I've never seen such a bad movie. I don't understand how people can say things like "Masterpiece" about this movie, it's just terrible!!!
shareNot the worst movie ever, but I agree, it wasn't so hot.
I can really appreciate what it was trying to do. I love a good social critique. But it was just a bit too crazy, and the humor wasn't in the same tune as my funnybone. The setup has potential - car salesman going crazy... but the script could have used a complete re-write.
If I had seen the movie without ever having read the book, I would totally agree. By itself, I think the movie is horrible. The book, on the other hand, is pure genius. I was astounded to learn that someone figured a way to adapt it to the screen but alas, they didn't.
The entire movie feels like someone's bad dream, whereas the book perfectly captures a man's descent into insanity and parallels another man's quest for validation - which is really his form of redemption. But the flavor of the story, the flair, the device which Vonnegut uses is so off the wall that it compels you to look even deeper.
Anyway, before I rant let me just recapitulate my previous statement. The movie is a poor image of the book itself. It is only entertaining to see someone's idealized version of the book fit to the screen. I don't think anyone could have made a great movie out of this great book.
Well... maybe Kubrick.
There is no flavor text!
Kubrick would have re-written it to his own tastes, and God knows what would have resulted. It would doubtless have been better than THIS film though.
shareOne should bear in mind that BofC is not exactly Vonnegut's finest hour either. He only gave himself as "C" on it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vonnegut)
CB
Good Times, Noodle Salad
I strongly disliked "Breakfast of Champions" myself - it's a bloated, misfired mess - enough so that I was put off from reading Vonnegut for a while. Happily, the superior film version of "Mother Night" rekindled my interest, and I am now reading the book of the same name. (It's my first KV book; I look forward to devouring his oeuvre.)
It's one of my all time favorite Vonnegut books. Maybe my favorite. I haven't watched the movie in years, but I remember thinking that they did the best they could considering the book. It's flawed but I think it has it's charm. I'll have to watch it again.
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Well then you haven't seen many movies Junior.
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This might be in the top 1000 worst movies ever, but it comes nowhere close to the list of true stinkers that come with the Golden Turkey awards.
Ed Wood's movies lead that list hands down. I also like to put "Myra Breckenridge" high on that list since it had so much potential that was completely wasted but in the case of Ed Wood he had no such potential.
True! True! True!
When you use the phrase "worst movie ever" it means you prefer every movie written by Ed Wood, directed by Roger Corman, Starring Adam Sandler or Produced as a Sci-Fi Channel original to the movie in question...
...and that just makes you look dumb.
This movie featured very good performances by Bruce Willis and Albert Finney, some good cinematography and a some enjoyable bits.
On the other hand, it was a poor adaptation, direction wavered between "clever" and "too much" and the plot felt super thin in spots. Also, the excess of eccentric characters packed into too small a space without proper pacing or plot structure to keep them from colliding made hunks of the movie seem cartoonish and contrived.
I think a real red flag is that the movie illustrated the hallucinations of three unrelated primary characters. That's one more than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a movie where the two main characters are on drugs in Las Vegas for most of the movie.
Not even sure Breakfast would make the 1000 worst list, but it was a movie of scattered high notes embedded in some really broken fundamentals.
There is only one good moment in this film (except of course the last second of the end credits): Kurt Vonnegut himself. But I don't understand how could he add his name to this... thing. OK I know. Money.
This film is the worst Vonnegut-adaptation including the tv-series and the movies. And including the failed 2081 (which is a good short film but not too good adaptation).
One of the best ever! I've personally seen it many many times. Basically, you either get it or you don't. Probably helps to have read a few Vonnegut books, particularly in regard to the character of 'Kilgore Trout'.
Plot-wise: The man is going insane, hence all the people and events around him (at least in his eyes). Makes perfect (non)sense. Without doubt a very twisted way of viewing the world, but deeply rich, colorful and bizarre. Brilliant character acting from Willis, Nolte, Finney and all the rest.
Also possesses one of the most beautiful endings in cinematic history. Terrific stuff!
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