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-   -   Stephen Sommers:why all the hate around here for him? (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/360752-stephen-sommers-why-all-hate-around-here-him.html)

DrMcKittrick 04-26-04 11:10 PM

I liked both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.

DonnachaOne 04-26-04 11:27 PM

Is he hated that much around here? I hadn't noticed.

Sure, he's made a couple of crap movies, but that doesn't mean he sucks. He's certainly not as bad as Paul Anderson, TMUUHTHECC.

Corvin 04-27-04 12:26 AM

Hate is a strong word. I didn't like The Mummy or its sequel. Big whoop.

QuiGonJosh 04-27-04 05:19 AM

hate isnt a strong enough of word...I hate everything he represents... :)

wmansir 04-27-04 05:38 AM

I don't hate Sommers, actually Deep Rising is one of my favorite movies. That' s right I said it! As a pure 'B-Movie' it succeeds on every level, except nudity. I also enjoyed The Mummy, though I was less than impressed with the sequel.

I understand how some people don't like his films, even if they like other brainless action/b-movies. There are many pop-corn action movies that I hate (like the Tomb Raider movies), that others enjoy. And when people defend one by saying "relax, it's just popcorn movie" I don't care, I still hate it. I imagine many feel the same way about Sommer's films.

rexinnih 04-27-04 09:21 AM

While I didn't enjoy the Mummy Returns as much as the original it still sits on my shelf in my DVD collection. (Of course I bought the R2 box set so not much of a choice) I thought it was a good popcorn flick and am looking forward to Van Helsing for the same.

shill66 04-27-04 10:07 AM

Why? Because everybody's different.

I liked Deep Rising, The Mummy and The Mummy Returns a hell of a lot. I freakin' hate Quentin Tarantino's movies. Because everybody's different.

DRG 04-27-04 11:33 AM

As someone who actually enjoyed Mummy Returns (and was split on the first Mummy), I have to say that both movies could have (should have) been much more. As I said when people defended League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with remarks like "It's just a popcorn movie"... that's no excuse not to try. Last year, for instance, we had X2 and Pirates of the Caribbean, both were popcorn movies but I didn't get that "This is stupid!" or "This is just mindless crap!" feeling from. For me, there are 'tiers' of popcorn movies, just like there are tiers for everything else. Just a few examples...

A - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars
B - Pirates of the Caribbean, X2
C - Mummy, The Fast & the Furious
D - Tomb Raider, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
F - Mission to Mars, Hudson Hawk

rushmore223 04-27-04 12:03 PM

Let me be the dissenting voice and say that I loathed every painful moment of BOTH Mummy Movies. The only reason I even saw the second was because my wife liked the first. I went and saw the first with a firend, he was lucky, he fell asleep halfway into that crapfest.

PopcornTreeCt 04-27-04 12:03 PM

The only reason why I don't care for him much is because he seems to tolerate horrible special effects. I mean Universal trusts this guy with this $160+ million film to a guy who thought the CGI Rock/Scorpion looked good enough to put on film. And Van Helsing looks to continue the tradition of horrendous CGI. At least when Lucas uses CGI it looks good.

Josh H 04-27-04 01:12 PM

Internet movie sites= movie snobs= only cool if you bash popcorn flicks.

But of course, that's only part of the explanation, as different people have different tastes and I'm sure there's many casual movie fans that like popcorn flicks but hate Sommers' movies. To each his own in that case.

PopcornTreeCt 04-27-04 01:13 PM


Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
Internet movie sites= movie snobs= only cool if you bash popcorn flicks.

But of course, that's only part of the explanation, as different people have different tastes and I'm sure there's many casual movie fans that like popcorn flicks but hate Sommers' movies. To each his own in that case.

Yes, that's true although that doesn't seem to explain why Criterion gets bashed a lot on here also.

Corvin 04-27-04 01:16 PM


Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
Internet movie sites= movie snobs= only cool if you bash popcorn flicks.
This is such BS. One of my favorite movies is The Crow, and I enjoy many other "non-snob" flicks, yet I still dislike both Mummy movies. I'm a movie snob because I didn't like the Mummy films. Right.

Josh H 04-27-04 01:21 PM


Originally posted by Corvin
This is such BS. One of my favorite movies is The Crow, and I enjoy many other "non-snob" flicks, yet I still dislike both Mummy movies. I'm a movie snob because I didn't like the Mummy films. Right.
Read the bottom half of my post, rather than just that line. -rolleyes-

I explicitly stated that snobbery wasn't the only reason, but it's undeniable that there are a good deal of members here who bash any and all popcorn flicks and only praise "artsy" films.

drjay 04-27-04 01:22 PM


Originally posted by John Spartan
- Great pacing
- Beautiful imagery
- Clever story
- Fine balance of comedy, horror and action that beautifully appeals to everyone in the audience without pissing any segment off (tho the Benny character occasionally comes close)
- Wonderful chemistry among the cast
- Most importantly, action that is EXCITING and fast, yet always clear. No bullshit Michael Bay epileptic editing but every bit as energetic. That is no small accomplishment.

