their names, ha.

[dvdjunkie]

Uwe Boll should be at the top of everyone's "Worst" Director list. I defy anyone to name a movie that he has directed that was worth the film used. He is at the top of my list.

As far as actors go, I am not a big fan of Seth Rogen or any of Judd Aptow gang. However, that being said, I want to see "The Green Hornet" in January to see if my dislike goes any further.

[Lazario]

Actors
Will Smith - I say this everywhere I get a chance: back in the 90's, he made a huge deal about how he never cursed in his hip-hop songs or albums. Then, he does Men in Black and says the word "shit" at least a dozen times. He's a major hypocrite and after all these years, I still think he's a phony. He does the same thing in almost every movie and show he's ever done, he's insanely obnoxious. For the rest I think of him... just search YouTube for "Will Smith Howard Stern."

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - good call, littlefuzzy.

Meg Ryan - she was great in When Harry Met Sally, but after that, I have zero desire to see her do anything.

Owen Wilson - to me, his signature character is the show-off asshole-ex of Teri Polo in Meet the Parents. Everything else he does is the same as that, equally as full of himself, only... we're supposed to like him. ...I don't think so.

Carmen Electra - as though anyone would have to explain her inclusion in a list like this.

Mark Wahlberg - pretentious, touchy, no sense of humor about his past. He's like the younger, male, American, intense version of Hyacinth Bucket- he has to be in complete control of how other people see him.

Denzel Washington - same as many of the actors on my list, he does the same thing with every part he gets. Every role he takes is: "Denzel Washington As Himself As Someone Else." Also, he seems humorless. All his smiles and laughs look programmed.

Stacey Nelkin - I've only seen her in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but she absolutely ruined that movie for me. She is so robotic, she completely telegraphs the ending for you from the moment she appears onscreen.

The entire cast of Halloween 5.

[slave2moonlight]

Stacey Nelkin - I've only seen her in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but she absolutely ruined that movie for me. She is so robotic, she completely telegraphs the ending for you from the moment she appears onscreen.

Ha, that is the one Halloween series film I really love. Well, I like the original a lot too.

Anyway, to a certain degree I can agree about Will Smith. I just don't like people who are overly cocky, and I get that a lot from him. I like a lot of his work though and don't totally dislike him. I can see what people mean about George Clooney in this regard too. Kinda always want to give him a free pass because of "From Dusk Till Dawn" though, even though his character was a real cocky jerk in that one, ha. Loved the movie though.

Nah, the actor whom I most dislike for being a cocky jerk is Denzel Washington. That guy seems horrible in the interviews I've seen, and he acts the same in all the movies I've seen him in too...

Then, though they're not usually actors, there's also most country music singers. Mainly the guys, but likely a lot of the women too. As is often the case with the macho redneck mindset, cocky jerkness is thick throughout. I suppose you find that in most successful people, but I think it's worse here (it's basically really bad in any genre or culture that gives great importance to machismo, because that basically equates to being a cocky jerk). Then again, rappers and the like are probably way worse than country music singers. Look at what's his name who spoiled Taylor Swift's moment at the Video Music Awards? And, incidentally, Taylor Swift is one I definitely give a free pass to, ha. If she were only short, I'd be obsessed with her, ha.

Oh, and I have a really good one now: Whoever is behind those comedy spoofs such as "Date Movie", "Epic Movie", "Disaster Movie", etc... Those are just AWFUL! And I don't mean all comedies of this style, but rather, specifically the ones made by that group. They have no understanding of comedy, timing, etc... The only thing I will give them credit for is that Jayma Mays looked so mouthwatering throughout Epic Movie. But I really should be mad about that, because just for that reason I have got to buy it eventually to have in my collection, and it's so horrible. All those movies are.

[Lazario]

Oh, and I have a really good one now: Whoever is behind those comedy spoofs such as "Date Movie", "Epic Movie", "Disaster Movie", etc... Those are just AWFUL! And I don't mean all comedies of this style, but rather, specifically the ones made by that group. They have no understanding of comedy, timing, etc... The only thing I will give them credit for is that Jayma Mays looked so mouthwatering throughout Epic Movie. But I really should be mad about that, because just for that reason I have got to buy it eventually to have in my collection, and it's so horrible. All those movies are.

