How classic old films age

[Hugo]

Have spent some time this summer watching some of the old classics with my soon-to-be fifteen year old son, given that he is in that age range to watch more adult films. It seems like one of the perks of having older kids is that you don't have to watch the kiddie/Disney films anymore.

Given that it is a solid dozen years since I have watched most of them it is very interesting to see which have aged well and which have not. We did a lot of the mob films and I must admit most now seem super cheesy, even a classic like Goodfellas comes off as pretty cliche. Raging Bull is a lot of shouty aggro in black and white, Casino is a poor mans Goodfellas which tbf is what critics said at the time. Donnie Brasco is not one that I thought that I would enjoy but it was surprisingly great because Pacino's performance of a washed up gangster is brilliant and the relationship he forms with (and his subsequent "betrayal" by) Joseph Pistone/Depp really resonates. The soundtrack is emotive and I like the way that the film explores the politics of the mafia, the power struggles and the norms and codes. Taxi Driver has more than stood the test of time, it puts all of Scorsese's other work in the shade imo.

Watched Trainspotting yesterday and absolutely loved it, just like I did when I saw it at the cinema 25 years ago. It so perfectly captures the vibes of mid 90s Britain, I cannot help and watch it and feel nostalgic for that era. On reflection the climax of the film is a bit daft, the drug deal only nets them £16 grand which is not a life altering sum of money for Renton to be making off with. Its a bit of shame that it took them so long to do a sequel because I can't help feeling that they could have got more mileage out of the characters and material in the late 90s.

Anyway, have you seen any classic/old films of late and been pleasantly surprised or disappointed by what you saw?

[sockwithaticket]

As a horror buff I found a lot of so-called classics I watched in my late teens and early twenties to be immensely disappointing watches. Poorly written with laughable production design that punctures any sense of suspense or dread - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Candyman and Evil Dead are just a few of the massive let downs.

Alien and Halloween still hold up really well, though.

Much as I might hate to refer to something so integral to my youth as a classic, at 28 years old Jurassic Park probably qualifies and it's just as good as ever. Even allowing for what I suspect is a hefty dollop of nostalgia.

[boere wors]

Have recently watched Hitchcocks Strangers on a Train from 1951, which was excellent. Robert Walker with a genuinely creepy performance, shortly before his death.
And Dial M for Murder, which is just great and certainly the blueprint for many crime films and series such as Columbo. Just excellent.
Must be the case for most of Hitchcocks films, they are timeless classic, Vertigo, North by Northwest... Only Rear Window I found to be pretty lame. And I haven't watched the Birds for probably 25 years now, somehow i guess it hasnt aged well

[Niegs]

Have recently watched Hitchcocks Strangers on a Train from 1951, which was excellent. Robert Walker with a genuinely creepy performance, shortly before his death.
And Dial M for Murder, which is just great and certainly the blueprint for many crime films and series such as Columbo. Just excellent.
Must be the case for most of Hitchcocks films, they are timeless classic, Vertigo, North by Northwest... Only Rear Window I found to be pretty lame. And I haven't watched the Birds for probably 25 years now, somehow i guess it hasnt aged well

I see Rear Window as more of a play or 'bottle episode'. It's nothing like today's thrillers, of course, but it's still a nice little mystery, the sort of artsy thing you'd see on BBC4 or PBS perhaps?

[Niegs]

I'm more into the older stuff, pre-50s. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so am careful about recommending. I've found that some women I know absolutely love the screwball comedies of the late 30s and early 40s. They were shocked to see witty and occasionally strong women (some are totally ditzy, but still fun).

A lot of 70s films feel 'off' to me - like they were filmed with a home movie camera. The ones I'm thinking of lack the sharp colours of late 50s and 60s films, I think. I get that the topics in some were groundbreaking and the performances masterful, but I find a lot of the 'greats' slow and boring.

Just taking the AFI's list, I've seen all of them, most many years ago...

