It's a bit weird hearing Mark read out my site user name with my comment: it's a weird made-up word that I use because it's always free, but it wasn't meant to be a "nom de plume"! I see we now have a space for a "real name", so I've used that now, and maybe I'll sound like less of a geek in the future. 8)

The Jonathan Ross quote is indeed true. I used to have the VHS of the movie and that quote was on the back cover. Supposedly it was a bet between Ross and another critic that he could get his quote on the poster. I'm sure that's how Ross explained it.

will need to dig out my own copy of Batman Forever on VHS (it has more in common with Synecdoche, New York than you'd think, the scene where Tommy Lee Jones's Two Face and Jim Carrey's Riddler meet for the first time is a justification for the whole film. Campy bedsit humour. "THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON THE BOX. THIS IS MY BRAIN ON THE BOX. DOES ANYBODY ELSE FEEL LIKE A FRIED EGG!?")



Are you sure it wasn't Paul Ross?



It seems Mr J Ross now thinks that Spiderman 3 is the best superhero film ever made, if not the best film ever made. Maybe he's been on the mental decline for some time.

So we only get marked (or should the be "kermoded") over "Me and Me and Orson Welles". How about some feedback on "Screening Room: Animation & Aardman"? Tut tut tut ... we need BBC feedback forms for ranking our teachers ;)

Yeah, Mark, but then you said to Willem Dafoe's face that you had no problem with the genital mutilation. You frustrate me so, Good Doctor, but I still love you.

My VHS of Batman Forever has long since been banished to the archives in my house but i do indeed remember the Jonathan Ross quote on the back cover. At the time i thought nothing of it but looking back that is quite a statement for Mr. Ross to have made. But then again if i was asked to put a quote foward for 1987's Masters of the Universe i would quite happily let them quote me as saying "It is the greatest film ever made"...but then again Masters of the Universe is in my top five films of all time along with The Exorcist, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Good The Bad and The Ugly and Carnival of Souls. Nostalgia is a tricky thing, Masters of the Universe was the first film i saw in the cinema, the first film i remember any sort of hype about in the media (i was 4 years old) and it still remains one of the easiest and most enjoyable films for me to watch along with those other four films. Maybe Mr. Ross had a similar experience watching Batman Forever as i did with the aforementioned He-Man movie. Us critics are only human at the end of the day.

I though the Batman Forever quote was "One of the greatest movies ever made" rather than just the greatest.



I know Ben Lyons was criticised for using the same quote for I Am Legend (the Will Smith one).

The thing I used to do was to look, not at the quote but who had said it.

If you had a collection of quotes from the Daily Star and the Sun, you were pretty much guaranteed that it was going to be a pile of bilge and they were just playing up to their readership.

Not that I am saying the more highbrow critics always get it right as film is a subjective medium and the ultimate critic is yourself.

This was one of the things I loved about the Fight club packaging were they actually had, in the cover, all the negative reviews. If you get the new Bluray version of this film the is put into the Guy Movie hall of fame and Fincher, Pitt & Norton get up and read out a load of negative reviews.



I wonder sometimes how much fun it would be if the publicity people took a leaf out of the Emory Leeson character in Crazy people and just sold it like it is.

With regards to your top ten worst movie list.



A couple of months back you made a very lame excuse at not putting a particular worst film on your list (can't remember which one), because it was equally as bad as Bride Wars, therefore it didn't count.



Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I do get a strong feeling that you are cheating. If it is a bad movie, then it should go on your list of bad movies regardless of being equally bad as Bride Wars.



Many movie critics have done this quite easily in the past, so there is no excuse for you not to do the same. If you don't want to leave you job as movie critic, then don't make rash decisions that you are not going to keep!



Now don't get me wrong I do enjoy your reviews, opinions etc, but moving the the goal posts when it suits you is not on really.

