What's All The Fuss About ______ Movie/Book/Game?
 

I'll start:

The Shining

So everyone seems to love this movie, but I think it's long and average. What's the big deal? Is the book better? What do you think about the story?

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I tend to look at the movie as a buildup to better things. Its a slow maturation of a guy on the edge of insanity. I like the choice of scenery, the creepy feel of the Hotel. It also relys on one of the greatest actors of that era to carry it and I think Nicholson does a very great job at it. I also liked the vulnerability of Shelley Duvall whom I thought also played the part very well. I've always been a huge fan of Kubrick also and I think he really tends to drive character development into your head like a nail.

I really enjoyed the book also King can really weave a tale and make it harrowing. I would implore you to read the book it moves along at a greater pace then Kubricks film and I think King really gets at the heart of the demise of his sanity. Definitely give it a go I think you would find it an enjoyable ride.

*DRIVE*

I honestly put this movie on thinking this gonna be great. Gosling has been phenomenal in a couple movies I really enjoyed. I found it to be a plot that seemingly goes nowhere. I didn't feel compelled to care about the characters in any sense. What did you find compelling about the movie? Explain to me why it deserves such praise. What did I miss personally from this movie to make me go back and retrace my steps and discover what is so interesting about it?

Good idea for a thread Vanilla.

I have to agree with Vanilla on The Shining, I've just never been able to get into that movie. I find the wife so unbelievably annoying that I actually root for Jack Nicholson to axe her and the kid was really nothing to write home about either. Having read the book I'd say the book is arguably better, but it's not my favorite King novel. There was a late '90's/ early '00's TV movie that was a much more truthful adaptation of the book, but overall The Shining is just a property that I cannot get into, but to be nice to it, it did inspire one of the best Simpsons Halloween parodies so it's not all in vain.

In regards to Drive, I think where the appraisal comes from is the fact that it is avery different movie than what the title leads you to believe. I think a lot of people went into it thinking it would be some Fast & the Furious knockoff and then was surprised when it was actually a kind of art house action movie. It's very nicely juxtaposed where you have lots of character development and story progression, and then you have someone getting their faced caved in in an elevator. Most action movies are so chaotically filmed and edited that they have no real standout moments because it's just so action packed, it's hard to focus on anything or even remember anything. I think it also helped that while it was a story focused movie, it did have scenes of graphic violence bestowed upon people we don't like for what is ultimately a just reason (in the movieverse anyways) and people respond to that pretty nicely.

Anyways given that I'm not above pissing on people's parades, what the hell is the big deal about the Halo games?

They stand out simply because they're fun to play. Every single game in the series, perhaps excluding ODST, has had solid single player gameplay and endless replay value from the multiplayer games. It's not like they're anything amazing in terms of story or graphics, but they're more or less the go-to sci-fi shooters for co-op and online matchmaking because they handle really well and provide a nice, balanced experience.

Can someone inform me as to why The Big Bang Theory is so damn popular? I get 98% of the "geek" references the show makes, but other than saying "Hey, these things exist!" they make no attempt at being clever or funny with them.

I've never touched an x-box. I do however think the graphics of Halo look outstanding, especially the new game i've seen commercials for. It looks to be very fun gameplay also, but I just can't see paying for an xbox to play one game that is stand alone.

Someone is gonna have to help me on Big Bang Theory also, i've never found it funny in the slightest. I get that geek kitsch humor is laugh out loud to some, but this show bores me to tears. I also can't get past Sheldon his voice annoys the **** outta me.

I have a sort of similar question: who doesn't like Arrested Development? I know that it got cancelled because of low ratings/viewer level, but I've only heard people say good things about it and agree with these things myself. Was it in the wrong place at the wrong time or are there people who legitimately don't like it?

Personally I think it was a fantastic show and well written. I have talked with people that found it to be too complex a comedy. I don't exactly agree with that, but I have friends who didn't find the humor in it, so I guess its warranted in a sense.

I agree about The Shining too which may surprise some people but the film's greatest strength - emotional detachment, isolation etc is the very thing that put's me off the film plus Shelley Duvall just annoys the hell out of me. Even Stephen King didn't like this version so it's vindication!

As for Drive I can totally understand why some may not like it but the cause and effect of the violence in the film is brilliantly realised and it's like a breath of fresh air amidst all the usual banality that is offered up in terms of action.

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Why oh why. The script is B movie fodder dressed up in major studio backing. It's directed and acted well but everything is so telegraphed that if you watched this with B movie actors on a late night cable channel you would dismiss it as a six pack beer movie and nothing else.

I just found it long and drawn out with a pretty obvious storyline.

The draw is taking a serious, talented actor like Neeson and plopping him in an action revenge film. He gives the hero a real emotional draw in the beginning, making him quite a likable guy. From the scene where his daughter is kidnapped onward, he is punching throats like nobody's business, while almost stoically continuing his search for his daughter. Not to mention he makes one of the most bad ass threats ever and completely delivers. He's practically unstoppable in that film and it's cool to see him rampage through France.

The sequel was pretty shit, however.