Spoiler

Show

M*A*S*H (1970) ... all the protagonists are jerks and even sex pests, TV show shits all over it
Patton (1970) ... have only seen once, remembered the slapping and greasing treads with their guts
A Clockwork Orange (1971) ... speaks volumes but screams low budget
The French Connection (1971) ... great chase, drags on (so does Bullitt, though that was '68?)
The Last Picture Show (1971) ... boring as fudge
The Godfather (1972) ... masterpiece
Cabaret (1972) ... ???
American Graffiti (1973) ... I like, but it's one of my old man's favourites, being a car guy
Chinatown (1974) ... slow
The Godfather Part II (1974) ... another masterpiece
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ... interesting but won't re-watch
Jaws (1975) ... amazing for the time, great performances, but imagine youf will hate it
Nashville (1975) ... can't even remember it
Taxi Driver (1976) ... kinda slow? It's been ages?
Network (1976) ... barely remember it, guy rants at the TV
All the President's Men (1976) ... important, but sloooow
Rocky (1976) ... cool
Star Wars (1977) ... very cool
Annie Hall (1977) ... ugh
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ... cool, but slow
The Deer Hunter (1978) ... looooong buildup to the nuts ending
Apocalypse Now (1979) ... nuts the whole way, love it

Come at me if you will.

[Gumboot]

The Third Man is my favourite pre-50s film. A masterpiece that's stood the test of time, imho.

[Slick]

The Third Man is my favourite pre-50s film. A masterpiece that's stood the test of time, imho.

My wife’s grandad was a producer on that, although strangely only credited in some places - he was a great friend of Alexander Korda.

When her uncle was born, the 3rd of 3 brothers, her grandad was sent a telegram from Korda and Graham Greene saying “a big welcome to the third man”. I’m having that when the time comes…

[boere wors]

The Third Man is my favourite pre-50s film. A masterpiece that's stood the test of time, imho.

Thats an outstanding Film. Still great today, for the score alone. The atmosphere of that Film is fantastic

[boere wors]

I'm more into the older stuff, pre-50s. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so am careful about recommending. I've found that some women I know absolutely love the screwball comedies of the late 30s and early 40s. They were shocked to see witty and occasionally strong women (some are totally ditzy, but still fun).

A lot of 70s films feel 'off' to me - like they were filmed with a home movie camera. The ones I'm thinking of lack the sharp colours of late 50s and 60s films, I think. I get that the topics in some were groundbreaking and the performances masterful, but I find a lot of the 'greats' slow and boring.

Just taking the AFI's list, I've seen all of them, most many years ago...

Spoiler

Show

M*A*S*H (1970) ... all the protagonists are jerks and even sex pests, TV show shits all over it
Patton (1970) ... have only seen once, remembered the slapping and greasing treads with their guts
A Clockwork Orange (1971) ... speaks volumes but screams low budget
The French Connection (1971) ... great chase, drags on (so does Bullitt, though that was '68?)
The Last Picture Show (1971) ... boring as fudge
The Godfather (1972) ... masterpiece
Cabaret (1972) ... ???
American Graffiti (1973) ... I like, but it's one of my old man's favourites, being a car guy
Chinatown (1974) ... slow
The Godfather Part II (1974) ... another masterpiece
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ... interesting but won't re-watch
Jaws (1975) ... amazing for the time, great performances, but imagine youf will hate it
Nashville (1975) ... can't even remember it
Taxi Driver (1976) ... kinda slow? It's been ages?
Network (1976) ... barely remember it, guy rants at the TV
All the President's Men (1976) ... important, but sloooow
Rocky (1976) ... cool
Star Wars (1977) ... very cool
Annie Hall (1977) ... ugh
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ... cool, but slow
The Deer Hunter (1978) ... looooong buildup to the nuts ending
Apocalypse Now (1979) ... nuts the whole way, love it

Come at me if you will.

Can agree with a lot of that. Only Chinatown slow = boring?? The storytelling back then has been slow, but that doesnt necessarily mean the films are boring imho. Timeless Film. Likewise taxi driver.
One always has to watch those films in the context of time, they have shown something unique for the first time, and have been copied a thousand times since then, faster and harder...

