It's December -- what were the WORST movies of 2005?

[Sierra Disc]

OK, we're most of the way through the year. What was the WORST movie released in 2005 that you've seen?

So far, I've got to go with "Dukes of Hazzard" --I couldn’t even watch the entire movie of this misbegotten TV remake. The original TV show was trash, too, but in a corny, amiable way. This one piles on the stupid vulgarities and is like watching a truck full of rednecks crash into a manure pile — an ugly, smelly sight.

[NatrlBornThrllr]

BloodRayne tops my list.

Edit: Qualifier. I usually avoid seeing movies that I know will be horrible, so I don't have much to compare this to. I didn't see Son of the Mask, The Honeymooners, Get Rich or Die Tryin, The Fog, Alone in the Dark, etc. However, of the 2005 movies I did see, it was easily the worst.

-JP

[Jake77444]

I wasn't to big of a fan of F4

[maxfisher]

Alone in the Dark was probably the worst I saw. I was hoping for so-bad-it's-funny and it was too bad for even that. Runner up would be A Sound of Thunder, which fortunately, was just bad enough to be utterly hilarious.

[Joe Molotov]

Cursed

I passed on the theatrical release, but I picked up the Unrated edition thinking that it might be worth watching. It wasn't.

[dadaluholla]

The Devil's Rejects
Land of the Dead

Wow this topic is going to lead to some arguments...
:)

[Hokeyboy]

F4 wasn't the WORST movie but it was pretty damn mediocre.

Of the ones I've seen, I'd go with VALIANT. Maybe it wasn't the worst movie of the year -- I generally avoid movies that look like stinkers -- but damn if I wasn't massively disappointed by it.

[Matthew Chmiel]

For every one decent film to come out this year, I could name you twenty shitty ones. Hands down, this year was terrible for films.

I saw some of the following turds in theaters:

- The Amityville Horror and The Bad News Bears remakes. One was just awful and the other consisted of a great director selling out.

- Horror trainwrecks like Boogeyman, Cursed, House of Wax, The Ring Two, and White Noise. Sadly, House of Wax might've been decent if they would've deleted a half an hour from the theatrical cut.

- Big budget schlock like Be Cool, Constantine, and Fantastic Four.

Thankfully, I wasn't put witness to shit like Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Hide and Seek, Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl In 3-D, Beauty Shop, Stealth, and Elektra until they hit home video.

[Matthew Chmiel]

F4 wasn't the WORST movie but it was pretty damn mediocre.

Of the ones I've seen, I'd go with VALIANT. Maybe it wasn't the worst movie of the year -- I generally avoid movies that look like stinkers -- but damn if I wasn't massively disappointed by it.
No. Fantastic Four was a piece of shit, plain and simple. Any talent going into that film did not make it to the screen. Easily one of the worst comic book theatrical films since Elektra and Catwoman.

[lopper]

The Devil's Rejects



Definitely in my top 5 favorite movies I've seen this year. :)


The Cave, I suppose would be the worst movie of '05 for me, but I also try to avoid seeing movies that I know will be bad. I blame the girlfriend for making me see this one.

[auto]

The Devil's Rejects
Land of the Dead

Wow this topic is going to lead to some arguments...
:)

I was thinking just that when I read your choices...

[Sierra Disc]

See, I liked FF myself -- but c'est la vie. Maybe the ground rule for this thread though should be about telling us YOUR worst picks -- not picking on everyone else's. Otherwise we'll spend 12 pages talking about whether or not Hillary Duff is the antichrist or God's gift to entertainment...

[riley_dude]

Fantastic 4
Another one for Land of the Dead
Monster in law (saw it on a plane.)

Didnt even want to get anywhere near Stealth, Island or Sahara

[scott shelton]

STEALTH
ALONE IN THE DARK
CURSED
PRETTY PERSUASION
INTO THE BLUE
DOMINO
IN THE MIX
LAST DAYS
UNDEAD
FANTASTIC FOUR
MY DATE WITH DREW
WOLF CREEK

These come to mind...

[scott shelton]

For every one decent film to come out this year, I could name you twenty shitty ones. Hands down, this year was terrible for films.

See, I would disagree. I saw a lot of good-to-great stuff. It balances out, just like every year.

[Seantn]

I didn't see tons of stuff in theaters this year, but I'd say Doom was the least enjoyable film I saw that came out this year. I really didn't find anything redeemable about it. I saw Alone in the Dark on video, and while it was a bad film, I disliked Doom more.

[Legolas]

I haven't seen a lot of these movies, but I do think they speak for themselves. Plus I have a stupid roommate who is allegedly a movie-lover yet likes the worst ones ever made:

Elektra
Are We There Yet?
Alone in the Dark
Son of the Mask
Cursed
Man of the House
Miss Congeniality 2
D.E.B.S.
The Amityville Horror
House of D
A Lot Like Love
King's Ransom
XXX: State of the Union
Monster-in-Law
The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl
The Perfect Man
Herbie: Fully Loaded
Rebound
Fantastic Four
The Devil's Rejects
Stealth
The Dukes of Hazzard
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo
The Cave
A Sound of Thunder
Underclassman
The Man
Cry Wolf
Venom
Doom
Saw II
Just Friends
Yours, Mine and Ours

[Matthew Chmiel]

See, I liked FF myself -- but c'est la vie. Maybe the ground rule for this thread though should be about telling us YOUR worst picks -- not picking on everyone else's. Otherwise we'll spend 12 pages talking about whether or not Hillary Duff is the antichrist or God's gift to entertainment...
But then that defeats the purpose of having a discussion and that pretty much defeats the purpose of having a message board.

