Why can't we have good movies anymore ?

[losCHUNK]

Really ?, films like Aliens cut more ownage out of their final release than most films include in an hour n half in the modern day. Films like Bladerunner, T2, Star Wars all released in the 80s (or late 70s) with nothing coming anywhere near close since. The 80s has to be the absolute pinnacle of movie making, even lesser films like Back to the Future and Running man / Total recall, Robofuckingcop are 10x the movie standards of today. I'm not saying all modern films are shit, but those films when I 1st viewed them had me pulling my jaw off the floor and rewatching like a maniac.

Is it because of youthful exuberance ?, or because the movie industry has lost all imagination ?. With the increased budgets and computer technology today the level of progression should have my head exploding.

Can you think of any movies made in the last 20 years that left a lasting impression like those films ?, films that managed to assemble a great cast, pushing the limits of technology mixed with a relevant and interesting story. The only movie that I can think of that comes close is The Matrix, that was well over a decade ago, I don't really fancy watching it again and even then the cast fell well short. Sin City too but it didn't have that 'fun' feeling.

[Captain]

Lord of the Rings

[andyman]

RUNNING SCARED
DUMB AND DUMBER
KILL BILL
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
HARD TIMES
TRAINING DAY

[Tsakali]

Is it possible that you're misjudging things?

The market has blown up, so a lot more is coming out these days...and well, not all of them are going to be masterpieces. Back in the day, you didn't have a turn around on sequels of 1.5-2 years, but these days you do...as an example. So the money is there and the willing population to watch shit is there, but the quality doesn't necessarily go with it. So even though there is still some great films out there, you tempt to overlook them by the sheer volume of movies coming out and skewing your perception on the subject. And unfortunately, more volume (may that be in the form of willing audience, willing producers and artists) doesn't necessarily produce equal ratios on available talent.

Or maybe at some point, some idiot figured out that the formula for easiest success, doesn't really rely on quality, therefore pushing most of the available talent (and their silly demands/visions) to never see the light of day, or never reaching the main stream through other means in comparison.

Or maybe yes "youthful exuberance"...you're just getting old and becoming harder to please (less impressionable) and/or by "having seen many pixels in your lifetime, etc." , it feels as if everything around you is going to shit, where in actuality your perception of things around you is going to shit.

[Eraser]

Quality series is where it's at now. Breaking Bad, Homeland, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, etc, etc.

[DTS]

People have been saying

"They don't make anything the way they used to"

for a long time now.

Avatar is a glorious film!

Some of the films you mention are 18 rated, trouble is the audience for films is getting younger, most people 18+ don't go to the cinema or watch films much at all. So you get films aimed at a younger audience which has less appeal to you.

Horton Hears a Who

Young person's film, looks amazing but the story was too young for me so I didn't pay much attention. I could tell it would be great for young people, though. Reminded me of the book which I'd forgotton all about.


The Incredibles

This has appeal to all ages. It's incredible!


Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars is for all ages. Had some epic moments that would have been even better on a big screen (I would have seen them all in the cinema but no-one said they were good films, should have gone and seen them anyway).


I've rated a lot of films 8/10 out of the ones I reviewd in the "the last movie you saw" thread. So good films are made now IMO.

In short, you are old and jaded

[andyman]

TRAINING DAY

ha. most of the lines in that are so over the top it's practically a comedy.

aren't you british?

[EtUL]

TV series are the way to go now to properly tell a story, movies are too short IMO. Comedies and whatnot are still cool.

[PhoeniX]

Snatch, Fight Club?

[Captain]

films that managed to assemble a great cast, pushing the limits of technology mixed with a relevant and interesting story.

[DTS]

Jim Carey plays one of the main characters in Horton Hears a Who and Samuel L Jackson plays one of the main characters in The Incredibles (a good guy who can freeze things).

What they are doing with CGI does push the limits of technology, too.

[losCHUNK]

Lord of the Rings

I think it was shit which is unfair of me, but I think this is the closest to reaching the 'epic' status I'm hinting towards.

