Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I worked in movie theaters from '92 to '96 and trust me, there were plenty of stinkers to go with some really great movies. I think the 90's certainly looks great in comparison to what came after because I would argue, to steal a turn of phrase from the auto industry, that the '90's represents the last complete decade in which Hollywood was a full-line creator for the masses. Comedy, romance, drama, action...the 90's had it all and we still consumed it as largely part of a singular mass culture.
Like everything else you used to love, it was killed by the internet. Too much choice, too many niches. Our evolution hasn't caught up with having that much choice. It's certainly shortened our attention spans, and it's not just kids, though they're mainlining snippets of internet content on social media like rats in a lab pushing the feeder bar. I can certainly notice that my attention span is far shorter that it used to be and I'm not on any social media outside of this site. The thought of sitting down to watch a 3-hour movie is an insane luxury.
I've read articles about "creator culture," where everyone with a smart phone is a creator, and that's true to some extent. When you have that many creators, you're going to loose the gems in all the noise. Hollywood did serve a gatekeeping function back in the day which did allow a lot of cream to rise to the top. Not so much anymore.
I'm pretty much done with new movies. Even streaming TV shows are getting tiresome and fewer hold my attention any longer. Maybe I'm just getting old.
I think the 90's certainly looks great in comparison to what came after because I would argue, to steal a turn of phrase from the auto industry, that the '90's represents the last complete decade in which Hollywood was a full-line creator for the masses.
Correct. The '90s was the last era when going to the movies was normal for most people. I remember when every weekend everyone went to the movies. Theaters were 85% full every Friday night, no matter what was showing, and if it was a popular movie, it was 100% full and people would even sit in the aisles.
The widespread proliferation of home video and the Internet put an end to all that. But the early 2000s, more people were going to the video store every weekend rather than the theater.
Theaters responded by doing largely the same thing the airline industry did: Charge exorbitantly higher prices dor inferior services. And then wonder why even more people stopped showing up.
Yes, I think I'm inclined to believe everything you said. Think I should agree with everything you said. Anyway, golden era or not, the 90s certainly have the most number of rewatchable movies. Most enjoyable movies? I guess so. The 90s might be the perfect balance among other decades.
I would agree with it having the most re-watchable movies. And I think that's in large part due to the sheer variety of films as well as a large quantity of films targeted at a mass audience. Mrs. Doubtfire is the type of film that entire families from any background can watch with a large bowl of popcorn. It's also easier to watch a movie about friendship than it is to watch one about the Vietnam War. I think the 90s has every decade beat on "feels" by a longshot.
Of course, there's way more to the 90s than the popcorn flics, but I'm just pointing out that these tend to be long-time fan favorites compared to movies like Patton.
I'd also add that the 90s seems to have had more "values" movies than most eras, meaning that the core message of the movie is about faith, friendship, loyalty, honesty or honor. These movies resonate from generation to generation and don't require any understanding of context to appreciate.
Jerry Maguire, for example, gets pigeonholed into the RomCom or "chic-flic" category, but it's really a movie about friendship and loyalty. You've got two guys who are down and out and they triumph over adversity by being true to themselves and each other. I can't relate to Bruce Wayne having his parents killed and becoming a billionaire crimefighter, but I can relate to professional and personal disappointment, having to swallow my pride, the feeling that the people I've trusted weren't as loyal as they appeared, problems with intimacy, etc. There aren't many movies today that touch on those types of universal themes.
"You bet on me the way I bet on you" is the single line that encapsulates the essence of the movie.
I'd also add that the 90s seems to have had more "values" movies than most eras, meaning that the core message of the movie is about faith, friendship, loyalty, honesty or honor. These movies resonate from generation to generation and don't require any understanding of context to appreciate.
That's a really good point. I think Hollywood still occasionally tried to do that. They just aren't much good at it anymore. I think it is largely because so many movies today are written by children for children. They have never faced any real adversity in life. So the dramas they manufacture seem ... well, manufactured.
The most recent example that comes to mind is EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, which I will first say is not a bad movie. It's fun. It definitely has some moments of pure filmmaking delight. Those moments just don't save it. And the biggest problem is the central inciting incident of the story. The daughter's traditional Chinese family isn't thrilled with their daughter being a lesbian. The daughter's reaction? "I WILL DESTROY THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE!!!" And rather than saying, "Grow up, you brat," the reaction of most young people I'm seeing is, "You go, girl!" So yeah, as a society, we're doomed.
The last "big budget" Hollywood movie I remember seeing that had what you're talking about? Probably Captain America: The First Avenger. As silly as parts of it were, it was at least trying to say something valuable. "I don't hate anyone. I just don't like bullies." And the scene where he jumped on the grenade? Both makes you laugh and gives you a tiny lump in your throat.
As for a modern filmmaker who is at least trying to say something? Taylor Sheridan. WIND RIVER was about some very broken people, but they cling to friendship and family and justice. Through great sacrifice, they win in the wind. Even HELL OR HIGH WATER was about brothers who stick together as they fight a corrupt system --- and the brothers who have to hunt them down. Even if I don't always agree with the point Sheridan seems to be making, I really appreciate the fact that he is trying to say something.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