That would be: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. And... you know something? I hate the one film of theirs I've seen, but, I kind of like that they're around. Just because the reviews of their films are some of the most hilarious things I've ever read. Especially one of the Mutant Reviewers from Hell things on... Epic Movie, I think. http://www.mutantreviewers.com/repicmovie.html

[Just Myself]

I'm not big on Sean Penn. I liked his performances in Mystic River and Milk, but most of his other roles do nothing for me. He seems very "holier than thou" to me in real life. Same goes for Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Schwartzman.

Then there's the list of actors who I can't stand in real life, but enjoy their movies - Tom Cruise is the best example. His tirades in public have become borderline insane, but I still enjoy his films and his acting. Mel Gibson is another example; he's a detestable being, but I enjoyed his return to acting in Edge of Darkness.

Directors - Not many I dislike, just many that are hit-or-miss to me:

Darren Aronofsky - I loved The Wrestler, can't say the same for any of his other films.

The Coen Brothers - I loved O Brother Where Art Thou and The Big Lebowski, I liked No Country for Old Men and Fargo, and I hated The Ladykillers and Burn After Reading.

Cheers,
JM

[Goliath]

Oh, and Penelope Cruz. What's the deal with her? She reminds me of a female chihuahua.

Though I sometimes like movies she is in, I can't stand Selma Hayek. Her accent drives me nuts and I don't really find her attractive, and her acting isn't that great either.

(Yes, three times!) Two of the most gorgeous women in the world, and you reduce them to... chihuahua's?

*says to himself: "everybody has different tastes" a couple of hundred times*

Nope, still don't get it.


About Bill Maher and that other person you didn't name but kept talking about: did you mean Jon Stewart? To say they're both part of "the extreme left" is extremely short-sighted. No offense (really!), but two comedians who equally bash the Republicans and the Democrats; Fox News and MSNBC; the hard-right and the hard-left, can't be part of "the extreme left", in my opinion. I think some people in the media who feel they need to 'label' everybody have put on that label onto Maher and Stewart.

One reason why I do like Maher, is because of -what you describe as- that 'arrogant' attitude. I think that's because the position he takes in a lot of topics can be considered as 'radical' to mainsteam media standards (they're not radical at all in reality), and people who share these positions are generally not featured in mainstream American media. And if you, on rare occasions, do get to hear Ralph Nader or Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich, they're treated like buffoons, for saying thing that go against the media's 'common sense'. I think that's why Maher has that attitude of 'I won't be bullied into submission'.

[slave2moonlight]

(Yes, three times!) Two of the most gorgeous women in the world, and you reduce them to... chihuahua's?

*says to himself: "everybody has different tastes" a couple of hundred times*

Nope, still don't get it.


About Bill Maher and that other person you didn't name but kept talking about: did you mean Jon Stewart? To say they're both part of "the extreme left" is extremely short-sighted. No offense (really!), but two comedians who equally bash the Republicans and the Democrats; Fox News and MSNBC; the hard-right and the hard-left, can't be part of "the extreme left", in my opinion. I think some people in the media who feel they need to 'label' everybody have put on that label onto Maher and Stewart.

One reason why I do like Maher, is because of -what you describe as- that 'arrogant' attitude. I think that's because the position he takes in a lot of topics can be considered as 'radical' to mainsteam media standards (they're not radical at all in reality), and people who share these positions are generally not featured in mainstream American media. And if you, on rare occasions, do get to hear Ralph Nader or Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich, they're treated like buffoons, for saying thing that go against the media's 'common sense'. I think that's why Maher has that attitude of 'I won't be bullied into submission'.

Ha, the chihuahua thing was specifically about Cruz.