RUNNING SCARED
DUMB AND DUMBER
KILL BILL
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
HARD TIMES
TRAINING DAY

I don't think any of them come close tbh :/

Is it possible that you're misjudging things?

The market has blown up, so a lot more is coming out these days...and well, not all of them are going to be masterpieces. Back in the day, you didn't have a turn around on sequels of 1.5-2 years, but these days you do...as an example. So the money is there and the willing population to watch shit is there, but the quality doesn't necessarily go with it. So even though there is still some great films out there, you tempt to overlook them by the sheer volume of movies coming out and skewing your perception on the subject. And unfortunately, more volume (may that be in the form of willing audience, willing producers and artists) doesn't necessarily produce equal ratios on available talent.

Or maybe at some point, some idiot figured out that the formula for easiest success, doesn't really rely on quality, therefore pushing most of the available talent (and their silly demands/visions) to never see the light of day, or never reaching the main stream through other means in comparison.

Or maybe yes "youthful exuberance"...you're just getting old and becoming harder to please (less impressionable) and/or by "having seen many pixels in your lifetime, etc." , it feels as if everything around you is going to shit, where in actuality your perception of things around you is going to shit.

I think it was the last one and me being an old git, the thing is a lot of the movies I had mentioned I wouldn't of even known about or been able to appreciate until I was older and they were out for a decade or longer (late 90s, early 00s)

It could also be that a lot less movies were around 'back in the day' and achieved hero status a lot easier due to a smaller market to a large audience, like you had mentioned. I think that could be the most probable. You're also right in that there has been some gems in the last 20 years mixed in with the fodder (12 monkeys springs to mind), but I still think the decline is there.

Quality series is where it's at now. Breaking Bad, Homeland, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, etc, etc.

This is what I was thinking, shows have definitely got better and compete with the movie industry imho, Band of Brothers is another that springs to mind. I just think that in any genre now if you compare it to anything beyond 20 years up to the next 20 years, the older movie would win. I think the only genre that may outweigh the older equivalent is comedy.

People have been saying



Avatar is a glorious film!

Horton Hears a Who

The Incredibles

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith


I've rated a lot of films 8/10 out of the ones I reviewd in the "the last movie you saw" thread. So good films are made now IMO.

In short, you are old and jaded

I thought the story was crap in Avatar, like Ferngully with special effects so falls short imo and although I think the special effects were great I think movies would be better off complimenting the old method of movie making (using models, stop motion or whatever) with it.

Dunno who horton is

Incredibles VS... Aladdin ? (family movie wise)

Star Wars new VS Star Wars old = no contest.

TV series are the way to go now to properly tell a story, movies are too short IMO. Comedies and whatnot are still cool.

But, why do I still like the older movies if the shows have taken such a leap in storytelling and owned the entire industry ?.

Snatch, Fight Club?

Snatch VS Goodfellas ?

Fight Club VS... Falling down / Natural Born Killers ?. I think it could possibly go down as unique to the last 20 years though . Still nowhere near the epic status of Star Wars / Bladerunner imo

Jim Carey plays one of the main characters in Horton Hears a Who and Samuel L Jackson plays one of the main characters in The Incredibles (a good guy who can freeze things).

What they are doing with CGI does push the limits of technology, too.

I agree but I also think it took a step backward, it pretty much killed off drawing boards and the old Disney artwork.

I think we should compile 2 lists then compare...

Let's take a look -

ET, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Rain Man, Goonies, Die Hard, Beverely Hills Cop, Commando, Rocky, Platoon, Das Boot, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Batman, Mad Max, Star Trek II, The Abyss, Predator, Tron, Platoon, Gremlins, Beetlejuice, Rambo, Commando, Goodfellas, Godfather, Casino, Falling Down, Scarface, Jurassic Park, Evil Dead, The Shining, The Thing, Space Odyssey, Close Encounters, Full Metal Jacket, Schindlers List on top of what I've already mentioned (Star Wars, Running Man, Total Recall, T2, Back to the Future, Robocop).