It's funny. Whenever the topic of Batman in film arises; people either choose to focus on Schumacher's two travesties, Nolan's psychology-minor exercises or Burton's rather dull original.

The neglect which the brilliant Batman Returns have suffered is nothing short but a crime against cinema.

On the Jonathan Ross quote, it appears to be true. However, during my Google searching, it appears that he did it in order to win a bet (possibly with his brother) to get it on the video cover. Not sure if this is true or not, but I saw it mentioned on a few forums. Maybe the Good Doctor would be so kind as to ask Jonathan Ross should he bump into him at the BBC.



(On the subject of taglines, I just remembered the caption on Saw that was quoted from The Guardian: "Perhaps you enjoyed Se7en. This goes up to Ei8ght." Ugh.)

i remember an interview with ross about the bet with his brother-thats why i've never taken his film reviews seriously

Batman Forever is no the best at all but i think its definately better tha batman and robin plus the new bale instalments that are mean to be award flicks and blockbusters.

Maybe Wossy actually said "this is "not" the greatest movie ever made" and they just took the end of the quote...

If you feel weird, brian thomson, how do you think I feel?



'I say it here, it comes out there'...



Your apology done with good grace as always Mark. I was only partly serious, and you're forgiven... but apparently there's some work still to mark... Mark... mark?



Did I mention the teacher became mayor around these parts?

I tend to avoid films with the label, "No1 box office smash hit.....!" as they usually tend to be poor.



I remember going to watch Team America. There was a group of teenage girls a few rows in front. After about 5 mins into the film they got up and walked out. I assumed they realised this wasn't going to be a quirky animation like Toy Story.

Simple really:



A poster is the work of a marketing department who are solely required to bring in as many people as possible by any means necessary (within the parameters of movie marketing).



If distributers could double their gross on Scorsese's Taxi Driver by calling it "feel good movie of the year" then they surely would!



The economists of the movie industry really don't care as they are more concerned with profit margins. Most DVD/Blu-Ray covers nowadays have all manner of tat on the back of them from comedians like Jonathan Ross etc.



But does anyone seriously listen to Jonathan Ross? Really?



Barry Norman was respectable but the fact that Ross was chosen to replace goes to show the type of exposure and review style studios are after...



The Road will still get it's proper audience so long as it is a good film... period! I can think of a number of films that may have 'bombed' on their first theatrical release but due to their enduring appeal get their re-runs - Blade Runner being a good example!

It's always entertaining to watch Mr Ross review a bad film starring one of his many showbiz 'buddies'.



Let's hope Jason Isaacs never makes a really bad film, eh?

Apologies for posting twice in succession, but have you ever seen the 'feelgood' recut trailer for "The Shining".

Take a look - it is a piece of art in itself.



Just Google "Shining feelgood trailer", or here it is on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfout_rgPSA

Stuart Yates - I think the wager has always been 'if there are ten films WORSE than Bride Wars...', therefore a film equally as bad would either not count - as it is strictly speaking not worse - or take a joint position. I don't see how that's cheating....?

Wow, I'll be honest and admit, I was slightly startstruck after hearing you read out my comment about Michael Bay, so thanks!



But enough of that. On the subject of films being misrepresented in posters and such, I feel Inglourious (cough)-sterds was a pretty big casualty. I mean, in a time in Quentin Tarantino's career where his enthusiam is all too often mistaken for egotism, marketing campains spouting quotes like "You haven't seen war until you've seen it through the eyes of Tarantino" just aren't going to set people in the right mood for watching the film. For starters, there's no actual "war" in the film, at least not in the "Saving Private Ryan sense of the word". I liked the film, but I know, Mark, you didn't, and some of my friends didn't either. Or rather, they didn't even bother to see it. And when I'd ask them why that was, they'd reply; "because I hate Tarantino". Their decision not to see the film or not liking the film was ultimately decided on their perception of the Tarantino (via the media) and their dislike of him, and not the quality of the actual film.