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I recently watched Citizen Kane and Casablanca and thought both stood up very well.

[Gumboot]

The Third Man is my favourite pre-50s film. A masterpiece that's stood the test of time, imho.

My wife’s grandad was a producer on that, although strangely only credited in some places - he was a great friend of Alexander Korda.

When her uncle was born, the 3rd of 3 brothers, her grandad was sent a telegram from Korda and Graham Greene saying “a big welcome to the third man”. I’m having that when the time comes…

Fantastic!

[Grandpa]

Zulu - never seems to suffer over time for me... forever a masterpiece...

Memento I watched the other week... it's better now as it takes a few viewings to work out what's happening...

[boere wors]

I recently watched Citizen Kane and Casablanca and thought both stood up very well.

Watched Casablanca couple of weeks ago. It is just so good. Still highly entertaining. All those cool quotes...
Citizen Kane was decades ahead of its time, masterpiece.

[Yr Alban]

I recently watched Citizen Kane and Casablanca and thought both stood up very well.

Watched Casablanca couple of weeks ago. It is just so good. Still highly entertaining. All those cool quotes...
Citizen Kane was decades ahead of its time, masterpiece.

My wife used to think old films, especially B&W ones, weren’t worth bothering with. I showed her Casablanca, and she loved it.

[Brazil]

I'm more into the older stuff, pre-50s. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so am careful about recommending. I've found that some women I know absolutely love the screwball comedies of the late 30s and early 40s. They were shocked to see witty and occasionally strong women (some are totally ditzy, but still fun).

A lot of 70s films feel 'off' to me - like they were filmed with a home movie camera. The ones I'm thinking of lack the sharp colours of late 50s and 60s films, I think. I get that the topics in some were groundbreaking and the performances masterful, but I find a lot of the 'greats' slow and boring.

Just taking the AFI's list, I've seen all of them, most many years ago...

Spoiler

Show

M*A*S*H (1970) ... all the protagonists are jerks and even sex pests, TV show shits all over it
Patton (1970) ... have only seen once, remembered the slapping and greasing treads with their guts
A Clockwork Orange (1971) ... speaks volumes but screams low budget
The French Connection (1971) ... great chase, drags on (so does Bullitt, though that was '68?)
The Last Picture Show (1971) ... boring as fudge
The Godfather (1972) ... masterpiece
Cabaret (1972) ... ???
American Graffiti (1973) ... I like, but it's one of my old man's favourites, being a car guy
Chinatown (1974) ... slow
The Godfather Part II (1974) ... another masterpiece
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ... interesting but won't re-watch
Jaws (1975) ... amazing for the time, great performances, but imagine youf will hate it
Nashville (1975) ... can't even remember it
Taxi Driver (1976) ... kinda slow? It's been ages?
Network (1976) ... barely remember it, guy rants at the TV
All the President's Men (1976) ... important, but sloooow
Rocky (1976) ... cool
Star Wars (1977) ... very cool
Annie Hall (1977) ... ugh
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ... cool, but slow
The Deer Hunter (1978) ... looooong buildup to the nuts ending
Apocalypse Now (1979) ... nuts the whole way, love it

Come at me if you will.

The "woke" (apologies, but that's what it is) reassessment of MASH really grates, and is money for old rope in the Guardian culture section. If you're watching a movie who's themes are anti-institutional and a specific commentary on the insanity of war (particularly Vietnam, which was kind of a hot topic at the time, and why Korea is barely mentioned in the film...), and worrying about Hot Lips being humiliated, you're missing the point. Thematically everything in the movie serves a purpose, the film is about doing what is necessary to survive in an insane situation (patching up soldiers to go out and get killed), and dealing with ineffective and rigid hierarchies in the best way they can. Hence the breaking down of Burns and Hotlips, and the humiliation of Colonel Merrill. The only mistake is the re-editing of the scene where they're operating on the "prisoner of war" which is actually (spoiler alert) Hojon, who dies after surgery and is the corpse you see them carting away while they play cards after the football game. Keeping that in would have added to the cynicism of the film, just before Duke and Hawkeye get demobbed, though it would have cut the line "Doctor this man is a prisoner of war", "So are you sweetheart, you just don't know it yet"

[boere wors]

I recently watched Citizen Kane and Casablanca and thought both stood up very well.