And Legolas, I liked Just Friends. :(

[matome]

Pick one:

Elektra
Land of The Dead
The Pacifier
The Prophecy: Uprising

[NatrlBornThrllr]

STEALTH
ALONE IN THE DARK
CURSED
PRETTY PERSUASION
INTO THE BLUE
DOMINO
IN THE MIX
LAST DAYS
UNDEAD
FANTASTIC FOUR
MY DATE WITH DREW
WOLF CREEK

These come to mind...

Wolf Creek, huh? I didn't think it was great, but I thought it had redeeming qualities. Certainly not "worst of the year" material, in my opinion...but to each his own. I'd put it around the middle of the pack for movies that I saw this year, and likely above average if I were to include all of the schlock that I didn't bother with...

-JP

[Mr. Cinema]

#1. Stealth (did this movie ever end? Josh Lucas must've told the A.I. to "land or else" at least 20 times. Complete disaster.)

#2. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a completely mindless snoozefest with what has got to be one of the worst endings in an action movie. A total, complete piece of garbage. I will never forgive Doug Liman.

[slavetotherave]

Alone in the Dark has to be one of the worst films I've ever seen.

[dadaluholla]

I must have completely blocked out that Elektra came out this year. I'll add that to my list.

[didyounotice]

Gotta say The Brown Bunny.

What sort of pseudo-art crap was that?

[NatrlBornThrllr]

Gotta say The Brown Bunny.

What sort of pseudo-art crap was that?

The good sort.

-JP

[ReduxGuy]

Herpes: Fully Loaded ( :) )
The Fog

[Cygnet74]

The good sort.

-JP
word. :thumbsup:

let me guess, it took the promise of seeing a known actress giving a blowjob to get a few people to venture beyond their local multiplex. and they weren't sufficiently prepared for what they'd find there.

let's see. i rarely go to movies i expect not to like. if i included all the trash i saw at work this year, my list would be too long to type here. but i'm pretty sure it would be topped off with Fantastic Four.

[Giles]

hmm, the film's I couldn't stand:

- Cursed
- Constantine
- Elizabethtown
- Must Love Dogs
- Dear Frankie
- Wedding Crashers
- Four Brothers
- The Ring Two
- Gus Van Sant’s Last Days
- Stealth
- Waiting...

[didyounotice]

The good sort.

-JP

You really liked that?

I mean, really?

[JPRaup]

Christmas with the Kranks (if that counts since the dvd was just released)
Be Cool

i tend to stay away from shitty movies

[starseed]

I haven't seen a single 2005 film yet that I would give a rating of "F," but I'd give these eight stinkers a "D":

The Brothers Grimm
Cursed
Fantastic Four
Guess Who
High Tension
Hostage
Lord of War
Rent

I'd also add that, personally, I think that The Island and Aeon Flux were the most unfairly maligned films of the year (Aeon Flux was pretty enjoyable, and I loved The Island).

[dogmatica]

Lick me, Waiting...

[PopcornTreeCt]

Worst movies of the year? This is too hard.

There were maybe 5-6 good movies this year so everything except for those.

[Johnny Boy]

I haven't seen most of the movies people are mentioning in this thread. Thank God!

Someone mentioned Fantastic 4. Well of course that was going to be a bad movie. I don't think many people went into that movie with high expectations. Or did they? If they did... whoa! I've never seen it, and probably never will. The preview alone made me want to push Mother Theresa down a flight of stairs.

I saw Hide and Seek on video. It's the worst movie of 2005, for me. Or was that movie made in 2004? I don't remember. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I think this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Ever. And myself being a huge De Niro fan made it even worse. Not that Bobby hadn't already been sliding for years now, but this movie really stuck out. It was like he just came to work and sat down, mumbling and staring into space. He was a zombie. I wouldn't be surprised if De Niro had stunt doubles for scenes where he had to walk up the stairs. What a lazy, uninspiring performance.

I can't think of any other bad movies of 2005. I tend to try to avoid seeing movies that I know I'll hate. I was tricked with Batman Begins, however. I wasted my money on it thinking it was going to be amazing with all the hype. I'd mention Batman Begins as a bad movie for 2005, but I don't think many (if any) would agree with me. So, therefore, I will not say Batman Begins, despite how terrible and disappointing I thought it was. So I'm not going to mention that terrible movie. :D

[Rockmjd23]

Serenity :|


;)
These 2005 films are all in IMDB's Bottom 100, listed with their ratings.

2. In the Mix 1.4
20. Honeymooners 2.0
36. Son of the Mask 2.1
45. Alone in the Dark 2.3
55. Get Rich or Die Tryin 2.4
92. The Fog 3.0

[NatrlBornThrllr]

You really liked that?

I mean, really?

Yeah. Really. I mean, really.

-JP

[GizmoDVD]

BloodRayne tops my list.

-JP

A move that's not even out, and won't be coming out until January?

[maxinquaye]

Hustle & Flow

didn't particularly like it right after i saw it (despite a couple fantastic scenes and a great performance), but the more i think about it, the more vapid, soulless, and misguided it seems. it isn't the *worst* movie made this year in terms of technical skill or aesthetic (despite the shoddy script), but it certainly might be the most offensive in its cynicism.

[Fincher Fan]

I know I've seen some stinkers this year but tend to forget them as soon as I watch them. I do remember hating the fuck out XXX2.

[NatrlBornThrllr]

A move that's not even out, and won't be coming out until January?

I saw it a couple months ago, and the IMDB has it listed as "BloodRayne (2005)," so it made my list as the worst of the year.

-JP

[tdirgins]

Doom
F4
The Cave
Bad News Bears
Dukes of Hazzard
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

[mdc3000]

Hustle & Flow


Is it April 1st? WTF!?!?! Offensive for it cynicism...welcome to the world, it's a bitch. Sorry, H&F is easily going to be in my TOP 10 BEST for the year... anyhow, worst movies so far:

BOOGEYMAN
MAN OF THE HOUSE
THE PACIFIER
ROBOTS
XXX: STATE OF THE UNION
ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY & LAVAGIRL
BEWITCHED
THE DEVIL'S REJECTS
STEALTH
DEUCE BIGALOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLO
A SOUND OF THUNDER

I've seen a few others that were mediocre or just so so, but these 11 were ones I considered gouging my eyeballs out just to make it stop.

