"The Ref"

[CathyA]

I unfortunately seem to do a pretty bad job in picking out good $5.00 movies. The latest one I bought was "The Ref" with Dennis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey.
It had a rating of 6.8/10, which usually can mean a good movie. One of the reviewers on the DVD package said "Gut-bustingly funny".
Forget it. I don't think I even smiled at all during it. It was about a thief who ended up holding a couple hostage who were fighting, and were driving Leary (the thief) nuts.
what a total waste of 2 hours and 5 bucks! I'm learning to never trust anything that is written by any reviewer that's on the DVD package.

[iris lily]

There was a time when anything Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis could guarantee you a decent film, but no more. Spacey has been so uneven in the films he chooses for so long, he's no longer a favorite of mine. But when he is good, damn, he is good.

[Simplemind]

I'm sorry you didn't like it. It is one of my all time faves. I love the family dysfunction at the Christmas dinner. We have had much family drama at holiday dinners so I always love a movie that has that element. I thought Dennis Leary was perfect for it. I also like Home for the Holidays with Hollie Hunter for table tension....... Love Actually is a must see every year.

[folkypoet]

I've always enjoyed "The Ref." Lots of fun. :o) 'Course, I'm an "anything with Kevin Spacey in it" kinda gal (well, excluding a few action flicks).

[treehugger]

I'm sorry you didn't like it. It is one of my all time faves. I love the family dysfunction at the Christmas dinner. We have had much family drama at holiday dinners so I always love a movie that has that element. I thought Dennis Leary was perfect for it. I also like Home for the Holidays with Hollie Hunter for table tension....... Love Actually is a must see every year.

I remember finding this movie really funny, too. And I also really liked Home for the Holidays. Apparently I find family dysfunction funny. :)

But I do agree with you that you can't trust the blurbs on the back of the video. And why would you? Of course they are only going to print good ones (or the one positive word exerpted from an otherwise bad review). Reviews, even from people you know, are meaningless anyway unless you know the reviewer has similar taste to yours.

Apparently, Simplemind and I can recommend movies to each other. :-D

Kara

[Kestrel]

Well, I really like Dennis Leary and really liked The Ref. It's been so long since I've seen it that I don't remember if there were a lot of laughs in it, but I know there were a lot of chuckles. Good movie. Oh yeah, I like Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis, too.

[CathyA]

Oh wow......I'm really surprised that you guys liked it! I grew up in a home with people arguing like that, so maybe that's why I
didn't like it. I'm a pretty funny person, but I really didn't find any humor in it. I guess to each his/her own!

[snowbirdpat]

One of my favourite Christmas movies!

[pony mom]

Loved Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey fighting in that.

Ahh, slipper socks.

My fave Christmas-themed dysfunctional family movie has to be The Lion in Winter.

[Kestrel]

We loved The Ref too! Dennis Leary is so cool! As much as I like him, I've never seen his TV show. It's been quite awhile since we've seen The Ref, so should run right out and rent it!

[CathyA]

I have to continue to say "Wow........I just can't believe how many people like this show!" Oh well.......we all like different things. I bought "The Bridesmaids" when it was on sale on Amazon for $6. Really looked forward to watching it since I'd heard so much about it and liked the actresses. Didn't much like it though. I guess we all have different kinds of humor.

[treehugger]

I have to continue to say "Wow........I just can't believe how many people like this show!" Oh well.......we all like different things. I bought "The Bridesmaids" when it was on sale on Amazon for $6. Really looked forward to watching it since I'd heard so much about it and liked the actresses. Didn't much like it though. I guess we all have different kinds of humor.

I really liked Bridesmaids. CathyA, you really need to quit buying movies sight-unseen. :) Rent first!