Watched Casablanca couple of weeks ago. It is just so good. Still highly entertaining. All those cool quotes...
Citizen Kane was decades ahead of its time, masterpiece.

My wife used to think old films, especially B&W ones, weren’t worth bothering with. I showed her Casablanca, and she loved it.

You seriously couldnt have chosen a better one!

[Niegs]

I'm more into the older stuff, pre-50s. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so am careful about recommending. I've found that some women I know absolutely love the screwball comedies of the late 30s and early 40s. They were shocked to see witty and occasionally strong women (some are totally ditzy, but still fun).

A lot of 70s films feel 'off' to me - like they were filmed with a home movie camera. The ones I'm thinking of lack the sharp colours of late 50s and 60s films, I think. I get that the topics in some were groundbreaking and the performances masterful, but I find a lot of the 'greats' slow and boring.

Just taking the AFI's list, I've seen all of them, most many years ago...

Spoiler

Show

M*A*S*H (1970) ... all the protagonists are jerks and even sex pests, TV show shits all over it
Patton (1970) ... have only seen once, remembered the slapping and greasing treads with their guts
A Clockwork Orange (1971) ... speaks volumes but screams low budget
The French Connection (1971) ... great chase, drags on (so does Bullitt, though that was '68?)
The Last Picture Show (1971) ... boring as fudge
The Godfather (1972) ... masterpiece
Cabaret (1972) ... ???
American Graffiti (1973) ... I like, but it's one of my old man's favourites, being a car guy
Chinatown (1974) ... slow
The Godfather Part II (1974) ... another masterpiece
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ... interesting but won't re-watch
Jaws (1975) ... amazing for the time, great performances, but imagine youf will hate it
Nashville (1975) ... can't even remember it
Taxi Driver (1976) ... kinda slow? It's been ages?
Network (1976) ... barely remember it, guy rants at the TV
All the President's Men (1976) ... important, but sloooow
Rocky (1976) ... cool
Star Wars (1977) ... very cool
Annie Hall (1977) ... ugh
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ... cool, but slow
The Deer Hunter (1978) ... looooong buildup to the nuts ending
Apocalypse Now (1979) ... nuts the whole way, love it

Come at me if you will.

The "woke" (apologies, but that's what it is) reassessment of MASH really grates, and is money for old rope in the Guardian culture section. If you're watching a movie who's themes are anti-institutional and a specific commentary on the insanity of war (particularly Vietnam, which was kind of a hot topic at the time, and why Korea is barely mentioned in the film...), and worrying about Hot Lips being humiliated, you're missing the point. Thematically everything in the movie serves a purpose, the film is about doing what is necessary to survive in an insane situation (patching up soldiers to go out and get killed), and dealing with ineffective and rigid hierarchies in the best way they can. Hence the breaking down of Burns and Hotlips, and the humiliation of Colonel Merrill. The only mistake is the re-editing of the scene where they're operating on the "prisoner of war" which is actually (spoiler alert) Hojon, who dies after surgery and is the corpse you see them carting away while they play cards after the football game. Keeping that in would have added to the cynicism of the film, just before Duke and Hawkeye get demobbed, though it would have cut the line "Doctor this man is a prisoner of war", "So are you sweetheart, you just don't know it yet"

I accept all of that. I'm very much someone who'll also accept "that's what attitudes were like at the time", but on a personal level went from liking them and being on their side to thinking they're jerks I wouldn't want to hang out with.

[Globus]

[Niegs]

I'm more into the older stuff, pre-50s. I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so am careful about recommending. I've found that some women I know absolutely love the screwball comedies of the late 30s and early 40s. They were shocked to see witty and occasionally strong women (some are totally ditzy, but still fun).

