Hype, schmipe!

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2001)

Many have commented recently that "Titanic" was overrated/overhyped, some even saying it was "the most overhyped movie in history" (somehow I doubt that... perhaps Waterworld might take that prize, or maybe Independence Day or Jurassic Park).
Anyway, what makes no sense to me is this... why haven't you shaken off the hype yet? The movie isn't playing in theaters anymore, it isn't being hyped up anywhere. So can't you just put in in your DVD player/VCR/whatever and watch it for what it is? I mean, that's all it ever was anyway, 'hype' is just 'consensus conditioning' and you don't have to be affected by it at all unless you choose to.
That said, I maintain my stance that 'Titanic' is still a great, entertaining film, that it was never meant to be a documentary (and would have suffered greatly without the tension-relieving love-story subplot), and my agreement that DiCaprio was a poor choice for the male lead.
Anyway... I can put the DVD in every once in awhile, sit back and watch this movie for what it shows me... the 'hype' was forgotten over three years ago. And I like the film. If you don't like the film, fine, but quit complaining about it being overhyped and/or overrated. Do you still remember the weather the day the film was released, too?