As for my talking about a certain other person, did I? I think I just said Comedy Central in general. I think the argument that is often made about bashing democrats and republicans equally is a cop out. It hardly comes off as equal, and hardly with the same spirit. Perhaps when one leans towards the side the commentators are on, it is harder to see that. And I say all this, again, as someone who leans more on their side for most issues. It's not that they (clearly, in my opinion) are on one side of the issue and express it that I don't like, I just get tired of the overly arrogant way in which they sometimes express it, and I get more annoyed when an entire network seems to be taking a side. Comedy Central has had shows like Blue Collar TV and Tough Crowd before, but such shows are rare and don't last long. Not that I care that much, I guess just not enough right-wingers watch comedy stuff (I don't doubt that, as they do seem to have less of a sense of humor, but I thought they really loved those Blue Collar boys), but for me it just helped to mix it up a little so I didn't feel so much like the entire Network was preaching an agenda to me. If I wanted that, I could watch a religious network, or Fox news (which I also don't care for), or something like that. But, really, back to whether or not they are one sided, despite bashing both, I really don't see how anyone could miss how extreme left someone like Maher is. He may not claim to be a "Democrat", I really don't know, but even when they have the panel segment, it seems like the point is to gang up on the invited right-winger. This may not be the case EVERY time, but certainly most of the time. But, again, the only thing that bothers me is his "everyone who disagrees with me about anything is an idiot" attitude, that's all. Even if I agree with someone a lot, that is just not acceptable to me.

As for the idea that viewpoints of people like Maher are not shown in American media often, as someone who lives in the U.S. I think that's a pretty outdated statement. Maybe back when he was on ABC that was true, but I don't think that's the case today, or at least I don't think they are as "shocking" today. Still, whether I'm right on that or wrong, I don't think that is a good case for such extreme arrogance about your opinions. And one thing that really bothers me about those arrogant attitudes, I guess, is that they usually come from folks who spend a lot of their time taking shots at others for being arrogant about their opinions, which comes off as hypocritical to me, even from the person I think is right.

Incidentally, if you really love women like Selma Hayek and Penelope Cruz, you should move to the town I lived in all my life and just moved out of. The rest of Texas is full of girls who are just my type (though I'm probably too old to get any of them now), but the area I'm from was simply loaded with Penelope Cruz and Selma Hayek types, many with those same irritating accents, and I was miserable there. I have a theory that men are mostly attracted to types that seem exotic to them though, and for me the type that seems exotic, after growing up in that area, is the supposedly "All-American girl next door" type that Glen Keane described as a very average look when he was using it to design Ariel (also said it was the look of his wife; God, that made me so jealous). Nah, I tend to lean towards very American, petite, pinkish, preferably natural blondes and redheads with what Americans would call "having no accent" (like actors on CW shows). Basically, despite being half Spanish, I am rarely attracted to Hispanic women in general after growing up in a 99 percent Mexican-American community and never really feeling at home, but I WOULD make an exception for Selena Gomez or Jessica Alba (if she'd remove that mole, ha). But, when it comes to Cruz and Hayek, I do find them particularly unattractive, ha.

[slave2moonlight]

That would be: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. And... you know something? I hate the one film of theirs I've seen, but, I kind of like that they're around. Just because the reviews of their films are some of the most hilarious things I've ever read. Especially one of the Mutant Reviewers from Hell things on... Epic Movie, I think. http://www.mutantreviewers.com/repicmovie.html

Which one of theirs did you see? I'd take a wild guess that it was Scary Movie, but frankly, I actually like the first three Scary Movies and would never have guessed that they were from the same folks who did Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, or Date Movie. They are soooo different. The jokes are better, have better timing, they follow an actual parody plot. Sure, they have a few crappy moments, but they still are genuinely funny and feel more like real spoofs than reference films. One thing that annoys me about the reviews that come down on these guys, as much as I dislike them, is that they usually attack the Scary Movie films too and the genre in general (which includes classics like the Airplane flicks), while those are so much better and must have had someone else making decisions rather than whoever really did the thinking for Date, Epic, and Disaster.