A lot of 70s films feel 'off' to me - like they were filmed with a home movie camera. The ones I'm thinking of lack the sharp colours of late 50s and 60s films, I think. I get that the topics in some were groundbreaking and the performances masterful, but I find a lot of the 'greats' slow and boring.

Just taking the AFI's list, I've seen all of them, most many years ago...

Spoiler

Show

M*A*S*H (1970) ... all the protagonists are jerks and even sex pests, TV show shits all over it
Patton (1970) ... have only seen once, remembered the slapping and greasing treads with their guts
A Clockwork Orange (1971) ... speaks volumes but screams low budget
The French Connection (1971) ... great chase, drags on (so does Bullitt, though that was '68?)
The Last Picture Show (1971) ... boring as fudge
The Godfather (1972) ... masterpiece
Cabaret (1972) ... ???
American Graffiti (1973) ... I like, but it's one of my old man's favourites, being a car guy
Chinatown (1974) ... slow
The Godfather Part II (1974) ... another masterpiece
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ... interesting but won't re-watch
Jaws (1975) ... amazing for the time, great performances, but imagine youf will hate it
Nashville (1975) ... can't even remember it
Taxi Driver (1976) ... kinda slow? It's been ages?
Network (1976) ... barely remember it, guy rants at the TV
All the President's Men (1976) ... important, but sloooow
Rocky (1976) ... cool
Star Wars (1977) ... very cool
Annie Hall (1977) ... ugh
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ... cool, but slow
The Deer Hunter (1978) ... looooong buildup to the nuts ending
Apocalypse Now (1979) ... nuts the whole way, love it

Come at me if you will.

Can agree with a lot of that. Only Chinatown slow = boring?? The storytelling back then has been slow, but that doesnt necessarily mean the films are boring imho. Timeless Film. Likewise taxi driver.
One always has to watch those films in the context of time, they have shown something unique for the first time, and have been copied a thousand times since then, faster and harder...

A lot of that was tongue-in-cheek, but I don't have a lot of love for most is what I'm saying. One watch, that was good/great, but not keen to watch again. I should watch Chinatown again because I do love a noir detective film, but even just looking for some screen shots and clips, I was reminded how - to me - it just doesn't feel like the time in which it was set. Maybe it's the quality of camera/film from the time?

[sockwithaticket]

Quite a lot of older films suffer from an excess of veneration creating really high expectations in those who come to them decades down the line due to their reputation. I found both The Sting and Butch Cassidy incredibly underwhelming.

Can agree with a lot of that. Only Chinatown slow = boring?? The storytelling back then has been slow, but that doesnt necessarily mean the films are boring imho. Timeless Film. Likewise taxi driver.
One always has to watch those films in the context of time, they have shown something unique for the first time, and have been copied a thousand times since then, faster and harder...

Slow doesn't have to be boring, but often is.

I think of recent films like Stoker or We Are What We Are which are pretty slow-paced, but I enjoyed the shit out of them in a way that I just don't with a lot of older films.

[Cartman]

12 Angry Men is my favourite old film

[JM2K6]

As a horror buff I found a lot of so-called classics I watched in my late teens and early twenties to be immensely disappointing watches. Poorly written with laughable production design that punctures any sense of suspense or dread - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Candyman and Evil Dead are just a few of the massive let downs.

Alien and Halloween still hold up really well, though.

Much as I might hate to refer to something so integral to my youth as a classic, at 28 years old Jurassic Park probably qualifies and it's just as good as ever. Even allowing for what I suspect is a hefty dollop of nostalgia.

The Thing still works brilliantly today. Some of the effects don't look great but the spider-head and the dog monster are both really good still, and the film has lost none of the tension and distrust over the years. An all-time classic.

[boere wors]

As a horror buff I found a lot of so-called classics I watched in my late teens and early twenties to be immensely disappointing watches. Poorly written with laughable production design that punctures any sense of suspense or dread - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Candyman and Evil Dead are just a few of the massive let downs.

Alien and Halloween still hold up really well, though.

Much as I might hate to refer to something so integral to my youth as a classic, at 28 years old Jurassic Park probably qualifies and it's just as good as ever. Even allowing for what I suspect is a hefty dollop of nostalgia.

