MovieChat Forums > Point Blank (1967) Discussion > The Worst Film Ever??

The Worst Film Ever??

posted 21 years ago by jonohargrave
109 replies | jump to latest

I just saw this, and, well, it was the worst film I've seen in a looong time.

Everything about it was awful, to the bad acting from Lee Marvin, to the terrible camera-work, out-of-place music, stupid sound-effects, and worse plot.

Seriously, this was SO terrible. Maybe it's just because it's dated, but I've seen films 30 years before this that aren't dated, so it has no excuse. Lee Marvin is that guy we all know and hate - the one that loves himself so much he probably kisses the mirror in the morning. And to believe he's a sex symbol! Wow.

I've seen a fair few bad films in my time, but none that I have really hated all the way through. The whole theater (it was at a place which shows older films) was laughing at all the unintentionally funny moments, and never at the actual jokes. What a load of *beep*!

[–] perrote 20 years ago

What´s the problem with you jonohargrave, dear? It´s something you ate?

[–] ferickurtz70 20 years ago

I have to say are you confusing this with the Mel Gibson remake back in 1999? I could sort of see where one could have that kind of reaction to that version, but the John Boorman/Lee Marvin film holds up quite well. Really, to hate on this film doesn't seem right.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Molymauk 20 years ago

Dated?????? POINT BLANK is smarter and fresher than any recent film. Lee Marvin as the Exterminating Angel is a stunning performance. True, he doesn't do all that "acting" necessary to gain award nominations, but who among the Willis and Cruise brigade can evoke a world and mind-set simply by striding forcefully through LAX?
Confusing? Pay closer attention to the opening. Not only the quintessential neo-noir but one of the best films about films.

[–] ha-rob 20 years ago

Lee Marvin is excellent in this film he obviously understood the character he was playing to the hilt a man with a violent dispostion whose actions speak a whole lot louder than his words just look at the seen when he bursts into his Wife's appartment and grabs her by the throat and empties his Smith&Wesson revolver into the bed before realising that his prey Mal Reese(John Vernon) is not even there then goes into the bathroom checks for a razor or other male related toiletries when he is satisfied that he no longer lives there just sits there and cools off he doesn't say anything because he knows he doesn't need to, Lynn (Sharon Acker)the wife who has betrayed him starts answering questions he's not even asking she knows why he's there and what he's going to do,it's a great scene and Lee Marvin and John Boorman understood this absolutely anyone who doubts the greatness of this film should take another look at it,it deserves it.

[–] El_Guapo_Caballo 16 years ago

Wich would you say its the quintessential neo-noir, id really like to know.

When Demons are at the Door, you have to let em' in... Let em' in and kill em!

[–] Tim-130 20 years ago

Heck, I understand the whole I hate this flick thing. Usually it's the younger set hating older movies. This is a great, highly influential film though. But the 'the man everyone loves to hate' line? Try watching these...Dirty Dozen, Emperor On The North, The Professionals, Cat Ballou and Prime Cut. Heck watch all of his flicks, and tell me he's the man everyone loves to hate...

[–] goatboy500 20 years ago

I'm 27 and I wasn;t even born when this movie came out... I have to say that along with the Big Red One this is THE definitve Lee marvin movie. Before this he played heavies and bad guys and this movie... my god... this movie opened the doors for the most honest, powerful, and SENSITIVE tough guy actor thats ever graced the screen. Oh yeah, he could convey all these traits with virtually no dialogue.

I mean god, line this movie up with the french Connection, To live and Die in LA, LA Confidential, Asphalt Jungle, the Maltese Falcon, and The Killing and you have probably the best american crime movies ever made. Point Blank however, still towers above all of these movies due to Boorman's direction and Marvin's acting. This is pretty much the definitive existential thriller.

So no, not the worst movie ever made, not even if everyone's memory was mysteriously wiped of Will Smith and all of his *beep* films would this be anywhere near the worst movie ever made.

Get a grip son, walk on.

there are two kinds of people in this world my friend, the kind with guns, and the kind who dig.

[–] tedslaw 20 years ago

Dude, doesn't that make you the fool for watching a movie that you hate "all the way through?"

[–] vidrip 19 years ago

don't want to be overly offensive, but either there's a very tiny, narrow, organ at work in that skull or you just haven't experienced life enough - forget about the movies. However, for anyone else who is here, trying to decided whether or not to catch the movie - here are a few things to consider: first of all, this whole other layer of the Lee Marvin character being an exterminating angel crates a depth and complexitythat's unuslally sophisticated for a genre movie of this type. And for another - the camerawork in conjunction with the well detailed, highly stylized set design is nothing less than extraordinary. Anybody who has even a passing interest in cinematography will be stunned by the aesthetic choices that were made regarding set, camera postioning, and editing. They're genius.
And the story line - well, I can see where the average pinhead may have a problem with it. We get fast, violent cuts of flashbacks, and flashbacks withing flashbacks, and teh occassional flash=forward. It's the type of editing and storytelling technique that actually should be easier for a modern audience to comprehend (let alone find exhilerating) than the audience of that time.

Lee Marvin is great. He's more intense and threatening than, say, Mel Gibson, will ever be. It was also nice to see Angie nekkid, and John Vernon was almost as scary as he was in Animal House. This is a highly entertaining film, as well as being better crafted than it has any reason to be. Mel Gibson's sad version, which lacks nuance, complexity, and any type of aesthtetic sensibility, let alone any class, is probably just up this person's alley.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] smith-684 19 years ago

It's called subtlety and some people just don't get it.

Regarding the film being dated? Try putting it in the context in which it was produced. (That means try to put yourself back into 1967 or thereabouts and it won't feel so dated. If you try to compare a movie from 1967 with one from 2005 and are not careful you won't "get" what that means.)

[–] Jerry-137 19 years ago

There are a small group of people who go from film to film here on IMDB stating, "This is the worst movie of all time." or something similar.

If you notice they never go into any detail on "why" except maybe mentioning one item to try give some legitimacy to their idiocy. The way this game is played is to see who can get the most replies to their "worst movie" thread.

I suppose I'm helping this guy out but I just wanted to explain the games some people play.

[–] phil-small 19 years ago

I can't BELIEVE that Point Blank can be regarded as the worst film ever! Overall there are not many films that stand the test of time but this certainly does.I first saw it [3 times in 2 days]in 1967 when its fractured structure totally blew me away & even now I find it eminently watchable & still can't work out if its a ghost story or if everything is just Walkers last incoherent thoughts as he dies on Alcatraz.........The lamentable Mel Gibson remake[?] just goes to show what a masterpiece the original was.