Citizen Kane
Down the years, Orson Welles’ 1941 drama “Citizen Kane” has consistently been voted “the greatest film of all time” in polls conducted on the subject. In particular, film-makers, critics and academics deem it “numero uno”. I believe they feel obliged to do so, in order to demonstrate an appreciation of “film as art” on their part which exceeds the capacity of your regular cinema-going punter. It’s a “masterpiece”, they gush; “hugely influential blah…”.
Personally I’ve always considered this saga about the rise of a newspaper tycoon (supposedly based on W.R. Hearst) to be the most overrated film of all time. Okay, I’ll grant that there’s some technical flair and innovation on display, and I’ve honestly tried to appreciate it if I couldn’t enjoy it, but I’ve never been able to watch it through at one go. It simply leaves me cold, and utterly uninvolved emotionally. For the most part, it’s an exercise in nut-numbing tediousness. So it’s right at the top of my “most overrated” list, propped up by the likes of “2001”, “Gone With The Wind” (wonderful Max Steiner score notwithstanding), “Top Gun”, the gruesome “Titanic”, the ludicrously pretentious “Black Swan”, and anything to do with bastard “Star Wars”.
Anyway, a couple of days ago my little treasure was raking through a box of old VHS cassettes. “Oh look”, she says, “here’s ‘Citizen Kane’. I’ve always meant to watch it. We could do that after tea”. “No way Pedro” says I, “it’s a couple of hours I’ll never get back”. “Oh don’t be a grumpie old meanie” says she, “I’ll make a big pot of tea and open a packet of McVitie’s dark chocolate digestives I’ve been hiding from you. Then afterwards *knowing little smile* we could…”.
Well of course she had me at “then afterwards”. No to be honest, she had me at “McVitie’s dark chocolate digestives”, but I think you get the point. So we sat down and watched (or in my case, endured) it, and of course it wasn’t too long before the fidgeting began. By the time that the enigmatic “Rosebud” came to be uttered, it was very clear that she was bored stupid, but bless her little cotton socks, she was never going to admit it.
Nevertheless I’m extremely pleased to record that my patience and fortitude were duly rewarded in full measure by my little minx, and I slept very well that night. Good things do indeed come to those who wait…
…and “Citizen Kane” remains the most overrated film of all time; unless of course, YOU know differently.
Nominated by Ron Knee
Personally Ron I would give that award to the Godfather trilogy – tried to watch it (well, the first two at least) multiple times only to be bored shitless by its tediously slow pace on each occasion.
The first hour of the Deerhunter is ponderous, it does get better though. I see it as a homage to the hard working Americanised Folk of Pennsylvania and the scenery is breath taking.
I might get a cunting for this-as much as I like De Niro-I think he is the most overrated actor there is….
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Agreed. DH was bland first half, but picked up in the second stanza. But even then there was nothing particularly outstanding other than the music from John Williams.
As for Bob De Niro – He was pretty awesome in the 70s and early 80s, but lived off that reputation after Heat and Goodfellas, and has done jackshit of any note since then – including the rather comical Irishman.
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His Warburton bread adverts were good.
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The Irishman-we all hoped for Goodfellas part 2-we got some embarrassing special effects and Stephen Graham will never “do” an authentic yank accent.
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I had a older mate who killed himself (depression over the death of his mum) he got me into the music of the Doors,
But he used to rave about Robert de niro,
Best actor in the world!!
This was early 90s,
He especially loved Deerhunter.
Glad he cant see the crybaby leftie, mard spoilt shite actor de Niro became, would of broke his heart.
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De Niro has turned into an absolute knob end, with the worst case of TDS ever seen.
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……actually, we could do an ISAC Goodfellas part two:
I will take a minor role- Cunty Two-Times-so called because he says everything twice:
“I’m just going out to cunt the neighbours, cunt the neighbours!”
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Orson Welles’s last film befireche died was 1986 Transformers the movie. He was a giant robot whom ate planets.
He was so poorly at the time of recording his voice they had to edit it a bit.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hzNsOGt3bHk
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*before he died
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Did the robot kill him?
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No. He died of heart attack. Dog bless him. 🙂
A quote about his film role in the Transformers film.
“I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I’m destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen.” haha 🙂
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That brought back some memories Spoons.
‘The Touch’ by Stan Bush.
Bit of trivia for you Stand Bush also provided music for the soundtrack of a load of 80s action films like Kickboxer and Bloodsport.
Back in the 80s as a small child I had the Jetfire transformer which is worth quite a lot of money these days.
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Nice one, Harold. I had no idea.
I just looked it up. The Touch was originally for the Sylvester Stallone film Cobra. Probably during a training montage hehe.
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Touch_(Stan_Bush_song).
Cor! Jetfire. Nice! I imagine he would set you back a small fortune.
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Citizen Kane can go into Room 101 along with a load of other films that critics liked but in reality watching paint dry is more interesting:
The Revenant, Prometheus, Black Swan, Moneyball, Interstellar, Gravity, The Social Network, The Constant Gardener, 21 Grams,12 Years A Slave, Shame, Birdman, Steve Jobs, The Golden Compass, The Blair Witch Project, Brokeback Mountain and Cold Mountain.
Anything that is nominated or wins at the Oscars these days is usually garbage.
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Very much agree that the Oscars are weighed down by their own ‘worthiness’ these days. I really thought that ‘Spotlight’ was a good ‘Best Picture’ tho.
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Spotlight was excellent. I was surprised!
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I would surmise from this list, that you have spent lockdown on Netflix.
21 grams may be ponderous-Sean Penn shits all over De Nero in the acting stakes. Watch his performance in Mystic River-👍👍👍
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I hardly ever watch Netflix! Did used to like House of Cards and more recently Norsemen and After Life, apart from that most Netflix content is terrible. I don’t have Amazon Prime, Now TV or Sky and I de-installed BBC Garbage Player.
Those are films I went to see at a cinema or rented over the years based on either Oscar noms, hype or a friend’s recommendation. Money and time wasted!
Saw Mystic River years ago, its not on my Room 101 List 🙂
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To be fair, Citizen Kane has the greatest observation on the power of the press in the scene where a junior journalist objects to the headline his editor Kane has written to accompany his article which he protests ‘did not reflect the truth of his story’ to which Kane replied ‘ The headline IS the story’. Daily Mail 101.
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On the subject of underrated, that most unsung of Stones albums – Goats Head Soup – is getting the restoration treatment. I always preferred it to the often indulgent Exile On Main Street. Hundred Years Ago, Coming Down Again and Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) are great tracks. Can’t say I’m a fan of Angie though, and all ‘Time’s Up’ and ‘Me Too’ celebrislags should listen to Starfucker.
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Citizen Kane is a technically groundbreaking and highly accomplished film but it’s got no heart. Trouble is, up until the 80s film critics (especially the American ones) were snobby pricks who would sneer at anything that normal people liked, hence the worship of pretentious (normally French or Japanese) dull shit and the dismissive attitude towards Jaws, for example.
The Third Man is a far, far better film, and Welles is great in that.
Avatar, however, was about as much fun as watching someone else playing a video game.
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The Daniel Craig Bond films are shite.
Matrix is shite.
Blade Runner is shite.
Blair Witch Project is shite.
Talking Pictures TV is my favourite channel.
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‘Come and See’, released in 1985, is to me, the greatest horror film ever. Even if it’s a war film.
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