MovieChat Forums > Haute tension (2005) Discussion > Awful film, but even worse...

Awful film, but even worse...

posted 14 years ago by ewgf
25 replies | jump to latest

As bad as this film is, the posters who defend it are worse. Whether it's nmp-tduarte, who sneers at people who don't like it by putting quotes around the word taste which shows how he despises anyone with different (or better) judgement than him, or oxdinaxo, who claims (and seems to actually believe) that "there is NOTHING in it [the film] that ‘doesn’t make sense’", or the other people who seem to imagine that by claiming to like this film that they'll seem to be intellectually or culturally superior to everyone else,

The film is drivel. Some seemingly normal girl suddenly goes into full blown psycho mode, perfoming acts that no one with her physique could do, and we're supposed to be impressed with that. It's just yet another slasher/gore flick with a weak and unreasoned attempt at a surprise twist.

Oh, but it's French, and the murderer is homosexual, so it's progressive, it's brave, it's new-wave, it's obviously so utterly wonderful that anyone who protests at the plot holes or the contrivances *must* be too stupid to understand the film...

It's people like the pretentious loudmouths who (claim to) like this film that keep the art world in such an awful state. You support rubbish like a few difference coloured squares on a white canvas or a few random sploshes in different shades of red, saying that anyone who doesn't like it is too stupid to understand art, whilst not supporting true, quality art.

Look at truly good films, like the Shawshank Redemption, Monty Python's Life of Brian, The Green Mile, etc. You know, films that people actually appreciate because those films are good, then compare it to unimaginative drivel like this waste of time. And yes, it does sometimes happen that a great film/book/work of art/etc can be unappreciated by the masses. But the key word there is "great", which is not a word that can honestly be applied to this rubbish.

[–] Viking1983 14 years ago

people are entitled to like any film they want and consider them great and are also entitled to find films bad as well not everyone has to like the same thing which is why there is a thing people have called an opinion, where i repect yours it's a bit sad of you to complain about someone liking this film, I thought this film was brilliant and it kept me watching all the way through, same as the green mile which you have mentioned

carpe diém

[–] HORSEtheMan 14 years ago

Thanks for that dude. Wait, what were you saying? I got bored reading your post pretty quick. But I'm sure it had a lot of great points. Sure, we all know this wasn't going to win best picture of the year awards, doesn't make it unenjoyable. I'm sure there's plenty of movies you love that I could waste 10 minutes of life writing a lengthy post about how bad it is. But i'll leave that for you to do.

Rack 'em

[–] mattatpt 14 years ago

Your missing the point. It's good beacause it's tense, and horrific, and savage, it doesn't have to make sense. Purely beacause 99% of horror films are boring, and 85% of them, do make sense and have good characters etc but they're still boring.

the beginning and end of this movie is ruthless and savage, even though it doesn't make sense it was still epic, and tense, it wasn't overly disturbing it was just really good, very few decent movies start and end with a bang.

Inside was another good horror I liked, that had plot holes etc nothing as bad as this, the sort of horror films you most likely will claim to like, such as The Shining, etc I'd consider boring, really good too - but certainly too boring to warrant the title of horror, merely a thriller.

I and others defend this movie beacause aja did something with this, the tension, brutality that no other film ever has with such a bang. Totally misdirectional beginning and utterly pointless ending, Yes! but still true perfection inbetween.

[–] sweetalker 13 years ago

The ending totally *beep* it up.

This movie was much like a terrific steak dinner - only your waiter comes in at the end and shows you video of himself spitting all over your meal. You liked it when you were eating it, but now you're like "what the *beep*" and of course you mention it every time you hear the restaurant mentioned.

"Gee I can't wait to try Haute Tension, sounds great"

"DON'T DO IT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!"

[–] DoubleDareYa 9 years ago

Beautiful analogy.