Because Tarantino films don't follow the traditional conventions of cinema, folks (marketers and the like) are simply too ill-equipped at marketing his material and in turn they end up marketing the Man, and not the movie...

[Apologies for the double post but I had some typing issues I wanted to correct]

Wow, I'll be honest and admit, I was slightly startstruck after hearing you read out my comment about Michael Bay, so thanks!

But enough of that. On the subject of films being misrepresented in posters and such, I feel Inglourious (cough)-sterds was a pretty big casualty. I mean, in a time in Quentin Tarantino's career where his enthusiam is all too often mistaken for egotism, marketing campains spouting quotes like "You haven't seen war until you've seen it through the eyes of Tarantino" just aren't going to set people in the right mood for watching the film. For starters, there's no actual "war" in the film, at least not in the "Saving Private Ryan sense of the word". I liked the film, but I know, Mark, you didn't, and some of my friends didn't either. Or rather, they didn't even bother to see it. And when I'd ask them why that was, they'd reply; "because I hate Tarantino". Their decision not to see the film or not liking the film was ultimately decided on their perception of Tarantino (via the media) and their dislike of him, and not the quality of the actual film itself.

Because Q.T.'s films don't follow the traditional conventions of cinema, folks (marketers and the like) are simply too ill-equipped at marketing his material and in turn they end up marketing the Man, and not the movie...

I worry you're getting back into your old habit of prescribing language as opposed to allowing language its natural function of being DEscriptive. Your objection to the term 'feel good' is similar to your objection to the term 'torture porn'. Who cares what it was? Or what it used to be? And how that may have been misapplied in the past?



We have a trend of adolescent film makers thinking it's entertainment to imprison and terrorise models for the best part of 90 minutes, therefore it lends itself to the name torture porn - and when a film truly makes you feel good, you should be able to call it a feel good film. Why try to preserve a more dishonest definition simply because it came first?



Matthew McConaughey leaning against the latest version of Photoshop is symptomatic of a film likely to make me feel *the opposite of good* - and that's just the poster! Perhaps the accidental offshoot of the benevolent if similarly cynical Slumdog Milionaire campaign is us now finding permission to enforce a more literal and truthful definition of 'feel good'. It's such a weird position you're taking because this is one of the rare examples of an advertising expression delivering on its promise (i.e.; you leave the cinema feeling good) and you're railing against it. So why not rejoice and sing 'Jai Ho!, Mark? A couple of words have meaning again!



PS - Glad to see our worst fears weren't realised and that Kate Hudson didn't end your career.

I would like to defend Synecdoche, New York a bit. Honestly.



I liked the film very much. What did I like about it? The dialogue, the surreal/absurd style of the piece which is very different from the styles of other surreal film-makers I admire (people like Terry Gilliam, David Lynch etc.) - a style which is a bit more meticulous, constructed and dare I say, mathematical/autistic, but which still manages to work like it was intended to. Most of all, I really loved (and, more importantly, could relate to) the situation Philip Seymour Hoffmans character finds himself in.



That being said, the film is not without its faults, certainly - the last 15 or so are completely unnecessary and the movie is certainly not a "smash hit comedy of the year". However, I do feel it captures the fears, melancholies and freaky disorders of present day life in a goofy and unique way that other films seldom manage to do. Yes, its slightly less interesting to watch the second time around, but it is not nearly as complicated a film as people make it out to be.



(If you want "complicated" and "mess" go watch INLAND EMPIRE. I have. And I won't do it again. Not willingly, no.)

...and by saying that I could relate to Philip Seymour Hoffmans character, I obviously meant the author/artist "writer's block" thing and not the aging thing.

branching out on the subject of studying and homework, does being a film critic detach from the enjoyment of a film? as an english student i find it harder and harder to enjoy the books i read, because i spend the whole time deconstructing it, finding faults and selecting things that make it something in relation to a seminar or essay question.

i'm not sure if this counts but i remember my mate got a pirate version of 21 Grams which had the quotes on the front



"downright hilarious"

I have to admit I seldom pay attention to movie posters anymore. The endless trailers in front of my chosen film provide me with information about upcoming features. I am usually at a kids movie and it is a pet peeve of mine when they show trailers for adult films especially ones with gory violence or sexual content that I have to explain to my 7 year old.