MATT

[Jason]

The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy - Started out okay, but took a nosedive about 20 minutes in and just got progressively worse and worse.

[DealMan]

Alone in the Dark , followed by Deuce Bigalow: EG , and possibly The Dukes of Hazzard , which I didn't finish but I can't imagine it getting any better.

I agree with most of the other choices made, but I'll admit I liked House of Wax and I really enjoyed Constantine.

For my controversial choice I'll say Crash , a movie I hated with a burning passion.

[maxinquaye]

Is it April 1st? WTF!?!?! Offensive for it cynicism...welcome to the world, it's a bitch. Sorry, H&F is easily going to be in my TOP 10 BEST for the year...

offensive for its cynicism in that liberal white guilt can fuel a hokey, derivative story where the overall message is that "art" involving the "black experience" can succeed only by selling out completely and giving the people exactly what they expect, and exactly what they want. and what's most disturbing is all the praise heaped upon the movie without any real consideration for what the messages are.

what i'm *not* saying is that the "dark" or "real" events of the movie are "offensive" because i'm naive or fragile. Irreversible is one of my favorite films. trust me, Hustle & Flow didn't "scare" me. it only disappointed and saddened me, on so many levels.

[lotsofdvds]

Cursed

I passed on the theatrical release, but I picked up the Unrated edition thinking that it might be worth watching. It wasn't.
Seconded. Cursed made me want to hate movies.

[smirnoff]

I didn't see too many movies this year, but one that stands out as the biggest dissapointment is Land of the Dead. It was like Dawn of the Dead (which was great) only slow, unexciting, and simply not entertaining.

[dadaluholla]

I completely forgot about BROTHERS GRIMM until today. I am going to say that was my #1 worst movie i saw. Worse than Cursed.

[eXcentris]

Gotta say The Brown Bunny.

What sort of pseudo-art crap was that?

The worthless drivel kind, from a talentless Bresson wannabe who tries to paint a portrait of alienation (regret, hopelessness, solitude, whatever...) thru a pretentious exercise in pseudo-intellectual masturbation and excruciating boredom, and only manages to alienate the audience.

And please (people), don't give me the "you were expecting a blowjob and got something else" crap and make it sound like everyone who saw this film is some mental midget with the IQ of a fencepost who went in there expecting porn. :)

[dhmac]

The 5 worst 2005 movies I saw...
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - [...and I'm a huge fan of DNA's book]
4. The Ring Two - [I really like the first movie, but this sequel sucks!]
3. Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) - [lousy remake of a superior film]
2. The Island (2005) - [arguably Michael Bay's best film... and it still sucks!]
1. Elektra - [amazing that it could be worse than Daredevil, but it was]


(And to the person who listed Batman Begins as "worst" - please put down the crack pipe!)

[LorenzoL]

I have to say Alone in the Dark. I have seen better acting in high school plays than what Christian Slater and Tara Reid displayed in this movie.

[Quake1028]

Constantine was the worst I personally saw.

[NatrlBornThrllr]

pretentious exercise in pseudo-intellectual

Impressive. Not only did you use "pretentious" and "pseudo-intellectual," but you managed to use both within three words of one another. Just a reminder...be sure to return the Big Book o' Movie Critiques to your local library. Late fees are a bitch.

-JP

[Cygnet74]

a pretentious exercise in pseudo-intellectual masturbation
couldn't the same be said for your "critique"? maybe if you had a genuine insight to offer...

And please (people), don't give me the "you were expecting a blowjob and got something else" crap and make it sound like everyone who saw this film is some mental midget with the IQ of a fencepost who went in there expecting porn. :)well, i sat in a theater where a good number of the audience was clearly there in anticipation of the x-rated content. not everyone has had the same opportunity to develop their sensitivity to cinematic aesthetics. that's not a put-down and it's not pretentious to point out that such people would be turned off by what and how the filmmaker is communicating to them if they don't have the acquired faculty to understand it. admittedly, some people "just don't get it". obviously that doesn't apply to ALL who are critical of a film. but there are some who have simply not learned how to "get it".

[MBoyd]

I usually make it a point not to see bad movies, but my 89 year old Grandmother wanted to see Yours, Mine and Ours. Who am I to refuse her? That's probably the worst film I've seen in the theater in a long long time. Second for me this year was Fantastic Four, but I'm sure there are many worse films than that.

[The Nature Boy]

Just an awful year. I didnt' see that much, but I have seen whats been called "the best" and it's been a big let down. I usually tend to the arthouse films, but the most complete movie I've seen is "Batman Begins".

But the worst of the lot is "Get Rich or Die Tryin". Fiddy has no business in front of a camera.

[thematahara]

I have a question, why have so many of you been spending hard earned money on movies like Alone in the Dark, Elektra, Deuce Bigelow 2, etc.

I mean one look at the trailer and you knew they are horrible. Where did you come up with the idea that some of these movies had any potential to be good in the first place?

[LorenzoL]

I have a question, why have so many of you been spending hard earned money on movies like Alone in the Dark, Elektra, Deuce Bigelow 2, etc.


Alone in the Dark and Elektra is currently playing in the Movie Network (Canadian version of HBO) and that is how I was able to watch it.

[eXcentris]

Impressive. Not only did you use "pretentious" and "pseudo-intellectual," but you managed to use both within three words of one another. Just a reminder...be sure to return the Big Book o' Movie Critiques to your local library. Late fees are a bitch.

