Friends don't let friends watch alone

2 movies, 20 years apart, loved by people I love...

and I can't stand 'em.

Worse, I hardly get them.

This is Spinal Tap

The problem:
Since 1984 I have been hearing about 'going to 11' and let me tell you that 20+ years of build-up for one joke will always destroy the joke when you finally hear it in context. It will never live up to the hype.

Also, it's just not funny.

(here comes the hate mail)

I know this movie is beloved by millions, and it has a cast that in comedic circles is drool-worthy - people I otherwise adore.

I fell asleep.

I woke up.

I turned on the computer.

I had it on in the background.

I was glad when it ended.

The funny thing is that if you go onto imdb.com and read the actual quotes from the movie I should have been falling over laughing.

So why wasn't I?

I was watching it by myself.

This is a movie that requires other people around so group heckling ensues. Alcohol, or other substances probably help as well.

Alone, mid-morning, between laundry, is not the time to see Spinal Tap.

Nor it is the time for your first viewing of...

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

And probably for some of the same reasons. Although I know other reasons that annoyed me about Strangelove... Kubrick

Kubrick and I don't get along. We're like oil and a slow acting toxin. The man's work may be considered 'genius' in some circles, but in my mind the man was a loon.

There were things about Strangelove that were damn funny, but it's Kubrick's staging and pacing that ultimately doomed the movie for me.

I spent 10 minutes retelling the funny bits to the hubby last night and had him laughing... and I said, "see - potential - but then Kubrick... and not so much"

And so I can cross these two cultural references off my netflix list, and off my list of, "oh I really should see that" and move on. Next time, I wish someone who likes a movie like this would say to me, "wait till I can watch that with you."

After all, I'd never let anyone watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail or The Rocky Horror Picture Show alone for the first time (or the latter outside of a midnight theatre showing).

Some movies can't handle a solo showing. Don't let your friends hate the movies you love.