Kara

[CathyA]

I know this isn't very eco-friendly of me.........but we don't have cable and don't have a movie rental anywhere near here. So I buy movies for $3-6, which is about what I'd pay to rent them. What's funny is, since DH and I are getting older and our memory isn't so good, we can watch the same movie over and over and only vaguely remember seeing it. Maybe I'll like the Ref and Bridesmaids the next time I watch it, not remembering that I didn't like them. haha

[treehugger]

I know this isn't very eco-friendly of me.........but we don't have cable and don't have a movie rental anywhere near here. So I buy movies for $3-6, which is about what I'd pay to rent them. What's funny is, since DH and I are getting older and our memory isn't so good, we can watch the same movie over and over and only vaguely remember seeing it. Maybe I'll like the Ref and Bridesmaids the next time I watch it, not remembering that I didn't like them. haha

I honestly didn't even mean that as a judgement about eco-friendliness or anything. Just that you seem to have struck out a lot lately in buying movies that you don't end up liking. Sorry you don't have a good movie rental place near you. We don't either, and we also don't have cable. Netflix is the perfect solution for us. Love it!

Kara

[CathyA]

Oh, I know Kara...........I took it just the way you meant it! I just feel guilty for buying them instead of renting! :)
And I do fall victim to believing everything that's written on the cover!

[treehugger]

And I do fall victim to believing everything that's written on the cover!

OK, here's your 2012 resolution: Do not believe everything you read! :) I'm happy to help any way I can; I am a natural-born cynic.

Kara

[MaryHu]

We love "The Ref", think it's hilarious. It's our "watch every Christmas" movie. CathyA would you be willing to reveal your age? I've noticed lately that comedy seems to be somewhat generational. My friend told me that today's young folks don't find "Ghostbusters" funny, they just don't get it. (Hope I'm not insulting anyone here.) I'm in my early 50's and hubby is in this late 50's. So is it a matter of what generation you're in or is it just differences in taste? or all of the above. The same friend thinks "Bad Santa" is hilarious and I didn't like it much. He's a little older than us.

Having said all that I too am tired of the lies told on the jackets of DVD's. The most aggregious ever was for a movie called "Bastard out of Carolina". It was supposed to be a "heart warming movie about a single mom trying to keep her family together". Instead it was a disgusting film about a single mom allowing her new man to abuse her daughter! It made me feel dirty just watching it.

[CathyA]

Hi MaryHu,
I'm 61. Maybe I don't like "mean" humor, since I grew up in a home with alot of meanness.
I totally agree about the lies on the jackets of DVD's. I've watched a few of those "heartwarming" movies that were anything but!
To each his/her own, I guess.
As far as "The Bridesmaids" (which I didn't like).......I usually love Kristin Wiig Maya Rudolf, and when Melissa McCarthy was on Saturday Night Live, I thought she was hysterical. But I just didn't think Bridesmaids was that funny. I must have a very particular funny bone!

[treehugger]

Sense of humor is definitely an individual thing, and I don't even think it can be considered generational. But it does seem to be more personal (in regards to which movies one likes, for instance) than anything else.

The most misleading description of a movie that I have ever seen was the movie Sweet 16 described as a "heartwarming coming of age tale." It turned out to be a very violent, depressing movie with a violent, depressing ending. Ugh. My husband and I still joke about being misled about that. Because, well, we can make a joke out of anything. We have a very compatible sense of humor, thank goodness. :)

Kara

[iris lily]

Hi MaryHu,
I'm 61. Maybe I don't like "mean" humor, since I grew up in a home with alot of meanness.
I totally agree about the lies on the jackets of DVD's. I've watched a few of those "heartwarming" movies that were anything but!
To each his/her own, I guess.
As far as "The Bridesmaids" (which I didn't like).......I usually love Kristin Wiig Maya Rudolf, and when Melissa McCarthy was on Saturday Night Live, I thought she was hysterical. But I just didn't think Bridesmaids was that funny. I must have a very particular funny bone!

I like Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy a lot, so they carried the film for me. The writing was not that sharp or funny.

[CathyA]

I never knew anything about Melissa McCarthy until she was on SNL. I don't think she's that funny on Mike and Molly, is she? I don't watch that.
The skit on SNL with her being on the taste panel for Hidden Valley Ranch dressing was hysterical. I kept watching it over and over and laughing just as hard each time.