-JP

Did you know that criticizing someone's usage of words as a substitute for real arguments is about as lame as you can get and it really isn't fooling anyone? Tell you what, you might want to get a hold of that book yourself, it might do wonders for your creativity. "The good sort" wasn't very impressive. Damn, was I just lame there myself? Oh well...

[eXcentris]

couldn't the same be said for your "critique"? maybe if you had a genuine insight to offer...

As opposed to "the good sort", and "word!"? And then you pick 4 or 5 words from what I said and tell me I have nothing genuine to offer? Well that's just brilliant...


well, i sat in a theater where a good number of the audience was clearly there in anticipation of the x-rated content. not everyone has had the same opportunity to develop their sensitivity to cinematic aesthetics. that's not a put-down and it's not pretentious to point out that such people would be turned off by what and how the filmmaker is communicating to them if they don't have the acquired faculty to understand it. admittedly, some people "just don't get it". obviously that doesn't apply to ALL who are critical of a film. but there are some who have simply not learned how to "get it".

Fair enough but your comment did sound a tad condescending. If I misinterpreted your intent, then I apologize. That said, I got it and it was a dreadful waste of celluloid.

[run1]

Most disappointing movie for me was Domino. How did so many talented people go SO wrong?

[GuessWho]

From the few i've seen:

The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
Dukesof Hazzard

[FantasticVSDoom]

I havent seen alot of the movies listed, but I enjoyed Elektra, Constantine, and FF...Didnt and would never buy them on dvd (got Constantine as a gift) but they entertained me none the less. My vote for worst of the year that I saw is a 3-way tie between Be Cool, War of the Worlds, and Just Friends. Now Be Cool and Just Friends were not my choices to go see, and would have never went to see them if it was up to me, so WotW has to be tops because it was a movie that I really wanted to see, and I just hated it.

[silentbob007]

I usually tend to stay away from movies that I doin't think I'll like, but the movie I've disliked the most that I've seen in the theater this year is probably War of the Worlds. It is the only movie I've seen this year that, two hours after getting home, I'm still railing about the acting and the pieces that didn't make any sense.

[kcbrett5]

I have a question, why have so many of you been spending hard earned money on movies like Alone in the Dark, Elektra, Deuce Bigelow 2, etc.

I mean one look at the trailer and you knew they are horrible. Where did you come up with the idea that some of these movies had any potential to be good in the first place?

I agree completely. Most movies listed here were obviously stinkfests just from the trailers.

My favorite criticism so far is that Fantastic Four was easily one of the worst comic book adaptations since Elektra. Wow, the worst adapatation in 4 months time! How shocking. How many comic book movies came out in that time, 3? 4?

[Dead]

Impressive. Not only did you use "pretentious" and "pseudo-intellectual," but you managed to use both within three words of one another. Just a reminder...be sure to return the Big Book o' Movie Critiques to your local library. Late fees are a bitch.

-JP


NatrlBornThrllr, this type of comment does nothing to improve the discussion. Please stick to the topic.

[Dead]

Did you know that criticizing someone's usage of words as a substitute for real arguments is about as lame as you can get and it really isn't fooling anyone? Tell you what, you might want to get a hold of that book yourself, it might do wonders for your creativity. "The good sort" wasn't very impressive. Damn, was I just lame there myself? Oh well...


And, eXcentris, replying to inappropriate posts just adds fuel to the fire. Next time, please report it and let the mods deal with the problem.

[ChrisKnudsen]

My picks (most of them pretensious films that want awards):
Jarhead (features the funniest (not supposed to funny scene) with a vietnam war vet)
Junebug (Aimless theories of everyone is an artist, too offputting and lack of connection)
Syriana (a mess that doesn't do well to clean itself with other than cliches)
Me, you, and Everyone we Know (This and Junebug could have been part of a trilogy with each other even though this wasn't as bad as Junebug, like ** out ***** while Junebug is like *)
Everything is Illuminated (Euguen Hutz was good, the rest of the movie just felt really off and fake while it should be devasting)
Robots (animation is great, though)
War of the Worlds
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
and
Domino for being the only movie I walked out this year.

Low expectations for: Memiors of a Geisha (probably wait till video), Munich, and Walk the Line (still haven't seen it yet for it just seems like another biopic and I was disappointed with Capote even though I know Capote is going to be better than Walk the Line).

Oh, and I try to not see crappy films anyways.

[cleaver]

Stealth, and I've seen a lot of movies this year.

[ChrisKnudsen]

Oh, I forgot about the Constant Gardener, too. What a drag, too. Had really high expectations for that one. I guess the same with a lot of my other picks, too hence why I went and saw them in theaters.

[jdumbjokes]

Panic Plane....Oh I guess it was called Flight Plan.

[MBoyd]

Oh yeah . . . thanks for reminding me how bad Be Cool (my choice) and Flightplan (gf choice) were.

[Sweet Baby James]

Here's my turd list-

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Constantine
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Be Cool.

I'm about to watch Fantastic 4 and based on the buzz, I'm sure that it will also make the list(I checked it out from my library for free:) ).

The most disappointing movie so far has to be A History of Violence.

[Shannon Nutt]

I try to avoid what I would consider the "dreck" out there (i.e. no "European Gigolo" for me!), but of the ones I saw in 2005, these were the worst:

Bewitched
Chicken Little
The Longest Yard

[maingon]

the only movies I seen this year that i didnt like was
Dukes of Hazzard ( Jessica Simpson looked great, and one good car chase)

Alone in the Dark was simply the worst this year

brothers Grimm (not the worst just boring)

[NatrlBornThrllr]

NatrlBornThrllr, this type of comment does nothing to improve the discussion. Please stick to the topic.

