Current Events > The older I get the more I love to watch...

(+) Yeah! (+)

... older movies.

Not ancient movies, but movies from the 60s to late 90s.

They don't make movies anymore like they did in the past.

I enjoy watching old movies, especially fantasy and science fiction stuff. Mostly cause I enjoy seeing how people did effects back then, working with the materials and means they had back then.

evilpresident posted...

I enjoy watching old movies, especially fantasy and science fiction stuff. Mostly cause I enjoy seeing how people did effects back then, working with the materials and means they had back then.

Yeah, good point - fewer artificial effects and more genuine improvisation.

For me, it's all about the dialogue and the set pieces. I just rewatched The Godfather for the first time in decades, and it's such a shame that movies like that aren't made anymore.
These days, everything feels rushed - fast cuts, constant jokes, and an overload of special effects. Films with real plots and meaningful dialogue are rare. Maybe I should start exploring more low-budget or indie films...

gu-gohan posted...

Yeah, good point - fewer artificial effects and more genuine improvisation.

For me, it's all about the dialogue and the set pieces. I just rewatched The Godfather for the first time in decades, and it's such a shame that movies like that aren't made anymore.
These days, everything feels rushed - fast cuts, constant jokes, and an overload of special effects. Films with real plots and meaningful dialogue are rare. Maybe I should start exploring more low-budget or indie films...

If you're up for an even older movie, I highly recommend the Thief of Bagdad. Its a 1940s movie with a ton of fun effects. Nowadays, they're a bit laughable but I imagine back then it was a lot of work to put on the screen.

I absolutely adore stuff like that, seeing how people back in the day worked with camera angels and layers to put special effects into movies.

Feels more... genuine? Not sure if that's the right word I wanna use, cause CGI stuff is also cool and a lot of work but it just doesn't feel the same?

gu-gohan posted...

Yeah, good point - fewer artificial effects and more genuine improvisation.

For me, it's all about the dialogue and the set pieces. I just rewatched The Godfather for the first time in decades, and it's such a shame that movies like that aren't made anymore.
These days, everything feels rushed - fast cuts, constant jokes, and an overload of special effects. Films with real plots and meaningful dialogue are rare. Maybe I should start exploring more low-budget or indie films...

One thing I've noticed that's different about older movies is, if there's text on the screen, they give you time to read it. In the newer movies, it's usually just a blip, so if you're seeing it in the theater, you're screwed unless you're a speed reader. If you're streaming, you've got to go back and pause to read.

If the first Star Wars had been made today, the opening crawl wouldn't be much of a crawl, as it would only be on screen for five seconds.

Same. It started a few years back. I ignored them previously. But now theyre like time capsules

I think it's kind of unfair to say classic films are better across the board, like some people do. I think it's more accurate to say nobody remembers all the mediocre ones.

But anyway, that era from 60's to 90's is definitely home to several of my all-time favorite films. You had Cool Hand Luke, the Star Wars OT, Back to the Future, GATTACA, Heat, The Dollars films, Hang Em High, Dirty Harry, Alien/Aliens, Field of Dreams, The Italian Job, Rocky, and tons more just at the very most high profile level. I am not a particular film buff, even, but there are just loads of greats from this era. And all the others too, of course.

ReturnOfDevsman posted...

I think it's more accurate to say nobody remembers all the mediocre ones.

This is true, but I think it's also true that the really great movies that people do remember from that era just don't have anything comparable today.

There's a lot of really excellent "ancient" movies too. Buster Keaton's Our Hospitality is underappreciated, always upstaged by The General, but it's every bit as authentic, just as funny, and more biting with its social commentary, but maybe not as action-packed. Both are great and pretty accessible to modern audiences without needing to be "primed" on silent cinema conventions first.

Don't knock ancient movies, they can be fun to watch too.

The_cranky_hermit posted...

This is true, but I think it's also true that the really great movies that people do remember from that era just don't have anything comparable today.

I dunno man, I can think of a handful from this century that I'll definitely still be raving about in thirty years. Joker, Mickey 17, The Incredibles, The Founder, all great films in my book.

The_cranky_hermit posted...

There's a lot of really excellent "ancient" movies too. Buster Keaton's Our Hospitality is underappreciated, always upstaged by The General, but it's every bit as authentic, just as funny, and more biting with its social commentary, but maybe not as action-packed. Both are great and pretty accessible to modern audiences without needing to be "primed" on silent cinema conventions first.

Haven't seen that one, but I'm putting it on my bucket list. Anyway, yeah, I agree that there are lots of greats in film antiquity too. Anyone who hasn't seen Metropolis, Rear Window, It's a Wonderful Life or North By Northwest, for example, needs to fix that.