MovieChat Forums > Surviving Christmas (2004) Discussion > Best thing about this movie could be the...

Best thing about this movie could be the scathing reviews

posted 20 years ago by magskier
5 replies | jump to latest

I find much guilty pleasure in reading well-written reviews of terrible movies. Last time I had this much fun was Gigli! Really, not to pick too much on Affleck, but his current entertainment value is not as an actor.

Here are a couple of reviews that are probably more entertaining than Surviving Christmas.

Surviving Christmas: Ben Affleck will be lucky to survive this ...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/custom/showtime/sfl-shsurviveoct22,0,6784091.story?coll=sfla-features-showtime

Affleck's 'Christmas' needs life support
http://www.detnews.com/2004/screens/0410/22/e05-311535.htm

Surviving Christmas
http://theedge.bostonherald.com/movieReviews/view.bg?articleid=513

'Christmas' can't survive Affleck's frenzied acting
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/preview/articles/1022christmas22.html

[–] cappadoccia 20 years ago

me too, I enjoy reading the scathing reviews more than rave reviews. The critics seem to reach a new level of creativeness when they review a bad film than when they review a good one.

[–] DeadSetMisawa 20 years ago

It's because the bitterness in not making it in the movie industry comes out better when they write about things which they perceive as crap. So they trash it in the most creative ways they can think of to make themselves feel a little bit better. That's my opinion anyways. Oh yeah, 6 out of 10 for this movie.

Excuse me. I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] DeadSetMisawa 20 years ago

"The truth is, 9 out of 10 movies are not worth seeing."

"As a movie fan, I get to pick what I want to see, as opposed to having to review everything that comes along, as I did when I was being paid for it."

So basically you're going to see the wrong movies then.

Excuse me. I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

[–] magskier 20 years ago

Responds to my post are much more thoughtful than I anticipated. I do not think all reviewers (or even most) are frustrated screenwriters. I agree that a large proportion of Hollywood big budget movies stink.

I read the thoughtful movie reviews in The New Yorker and find them informative as well as well written. BUT I do love to read a creative scathing review, and this movie generated a fair number.

To wit:
http://www.criticdoctor.com/petersobczynski/survivingchristmas.html

SURVIVING CHRISTMAS
by Peter Sobczynski

"The biggest offender by far is Affleck, who turns in a performance that redefines the word "schticky". On audio commentaries for the DVDs of some of his films with Affleck, Kevin Smith has spoken of trying to rein in some of the actor's ill-advised attempts to improvise-attempts that director Mike Mitchell (who debuted with "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" and who has
seemingly regressed with his work here) has apparently decided to encourage. The resulting performance is so bad-so off-putting, unpleasant, obnoxious and strident-that you almost have to see it to believe it. Some performances are described as being one-note: this is not only one-note but Affleck hasn' t even bothered to take to lid off of the piano keys before banging away."

There are others to view at http://www.mrqe.com/lookup?Surviving+Christmas
which has links to many movie reviews.

HoHoHo and Happy Halloween.