My post was an admittedly sarcastic attempt to say that if somebody relies on overused, generic, by the numbers phrases like "___ wannabe, pretentious," and "pseudo-intellectual," they usually don't have a valid critique of the film in the first place. It seems that when somebody doesn't enjoy (or understand) a movie, but doesn't know (or can't articulate) why, they copy and paste this identical critique. My post was simply my way of saying that as an attack on this particular movie, his post doesn't hold much weight, or say anything that hasn't been said a thousand times about a thousand different films...and that the semantics of it were the only part worthy of the time and effort that goes into a refutal. I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression, but I assure you that the intentions behind my post were as on topic as is possible. I suppose I'll try to be more blunt next time. Sorry.

-JP

[NatrlBornThrllr]

My picks (most of them pretensious films that want awards):
Jarhead (features the funniest (not supposed to funny scene) with a vietnam war vet)
Junebug (Aimless theories of everyone is an artist, too offputting and lack of connection)
Syriana (a mess that doesn't do well to clean itself with other than cliches)
Me, you, and Everyone we Know (This and Junebug could have been part of a trilogy with each other even though this wasn't as bad as Junebug, like ** out ***** while Junebug is like *)
Everything is Illuminated (Euguen Hutz was good, the rest of the movie just felt really off and fake while it should be devasting)
Robots (animation is great, though)
War of the Worlds
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
and
Domino for being the only movie I walked out this year.

Low expectations for: Memiors of a Geisha (probably wait till video), Munich, and Walk the Line (still haven't seen it yet for it just seems like another biopic and I was disappointed with Capote even though I know Capote is going to be better than Walk the Line).

Oh, and I try to not see crappy films anyways.
Oh, I forgot about the Constant Gardener, too. What a drag, too. Had really high expectations for that one. I guess the same with a lot of my other picks, too hence why I went and saw them in theaters.

Out of curiosity, what movies did you like this year?

-JP

[nodeerforamonth]

Did Van Helsing come out this year? That's my pick.

[LorenzoL]

Did Van Helsing come out this year? That's my pick.
2004.

[Sweet Baby James]

Van Helsing still leaves a bad taste in the mouth a year later.:lol:

[BassDude]

I think I liked everything I chose ta see in the theater this year. But for most disappointing I'll say Batman Begins.

I'll prob'ly see all the "bad" movies (Elektra, Duece, Dukes, etc) on cable for fun tho...

[The Valeyard]

Madagascar was one of the worse movies I've seen in a long time. And my kids agree. They were asking to leave the theater after about 15 minutes.

I know most people liked it but....BLAH! I hated it.

[Rypro 525]

For me the single worst movie i have seen this year was Havoc (I think Richard Roper had a hard on for Anne Hathaway and gave it a good review just on that)

[ChrisKnudsen]

Out of curiosity, what movies did you like this year?

-JP

Not much really. I don't think I could do a top 10 list because I haven't seen 10 great films this year and don't want to put just really good ones or ok ones on there. Oldboy is probably the best one I have seen so far. Kung-Fu Hustle, Batman Begins and Sin City were fun the first time but after buying KFH and SC, with 2 more repeat viewings, I was like "this ok but I wish I didn't buy money to buy these." I also don't care to see the DC of Sin City. I end up seeing 40 year Old Virgin twice in the same weekend and yeah, it was funny and that, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Wedding Crashers will be probably known as comedy classics 10 years down the line. Limited releases have been utterly disappointing with the Aristrcrats not really being funny, March of the Penguins lasting too long and being something I could have (probably wouldn't have) watched on National Geographic, Layer Cake should have been a little more refreshing but it wasn't bad by any means, and etc. etc. I also liked History of Violence but all of the movies I mentioned, I wouldn't want to put on a top 10 list (except for maybe Oldboy).

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Corpse Bride, too. That is probably one of the worst animated features I have seen in a while (and will probably stop watching Tim Burton films in theaters seeing that I think his last good one was Ed Wood). Charlie and the Chocalote Factory was a waste of time, too. Also, Madgascar was awful (after this one, decided not to check out anymore Dreamworks animated features in theaters). Brothers Grimm was pretty horrid, too.

[riley_dude]

I'm going to add Broken Flowers to the list. Sure it got really good reviews but I was bored by it and hated the ending.

[Cardiac161]

ChrisKnudsen,

Not my intention to criticize you but your list of "worst movies" of 2005 sounds like Blackwell's list of worst-dressed:

Junebug - too offputting and lack of connection
Syriana -a mess that doesn't do well to clean itself with other than cliches
Everything is Illuminated - fake
Domino - the only movie I walked out this year
Memiors of a Geisha - probably wait till video
Aristrcrats - not really being funny
March of the Penguins - lasting too long and being something I could have (probably wouldn't have) watched on National Geographic
Corpse Bride - one of the worst animated features I have seen in a while Charlie and the Chocalote Factory - a waste of time
Madgascar - awful
Brothers Grimm - pretty horrid

[Tarantino]

I hated the <i>pretentious excersize in psuedo-intellectual</i> that was...

<b>Kicking and Screaming</i> w/ Will Ferrell. What a crap-fest.

Also, I'll add <b>Kingdom Of Heaven</b> to that list.

= J

[Sweet Baby James]

Well, I just watched Fantastic 4 that I checked out of the library for free and I feel that I still paid too much. What an absolute POS that film was.:down:

[NatrlBornThrllr]

Not much really. I don't think I could do a top 10 list because I haven't seen 10 great films this year and don't want to put just really good ones or ok ones on there. Oldboy is probably the best one I have seen so far. Kung-Fu Hustle, Batman Begins and Sin City were fun the first time but after buying KFH and SC, with 2 more repeat viewings, I was like "this ok but I wish I didn't buy money to buy these." I also don't care to see the DC of Sin City. I end up seeing 40 year Old Virgin twice in the same weekend and yeah, it was funny and that, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Wedding Crashers will be probably known as comedy classics 10 years down the line. Limited releases have been utterly disappointing with the Aristrcrats not really being funny, March of the Penguins lasting too long and being something I could have (probably wouldn't have) watched on National Geographic, Layer Cake should have been a little more refreshing but it wasn't bad by any means, and etc. etc. I also liked History of Violence but all of the movies I mentioned, I wouldn't want to put on a top 10 list (except for maybe Oldboy).

