dalethompson
Well-known member
Let's see if the prediction is true in Back to the Future II if the Chicago Cubs really do win the World Series in 2015. It's only five seasons away, anything can happen, right?
Some movies just don't hold up.
- Thread starter Batutta
- Start date
Worthy of a necro.
JPNola
Veteran
I think that is because there was a shock-value to a lot of the film. Things that were edgy and controversial at the time but less today. To be rough on the film- much of it is immature and doesn't work so well when the viewer has matured. It is a film of its time and place. Not so much a "timeless" film.
A lot of comedies from "back then" are/would be angering folks left and right these days...anything remotely (even if you have to really reach) racist, sexist, mocking anything like being overweight, gay, etc. etc. Stuff that was worshipped years ago is sometimes reviled now. Some of that is for the better and shows that (seemingly) we have grown more tolerant/sensitive/progressive, but a lot is serious overreaction.
Run&Gun
Veteran
Imagine Blazing Saddles being made/released today.
I think it's a shock of an initial viewing rather than the generational relevance. It's like when many saw "Saving Private Ryan" first in theaters and were shocked at a fairly realistic depiction of WWII combat. Now people watch "Dunkirk" as something they have essentially already seen.
Batutta
Major Contributor
That movie was always laughably terrible, enjoyable only as high camp. I put Flash Gordon in the same category.
I'll tell you what doesn't hold up, now that it's available on Hulu -- Animaniacs.
rayortiz313
Active member
Dudes ....The Last Dragon is essentially a kid's movie. It's an action-fantasy film for 10-15 year olds (which is when I saw it in the theatres and thought it was the coolest thing ever). So yes, now that were older we see how corny and ridiculous it is, but that's to be expected. Its a great movie for its genre, which is, again, a kid-friendly fantasy/martial arts film.
Patryk_Rebisz
Veteran
Not to be Mr Obvious here but for the most part you guys bring up mass culture films.
Mass culture does NOT hold up to time by definition. It's meant to create an impact "here & now" at the time of its creation. Sure for the grown up now some of those childhood favorites might have some sentimental value but for the most part it was fluff made for kid's intellect of its day. It doesn't hold up by its design!
A much more significant experiment would be to take an art film of the past and see how it holds up as by its aspiration it's meant to fly way over the mass culture.
Here is where Art wins over the pop.
In the long run stuff made by Wenders, Godard, Kieslowski, Antonioni still holds up because they all strive to reach beyond banality of entertainment.
Mass culture does NOT hold up to time by definition. It's meant to create an impact "here & now" at the time of its creation. Sure for the grown up now some of those childhood favorites might have some sentimental value but for the most part it was fluff made for kid's intellect of its day. It doesn't hold up by its design!
A much more significant experiment would be to take an art film of the past and see how it holds up as by its aspiration it's meant to fly way over the mass culture.
Here is where Art wins over the pop.
In the long run stuff made by Wenders, Godard, Kieslowski, Antonioni still holds up because they all strive to reach beyond banality of entertainment.
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combatentropy
Veteran
Yes, those directors can put me to sleep today just as reliably as they could decades ago 
Batutta
Major Contributor
That's not really empirically true. There are plenty of films that were popular, mass culture entertainments, and also great films that hold up over time. And there are plenty that don't. A film like The Godfather is considered a great, lasting work of art, and was also a hugely popular mass culture phenomenon when it was released, being the top grossing film of the year by a substantial amount. I could keep listing exceptions but, then we'll start arguing over personal taste. I'm sure there are also plenty of art films that were lauded in their day, but just happened to hit the zeitgeist and look horribly dated and irrelevant today. A great film is a great film regardless of genre, in my opinion.
deltoidjohn
Veteran
One film that I think is still amazing today is Aliens.
There's so many things about that film that still resonate and make it a great film. And it hasn't aged like other sci-fi films because instead of being flashy, clean and techy, the production design was already grungy, dirty and run-down. I'm still hoping they do another film where they revisit the Space Marines storyline, and after sitting through all those years of AvP films and CG xenomorphs, I think we deserve it!
I wonder if streaming is making us more critical of bad content in general. Whereas in the past we'd paid our $$$ at the cinema or to rent the DVD, so we were going to watch the whole thing no matter how bad it was. These days we have so many options at our fingertips, and it becomes a lot easier to stop watching something half-way through, rather than convince ourselves to just go along for an incredibly corny ride.
There's so many things about that film that still resonate and make it a great film. And it hasn't aged like other sci-fi films because instead of being flashy, clean and techy, the production design was already grungy, dirty and run-down. I'm still hoping they do another film where they revisit the Space Marines storyline, and after sitting through all those years of AvP films and CG xenomorphs, I think we deserve it!
I wonder if streaming is making us more critical of bad content in general. Whereas in the past we'd paid our $$$ at the cinema or to rent the DVD, so we were going to watch the whole thing no matter how bad it was. These days we have so many options at our fingertips, and it becomes a lot easier to stop watching something half-way through, rather than convince ourselves to just go along for an incredibly corny ride.
Patryk_Rebisz
Veteran
I watched parts of "Godfather" recently as research for some project - sorry to say that it does NOT hold up well.
Patryk_Rebisz
Veteran
In a way that it doesn't go beyond the Freudian pleasure principle of fulfilling our most basic desires. Pretty much ALL mass culture films attempt to do that, that's why much of entertainments is catered to kids. They simply don't have defense mechanism against giving in to fundamental, animalistic desires. You have some mystical all knowing, all powerful figure of the Don; some up and comer trying to make his way through the ranks (of course against his wishes). All of this is "fun" to watch but also awfully empty after the fun is over.
Batutta
Major Contributor
According to YOU. And as I said, we're are just going to start arguing over personal taste. I think the film gets better with age. I think your statement that ALL mass culture entertainments do not hold up over time is just wrong. Yeah, the films that don't hold up, were at the time mostly popular because they had some culturally relevant cachet, and not because of any great craftsmanship. It's these kinds of films people have mostly mentioned. They were crappily made, but as kids at the time we didn't care because they hit some culturally relevant button for us. Looking back at them now, the ones that were poorly crafted don't hold up. The ones that were incidentally also well made, go on to become classics. But saying they ALL do not hold up, just by virtue of being mass culture entertainments, I don't agree with that.
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