[Disney's Divinity]

Meg Ryan

Owen Wilson

Definitely. Meg Ryan seems like a nice person, but all her parts are the same. That's the way it is with all rom-com stars of today. If you've seen Jennifer Aniston/Katherine Heigl/Julia Roberts/JLo/Drew Barrymore once, you've seen them a thousand times.

I also think Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Julie Benz are fairly bad actresses. I know there are a lot of fans of Buffy (which I haven't seen, btw), but, with everything I have seen her in, she's been terrible. And I don't dislike Stewart just because of Twilight (though that would be enough)--every film I've seen of her, she's a twitchy, mumbling character.

The only "actor" I can think of where I dislike their personality is Lisa Rinna. Mandy Moore also came across a little stuck up when I saw her on Ellen once, but I've liked a few of her roles (notably Saved!).

As for talkshow hosts, etc. Bill O'Reilly, Nancy Grace, and Tyra Banks are my "worsts." O'Reilly and Grace are beyond rude and mostly just idiotic. Banks comes across very self-centered, though she's probably an okay person overall. I've come to dislike Sharon Osbourne, too. Oh, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck is an annoying twit. Even Republicans don't like her. I don't know how a Survivor star ended up on The View. (Mostly I hate her for helping to mar Rosie O'Donnell's reputation by playing the victim)

Bill Maher does have an "arrogant" quality to him, but I've actually come to like him over the years. And I always thought Chelsea Handler and Kathy Griffin were decent (mostly because they're self-deprecating). Not sure why everyone hates them so much (not you, slave2themoonlight, I was referring to most other websites I've been on).

[slave2moonlight]

As for talkshow hosts, etc. Bill O'Reilly, Nancy Grace, and Tyra Banks are my "worsts." O'Reilly and Grace are beyond rude and mostly just idiotic. Banks comes across very self-centered, though she's probably an okay person overall.

Oh, god, I totally agree with all that. I particularly can't stand Nancy Grace.

I also can't stand Roseanne Barr, frankly. I just don't like her personality, what more can I say, ha. I didn't like the character she played, and basically wasn't she supposed to be playing herself for the most part? I don't know, but I really didn't like her.

And, I had thought of someone else too, but now I can't remember who...

Of course, I don't really "HATE" any of these people, I just don't like their personalities, ha. Well, I might hate Nancy Grace.

As for Chelsea Handler, yes, I can like her whenever she does the self deprecating stuff. Hard to watch her when those are the only moments I don't dislike her though. It's mixed in with so much mocking of everyone else. And, what's with Chewie? Is that supposed to be funny? That she has a pet dwarf?

[littlefuzzy]

That would be: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. And... you know something? I hate the one film of theirs I've seen, but, I kind of like that they're around. Just because the reviews of their films are some of the most hilarious things I've ever read. Especially one of the Mutant Reviewers from Hell things on... Epic Movie, I think. http://www.mutantreviewers.com/repicmovie.html

Which one of theirs did you see? I'd take a wild guess that it was Scary Movie, but frankly, I actually like the first three Scary Movies and would never have guessed that they were from the same folks who did Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, or Date Movie. They are soooo different. The jokes are better, have better timing, they follow an actual parody plot. Sure, they have a few crappy moments, but they still are genuinely funny and feel more like real spoofs than reference films. One thing that annoys me about the reviews that come down on these guys, as much as I dislike them, is that they usually attack the Scary Movie films too and the genre in general (which includes classics like the Airplane flicks), while those are so much better and must have had someone else making decisions rather than whoever really did the thinking for Date, Epic, and Disaster.

They are at the bottom of a list of six writers on Scary Movie, the other 3 movies just credits them for "characters", since characters from the first film are used in the other Scary Movies. They are billed on the DVDs and posters of their ____ Movie franchise as "From 2 of the 6 Writers of Scary Movie." Surprisingly, they DID write something fairly worthwhile in Spy Hard. If nothing else, I love the film for Weird Al's theme song!

[Lazario]

Stacey Nelkin - I've only seen her in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but she absolutely ruined that movie for me. She is so robotic, she completely telegraphs the ending for you from the moment she appears onscreen.

