Pitchers and catchers report in eight days. In the meantime, baseball fans are bored. The question asked this morning at my favorite baseball blog was this: Which movie did you most anticipate that most disappointed you?
These are mostly young people at the blog, and they have heard a lot about great movies from the past. So they have rented or purchased them, and were deeply disappointed. It’s an interesting glimpse into the minds of younger movie lovers.
Generally, the reason given for not liking a movie from years ago is that it is boring. And indeed, people these days are used to heavy editing and rapid scene-shifting. But they are also inundated with special effects and violence has risen to new levels. But many movies that were big hits years ago were also pretentious and too-cool, and simply don’t stand up well.
Anyway, here’s what young people think of movies we (well some of us) thought were cool:
The Shining: Not nearly so scary now as then. What’s changed?
The Graduate: Mass market soundtracks were relatively new, and Simon and Garfunkle caught a wave, but this movie is tiresome and tedious.
Birth of a Nation: My oh my – was racism so common back then? I’ve heard enough about this movie to be happy never seeing it, but the theme was ordinary in its time. How we have grown!
Psycho: This movie actually was remade in 1998, scene for scene, line for line, and really did bomb. But when it originally came out in 1960, it scared people. The shower scene is often mentioned as classic. It’s fairly mundane.
Easy Rider: Reading a little too much into hippie communes and bikers, type-casting rednecks. There was not much there there.
Cannonball Run: Meant to be a slapstick comedy, it fails to raise a yuck when watched today. $5.00 at WalMart, and worth every penny.
Billy Jack: A man of peace kicks the crap out of everyone he hates. Maybe a prequel to Kung Fu, the terrible TV show about a martial arts expert in the cowboy west.
Star Wars I, II, III. These movies answer the question in reverse: they would have kicked ass in 1975.
The Big Lebowski: A snoozer that was supposed to be funny?
Dr. Zhivago: Shot in North Dakota at a time when Russia was a dark and foreboding place. Loooooong love story, schloppy theme song that sold many 45’s.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Great vehicle for two cool guys of their time that happened to be a western that happened to mention two historical characters.
Thelma and Louise: Yeah, well, so what?
Piece of Mindful 
The Big Lebowski a snoozer? Blasphemy!
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I liked that movie myself, though it is slow-moving. But it apparently did not hold the attention of one particular younger viewer.
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Wow. The Big Lebowski…I can’t believe it! The others were definitely of their time and place. I can see why folks would dislike them. (Add “Midnight Cowboy” to that mix!)
I’d argue that older b&w movies still hold up. The Big Sleep, All About Eve, etc & co.
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I’m with you on Sleep and Eve. I think most of Hitchcock’s classics from the 50s also hold up well–Rear Window being my favorite. But what’s wrong with Midnight Cowboy?
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I watched Mr. Roberts one night – long scenes, tons of memorized dialogue, a scene where sailors are returning from a second night on the town is actually re-run from the first night to save money. There are supposedly 70 men on board that ship, but we only see a half dozen. Mr. Roberts leaves to fight in the real war, and all we know of his death is a letter read to crew members.
Movie making has definitely improved. That was considered top shelf.
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I guess I’m willing to suspend technical criticism when it comes to old movies. I love 1930s films–particularly screwball comedies like The Thin Man–with a scene set in a New York City penthouse where clearly the grand panorama of the Manhattan skyline visible beyond the terrace wall is a painted backdrop. Or those great montages of newsprint, frantic police and wanted posters when some big scandal or crime erupts across the nation.
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Where do you see these old movies? Do you rent them? Are they on some obscure TV Channel?
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Well, if you don’t have access to my DVD collection, you can always turn on TCM.
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Oh, and belonging to Netflix helps.
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IMHO, Midnight Cowboy’s strength was its societal commentary. Nowadays it isn’t so shocking, and yer left with a rambling, plotless film that just leaves you uncomfortable. Or at least that’s what I took away from it.
But the Thin Man, now that’s just awesome. Great movies until the Hollywood Code descends and they stop drinking and have a baby.
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I think we can all agree that Ace Ventura, Pet Detective represents American cinema at its finest. That movies transcends generations. Jim Carrey is one of our finest actors, revered in France alongside Jerry Lewis. Let’s end this thread on a unified note.
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