The Thing still works brilliantly today. Some of the effects don't look great but the spider-head and the dog monster are both really good still, and the film has lost none of the tension and distrust over the years. An all-time classic.

Absolutely, agree on the others, but The Thing is a classic and is still very good today!

[boere wors]

12 Angry Men is my favourite old film

Old, but very watchable still today. Like a theater play.

[Brazil]

As a horror buff I found a lot of so-called classics I watched in my late teens and early twenties to be immensely disappointing watches. Poorly written with laughable production design that punctures any sense of suspense or dread - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Candyman and Evil Dead are just a few of the massive let downs.

Alien and Halloween still hold up really well, though.

Much as I might hate to refer to something so integral to my youth as a classic, at 28 years old Jurassic Park probably qualifies and it's just as good as ever. Even allowing for what I suspect is a hefty dollop of nostalgia.

The Thing still works brilliantly today. Some of the effects don't look great but the spider-head and the dog monster are both really good still, and the film has lost none of the tension and distrust over the years. An all-time classic.

The Dog Thing is also horrendous. Also, the ambiguity of the ending marks it out as an all time classic.

[Lobby]

As a horror buff I found a lot of so-called classics I watched in my late teens and early twenties to be immensely disappointing watches. Poorly written with laughable production design that punctures any sense of suspense or dread - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Candyman and Evil Dead are just a few of the massive let downs.

Alien and Halloween still hold up really well, though.

Much as I might hate to refer to something so integral to my youth as a classic, at 28 years old Jurassic Park probably qualifies and it's just as good as ever. Even allowing for what I suspect is a hefty dollop of nostalgia.

The Thing still works brilliantly today. Some of the effects don't look great but the spider-head and the dog monster are both really good still, and the film has lost none of the tension and distrust over the years. An all-time classic.

The Dog Thing is also horrendous. Also, the ambiguity of the ending marks it out as an all time classic.

The Thing is still brilliant, and in my view it’s special effects still stand up precisely because they were achieved on set and are not CGI. As others have mentioned, it’s not just a special effects bonanza, it’s the sense of increasing tension and dread that Carpenter achieves that really sets it apart.

It’s worth remembering that The Evil Dead was made by a bunch of College friends with no real experience of film making for a miniscule budget of just $375k. It’s hardly surprising if it looks a bit cheap and amateur with hindsight.

[sockwithaticket]

The Thing still works brilliantly today. Some of the effects don't look great but the spider-head and the dog monster are both really good still, and the film has lost none of the tension and distrust over the years. An all-time classic.

The Dog Thing is also horrendous. Also, the ambiguity of the ending marks it out as an all time classic.

The Thing is still brilliant, and in my view it’s special effects still stand up precisely because they were achieved on set and are not CGI. As others have mentioned, it’s not just a special effects bonanza, it’s the sense of increasing tension and dread that Carpenter achieves that really sets it apart.

It’s worth remembering that The Evil Dead was made by a bunch of College friends with no real experience of film making for a miniscule budget of just $375k. It’s hardly surprising if it looks a bit cheap and amateur with hindsight.

That's actually a pretty decent budget for one of these films, Halloween was made for less ($300 - $325k is the range I've seen) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre for about half that. I think the friends with no experience element was probably more significant. I don't necessarily expect the production design to hold up to modern standards, but with some it is sufficiently poor or comical as to detract from what else they're doing even if other elements like the script and performances are solid.

@everyone who's commented on The Thing, I'm fully aware that I'm in a minority on this one, but I remember finding the effects quite hokey and they really took me out of the movie as a whole. Perhaps I should give it another shot, I've only watched it twice and most recently 7 or 8 years ago.

[Niegs]

12 Angry Men is my favourite old film

Filmed almost entirely in one room, and yet still very gripping. I think it's that aspect that, even though black and white and a bunch of 'old' men, can still grip youngsters today. You're stuck in the room with them and we're talking about social justice / racism which, sadly, still resonates today. How the group reacts to the old man's casual racism still gives me shivers!

