Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Movies with no coherent plot?

Community
Search
Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Movies with no coherent plot?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-11-07, 12:02 PM
  #1  
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
Thread Starter
 
OldBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Are any of us really anywhere?
Posts: 49,448
Received 913 Likes on 773 Posts
Movies with no coherent plot?

I just watched "The Grudge 2". I thought I read somewhere that it was ok. I saw the first and didn't really dig it, but wanted to give this a chance.

All I saw was a bunch of scenes strung together that all ended the same way...with a sickly girl or sickly boy coming out of nowhere.

I kept watching thinking there has to be some point and yes, they explained the appearances, but it was so rambling and logic-less that there was nothing to it but clips of scared people.

I don't think I have seen anything like this in awhile where it didn't begin, run its course or climax at the end. It was just totally and astonshingly absurd.

So what other theatrical releases follow this pattern where there was no story whatsoever and just strung together for would-be enjoyment of film? List good ones and bad ones...

Last edited by OldBoy; 02-11-07 at 12:04 PM.
Old 02-11-07, 12:12 PM
  #2  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
David Lynch - Good ones
Old 02-11-07, 12:13 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MA
Posts: 17,000
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Lucio Fulci horror films like The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, and House by the Cemetery. He has admitted they are just a bunch of set-pieces strung together. I like them all.
Old 02-11-07, 01:11 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
2001: A Space Odyssey
Old 02-11-07, 01:20 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
The Bus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 54,916
Received 19 Likes on 14 Posts
Return of the King
Old 02-11-07, 02:24 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most of Godard's work from the 80's and 90's. I'm especially thinking of Nouvelle Vague and Helas Pour Moi, both of which I couldn't even begin to figure out anything related to a plot after I finished watching them.
Old 02-11-07, 02:28 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, there's no real plot to A Hard Day's Night. We just follow a bunch of guys around for a little while.
Old 02-11-07, 02:36 PM
  #8  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Casablanca first comes to mind
Old 02-11-07, 02:39 PM
  #9  
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Fellini's stuff seems to meander quite a bit with no real point. Amarcord especially.
Old 02-11-07, 02:44 PM
  #10  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lincolnwood, Illinois
Posts: 1,504
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Clerks and Mallrats don't really have much of a plot, just characters rambling on and on, and yet we find it amusing.

The Big Sleep is a great movie mystery with crackling dialogue, although the plot isn't exactly its strong suit.

You could also argue that movies such as Pulp Fiction and Crash don't have an overarching plot line, but they do have decent subplots for each story/character.
Old 02-11-07, 03:17 PM
  #11  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 1,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Goodfellas doesn't really have a plot. As Scorsese said about The Departed during his DGA acceptance speech: "This is the first film I've done with a plot".
Old 02-11-07, 03:25 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,866
Received 216 Likes on 155 Posts
Two horrible, recent releases that I could not follow, nor did I want to:

Smokin' Aces
Black Dahlia
Old 02-11-07, 03:43 PM
  #13  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,622
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Get Carter

Definitely one of the top 3 worst movies I have ever seen. I STILL don't know what it's about.
Old 02-11-07, 03:52 PM
  #14  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 1,721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Be Cool
Old 02-11-07, 03:57 PM
  #15  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 6,266
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 7 Posts
There's two ways to go with this - I'm sure the makers of the Grudge 2 wanted to give you plot and probably believe that they did.

Then there's movies where the lack of a plot isn't a sign bad filmmaking, but by design. But just like the above example, just because its by design, doesn't mean its automatically good.
Old 02-11-07, 10:00 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 39,351
Received 625 Likes on 482 Posts
David Lynch is the first person that comes to mind but, although I am in the minority (if not completely alone), the only film of his that I like is Lost Highway.

Dellamorte Dellamore (a.k.a. Cemetery Man) is a tough nut to crack (though I've read some good theories) but is one my all time favourite films.
Old 02-11-07, 10:03 PM
  #17  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 39,351
Received 625 Likes on 482 Posts
Another bad example would be Crank. I still don't get why they wanted him dead.
Old 02-12-07, 12:30 AM
  #18  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
CKMorpheus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 8,047
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
The worst movie in years, Napoleon Dynamite
Old 02-12-07, 12:35 AM
  #19  
DVD Talk Hero
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
A lot of good character driven movies are plot-less (Before Sunrise, Dazed & Confused, Kicking and Screaming)

It's not always a bad thing.
Old 02-12-07, 01:00 AM
  #20  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Perkinsun Dzees's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: CA
Posts: 4,232
Received 223 Likes on 148 Posts
Yes, there times coherent but be just are intentional effective some can movies that don't plots have other right sometimes that's downright and be its in very own while at it can confusing.
Old 02-12-07, 02:05 AM
  #21  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: a mile high, give or take a few feet
Posts: 14,853
Received 221 Likes on 177 Posts
I had a hard time finding a plot in Dario Argento's Inferno.
Old 02-12-07, 09:34 AM
  #22  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Orange County
Posts: 4,915
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Smokin' Aces
Be Cool
Was going to mention these as well.

And although I loved it, add Harsh Times to the list. It's an interesting character study, but there's no coherent story-line to speak of.
Old 02-12-07, 01:07 PM
  #23  
DVD Talk Legend
 
whotony's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: ^ Kristen Bell
Posts: 23,052
Received 603 Likes on 435 Posts
date movie
epic movie
scary movies
Old 02-12-07, 02:07 PM
  #24  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by SleepyW
Get Carter

Definitely one of the top 3 worst movies I have ever seen. I STILL don't know what it's about.
I really hope you're talking about the remake, and not the original with Michael Caine.
Old 02-12-07, 02:09 PM
  #25  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Antonioni's Blow-Up


Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.