Ha, that is the one Halloween series film I really love. Well, I like the original a lot too.

Well, I would sure like the movie a lot more without her in it. (But I'm glad a lot of people like Halloween III. Most people don't but a lot now really do, it's making a comeback I've noticed- as is, shockingly, Friday the 13th Part V)

-

I agree with everyone (especially Goliath and Disney Divinity) who mentioned the conservative women talk / news show / book writer (type) personalities. And want to add:

I don't honestly see a use for them, whatsoever. They are held up as role models (I won't mention any names here, but at least one person on UD) by other conservatives because they're: young, attractive, and financially stable / independent (see: Wealthy). But there is more to life than those things. Youth passes. Beauty fades. And wealth creates paranoia, fear, and self-righteousness. Not to mention, the rich people end up in competition with each other. Like a battle between Godzilla and King Kong, where the people that suffer are the smaller ones they trample all over and are so apathetic, they never care. They brag. They strut. They pose. They make a career out of saying "I know what's right," and attack civil liberties and when exactly have they ever known what it was like to be the target of political hate? That is: before they decided to display their arrogance and ego in public and attack everyone they see as beneath them. Except for the jealous masses they cater to, they proclaim: agree with us and we'll make you wealthy too... How's that working out for all you conservatives here? Are you rich too, yet? They've got lots of schemes. Check them out for me, I'd like to know if they really work.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (...) fairly bad actresses. I know there are a lot of fans of Buffy (which I haven't seen, btw)

I almost said her too, just because I've never cared for her. And I hate the Buffy tv series. It's not all that bad but I absolutely can't stand it... except when James Marsters is onscreen. He is in my eyes the only saving grace for that wretched CGI-teen silliness - which yes is actually pretty well written but poorly executed visually (and I'm big on the visual). He's not only quite a hottie but a really good, skilled performer with a great comedic flair and a lot of class (despite the stories I've heard of almost Jack Ass-esque onset antics).

And I agree with you on Kathy Griffin (one of comedy's greatest talents back years ago, but she's also very socially relevant today) and Chelsea Handler, who is very funny sometimes and so is her trashy talk show.

However... on Bill Maher, I'd like to throw slave2moonlight a slight bone here and say, I've been avoiding Religulous because of reviews I've read from liberal type people that he didn't do such a good job on that movie. That it was marred (no pun) by his attitude during production. Which is one of the reasons - not necessarily in the case of Maher but with a lot of liberal commentators - that we have a hard time communicating with the other side. We see it as being so futile that I'm not sure I know of anyone who takes the high road anymore in political discussions and just makes a point without trying to look better than the other person when they do. Like gloating while you're arguing. The point you're making should be all you need to be better than the person you're arguing with. Anyway, that's what I heard was going on in Religulous. Maher's monologues / speeches on his show, on the other hand, are the stuff of legends in terms of quality and should be what we remember him for. I don't want to keep pimping George Carlin but, that was the guy who was famous for the attitude. And he earned it. Maher doesn't need to try to be the 'new' Carlin. Especially since he interviews other people. If you interview with an attitude... You're making some of the same mistakes as the Fox News mafia.

Which one of theirs did you see? I'd take a wild guess that it was Scary Movie, but frankly, I actually like the first three Scary Movies and would never have guessed that they were from the same folks who did Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, or Date Movie.

You know- I didn't think they had anything to do with the Scary Movies at all... But I realized I was only checking director's credits. I think the big thing that distinguishes Scary Movie from their garbage is that they were the least (credited last and everything) of a writing staff of at least 6 each time. It's sort of like... that band Kylmaxx, when they broke up and yet people heard they were back... and it was just the one woman from the original band with a brand new bunch of other people and the fans of the original found the new bastardization inferior. Hell, I'd venture at this point that they weren't even crucial to the Scary Movie series. I'm sure they were responsible for the worst gags anyway, at this point.

The one I saw was Epic Movie (but I did see Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2 - uncut - and half of the 3rd movie on, like, TBS).

