Good Movies, Stupid Critics

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

There are lots of reasons a good movie won't be successful, wether for bad reviews, or poor box office numbers, maybe both. But some pirate movies were really good and don't have a good reason as to why they failed. Prime examples and personal opinion: Cutthroat Island and Treasure Planet. Thoughts anyone?

[Darrel Morris]

I enjoyed Cutthroat Island, despite some issues with the dialog and acting. However, the only thing I ask from a movie is that it entertain me...so I'm not the best judge.

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

I enjoyed Cutthroat Island, despite some issues with the dialog and acting. However, the only thing I ask from a movie is that it entertain me...so I'm not the best judge.

I thought dialogue and acting were fine. Though in general i don't judge movies for the same reasons i don't like people bashing my favs. The only time I'll judge a movie is if family members drag me to something juvinile, or if I fallow a series and I find a sequal lacking.

[MarkG]

I enjoyed Cutthroat Island, despite some issues with the dialog and acting. However, the only thing I ask from a movie is that it entertain me...so I'm not the best judge.

That's the first movie that came to mind when I saw the thread. The carriage chase with explosions was a little over the top but it was a fun movie with great sets and costumes.

I remember thinking that Swashbuckler was ok when it came out but it didn't hold up very well.

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

I enjoyed Cutthroat Island, despite some issues with the dialog and acting. However, the only thing I ask from a movie is that it entertain me...so I'm not the best judge.

That's the first movie that came to mind when I saw the thread. The carriage chase with explosions was a little over the top but it was a fun movie with great sets and costumes.

I remember thinking that Swashbuckler was ok when it came out but it didn't hold up very well.

Never saw Swashbuckler, and i think they put that carraige chase in there mainly because chase scenes make for a good movie. That's the second thing 'Pirates of the Caribbean' will have barrowed from another pirate movie that I'm aware of. The first being the boat-walking in the first, the other a carraige chase in the new one.

[Graydog]

There are lots of reasons a good movie won't be successful, wether for bad reviews, or poor box office numbers, maybe both. But some pirate movies were really good and don't have a good reason as to why they failed. Prime examples and personal opinion: Cutthroat Island and Treasure Planet. Thoughts anyone?

To me Cutthroat Island was flat as a movie because the lead male role was Matthew Modine. He is just fine as an actor but was a terrible choice to cast as a rogue. It just did't work. Every time he was on screen it was horrible.

[Cascabel]

One of my personal favorites is Roman Polanski's "PIRATES". Great characters, costumes and sets. Very entertaining !! And I also enjoyed Cutthroat island.

I also watch movies to be entertained, rather than to be educated, so I don't quibble about lapses in authenticity.....

Best all around pirate movie is the version of Treasure Island starring Charlton Heston as Long John Silver.

>>>> Cascabel

[rfb3]

Cascabel,

Hey! Where can I get a copy of Polanski's Pirates? I have looked before, but cannot find it online!

Thanks,

Capt. Freddie

[Jas. Hook]

Cascabel,

Hey! Where can I get a copy of Polanski's Pirates? I have looked before, but cannot find it online!

Thanks,

Capt. Freddie

Cap'n Freddie -

Neva' DVD'd although rumor has it that it may be released soon? Maybe once Cap'n Jack fever returns in May there may be interest in a release.

You can scrounge a copy of it on VHS.

Jas. Hook

[Cascabel]

Cascabel,

Hey! Where can I get a copy of Polanski's Pirates? I have looked before, but cannot find it online!

Thanks,

Capt. Freddie

I got mine on DVD from ebay a couple of years back. The one I got was shipped from a dealer in Brazil. It is in Portuguese, but if you go to the setup menu, you can select English, and it plays correctly. Has a couple of different languages available for subtitles if wanted, or you can choose no subtitles. It turns out that Brazil uses the same DVD format as the US, so it plays just fine You could also try Amazon. They sometimes have the Brazilian version available I bought my VHS copy years ago, as soon as it came out.

>>>>> Cascabel

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I love Revolution with Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland (my favorite actor of all-time), and Natassja Kinsky (1985) but "critics" bashed it pretty badly. It is not a Mel Gibson action movie, but a more realistic interpretation of what the American War for Independence was like for the people that weren't famous or wealthy enough to be remebered by history. It is the tale of the common folks that fought the battles and treid to live life in the midst of war. For its time the costuming is excellet, except for the stereotypical native american portraylas. Graham Greene makes a brief appearance too. This movie is one of my all time favorites. People still complain that it is too dry and even boring, but I think it is the most accurate Hollywood version of the AWI ever made.