[Niegs]

Was just talking to a friend about 80s films... Teen Wolf. Loved it as a kid, but it's complete garbage. I re-watched most Police Academies in the last year, and I unashamedly still enjoy their cheesy brand of comedy, with surprisingly few 'problematic' elements to the protagonists (which is saying something for 80s comedies!)

[Cartman]

The one thing (lol) i liked about the Thing remake was that scene where it merged with the one victim - that was pretty cool

[boere wors]

Was just talking to a friend about 80s films... Teen Wolf. Loved it as a kid, but it's complete garbage. I re-watched most Police Academies in the last year, and I unashamedly still enjoy their cheesy brand of comedy, with surprisingly few 'problematic' elements to the protagonists (which is saying something for 80s comedies!)

Teen wulf is pretty shite, but Police Academy is still a funny movie, at least the first one which I have watched recently.

Regarding 80s movies, Back to the Future is still such a cool movie, highly entertaining. I think it was on here in another thread that someone commented, that not one minute in that movie is wasted, which is spot on.

[boere wors]

Not that old and classic yet, but imo some films from the naughties have already aged really badly. Will upset the fanboys now, but The Dark Night for exmple is pretty dull. Liked it when it came put in 2008, but it is a good half hour to long and the story is thin in the end. Batman Begins much better.
Another one is Bourne Identity, found it pretty hard to watch, somehow so dated.

[Niegs]

Was just talking to a friend about 80s films... Teen Wolf. Loved it as a kid, but it's complete garbage. I re-watched most Police Academies in the last year, and I unashamedly still enjoy their cheesy brand of comedy, with surprisingly few 'problematic' elements to the protagonists (which is saying something for 80s comedies!)

Teen wulf is pretty shite, but Police Academy is still a funny movie, at least the first one which I have watched recently.

Regarding 80s movies, Back to the Future is still such a cool movie, highly entertaining. I think it was on here in another thread that someone commented, that not one minute in that movie is wasted, which is spot on.

I’ve heard that Back to the Future is the industry standard script, taught in film school, etc I recently read a book about it and it sounded like it didn’t come easy, with Eric Stoltz being Marty, filming a lot, and getting fired. Plus all the ideas that got scrapped for being too weird or that wouldn’t work.

Looking back at the trilogy, it’s a wonder Tom Wilson didn’t get an Oscar for best supporting actor! I heard he was close to kicking Stoltz’ ass after pushing him really hard over and over, bruising his chest while being all ‘method’.

[fishfoodie]

I love the modernish take on Film noir; so I often rewatch, Chinatown, & L.A. Confidential

They're two films that didn't waste a second of screen time

[ScarfaceClaw]

Not that old and classic yet, but imo some films from the naughties have already aged really badly. Will upset the fanboys now, but The Dark Night for exmple is pretty dull. Liked it when it came put in 2008, but it is a good half hour to long and the story is thin in the end. Batman Begins much better.
Another one is Bourne Identity, found it pretty hard to watch, somehow so dated.

I thought The Dark Knight was bollocks when it came out and still do. It’s mainly down to Christian Bale’s bullshit gravelly voice wank fest. It’s like fingernails down a black board for me.

[Niegs]

Oh, the classic example is Mickey Rooney's character in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

[Tichtheid]

I have a thing for Cold War novels and films, and Robert Ludlum is someone I have read over and over - I remember being really spooked by reading The Osterman Weekend as a kid. As such I was ready to be disappointed with the Bourne films when they came out, but Damon is a good Bourne imo and if truth be told I watch the films more than I re-read the books now. The Legacy one pushes it a bit and there was no reason beyond the money to make the fifth film with Damon back as the lead, it detracts from the initial three.

[Biffer]

I can watch Local Hero over and over again. An absolutely perfect piece of film making.

[Tichtheid]

I can watch Local Hero over and over again. An absolutely perfect piece of film making.

+1

It really is solid gold.

[fishfoodie]

I can watch Local Hero over and over again. An absolutely perfect piece of film making.

Definitely a classic