They are soooo different. The jokes are better, have better timing, they follow an actual parody plot.

I think that's probably the work of the Wayans brothers. Keenan Ivory made that 80's goofball parody I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (a parody, of course, of the 70's, pimps, and blaxploitation / gang flicks) and I believe that got some pretty good reviews. So, if those movies have any tact whatsoever, blame Keenan and Z.A.Z. (though, we can't forget that they are also responsible for that piece of utter fecal matter An American Carol, the political equivalent of Friedberg and Seltzer's parade of idiocy, so there's no question that they're all dried up)

One thing that annoys me about the reviews that come down on these guys, as much as I dislike them, is that they usually attack the Scary Movie films too

Well, that's a matter of... a kind of shellshock that happens right when you've seen the movie for the first time. I was incensed when I saw Scary Movie. I had red steam coming out of my ears. Time has passed and I realize (with this passage of time) that I was a little too hard on it and it was a little funnier than I thought it was. I'm sure if these people watched Scary Movie again, they'd get it a bit more. Or maybe that's just me. I've gotten better with a lot of sick comedy over the past few years. I've even started enjoying some of the horror-comedies I dispised in the 90's (Jack Frost, Dr. Giggles). You're right that people do get high-nosed now about spoofs. But I know what they're going through. Don't know how they could snap out of it, though. Maybe once this trend is over. I think it will end. Since even the fans of parody hate Friedberg and Seltzer's... "stuff."

They are at the bottom of a list of six writers on Scary Movie, the other 3 movies just credits them for "characters", since characters from the first film are used in the other Scary Movies. They are billed on the DVDs and posters of their ____ Movie franchise as "From 2 of the 6 Writers of Scary Movie." Surprisingly, they DID write something fairly worthwhile in Spy Hard. If nothing else, I love the film for Weird Al's theme song!

I didn't read this when I wrote my response, so Little Fuzzy said it first.

I also can't stand Roseanne Barr, frankly. I just don't like her personality, what more can I say, ha. I didn't like the character she played, and basically wasn't she supposed to be playing herself for the most part? I don't know, but I really didn't like her.

You know, I still think Roseanne is probably the best and/or most important television show to ever air in America... but since I am getting so tired of it seeming (even to me, right about now- I'm so confused) like I'm telling the other person they have no right to disagree with me, I'll say that with 9 seasons of the same show with all the same basic characters, they're bound to wear on you eventually.

Some episodes of Roseanne and some scenes I seriously disagree with. And I think Roseanne the person is a big part of it. One moment was the episode in the 5th season where Dan gets her wedding ring resized as an anniversary gift and she goes on the warpath. They even make a joke after he tells her that he can't come in the house. She goes so over-the-top that even Jackie is kicked out and they're making jokes about what a fire-breathing dragon type person she is. I know they want to make the point that nobody is perfect, but the more she's in control and doing something responsible with that... the better she is (I'm telling you: it really is a brilliant show and I'm amazed every day how much substance they packed into so many episodes- it's resounding! It's like a ripple in water that just keeps going). Then, there's this silly little thing they did in the Christmas specials about Beverly not believing in God and Roseanne tells her that people with bad lives are the ones who should believe the most. The mother's concerns were valid and they kind of pushed them back to make a joke about Darlene being nice to Roseanne at the end as proof that there is a God.

Then, several episodes dealing with David. Dan, who as a person I have a lot of serious issues with (the character), is really made out to be an authoritative voice and they use Dan's heroic image to mock and belittle David constantly (like in the "Thrilla Near the Vanilla Extract" episode, and the "Snoop Davey Dave" episode). He basically becomes a joke, Dan says jackass things and still... he's unaffected, but David is made to be pathetic. He's made so weak, that at the end of the 5th season, they paint him as a leech who is sucking off Darlene's strength and then Roseanne has to do her Terminator routine and beat him down... But wait, isn't he already down enough? This is beyond realism, they're trying to make fun of sensitive, thoughtful heterosexual men (which frankly- we need as many of them as we can get). At least until Fred shows up in the next season. There's only one episode, in fact, where David wins in the end (in the fight with his brother where Mark messes with David's car and David messes with Mark's suit and humiliates him).

