I have a soft spot for Titanic because I liked it. I saw it when I was living in Paris and thus really avoided lots of the hype that I believe occured here. (Ditto for The Blair Witch Project, which I think suffered even more from hype-syndrome.) I'm not even sure I knew how long it was going to be (or I might not have gone to see it).

Titanic is gross for romanticizing a huge disaster, but it was also really, really pretty. Just to see the virtual rebuild of the ship was eye candy. Plus Kate Winslet nude -- always a plus in my book. And the costumes were gorgeous.

The scene with the band playing still makes me cry every time, too.

Titanic is gross for romanticizing a huge disaster

Huh, I never would've made that critique. Most romance seems to prefer a dramatic historical backdrop like Casablanca/WWII, or Atonement and WWI. It really is Life or Death, and the World is at Stake.

I only watch Titanic for the Kate Winslet factor (with a side of Kathy Bates chewing the scenery).

I saw Forrest Gump in the theatre with my mom, and we walked out of there with completely different opinions of the film--Mom loved it, I hated it. I thought it was Baby-Boomer-idolatry of the highest degree and just self-indulgent.

Blair Witch Project I saw before I heard too much hype and it freaked me out completely. I did love all of the backstory that the writers did via fake documentaries on SciFi channel.

Titanic = Theoden King!

The fact that they glossed over how many people died, and why, to focus on a fictional love story, seems a little gross to me.

Lots of movies get made with a huge world-at-stake backdrop, but no one decided to throw a budding romance into Schindler's List. World War II is one thing, the actual death camps are another.

Jack and Rose meeting might have been an interesting tragic romance if they met beforehand and he died on the ship on the way to her, or vice versa. But when hundreds of steerage passengers, including children, are overlooked and left to die, Rose and Jack getting their sexing on is a little strange.

That said, I still watch it. It's very pretty to look at.

I probably will not see Kick-Ass, because I was disturbed by actual cartoon Dash killing actual cartoon henchmen in The Incredibles. So unless Hit Girl is more cartoony than that, I'm not gonna enjoy watching it.

But when hundreds of steerage passengers, including children, are overlooked and left to die, Rose and Jack getting their sexing on is a little strange.

I thought the scenes of everyone trying to escape added real tragedy to Titanic, especially the father trying to translate the sign on the wall that lead to escape routes while trying to be calm with everyone else in hysterics. That was heartbreaking.

It was, Connie. They didn't completely overlook it. I just think there were probably a lot more interesting stories to hang that disaster on than a romance, is all.

"Casual murder" makes me think "Yeah, Sean, it means so much more when it's in a relationship." But I'm sick like that.