Movies that haven't stood the test of time...

[JohnT]

When released, they are considered brilliant, original, daring, or a crowd-pleaser, but now, with the test of time applied to these films, they have been revealed to be just a little bit less than originally thought. Society could've moved on, making the movies assumptions squirmfully embarrassing... the film is too dated, too much a product of the age that it was filmed... over time, what was once considered cool is just embarrassing.

Some well-considered films that, imho, have not aged well, include:

ET: The Extra-Terrestial: Loved it in 1982, was shocked at how treacly and "movie-of-the-week"ish it actually was in 2002. Oh, parts of it work (ET getting bombed, Gertie) but the rest? Yech.

The Bridge Over the River Kwai: A film made today, even an historical film, based upon British mechanical and work-ethic superiority over the Japanese would be damned hard to pull off, and sure as hell wouldn't be made in the style of Kwai, where Lean's own assumption of this basic "fact" permeates every frame of the film. The world has changed too much to make this film much more than a very well-made anachronism.

West Side Story: Perhaps its just me, but this flashy, colorful story about dancing Latino gangs looks and sounds so 1962 that I can't get over it. Include the fact that I was not raised upon the Broadway tradition, and you can understand why I find the entire movie alternatingly laughably silly or a bore. If this film were released as a major, original effort today audiences would just stare slack-jawed, dumbfounded at what they were witnessing. Of all the movies I've seen (well, all the "major" non-MST3K movies that is), this is the one that has me scratching my head the most and asking Did people really buy into this crap?

What films do you think haven't stood the test of time?

[Q Classic]

titanic.
girls gushed over it, forcing us guys to deal with it at agonizing length.
now, most of the girls have kinda forgotten about it, mercifully.

[JohnT]

I like Titanic.

[MikeH]

Don't often see girl posters pretending to be boys.

[Q Classic]

johnt, i'm going to pretend i didn't hear that.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by JohnT
I like Titanic.

Give it 10 years. You liked ET too, remember?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Gotta say, John, I disagree with all your choices; I think all those films are watchable today, though some may not be thought as great as they once were.

I think movies that fail to stand the test of time are movies that are very much of their time, but are considered "universal" when they are made. Some examples:

The Best Years of Our Lives - in 1946, this was a much-lauded multiple-Oscar winner, a seering drama about the problems of soldiers readjusting to civilian life after WWII. Today it's ponderously dull, and more melodrama than drama.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - mid-century liberalism was a great idea for politics, but a terrible idea for movies. This is the Magnum Opus of it's chief filmic perpetrator, Stanley Kramer; and while none of Kramer's films have aged particularly well (Inherit the Wind being another fine example), this one was considered his best. Preachy, trite, and racist in spite of itself.

Kramer vs. Kramer - Today you'd expect this script to be sent straight to the Lifetime Network. But in 1979, it actually won the Best Picture Oscar over Apocalypse Now and All That Jazz, to say nothing of such unnominated gems as Manhattan, Being There, The Black Stallion and even Alien. As for it's "important message" about the divorce, child custody, and fathers, it's only barely less tedious than a blackice thread.

[Bosh]

Citizen Kane
Ponderous dull POS that tries to be deep and meaningful and fails miserably.

Beat you to it Elok

[duke o' york]

I love the Beatles, but Yellow Submarine has so few decent gags to tide it over now that the flower power philosophy has dated that it is now stunningly dull. Songs pretty much all rubbish too.
Except Hey Bulldog!

[Harry Seldon]

I loved Citizen Kane.

I think Ladyhawke's pulsing 80's soundtrack has fallen short.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by JohnT


I like Titanic.

I liked the sinking part. They could have spared all the bull**** until then.

[Seeker]

I'm just thinking of the Great Contradiction:

So many great films were made in the 70s....and thus cursed forever with 70s hair and decorating.

Dated movies:

Quo Vadis

Metropolis (it's really really hard to get into any silent films)

Jim Belushi's WW2 North Africa movie. All stereotypes ALL the TIME!

Sands of Iwo Jima: we can do better than stock footage and only ever seeing the enemy up close twice for cheesy sword killings.









And yes, any movie cursed with upbeat 80s theme music....Goonies was a classic 80s kids adventure movie, but Cindy Lauper just hasn't weathered well.

Same with 'the Explorers' 'the Wizard' 'Flight of the Navigator' 'Cloak & Dagger' all the other 80s 'kidventure' genre movies. ESPECIALLY 'Wargames'.

[Japher]

Many horror movies have a hard time continuing to be scary.

The Exorsist, was good then, sucks now

Amityville Horror

Child's Play

[JohnT]

Wow, Japher. I consider the Exorcist to still be the most effective horror movie ever made.

Good choices, Rufus! Especially the "Guess Who" nomination. "In the Heat of the Night" hasn't stood up too well either, but at least it boasts some rock-solid performances by Steiger and Portier.

[JohnT]

Btw, Rufus, I don't think my selections are unwatchable (well, maybe WSS) I just don't think they've stood up very well to the changing times. For example I do have Bridge and ET on DVD so it isn't as if I dislike them.