I wish I had taken a closer look at he poster for Disney's A Christmas Carol as I missed the sensor's warning and it scared the crap out of my daughter and her little friend. Surprisingly the film was much closer to the original text than I expected from the trailer which focused on Scrooge flying around in his night dress. The over the top action scenes left the two kids with me rather bored, I must say, while the scary ghosts had them cowering. It made for a rather schizophrenic experience as though Robert Zemeckis couldn't make up his mind what kind of film he was making. Either way it was not exactly the Disney Chrismas flick advertised.

@ Rasmus Widengard: You're right on about Batman Returns. Though it has its problems - too many villains, for instance - it's the best of the original four films. Batman is enjoyable but messy, Batman Forever is engrossing to a point but ultimately silly, and Batman and Robin is sacriligiously terrible.

Like EstonianFilmFan, I also really enjoyed Synecdoche New York - in fact it is my favourite film of the year (so far). The central performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman is wonderful, Kaufman's dialogue is both funny and melancholic and the whole film captures the helplessness often felt as life flies past too quickly, as well as reminding of the need to take any chance at happiness that is offered in case it disappears forever. Of course, the description of "Smash hit comedy of the year" is absurd and anyone who buys it on the strength of that tagline will probably be sorely disappointed. Probably only calling it the "feelgood film of the year" would have been less apt.



Amusingly, my second favourite film this year is The Good, the Bad and the Weird, so I seem to be doubly at odds with the Good Doctor!

EstonianFilmFan - i agree to you to a point. the way in which the film addresses the paranoia and fears of modern day life are included but seem like a form of therapy for kauffman. i think, like all of charlie's films, the first half an hour or so are coherent and are interesting, realistic and in the case of films like SNY and Adaptation, great examples of filmmaking. unfortunately when it becomes the absurd realization of the writers inner-psyche it becomes a ludicrously self indulgent piece of tosh.



as for misguiding promotional tools, id like to point towards harry brown. on the recent posters it reads "confirms caine as the king of cool". i hope the director was raging at this. the film is so ridiculously bleak and dark that i cant think of anything "cool" about this picture. i did enjoy it, but they presented it as some sort of lock stock gangsta type thing. plus, the artwork of the poster is clearly suggested towards get carter and the italian job which is incredibly irresponsible of the production team, making you think that they dont want you to take this film for what it should be, which should be, rather seriously (taking into account the subject matter).

Now mark our comments on Paranormal Activity and you are finished for the semester. You can go and have a Christmas break!

Mark, I want to correct on one thing about your review of (500) Days of Summer, which I absolutely loved, you said it was pretentious that they liked The Smiths but it's not at all, I'm 18 and like The Smiths a great deal and so do most people who like good music my age.

Yes, that is a quote from Ross. Warner Bros. must have been very pleased by it, as it was presented in huge font on the back cover, with no plot synopsis for the movie, just the quote and some film stills.



Speaking of the Rosses, his brother Paul gave a similiar gushing quote (as he always does) that will stick with me (and is on the DVD artwork) for The Scorpion King: "This is my favourite adventure movie of all time." All year, okay, that's passable. But all time!?

As someone now decrees that film content is described as ‘Contains scenes of threat and mild peril’ or ‘strong language and bloody violence’ etc can this not be expanded to include, say, ‘many long dull scenes’, ‘low budget values, ‘cliched dialogue’ ‘incoherent plot’ or ‘disappointing ending’?

Personally, I have a problem with any movie poster stating "Comedy of the year", "Must see action /horror/thriller of the year" (delete as applicable) and so on, especially those released in January...

