Classic Movies – a Dying Breed?
“A timeless classic” – a movie that can be watched in any given generation and they will enjoy it, appreciate it, recommend it and still watch it again; purely because the movie was beyond amazing. Studios have re-mastered some of their movies so that they can be viewed today. The picture quality of the 1980s and the 1990s have been improved, allowing the child in you of the ‘80s or the ‘90s, to be a child again.
“A cult classic” – simply put, a movie that “changed the game” from acting, to the script, to cinematography, to graphics. A movie that could be considered ahead of its time, extraordinary in every way and is a timeless classic. Movies that should make everybody’s top 10 list of greatest movies. A movie that is the total package.
So What Happened to Them?
Since the turn of the second millennium, movies have not been the same. Multiple factors can be considered. For instance; bigger budgets, a wider pool of actors, the turnover of scripts for a studio has increased exponentially, and let us not forget the advancement of technology.
Since 2000, the number of movies that could be considered a cult classic or timeless are surprisingly low. With a lot of added advantages in this generation than previous generations, one would think things would be significantly better.
Not taking anything away from the great movies that have been done since the year 2000, but how many of them are timeless? Movies from the ‘80s are still being talked about today as if they are premiering next Friday.
But Seriously, What Happened?
The movie industry is leading us and we chose to follow. The industry produces the movies and we watch, enjoy, nod our heads, recommend and move on. Movies have become more entertaining than ever before. We watch a movie and our rating is largely based on how entertaining it was.
And we like being entertained. How awesome was that action scene? How crazy was that CGI? Did you see how fancy those gadgets were? The quality of movies, that can be considered timeless or cult classics is low, leaving us with a lot of movie of the year awards which are soon forgotten.
Why Did It Happen?
Simple: a more entertaining movie will be released in the following year. The industry’s need to entertain accompanied with our need to be entertained is causing the goal of creating a classic to be brushed aside.
New directors want to make a name for themselves, established directors want to stay relevant. Writers want to win awards, whilst others want to join the billion dollar club. Film actors are doing TV, and others are doing movies for the sake of doing movies.
Which leaves one to ponder, which one of them wants to make a classic?
About the Author: Tendai is a kid just trying to get by. A massive fan of movies, and the cinema experience is what he looks forward to everyday. Oddly enough, he does not want to direct a movie, be in one or be part of the production, but enjoys being on this side of the lens, the side that tells you this movie is worth watching.
Follow Tendai on Twitter @TendaiSibindi
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