Awesome. Just curious...I wasn't really sure if you were just extremely selective (since most movies on your list were the same ones that were featured on most critics' recommended lists), or if you just had questionable taste (ie: "what movies did I like? um what was that wax movie with paris hilton? i loved the hell outta that one"). Glad to see it's the former. 40 Year Old Virgin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Layer Cake, Oldboy, Sin City, Batman Begins...all movies that I greatly enjoyed. Anyway, thanks for the thorough response.

-JP

[IDrinkMolson]

I'm going to go with Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy. It was the biggest let down for me, as I was expecting good things.

[QuikSilver]

War of the Worlds (A huge dissapointment)

[dhmac]

I'm going to go with Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy. It was the biggest let down for me, as I was expecting good things.

If this thread was "Most Disappointing Movie of 2005" I'd agree, because as a longtime (and I mean a very looong time) fan of the Douglas Adams book, the BBC radio series, and even the BBC miniseries, I had high hopes for the movie. I mean, with so many successful versions of this same basic story to draw inspiration from, how could anyone screw this one up? Unfortunately, the movie showed just how much someone could screw it up.

[Scotts35]

From what I've seen so far, these rated D- or worse...

Rebound
Be Cool
The Perfect Man
Guess Who
Man Of The House
The Pacifier
XXX: State Of The Union
Alone In The Dark
Fantastic Four
Must Love Dogs
Stealth
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
The Cave
Sound Of Thunder
The Man
Two For The Money
Aeon Flux
Transporter 2

[chanster]

Land of the Dead. Wow. I can't believe I paid money to see it, especially I don't get to the movies that often anymore.

[Dark-Helmet]

I'll prob'ly see all the "bad" movies (Elektra, Duece, Dukes, etc) on cable for fun tho...

Not to be a dick but is it fun to watch bad movies?

[Joe Molotov]

Not to be a dick but is it fun to watch bad movies?

It can be, it just depends on the movie.

[NestoJR]

I avoid most bad movies but here are my biggest disappointments.

Madagascar. No magic, not funny, I'm surprised I watched the whole thing. <3 the Penguins tho.

Kingdom of Heaven. Orlando Bloom inspires me to fight about as much as Ben Afleck would.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Had its moments, otherwise lackluster. Angelina sure is hawt.

Zathura. Thought it'd be good to bring the kids to, wanted to walk out becuz of the child actors incessant arguing about 20 min. into it.

War of the Worlds. Tom (forget his character's name) and his son Robbie's relationship, my lord could that have been any more annoying ? oh and the surprise appearance at the end didn't make me feel much better. the scenes w/Tim Robbins were horrible as well.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Jumped around so much between too many characters whom have little importance if any to the plot and much of the action isn't seen (quidditch, battles with dragons). And by this point you'd think Harry would start taking matters into his own hands, his actions are greatly reactionary and influenced by others. I don't read the book but I'm tiring of waiting for him to grow up, after everything hes been through, you'd think he'd be more mature, intelligent, tougher. Hes still the same Harry from the first movie who somehow manages to save the day. Disappointing.

Off topic, I was pleasantly surprised by these movies this year, Chicken Little, Constantine, Sky High, all which I figured would be fairly bad (the last 2 I saw on dvd).

[ChrisKnudsen]

ChrisKnudsen,

Not my intention to criticize you but your list of "worst movies" of 2005 sounds like Blackwell's list of worst-dressed:

Junebug - too offputting and lack of connection
Syriana -a mess that doesn't do well to clean itself with other than cliches
Everything is Illuminated - fake
Domino - the only movie I walked out this year
Memiors of a Geisha - probably wait till video
Aristrcrats - not really being funny
March of the Penguins - lasting too long and being something I could have (probably wouldn't have) watched on National Geographic
Corpse Bride - one of the worst animated features I have seen in a while Charlie and the Chocalote Factory - a waste of time
Madgascar - awful
Brothers Grimm - pretty horrid

What is a worse movie, one that is just bad entertainment or a movie with a forced attempt of trying to be excellent but fails horribly. I think the latter.

Another vote for Kicking and Screaming. Made me not want to see another Will Ferrall movie again and didn't laugh once.

I can give more reasons why I thought why each movie was bad (if you think my opinion just consists of . The Corpse Bride had uninspiring songs (same with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) that were flat and annoying and I just didn't care about it and Charlie's subplot is what carried the film in a downward spiral, Domino's editing (sound and film) was too hip for me, you could tell that the Brothers Grimm was not what Gilliam wanted (nor was it anything I want), while Aristricrats carried the same joke with different stories at times was pretty funny but that only happened twice, Sarah Silverman getting raped by the manager and South Park and its spoof of September 11th while everything else was stale and couldn't fill the hour and half mark. Memoirs of a Geisha takes place in Japan but yet they speak in English, I don't know about you, but I think I would be too annoyed by that alone for me to watch it at all.

[Cygnet74]

What is a worse movie, one that is just bad entertainment or a movie with a forced attempt of trying to be excellent but fails horribly. I think the latter.
you prefer the bad movie that aspires to be mediocre over the one that aspires to be better?

[NatrlBornThrllr]

Hey, guy that I kinda got into a tiff with earlier before the moderator responded to tell me to knock it off and scolded you too but you kinda probably didn't deserve it because I was the one who started it and you just responded but you can't really blame the moderator because he was just doing his job...