I must admit, when I got my copy of Synecdoche on DVD, I laughed when I saw the little button that said "Smash Hit Comedy of the Year", but it didn't put me off buying it (seen it and the cinema and enjoyed it).



As for feelgood film of the year, I'm torn between a very odd selection: Star Trek, Fantastic Mr Fox, District 9 and Inglourious Basterds. I know, a very strange variety, but it may have been how much I was letting myself engage with the film, and the films intention, and maybe also the company I kept when visiting the cinema. I think if I had to choose, it would actually be Star Trek, I went to see that film twice as I enjoyed it so much. I enjoyed the spectacle and the acting and the storyline. I don't think I'd enjoyed a purely Hollywood film a the cinema that much since Iron Man.



Saying that, I think I did prefer District 9, but didn't enjoy it AS MUCH as Star Trek. I think a lot of the time it's about mood and awareness when you step into the cinema. Oh and unjust skepticism...looking at you Mr Kermode!

PS: Okay I just remembered In The Loop. I watched that on DVD, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The script was priceless, literally almost everything had me in stitches. Then again the responses I got from friends and family who'd seen it was "it was alright"...strange...

Shocking, but i've actually warmed (on a much delayed 2nd viewing) to BATMAN AND ROBIN, I think for a film to be unwatchable it actually has to have a few good elements in a terrible whole, or at least have a hint of competence by the filmmakers; on 'every single level' B&R is completely terrible and as such I was able to relax into it and have a good laugh.

I do think by the time a film makes it to video or DVD most people will know whether a film is good or not. The problem is with new films where there are few reviews for the film on opening day. We all hope Avitar is going to be good but how can we be sure until the release day and then through word of mouth.



I am surprised the major film companies haven't realised that if a film tanks in America and then is set for release around the world 2 or 3 months later it is going to effect figures.



Actually can anyone tell me why so many films are released months later in Europe and the rest of the world in this day and age? I can't actually see much practical reason for it. A prime example this year being 'Up', where it felt like an eternity between its American and British release.

Thanks for getting back to us on those two topics, but what about your thoughts on the comments for fave animated films(which got a lot of feedback) and xmas films? You answer those then go on your xmas break ;)



Oh and nearer the xmas break, you can post a vid answering comments on the best films of 2009.

MARK KERMODE I HEARBY HAVE SOME HOMEWORK FOR YOU YES YOU THE FILM CRITIC HORROR LOVER.



I WOULD LIKE YOU TO POST US THE KERMODE UNCUT FANS AND FELLOW FILM LOVERS/HATERS YOUR FOLLOWING...



Top 10 Films Of The Year

Top 10 Films Of The Decade

Worst 10 Films Of The Year

Worst 10 Films Of The Year



AS BONUS IF YOU WANT TO BE THE STUCK UP SMART NEAT TOP OF THE CLASS FULL MARKS STUDENT.ASK ME THIS



GIVE ME 10 PERFECTLY SMART AND THOUGHTOUT REASONS WHY ALL SIX STAR WARS FILMS ARE TERRIBLE AND WHY YOU HATE STAR WARS.



THE REBELLIOUS STUDENT HAS SPOKEN. I MIGHT EVEN GET DETENTION.

I made Mark Kermode say testicles. I have the power to control Skiffle Band playing film critics.

Well it seems Jonathan Ross has verified the Batman Forever quote himself. Someone asked him on twitter if he did say that Batman Forever was the 'greatest movie ever made'. Jonathan replied that he did indeed say it but it was only for a bet. I wonder how much would have to be at stake for the good Doctor to say that Bride Wars is the 'Best film of 2009'?

I'm pretty sure, since I was also taken aback by Jonathan Ross' quote when I bought the Batman Forever video, that the film is actually billed as 'The Greatest Action Movie Ever Made.' Even still though, that was the most misleading poster quote I instantly thought of when Dr K tasked us with a reminiscent challenge.