:up:

I'd also mention (although I expect to be flamed for it -ohbfrank-) that The Mummy reminded me of Army of Darkness at times, which was another great comedy/action/horror flick (especially where Brendan Fraser screams back at the newly arisen mummy, a scene which made me laugh out loud in the theater--something I barely ever do).

Corvin 04-27-04 01:22 PM

My bad Josh. Jumped the gun. I was getting sick of reading it in this thread--you sure weren't the first to mention it, but you were the first to qualify it.

PopcornTreeCt 04-27-04 01:25 PM


Originally posted by Corvin
This is such BS. One of my favorite movies is The Crow, and I enjoy many other "non-snob" flicks, yet I still dislike both Mummy movies. I'm a movie snob because I didn't like the Mummy films. Right.
The Mummy is not the quintessential popcorn flick. I don't think that would make you a snob if you didn't like it. But what's so wrong with being a snob anyway? I still strongly vocally express my opinions on certain movies to my friends and family but I don't say "Yeah well that movie is so below me, anyone who likes that movie is just plain stupid" Instead I would say "I'd rather watch Throne of Blood" Does that me a snob? Maybe but I don't act like one.

Pants 04-27-04 04:06 PM

He gets a lot of hate because all the movies he has directed suck.

EvilConradBain 04-27-04 04:13 PM

If I was 8 years old The Mummy would be the coolest movie I'd ever seen.

ArchibaldTuttle 04-27-04 04:16 PM

I didn't even know who this guy was untill this thread, I consider myself a pretty big movie buff, but after looking at imdb all his movies are those that I had no interest in seeing, so I didn't pay attention to him... I thought the Mummy was an ok movie

Abob Teff 04-27-04 04:51 PM


Originally posted by Sessa17
The Mummy, is a wretched cliched crapfest. Kill Bill is a "good popcorn movie", it doesn't make you think, it's not believable, the plot is extemely simple, but he writing is smart & the directing is phenomenal & all done with a failry modest budget . . .
Thus my problem & vast hatred for Steven Sommers. $100 million budgeted movies directed with absolutely NO imagination or originality whatsover,

Whoa whoa whoa! Stop this insipid vitriol right here! Anybody who tries to claim that Tarantino has "originality" and Sommers does not is completely oblivious to the world. Every damn bit of Kill Bill (Half One and Half Two, pay twice for one movie) is a rip off from the stuff that Tarantino grew up on. Nothing the man has done has come from a simple creative thought other than "wouldn't it be cool if . . . "
<P>Admittedly, TMR was a ripoff of the first Mummy movie and therein lies its problems. They crossed that fine line from "homage" (which is a fancy word that uncreative people like Tarantino like to throw around when they can't come up with their own sh*t) to ripoff.
<P>Some people here have said that Sommers tends to use cartoony pg-13 violence, I contend that Tarantino is a bigger offender if cartoon violence is the violation. Afterall, the man made a live action "Itchy and Scratchy" ripoff from old kung-fu cinema.

CaptainMarvel 04-27-04 05:00 PM


Originally posted by QuiGonJosh
I just hate the guy! Now...I like a good popcorn flick...for example...a good Popcorn director is Michael Bay...the guys knows how to blow shit up real well...I mean...Bad Boys 2 is just the perfect popcorn flick...big...loud...funny...and fun...same goes for Armageddon...now I'll let him slide for Pearl Harbor...everyone makes mistakes...but Stephen Sommers now...his movies lack everything...their just not entertaining and their just BAD movies...
I think you just used up your entire lifetime allocation of ellipses.

Sessa17 04-27-04 05:43 PM


Originally posted by Abob Teff
Whoa whoa whoa! Stop this insipid vitriol right here! Anybody who tries to claim that Tarantino has "originality" and Sommers does not is completely oblivious to the world. Every damn bit of Kill Bill (Half One and Half Two, pay twice for one movie) is a rip off from the stuff that Tarantino grew up on. Nothing the man has done has come from a simple creative thought other than "wouldn't it be cool if . . . "


Stop your insipid misreading of posts. Where in my post did I say anything about Tarantino being original. And Kill Bill, is an homage to the genres Taraninto loves, that is the ENTIRE point of the movie. The Mummy is Sommers trying to produce new original work. Pulp Fiction is completely original & spawned more knock-offs then perhaps any movie in recent memory.

Pants 04-27-04 05:48 PM

The ignorance of cinema in this thread is frightening.

QuiGonJosh 04-27-04 06:42 PM


I think you just used up your entire lifetime allocation of ellipses.
I'll...take...that...has...a...compliment... :D


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