Does popular = good?

[Alex]

Short answer: No, not inherently.

Longer answer: Frequently, yes. With the caveat that "good" does not equal "great."

Even longer answer: "Good" is, of course, a subjective evaluation and so at best popular can not equal good but rather popular can be a strong correlate to what I find good.

Altered point of view answer: On the assumption that filmmakers feel at least some artistic pride in their productions, then from their point of view (and their money masters) popular does equal good.

Side Topic A answer: Particularly not when it comes to IMDb movie ratings where geek herd mentality reigns. For example, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Pulp Fiction; The Empire Strikes Back; and The Return of the King are also in IMDb's Top 10.

Side Topic B answer: If popular does equal good then the top ten films of all time are:

1. Gone with the Wind
2. Star Wars
3. The Sound of Music
4. E.T.
5. The Ten Commandmants
6. Titanic
7. Jaws
8. Doctor Zhivago
9. The Jungle Book
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Using the still flawed equation that inflation-adjusted gross = better measure of popularity. This list provides strong support for the idea that popular may not equal great but it is a strong indicator of good.


Side Topic C comment: Personally, The Shawshank Redemption is a top 10 film. It may not be the best in many individual categories but it combines to something that very few movies have for me: rewatchability. I have seen it more times than any other movie, I'm pretty sure.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex

Side Topic C comment: Personally, The Shawshank Redemption is a top 10 film. It may not be the best in many individual categories but it combines to something that very few movies have for me: rewatchability. I have seen it more times than any other movie, I'm pretty sure.

That could just be a statistical anomaly seeing as it's shown on TV more than any other movie, I'm pretty sure.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

That could just be a statistical anomaly seeing as it's shown on TV more than any other movie, I'm pretty sure.

Not really. Until about two weeks ago (when we were "forced" to upgrade our cable and ended up with TCM) it had been about a decade since I last watched a movie on TV (broadcast or cable) rather than DVD since while I can just barely tolerate fullscreen, I can no longer tolerate commercial breaks).

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by Alex

Short answer: No, not inherently.

Longer answer: Frequently, yes. With the caveat that "good" does not equal "great."

I agree

Now I'm thinking about Zihuatanejo

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts

I agree

Now I'm thinking about Zihuatanejo

I caught sight of this place on a recent Discovery Channel show on the 1000 places you should see before you die. I hated the show, the couple doing the traveling suck, but I liked seeing Zihuatanejo, the beaches are left unspoiled, it's still a fishing village.

And, count me as one who loved Shawshank, I even bought it on DVD and watch it annually.

popular=good? Eh, everyone filters through their own criteria, especially when it comes to film. I just polled for a future podcast what the top ten, essential silent films would be, the list was amazingly diverse.

[Strangler Lewis]

I seriously do not understand how anyone can think that Porky's was not a great movie. The sequels less so.

As for Shawshank, while I love Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and while I'm reasonably open to sentiment and magic, I thought the movie had the kind of Maya Angelou self-satisfaction you want to hit in the face with a large cartoon skillet.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

I caught sight of this place on a recent Discovery Channel show on the 1000 places you should see before you die. I hated the show, the couple doing the traveling suck, but I liked seeing Zihuatanejo, the beaches are left unspoiled, it's still a fishing village.

And, count me as one who loved Shawshank, I even bought it on DVD and watch it annually.

popular=good? Eh, everyone filters through their own criteria, especially when it comes to film. I just polled for a future podcast what the top ten, essential silent films would be, the list was amazingly diverse.

A few years ago, we took off and spent about 2 months down there on our boat. It was a nice quiet place, warm clear water. Great little hole in the wall restaurants. Not a place to go if you like fast-paced excitement, more of a slow paced relaxing place.

It is very interesting to see what people think about different movies, this is such a diverse group, I haven't heard about 99% of the movies discussed in the movie thread, but they are fun to read about.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by Alex

Side Topic A answer: Particularly not when it comes to IMDb movie ratings where geek herd mentality reigns. For example, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Pulp Fiction; The Empire Strikes Back; and The Return of the King are also in IMDb's Top 10.

I'd love to see an analysis of what type of customers IMDB's niche market is composed of. I've never really thought about it being a "geek herd mentality".

Top 10 lists are incredibly subjective and, it seems, the broader the audience the dull the list.

When I look at the All Time USA Box Office list, I don't see much on there that I would put on my "top" list.

AFI's top 100 list is more to my own taste.

[Alex]

No, most of them aren't on my top list either, but would you agree that they are generally good?

If the question is changed to "does popular = best" then the answer is emphatically no.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex

No, most of them aren't on my top list either, but would you agree that they are generally good?

If we're talking short-term box office numbers, no. Long term revenue seems to be a better indicator of quality (the only one on that top 10 list that I don't consider 'good' to some degree is Titanic).

As for the IMDB "geek herd", I think that's what surprises me most about Shawshank being up there. While I certainly agree that it's got all the elements of a good commercially successful movie, it doesn't strike me as the kind of movie the "geek herd" (of which I'll admit to being a pat of) generally goes for. While I'd shuffle the order and add some that aren't there, I'm more or less on board with the top 20 imdb list. Discounting the ones I haven't seen, Shawshank's the only one that really sticks out. To me it's like seeing a Chilli's at the top of a restaurant ranking list. Sure, it's pretty good, better than most standard chain fair, but THAT good?

If the question is changed to "does popular = best" then the answer is emphatically no.

Agreed. What struck me about CP's brother was that his argument was, "How can you possibly not like that movie, it's #2?!"