How about a 'Smashmouth Hit of the Year' for movies with Smashmouth's 'All Star' over the closing credits? There seems to be so many of them.

hi Mark on the subject of homework. I was thinking tonight about Restless Natives and about how good an idea there was squandered by such bad exucution. dont you agree and could this be a future homework assignment?

i had the pleasure of seeing The Exocist 1 and 2 for the first time as a double bill. the first film truly rocked me in a way that very few films do....and the second was pure comedy genius...i had not heard anything of part 2..and when i was watching it i genuinely thought the film was some casino royale type spoof, or carry on exocist...one got the impression that most of the budget was spent on Richard Burton. it was a truly joyous experience.



But worst film of all time???

surely highlander 2 is worse.

@Ian Kinghorn



At least we got some bloody good Big Country songs out of Restless Natives :-)

Just a thought Mark, why are you so utterly scathing of The Pirates of the Carribean trilogy - excellent acting, great stars, brilliant action, and decent story lines - good Box Office too. I mean are you the ultimate in movie critics, he who said it was a cast iron certainty that Mickey Rourke would win Best Actor at the Oscars this year?

Whereas typically I side with Mark’s films of the year (Eternal Sunshine, Jesse James, Pan's Labyrinth), I find his Synecdoche mudslinging hugely distressful.



I appreciate its puzzle box plot was read as pretentiousness and so alienated many. I, however, found the film enchanting, compelling and heart-wrenching, whilst at the same time both mind-altering and damaging.



Even after viewing twice I can't say I understand it in its entirety, but while watching I feel I'm constantly teetering on the edge of a profound understanding: a thrilling state to be held in.



I hate to be spoon-fed my cinema as much as I hate to be confused, but Synecodche was no Inland Empire; it was a mere fraction beyond my grasp, and nothing has achieved that since Donnie Darko.



Until yesterday, I too would have hailed Synecdoche New York as film of the year, but that was before spending an evening with the Wild Things. Why?



It made me feel good.

Whats the BAFTA sitting on the right hand side at the start of the video. Is that Marks?



https://knowingviews.blogspot.com/

Mark,after hearing the quote I immediately grabbed my video of Batman Forever to see if it was true. It reads:"One of the greatest Movies ever made". It would not be the first or last time a critic is wide of the mark, as i recall you saying that Breaking The Waves is one of the most misogynistic films ever made. I thought the film was a Masterpiece and not in the least bit hateful towards women. Does that make me a Misogynist?

Regarding film trailers that put you off the movie, like Orson Welles and Me... Another example might be the Time Travellers Wife.



I read the book and enjoyed it, finding it gripping and smart. The trailer for the film looked like a "chick flick", fluffy romance, and put right off it.

In regard to your comments about the trailer for 'The Road' the beginning certainly looks like it could well be a disaster movie...thankfully the rest of it retains at least some of the intense gothic atmosphere of the novel.



As a huge McCarthy fan and someone who lists 'The Road' as one of my top 10 novels of all time I really hope that the film does it the justice it deserves. In many ways it looks set to do what 'District 9' did, in other words, provide enough action and explosions for the Transformers 2 loving explosions fanatic but also maintaining a high degree of depth for those of us who look for more in our movies!

Mark, only just catching up with all your blogs, I am now a fan and hope to become a regular!

In response to your asking about remarks by critics on DVD sleeves, one that entertained me was for the naff 2004 thriller 'Twisted' with Andy Garcia, Ashley Judd and Samuel L. Jackson.

I forget who it's from but the on the back of the DVD a quote reads something along the lines of "an impressive beginning finally leads up to a predictable and boring twist". That may be an exaggeration, but it was a blunt, and quite frankly correct, dismissal of the movie, which I found highly amusing. I've always wanted to see a critic comment on a DVD that totally discouraged you from buying it - and now I have!