Despite all of the 'you didnt get it...it's a psycho-sexual fantasia' malarky floating around the boards, they're forgeting the fact that IT SHOULD MAKE SENSE WHEN YOU SEE IT, not after 5 years of prudence.

[–] tommy2004 14 years ago

I was taking you seriously until you made the mistake of listing three 'truly good films' and somehow comparing them to this! You've defeated your own argument.. Some people may find Haute Tension an intelligent and thoughtful film.. others like yourself may not...

Personally I think Life of Brian is awful and the humour should appeal only to a 10 year old.. But you are saying what? That it should be taken seriously and is an intelligent film just because it parodies a subject as important as religion? Basically you sounds as bad as the people you're having a go at who like this film who think it's good just because it has lesbians and ias French!

Shawshank Redemption is unbelievably cheesy, and while fairly entertaining as an uplifting yarn can not, in any way claim to have more artistic merit than this film... and The Green Mile is a terrible adaptation of a good book...

I just don't see your point... You say people are wrong for giving this film merit for reasons you disagree with- then you name three average films and have done exactly the same thing yourself!

[–] gunslingerdpt 13 years ago

And this idiot comes and compares it to the life of brian? wtf lol
It sucks you think the gilmore girls has more humor then life of brian...you just sound like a bitter religious idiot to me lol ...What the forum on last temptation of christ too long for you???

[–] VirginOnPromNight 14 years ago

you missed the point of the movie doosher. i dont get how anyone could not love this film. its beyond me. dont you watch movies to be entertained? this movie was an hour and a half of pure entertainment. it was very tense. the name 'high tension' really suits this movie to a tee. why dont you leave the critiques to the experts, you wannabe Ebert. get a life

[–] spacetraveler19 14 years ago

I couldn't care less about anyone's opinion on a film, book, etc. You like it or you don't. Why anyone wastes their time slamming things like this is beyond me.

I just watched it. I was five or ten minutes in and said, "Hey, this is Intensity by Dean Koontz."

And it was--stolen--scene for scene at many points. And then they tried doing the lame-ass twist ending, which destroyed what I thought was a decent and gritty "adaptation" of a Koontz thriller novel. Apparently the film makers were sued by Koontz and settled out of court. So, really, the only thing I honestly think is lame about this movie (other than the pointless, gratuitous-gore-of-a-twist-ending junk) is how they blatantly ripped off a book, and not some obscure book, but a book that had been a New York times #1 bestseller only a handful of years before. In my opinion that was a very stupid move. And if you watch the bonus features, they talk about how important the writing process is, and pat themselves on the back about their writing process. The part that they actually wrote was, in my opinion, the part that screwed the whole thing up and made it sucky.

[–] moviefan_misunderstood 13 years ago

I have read many times this movie was ripped from Dean Koontz. I am a fan of his and I enjoyed this movie. My next step is to read that book! Oh yeah, and boo! for stealing.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sm-meehan 13 years ago

Just a thought. Because you didn't understand it, does not mean it doesn't make sense. And is it possibly for you to stray any further away from the horror genre with your examples?

[–] dashab 13 years ago

The funny thing about film appreciation is that it's subjective. John Cleese doing the Ministry of Silly walks live at the Hollywood Bowl beats Life of Brian hands down a million times over, The Meaning of Life was funnier. And I don't know why you picked two of the worst Stephen King adaptions to moon over. And yet, I'm willing to bet that there are a million people here who think I'm totally wrong. See how we don't agree but I don't have start a whole new thread or insist that I'm the alpha and omega of good taste?

By the way, the thing about psychos is that they don't wear signs. You should probably read up on how likable Ted Bundy was. He raped and killed women for kicks.

[–] CaliManDan35 13 years ago

ewgf - Haha, I find it funny that you post this long rant about how much you hate this movie and how anyone who likes it is stupid. Then every single person who responded basically called you an idiot for how you come across...and guess what? You disappear in the wind. You don't have the guts to come back and defend your original post. You are such a hypocrite.