Read this review: http://www.geocities.com/outlawvern/ReviewsB2.html#brown_bunny

-JP

[Nick Danger]

Memoirs of a Geisha takes place in Japan but yet they speak in English, I don't know about you, but I think I would be too annoyed by that alone for me to watch it at all.

This seems like an odd objection. Should The Ten Commandments have been in Hebrew? If the movie is written in English, based on the English translation of a book, I don't have an objection. I only complain when some lousy translator takes a movie that was filmed in a foreign language and covers up the original dialogue acting with dubbing.

In the last year I've read books that were originally written in Greek, medieval Latin, Japanese, and French. Since I can't read any of those languages, I was glad of the translations. A good literary translation is a joy to read.

[chente]

Elektra

[eXcentris]

Hey, guy that I kinda got into a tiff with earlier before the moderator responded to tell me to knock it off and scolded you too but you kinda probably didn't deserve it because I was the one who started it and you just responded but you can't really blame the moderator because he was just doing his job...

Read this review: http://www.geocities.com/outlawvern/ReviewsB2.html#brown_bunny

-JP

I did not watch this film on the promise of a blowjob. This was a trick to attract you puritanical Americans. :) I knew what to expect, I understood what Gallo was trying to do, i.e. make people feel uncomfortable with lenghty, repetitive scenes that feel pointless. I understand it's all about making the viewer feel Bud's alienation, despair, regret, solitude. I understand why the encounters with the three woman didn't lead anywhere. It makes perfect sense in this film. But it didn't work for me. There's a reason I posted "Bresson wannabe". It's because Bresson could pull off (watch "Pickpocket" for example) this anti-cinematic style so to speak, confuse the hell out the viewer, try his patience and still make it work. Gallo can't. And that ending just felt to me like some cheap M. Night Shyamalan trick. Sorry but I still stand by my opinion that The Brown Bunny is a futile, and useless narcissistic ego trip.

But thanks for the link. I put it in my favorites. That guy is hilarious. :)

[Giles]

... But it didn't work for me. There's a reason I posted "Bresson wannabe". It's because Bresson could pull off (watch "Pickpocket" for example) this anti-cinematic style so to speak, confuse the hell out the viewer, try his patience and still make it work. Gallo can't.

also watch the supplements on the new Criterion DVD - there is an excellent introduction (best watched after seeing the movie) from writer-director Paul Schrader that beautifully illustrates and breaks down Bresson's film style.

[eXcentris]

also watch the supplements on the new Criterion DVD - there is an excellent introduction (best watched after seeing the movie) from writer-director Paul Schrader that beautifully illustrates and breaks down Bresson's film style.

I did, great concise analysis indeed.

[Giles]

I did, great concise analysis indeed.

did you by chance listen to the commentary track?

[DRG]

This year I saw a lot less movies than usual, so not as much I would openly hate.

Movies I disliked

Alone on the Dark - Saw about a half hour's worth on DVD, not even worth finishing for a laugh.

Dark Water - Has a great atmosphere but goes nowhere with it, and felt like it took days to get there.

White Noise - Great trailer, interesting idea, but horrible execution. And the ending was dreadful.

Disappointments

The Ring Two - Much worse than both the original and the remake. Seemed to forget anything that made those two scary.

Mindhunters - Really good first 2/3 but it completely falls apart in the end.

Hide & Seek - What appears to be a decent supernatural flick ends up being yet another lame split personality story.

Land of the Dead - Veered too far from the Dead feel. I didn't dislike it, but it was still a disappointment.

Syriana - Great storyline, but no emotional connection. Again, not a bad film, I was just expecting more.

[zekeburger1979]

A lot of movies that I'm seeing on these Worst of lists I actually liked!

The ones that I've seen this year that I wouldn't recommend are:

Constantine
Elektra
Dukes of Hazzard
Madagascar

[ChrisKnudsen]

you prefer the bad movie that aspires to be mediocre over the one that aspires to be better?

Really a failure is a failure but at least I think it is easier to watch a film that is a failure that doesn't want to be a masterpiece and crashes down hard. If I had a gun to my head, I would probably watch the sequel to Deuce Begulo over such early Oscar contenders (well, they were until they got released) Pay it Foward or the Alamo. Granted all movies are bad but I hate watching talent being put to waste.

[porieux]

Fantastic Four and Chronicles of Narnia are tied for worst of the year for me.

Could not get thru either of them. Atrocious.

Of course I'm sure there were much worse movies that I didn't even try to watch...

[porieux]

Hitchhiker's Guide, on the other hand was an instant classic. Very well done.

[Dead]

My post was an admittedly sarcastic attempt to say that if somebody relies on overused, generic, by the numbers phrases like "___ wannabe, pretentious," and "pseudo-intellectual," they usually don't have a valid critique of the film in the first place. ...

Maybe they do, maybe they do not. Either way, being insulting to other members doesn't contribute anything to the discussion. If you feel that the movie was good, you need to support that postion *without* being rude.

[NatrlBornThrllr]

I did not watch this film on the promise of a blowjob. This was a trick to attract you puritanical Americans. :) I knew what to expect, I understood what Gallo was trying to do, i.e. make people feel uncomfortable with lenghty, repetitive scenes that feel pointless. I understand it's all about making the viewer feel Bud's alienation, despair, regret, solitude. I understand why the encounters with the three woman didn't lead anywhere. It makes perfect sense in this film. But it didn't work for me. There's a reason I posted "Bresson wannabe". It's because Bresson could pull off (watch "Pickpocket" for example) this anti-cinematic style so to speak, confuse the hell out the viewer, try his patience and still make it work. Gallo can't. And that ending just felt to me like some cheap M. Night Shyamalan trick. Sorry but I still stand by my opinion that The Brown Bunny is a futile, and useless narcissistic ego trip.