And... somewhere around the middle of the 7th season, they just turn Roseanne wholesale into a walking nightmare when she gets pregnant with Jerry. She starts attacking everyone, especially Jackie. But she also goes after D.J. and Dan. No, strangely I'm not talking about the episode where D.J. starts pulling his "rebellion" stunts (that was a great set-up). When Roseanne goes on this kick of "every man wants to control women." It wasn't only in the episode where D.J. (a little boy) has to tell her Dan just wants to be supportive toward the decision Roseanne makes, but also in the episode where Jackie and Fred come apart over her going out dancing with Pete, and in the episode where Becky and Mark start having marital arguments over discussions of sexism. There are very few general blanket statements the show could possibly make about men and expect them to hold true. So, bad jokes about "YOU MAN!" just make Roseanne look petty and hateful when she almost never is.

[Disney's Divinity]

Then, several episodes dealing with David. Dan, who as a person I have a lot of serious issues with (the character), is really made out to be an authoritative voice and they use Dan's heroic image to mock and belittle David constantly (like in the "Thrilla Near the Vanilla Extract" episode, and the "Snoop Davey Dave" episode). He basically becomes a joke, Dan says jackass things and still... he's unaffected, but David is made to be pathetic. He's made so weak, that at the end of the 5th season, they paint him as a leech who is sucking off Darlene's strength and then Roseanne has to do her Terminator routine and beat him down... But wait, isn't he already down enough? This is beyond realism, they're trying to make fun of sensitive, thoughtful heterosexual men (which frankly- we need as many of them as we can get). At least until Fred shows up in the next season. There's only one episode, in fact, where David wins in the end (in the fight with his brother where Mark messes with David's car and David messes with Mark's suit and humiliates him).

Not to get off-topic, but that's the only thing that's ever annoyed me about Roseanne, too. I get that they were probably trying to be realistic, in that men like Dan or Mark just wouldn't like David. And that, in some ways, men like David do have a harder time being active and outgoing (in careers and relationships, I mean), but I think they just took it too far. Even Fred, who comes in later, is always treated as very annoying and unlikable. But, besides that one flaw, I've always agreed that Roseanne is one of the best sitcoms that's aired--and just a good show in general.

But Roseanne the person does come off a little...what's that word...cantankerous? She's just very off-the-bar and crass, in an extreme way.

Oh, and I agree with Lazario about Maher's Religulus. That was a hard film to watch. Religion is always going to be a sensitive issue regardless of how you feel about it, and I think he just went about that film horribly wrong.

[The_Iceflash]

To me, Maher is no better than the Fox commentators. I don't care what anyone says but the "arrogant attitude" of his is not a good trait in the least.

[dvdjunkie]

I am laughing at all of you O'Reilly, Hannity, and Maher haters. They don't have an attitude, it is you, the uninformed that has the attitude. Truth in advertising is what you get with Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and all of the other Fox News broadcasters. If we would all listen to what they are saying, this country would be a whole lot better off. Don't bring politics or religion into this conversation, just understand what they are saying is what is truly happening in our beloved country, and those of you who can't see the forest for the trees, need to wake up and smell the roses!!! 'nuff said.

[The_Iceflash]

I am laughing at all of you O'Reilly, Hannity, and Maher haters. They don't have an attitude, it is you, the uninformed that has the attitude. Truth in advertising is what you get with Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and all of the other Fox News broadcasters. If we would all listen to what they are saying, this country would be a whole lot better off. Don't bring politics or religion into this conversation, just understand what they are saying is what is truly happening in our beloved country, and those of you who can't see the forest for the trees, need to wake up and smell the roses!!! 'nuff said.

Good one!

EDIT: I assume you meant to include Maher in that listening to him will make the country better? (Since you mentioned Maher haters and all) If so, I will quadruple the 's.