Are Old Movies Really Better

[Zebra]

Kamerun, Tanganyika, Süd-West Africa?

Kongo

 

[GLASNOST]

Kongo

.... auch.

 

[1srelluc]

Yes, by a mile....Better diction and higher production standards. Even the old film nior movies were filmed in brighter conditions than the movies made today.

Between not being able to see, much less understand, the swill being put out today it's not hard to make a comparison.

One notable exception I've seen of late is the Fallout Series.

 

[BackAgain]

In my opinion, the answer is yes. As someone who has seen the film industry evolve over the decades, I find that movies made in the last 25 years are generally not worth watching, and those from the last 50 years are filled with more noise than substance. The best older films are not only more entertaining, they’re more meaningful. Here’s why:

Classic films, especially those from Hollywood’s golden era (roughly 1920–1960), with a particular peak in the 1930s and '40s, placed a strong emphasis on storytelling. Many were adapted from great novels, which gave them a rich narrative foundation. Just consider The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, Rebecca, The Maltese Falcon, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre, all drawn from literary classics.

Beyond source material, the screenwriters of the time were often literary giants themselves. Authors like Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and Graham Greene contributed to scripts. In those days, films were about telling stories. Today, films are more often about delivering an experience.

Older movies also relied on practical effects and inventive cinematography, rather than overwhelming the viewer with CGI. Cinematographers worked closely with directors to craft shots that were visually striking and emotionally resonant images you could frame. You can see this artistry in Orson Welles’s The Magnificent Ambersons and Carol Reed’s The Third Man.

Modern films tend to cater to shorter attention spans, with faster plots and constant action. While impressive visual effects and fast-paced storytelling can be entertaining, they often come at the expense of character development and fine acting, qualities that once defined great cinema and are now far too rare.

Many were. Then again, many sucked.

The better recent ones do hold up.

But, overall, the older ones may (arguably) have had a higher percentage of quality movies.

 

[g5000]

Are Old Movies Really Better​

In my opinion, the answer is yes.

Nah. You have a selective memory. Most old movies have not aged well at all. For every classic, there are hundreds of bombs.

As someone who has seen the film industry evolve over the decades, I find that movies made in the last 25 years are generally not worth watchingm and those from the last 50 years are filled with more noise than substance.

I mostly agree. It's all CGI and explosions every five minutes nowadays.

However, I have a feeling you have not watched any of the really good ones.

Just about every movie made by the Coen brothers is a keeper. My favorite is Raising Arizona. Have you seen A Serious Man? Fargo? The Ballad of Buster Scruggs? Their remake of True Grit? I normally detest anyone who remakes a classic, but True Grit is a great movie. I almost didn't see it because I was so pissed someone remade the classic.

Get Out is very good. Inglourious Basterds is another.

Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors, too. His movies have an instantly recognizable style. The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, etc.

I could name many more American movies, but perhaps you need to expand your horizons. I am constantly posting on here that South Korea makes the most amazing movies. They leave American movies in the dust.

China and Japan also make some great movies.

My favorite South Korean movies are known as the revenge trilogy. Sympathyy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. Oldboy is the best. Do NOT watch Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy. That piece of shit is why I hate when someone remakes an already supreme film. They almost always **** it up, and Spike Lee's failure was colossal.

Outside of all that South Korean gristle and bone, The Good, The Bad, the Weird is a fun South Korean movie.

If you are interested, I can give you a long list of great South Korean movies.

My favorite Chinese movies is Kung Fu Hustle. Check it out.

If you like old movies a lot, Japan's Seven Samurai is a classic. The American remake of that movie is The Magnificent Seven, which was itself remade.

Too many people cheat themselves out of a fantastic experience just because they don't like subtitles.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

In my opinion, the answer is yes. As someone who has seen the film industry evolve over the decades, I find that movies made in the last 25 years are generally not worth watching, and those from the last 50 years are filled with more noise than substance. The best older films are not only more entertaining, they’re more meaningful. Here’s why:

Classic films, especially those from Hollywood’s golden era (roughly 1920–1960), with a particular peak in the 1930s and '40s, placed a strong emphasis on storytelling. Many were adapted from great novels, which gave them a rich narrative foundation. Just consider The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, Rebecca, The Maltese Falcon, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre, all drawn from literary classics.

Beyond source material, the screenwriters of the time were often literary giants themselves. Authors like Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and Graham Greene contributed to scripts. In those days, films were about telling stories. Today, films are more often about delivering an experience.

Older movies also relied on practical effects and inventive cinematography, rather than overwhelming the viewer with CGI. Cinematographers worked closely with directors to craft shots that were visually striking and emotionally resonant images you could frame. You can see this artistry in Orson Welles’s The Magnificent Ambersons and Carol Reed’s The Third Man.

Modern films tend to cater to shorter attention spans, with faster plots and constant action. While impressive visual effects and fast-paced storytelling can be entertaining, they often come at the expense of character development and fine acting, qualities that once defined great cinema and are now far too rare.

Its difficult to generalise but on balance I agree.