Disappointing old films

films from my youth include -
dirty dancing
Electric Boogaloo ( or how ever you spell that thing..)
Flash dance
Electric Dreams
Valley Girl



trust me
they should stay where they are..

material girl- Funny you should mention that. Just yesterday, I was looking through my Blockbuster Online, because I wanted to add some more films to my queue. What I am finding, is that I am not the least bit interested some of the films that have great reviews. The reason is that many of them are geared to an 18-24 year old demographic..................and I am long past that.

Unless the film has unusual qualities, I find that I can no longer relate to movies about adolescent angst, problems of young marrieds, twentysomething singles, etc.

I think that unless a film has a quality that cuts through age, gender, stage of life, etc. it can be appreciated best only by people who can relate to the story. Great films are those that relate to the human condition at any age.

Good point, Pheonix. I would also go on to say that films should, if at all possible, be seen at the cinema.
I find that if I watch a really good film on DVD, I never seem to get fully into it as I would at the flicks. My mind will inevitably wander to other things, such as the sudden strange noise coming from the kitchen, or remembering to make a phone call, worrying whether the pizza is burning, etc.

Maybe it was the "DVD effect" that partially caused Material Girl to be dissapointed?

Doowop- Maybe this is an "age" thing, but I have not gone to the movies in around 3-4 years. I find that the sound levels at the theatres are so loud as to be unnerving. I also am very intolerant of people who talk during a film, rustle popcorn bgs, etc. (I'm a real pill! )

I have a 52" hi def TV with excellent external speakers. If I watch a movie on DVD, I can pause it for snack and bathroom breaks. I don't have to fight traffic, and have to sit behind someone who is 6 foot four, something which I did inevitably when I went to the movies.

If I go to sleep during the movie, I can always play it again!

Ah, but that's my point, I suppose. Sitting in the cinema is an event in itself. You can't dip in and out of the film as you wish, and you've gone there with the sole intention of actually sitting still and watching the film in its entirety.
Just the ability to pause the film and go and do something else, somehow gives you permission to allow other things into your brain, therefore making the event less enjoyable, I feel.

I agree that annoying things happen whilst at the flicks, but I do find that I get much deeper into the film there, compared to when I watch one at home.

Ooh I agree, going to the cinema is an event.
I have a happy recollection of being in a theatre full of people watching the South Park film, everybody was laughing their heads off and I took a second to look at the people rather than the film and thought how bonding it was.

Cant say I ever saw The Lost Boys at the cinema, I think I was too young.
I think maybe the standards of films have decreased.I expect intelligent scripts, complicated plot lines, mazing special effects.
TLB had great make up re the vampires and I liked the ending but as far as the script went and the story I found it a bit tame in comparison.

Unless you have the correct size large screen display and watching it from an average distance, and a really good surround sound system, there's nothing like the big screen scale and sound in an excellent movie auditorium. Unfortunately, those theaters start from mediocre, poor projection and damaged screens, to audio systems that should be relegated to the trash barrel. You are also, in the end, at the mercy of the projectionist, much like you were at the mercy of the janitor at school for heating and cooling!

There are many films I enjoyed when I was very young that do not bear up to my standards today, but, of course, some guilty pleasures. I enjoy using NetFlix mostly for independent and foreign gems I've forgotten or somehow missed. I can usually rely on the user ratings and reviews there (those films attract the more discerning viewers), but I also refer to my favorite critics if I don't recognize the title. On many films, the user reviews are going to be practically worthless just as Phoenix pointed out -- there have always been films aimed at a pin-headed teeny-bopper audience and I'm afraid "The Lost Boys" was one of them. It has some redeeming features but a filmmaker can't please everyone all the time (to paraphrase Lincoln). Hollywood, and even other churners of movie entertainment like Bollywood, have got to keep the box office going up and not down. They can make those little gems. You can't bank of all independents or some foreign films that are made for the love of filmmaking, either. Many of those are real clunkers, but maybe more worth watching that the intended blockbusters.

I did figure out that on-line, it takes about five to ten minutes to at least scan critics and user reviews and see the rating. It's time well spent, considering you are going to give up ninety minutes to as much as four hours at the hand of a sometimes a sincere and sometimes a hack filmmaker.

I still watch Dirty Dancing occasionally (usually with mates round when we are pissed up) for the comedy & cringe value. Never fails to deliver!

Ha, yes, I doubt I'll be watching "Breakin' 2" anytime soon.

A lot of films I see the first time effect me but then that effect doesn't hold up under repeated views. I get the emotional response out of the way and then the critic in me takes over and picks it to death. I had experiences like that with "Munich" and "Million Dollar Baby," both more recent films.

I watched The Jerk the other night, not as good as I recall.

It can depend on the set of your mind when you watch movies on DVD or TV. I watched the first production of The Producers, once, and found it hilarious. Tried to watch it a second time, but was bored. Walked in on it at a relative's house, and found myself appreciating it again.