Bo

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

Polanski's 'Pirates' seems to be a popular one, and the 'Treasure Island' with Charlton Heston seems to be talked about fairly favorably in the pirate community as well, both are actually on my list of pirate flicks to see, I'll probably be on the lookout for them since now I've seen 'Yellowbeard' with the Pythons, just tonight actually.

[Graydog]

Many hard to find pirate films can be found at Belle and Blade. Their Website:

http://www.warshows.com/

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

Many hard to find pirate films can be found at Belle and Blade. Their Website:

http://www.warshows.com/

thanks for the tip mate!

[William Brand]

Cutthroat Island. I liked it when it came out, but made the mistake of watching it years later. I could go all my days without seeing it again.

Treasure Planet grew on me. I've always been a Treasure Island fan, so it had to grow no me. I watch it all the time with my son.

Polanski's Pirates is a personal favorite, but I only ever watch it with large groups of friends. It's more fun with more people.

I'm with Mark when it comes to Swashbuckler.

[Hawkey]

Cascabel,

Hey! Where can I get a copy of Polanski's Pirates? I have looked before, but cannot find it online!

Thanks,

Capt. Freddie

Unfortunately, Freddie, there ain't no one what had th' ability to secure th' domestic home-video rights t' Polanski's PIRATES. That be becuz the Cannon Group, the film's original U.S. distributor, no longer exists. Alas, the film is now public-domain, which means that after 25 years, under U.S. intellectual-property laws, anybody can do whatever with this particular film.

There ain't many people who have th' knowledge to restore this film to its former state. Remember, it were in theatrical release all of 12 days in New York and L.A. alone in July 1986, before being withdrawn shortly afterwards.

[Daniel]

I liked Cutthroat Island too, though I could not stomach Polanski's Pirates. Like Cascabel, my favorite ever is the Heston Treasure Island; although there are many other good versions, that one's the best. Although, if you count The Princess Bride as a pirate movie, then it would be my favorite pirate movie.

There's one fantastically obscure but very good pirate flick from Hammer Studios called The Devil-Ship Pirates, with Christopher Lee dialing it up to 10 as the nasty pirate captain who fools a whole town into thinking the Armada has captured England.

Another very good and very different pirate film, now all but forgotten, is A High Wind in Jamaica - the title alone is poetic - with James Coburn and Anthony Quinn as pirates who accidentally abduct a bunch of schoolchildren.

[Thetis]

I liked Cutthroat Island as well. I agree that the version Treasure Island with Heston is truest to the novel.

There's one fantastically obscure but very good pirate flick from Hammer Studios called The Devil-Ship Pirates, with Christopher Lee dialing it up to 10 as the nasty pirate captain who fools a whole town into thinking the Armada has captured England.

A very good one indeed! Hammer also put out another called Pirates of Blood River where Christopher Lee plays another pirate(with eyepatch and bandana, and a French accent). The plot's similar to The Devil-Ship Pirates in that Christopher Lee and his band of miscreants take over a town and cause all kinds of heck. I didn't think it was nearly as good as The Devil-Ship Pirates.

I'm not sure it counts as a pirate flick, but I'd like to add Hook to the list. It got bashed by critics for completely deviating from the book, but still an enjoyable film. Dustin Hoffman did a great job as Captain Hook.

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

There's one fantastically obscure but very good pirate flick from Hammer Studios called The Devil-Ship Pirates, with Christopher Lee dialing it up to 10 as the nasty pirate captain who fools a whole town into thinking the Armada has captured England.

A very good one indeed! Hammer also put out another called Pirates of Blood River where Christopher Lee plays another pirate(with eyepatch and bandana, and a French accent). The plot's similar to The Devil-Ship Pirates

I'm not sure it counts as a pirate flick, but I'd like to add Hook to the list. It got bashed by critics for completely deviating from the book, but still an enjoyable film. Dustin Hoffman did a great job as Captain Hook.

I've also heard Christopher Lee was Blind Pew in the Charlton Heston Treaure Island, and as far as Hook goes, I recently got around to reading the Book, and as far as I could tell, everything was fairly accurate. Captain Hook was portrayed accuratly, Hook's 'good form' is a reacuring theme in both the book and movie, not to mention the detail of Hook's unique cigar holder which was also included in the movie, as well as some other things. Granted they took some Liberties with the Jolly Roger , which was supposed to be a brig not a galleon, but i agree, Hook was a very good movie.