But thanks for the link. I put it in my favorites. That guy is hilarious. :)

I'd heard about the scene, but I watched the film because I loved Gallo's first outing. While I didn't think this one was nearly as good, I still thought it was solid. While you saw this as Gallo failing where Bresson had succeeded, I saw it as Gallo succeeding where Gus Van Sant has recently and repeatedly failed. I guess that's why we landed on the opposite end of the spectrum. Anyway, I thought you'd like the review. After you've seen the movie, check out the King Kong thread. I've posted his review for that movie there, and it's great.

-JP

[GrimTangent]

I was originally going to nominate Kingdom of Heaven (I wanted to like it, just out of respect for Mr. Scott), but then I saw someone mention Dark Water. I totally agree; that is the worst movie I've seen this year. I felt like I was missing some sub-text, but I just couldn't figure it out. Performances were generally great, but the rest was lacking.

[RavenTwo]

I would go with

Constantine
Supercross
White Noise
Fantastic 4
Deuce Bigelow EG
The Boogeyman
Hide and Seek
Dark Water
The Cave
Herbie Fully Loaded
Dukes of Hazzrd
Valiant
The Ring Two
Robots
Madagascar
The perfect man
War of the Worlds

[ChrisKnudsen]

I would go with

Constantine
Supercross
White Noise
Fantastic 4
Deuce Bigelow EG
The Boogeyman
Hide and Seek
Dark Water
The Cave
Herbie Fully Loaded
Dukes of Hazzrd
Valiant
The Ring Two
Robots
Madagascar
The perfect man
War of the Worlds

Wow, you were one of the 10 people to see Supercross. Sorry for the lame joke, but seriously, 10 people were the only ones to see that. I can't believe studios greenlite that. The gay cowboy movie made more money than that did in its entire run in its first weekend on 6 screens (an overexaggeration for comedic effect)

[Big Quasimodo]

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - caveat - only watched about 20 minutes - couldn't get through it and that doesn't happen often.

Unleashed - had some redeeming aspects (Hoskins, Freeman, action) but some horrible ones too (casting of Freeman's daughter, Li "acting").

[BassDude]

Not to be a dick but is it fun to watch bad movies?

Very much so... go see "Plan 9 from Outer Space."

Ya watch 'em (for 'free' on cable) and wonder how anyone could have released this mess thinking it would do well.

[DamingR]

Mr. & Mrs. Smith -- terrible, left early
Kicking and Screaming -- WTF happened there? Wow, it was bad.

[SuprVgeta]

I tend to avoid the movies that look retarded in their trailers so my worst movie of the year is War of the Worlds simply because of the ending of the movie. Man the first hour or so of that movie was great, but the last 45 minutes or so of the movie + the ending just ruined it for me.

[lamphorn]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith was lame.
Flightplan was just godawful.

Won't watch Brown Bunny after seeing that prick's billboard announcing "I've got a big cock and got a hot famous girl to blow me, come see it."

[Sunday Morning]

The Dukes Of Hazzard was easily the worst.

[darkflounder]

I was going to say Stealth, but I got to see a special showing for the naval flight test squadron here at China Lake. By far one of the best movie experiences I've ever had. They were merciless. And these are the guys that would know about the subject matter. Imagine MST3k, but with over 50 naval pilots. I wish I had brought in a recorder with me, recorded it all, and released it on the net as a commentary track.

[ChrisKnudsen]

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - caveat - only watched about 20 minutes - couldn't get through it and that doesn't happen often.

Unleashed - had some redeeming aspects (Hoskins, Freeman, action) but some horrible ones too (casting of Freeman's daughter, Li "acting").

Man, I thought Unleased was one of the more entertaining Hollywood movies of the year and would probably pick it up if it was in the bargain bin somewhere (I only own 5 dvds).

Heard Sisterhood wasn't so bad, might check it out on TV sometime.

[ChrisKnudsen]

This seems like an odd objection. Should The Ten Commandments have been in Hebrew? If the movie is written in English, based on the English translation of a book, I don't have an objection. I only complain when some lousy translator takes a movie that was filmed in a foreign language and covers up the original dialogue acting with dubbing.

In the last year I've read books that were originally written in Greek, medieval Latin, Japanese, and French. Since I can't read any of those languages, I was glad of the translations. A good literary translation is a joy to read.

Yeah, but I am talking about a movie shot in English with mostly Chinise actors playing Japanese parts. The Ten Commandments was made with Americans as the part just like America seems to believe that Jesus was white and so that Jesus will always be played by a white guy. I am not saying you should learn languages or anything of that nature. I would have just rather watched this movie in Japanese with subtitles. That is it.

[Rockmjd23]

These 2005 films are all in IMDB's Bottom 100, listed with their ratings.

2. In the Mix 1.5
21. Honeymooners 1.9
30. Son of the Mask 2.1
46. Alone in the Dark 2.3
49. Get Rich or Die Tryin 2.3
79. Yours, Mine and Ours 2.8
91. The Fog 2.9

Updated to add Yours, Mine and Ours. Wasn't a good year for bad movies...

[LorenzoL]

Yeah, but I am talking about a movie shot in English with mostly Chinise actors playing Japanese parts. The Ten Commandments was made with Americans as the part just like America seems to believe that Jesus was white and so that Jesus will always be played by a white guy. I am not saying you should learn languages or anything of that nature. I would have just rather watched this movie in Japanese with subtitles. That is it.
Be glad that they had at least Asian actors playing the roles. Having an all Japanese cast would have been asking too much for a Hollywood movie.

[ChrisKnudsen]

Be glad that they had at least Asian actors playing the roles. Having an all Japanese cast would have been asking too much for a Hollywood movie.

Or I guess making it in Japanese would be too much, also. I could be more glad if they didn't make it into a medicore movie and left its legacy as a classic book.