Take movies out or add to it, I'll compile another list for 1993 to 2013 and we shall see where we are tomorrow (I've left out Comedy btw)

I think we can all agree that there hasn't been a leap in movies like when Bladerunner / Aliens / Star Wars was released n all ?

[LawL]

Imagine how hard GONNAEATEVERYTHING's jimmies would be rustled in this thread if he didn't ragequit.

[LawL]

most people 18+ don't go to the cinema or watch films much at all.

Completely incorrect.

[DTS]

Imagine how hard GONNAEATEVERYTHING's jimmies would be rustled in this thread if he didn't ragequit.

yes.

[andyman]

THESE FUCKING BRITS FFS.. DON'T LIKE HOLLYWOOD? STICK TO BBC

[MKJ]

I love how people criticize Avatar and then cite Star Wars as the pinnacle of storytelling.

[losCHUNK]

Thing is Star Wars was made in the late 70s and still has a better and more unique story

[feedback]

Because of China. Seriously.

[MKJ]

Thing is Star Wars was made in the late 70s and still has a better and more unique story

because the longer humanity exists the better the stories are? that makes no sense.

[seremtan]

THESE FUCKING BRITS FFS.. DON'T LIKE HOLLYWOOD? STICK TO HBO

ftfy

[losCHUNK]

Thing is Star Wars was made in the late 70s and still has a better and more unique story

because the longer humanity exists the better the stories are? that makes no sense.

Well they've gotten worse, when concerning avatar especially. Even non serious Die Hard action flicks were way more fun when compared to Taken / non-stop / expendables / inglorious basterds or whatever else. It was all about effects in Avatar, even character development was bland and un original, plot development was just as bad, cast was pretty poor. But in terms of leaps made then nothing including Avatar comes close to what Star Wars achieved on the big screen, kinda like what space odyssey did a decade before. I don't think we even get decent movie scores anymore ?. In years to come I can't see a huge following on Avatar. I can;t see people turning around and going 'Avatar, what a masterpiece'.

Does anyone actually watch it without the 3d switched on ?

[DTS]

It was all about effects in Avatar, even character development was bland and un original, plot development was just as bad, cast was pretty poor. But in terms of leaps made then nothing including Avatar comes close to what Star Wars achieved on the big screen, kinda like what space odyssey did a decade before. I don't think we even get decent movie scores anymore ?. In years to come I can't see a huge following on Avatar. I can;t see people turning around and going 'Avatar, what a masterpiece'.

Does anyone actually watch it without the 3d switched on ?

Yes, that's how I watched it.

Star Wars is not as original as you think; it borrowed a lot from old westerns and old samurai films, that in turn had borrowed from each other, over and over.

"Scores"? Looper had a great score. Tron Legacy had great music. The A-Team had a great score, that was done by Alan Silvestri, of Predator.

At least one of the cast in Avatar was brilliant - the main baddie - and the two main blue characters looked good (bit different to the actors, done by CGI) and acted well. It all worked. You are jaded.

[losCHUNK]

So it evolved into the masterpiece it was from many sources ?, the point being there wasn't anything like it before, inter galactic space battles mixed with love, religion twists and turns etc, it had a bit of everything that was all relevant and kept it from going stale. 'I am your father / I am your sister' and the way all this panned out then worked in with the rest of the story. Avatar was a spiced up version of Ferngully or Pocahontas and conveyed in a way much worse to show the pretty effects and action scenes, it was far less of a leap from those stories to Avatar.

I think the TRON soundtrack stands up but only cos of Daft Punk . Back in the day you could remember a movie from a song though. Like the A team (granted not a movie back then).

The main baddie is the only dude I remember in the entire of Avatar and I refer to the one blue thing as Ripley . Shall we take a look at the memorable characters from Star Wars ?, or Aliens ?, that came complete with back stories ?, there was a shit ton that can be named without having to look through google. Hudson was the shit...

[DTS]

Star Wars is a trilogy that you've watched over 9000 times, of course you are going to remember characters from it. Ask people that have only seen it once or twice to name characters from it and you'll find they don't remember them.