h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been lying on the couch reading today (I'm sick as a dog so I'm trying to rest a bit), and just read an inspired little paragraph about one of my favorite flicks, "Un Chien Andalou".

Over the years, I've heard the film described as "gratuitously violent" by some vacuous, unenlightened people (although I paraphrase- most of the folk I've heard doing the criticizing [a] are far too vapid to comprehend, not to mention use, words as big as "gratuitous", and [b] have never bothered *watching* the film to begin with), and it got me to thinking about films with messages or artistic "agendas", what those might be, and what audiences might be "missing".

Think of one or two of your favorite films, which you've heard critically panned either by professional reviewers or the public at large, and share what you think those viewers "missed".

Re: "Un Chien Andalou"- I think the idea of taking a razor (metaphorically speaking) to the mind's eye is liberating, as opposed to inherently "violent", in the usual sense. While removing prejudices and preconceived notions can be painful, that kind of excision is almost always healing.

Mind you, I'm not necessarily having a go people who've watched a film and found it pretentious, boring, aesthetically unpleasant, or just plain crap. If everyone had identical tastes, life would be boring, and nothing I wanted would ever be available for rental or purchase. What I'm aiming for here is to hear about films you've loved, that other people steadfastly refuse to see because they're misinformed in some way (or just willfully obtuse), or films you've liked that you just don't think audiences "get". I may just gain some insight into a couple of flicks I didn't "get", too.

... and of course, after spending the better part of an hour looking, I'll be darned if I can find any commentary or review of "Un Chien Andalou" in any of my movie books, or on h2h2. I really would hate for a couple of former co-workers (the sort of people whose movie rentals tend to come from Lackluster Video) and the dolts at IMDb to be my only sources of critique on the film.

is this of any use

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020530/
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/SurrealismUnChienAndalou1.htm
http://www.worldcinemaonline.com/films/108/0/Un-Chien-Andalou---Avant-garde-Compilation.html

Not quite what I was looking for... but thanks anyway.

ok

The obvious one that springs to mind is A Clockwork Orange. Some people don't get how *funny* it is!

And rememember all the Christian stooshie about Life of Brian?

And of the same vintage as those two...it's strange to remember that Last Tango In Paris was spoken of in terms of porn. (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!)

I totally agree about "A Clockwork Orange". It's one of my favorite films as well, it being quite funny among the reasons.

I'm with you on "Life of Brian". Haven't seen "Last Tango in Paris", but what I've read of it makes it sound fairly tame.

What about "The Loved One"? I'm torn... even the film's tagline states that there is "Something to Offend Nearly Everyone". But does that mean the film is being deliberately "offensive"? (By today's standards, it, too, while funny as hell, isn't terribly "shocking") Or is it merely a bit provocative?

Perhaps what makes some of these films "offensive" is that the "average" viewer is offended by the notion that a filmmaker expects them to think, detect subtle cues and/or read between the lines? Or that something presents a challenge to the viewer's narrow (and often inaccurate) perspective?