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March 28, 2024, 08:51:41 PM
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Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Bad Movies  |  Appreciation Over Time . . . « previous next »
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Author Topic: Appreciation Over Time . . .  (Read 2838 times)
peter johnson
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« on: June 23, 2001, 10:52:58 PM »

Scott raises a very interesting point, one that has been validated time and again as far as film goes -- The premise is that the perceived suck-fest of today can, with time, become the lauded and celebrated film of tomorrow.  Let's think of some commercial examples:
When first released, the film generally considered by every American film scholar to be the single best example of what is known as the "Sound Era", "Citizen Kane", was roundly denounced as an inferior product not worthy of watching, and the public stayed away in droves.  It was a huge failure.  Ditto
Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life".  Ditto "The Wizard of Oz".  These were all films that are beloved today that the public of the time in which they were made rejected as if infested with plague.  Yet, some films of the time were considered huge hits and popular favorites, and we today have never heard of them for the most part.
So, friends and neighbors, what do you think is the passing or rejected film of today that will become the hit of 20 years from now, and how come?
I'll start it off:  In the future, sequalania will become a recognized mental disorder  worthy of study.  Public fascination with this disorder will produce several articles in People magazine on hologram about how some folk in the past could not stop repeating themselves or even what others had done before them.  Hence, "Jaws 3", "Leprechaun 37", will be looked upon as psychological masterpieces of their day.  Also, all the lost footage of Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" will be rediscovered, thus thrusting Mr. Zappa into the spotlight of scholarly discussion that eluded him in life.
Also, the complete "London After Midnight" film from the '20's is dug up, thus cementing Lon Chaney's place as the Single Greatest Film Actor of All Time into the public imagination.
All nitrite stock suddenly explodes, thus reducing our knowledge of film to whatever is available on video.  George Kennedy becomes a role model.
The 40's revivalism becomes a noveau religion, thus rendering Bugs Bunny a saint.
Someday, when literacy becomes fashionable in Academe once again, instead of the modernist Deconstructionism that holds sway now, The Firesign Theatre, and their few films, will become the focus of a canonical gathering of scholars and clowns, indistinguishable from one another ---
"Where's My Car, Dude?" will be looked upon as serious social commentary due to the rapid loss of personal property.
"The Seventh Seal"  will be generally regarded as the single greatest film of all time, due to the ongoing crisis of Faith that is finally recognized as the source of all social discomfit --
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Chris K.
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« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2001, 11:57:56 PM »

You make a good point there, Peter. It would take years to appreciate a film, unless if it was REALLY BAD! Take a look at Lucio Fulci for a moment. At the time he was making films, critics laughed at him, audiences hated him, and his own country wanted him dead because his films are just TOO REAL. Fulci has always said that his films do not go the the overzealous violent side like TV does. True, he uses graphic gore. But nobody understands that it is just the bulk of the story to show that "Hey, reality sucks but that's life". After his death in 1996, Fulci's films are now being re-released uncut and now are being appeciated for what they are: entertainment. Fulci did not make his films for the critics or for the audience for that matter, but he made them to show that he has a new idea that works and is entertaining if you give it a chace.

Andy Milligan is another example. He made low budget films, but he got better actors than Ed Wood did. And his films play well to an audience who wants to be entertained rather than be "dazzled". Hell, even the critics liked his films too. Eber and Maltin will call Milligan's films "crap", but to us he truely was talented because like Fulci, Milligan made miracles out of nothing. His films are made by a living, breathing person. THE BODY BENEATH is the only Milligan film that has recieved a DVD treatment. His others are long gone. But, they will be found...

But DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? is not really "social commentary". It's more like "This is what happens when we let stoners make a film" or "Never let dumb teens ever make a film again". Better yet "The Worst Film Of All Time" sounds like a better title. And yet, I would give that title to FREDDY GOT FINGERED instead. Now that is a film that DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE APPRECIATED AT ALL! Ask me why, and you will find out.
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Mofo Rising
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« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2001, 04:12:07 AM »

Well, you could rock yourself silly on a point like this.  Hell, Shakespeare played badly to the so called critics of his time.  He appealed to only the basest instincts of his crowd, what with his tragedies and gauche humor.  Well of course he did, and now people laud him for it.  In fact, if you don't appreciate Shakespeare, you're a drama idiot.  (It's true.)

Who knows what will be considered a classic years from now.  NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD has already gained immortality.  Do you think PEARL HARBOR or TITANIC will be remembered ten years from now?  I think they'll be relegated to the same status that THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE has today.
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guitarwolf
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« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2001, 01:08:58 PM »

I am alone on this one, but I don't find Fulci's films to be classics. I watched Zombie, uncut last night, and I thought the film was okay, but it wasn't great. A zombie fighting a shark? The best thing I can say about Fulci, is that the special effects in his film are pretty remarkable. The girl loseing her hed in the Beyond, has to be seen to be believed. The zombie coming out of the ground in Zombie, with the worms and maggots crawling around his eye socket is pretty amazeing. The acting and paceing of his movies however, I find to be pretty bad.
As for Dude, Where's my Car?, this film makes me want to give up on American films. Baseketball used the word dude alot, but was for the most part pretty funny. The humor in  Dude, where's my car is like watching Bob Hope try to do Cheech and Chong. It just doesn't interest me.
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Flangepart
Guest
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2001, 01:41:52 PM »

THE TITANIC  ADVENTURE ; With Ernest Borgnine in the Leo Decaprio role. ;)  But seriously,folks......Sure, Night of the L.D. has its status assured, but enough time has gone by for the avalanch of time to leave its mark. Since public taste give the Chaos Theroy its best example, i can't begin to guess what will be "Classic" in future, unless i've had a couple of Boilermakers first....Rum and Carling Black lable works for me......and, are we talking total story here, or parts is parts? Citizen Kane and Wonderful life , it seems, needed differing social contexts to become  viable. "Preceding their Temporal  cordinates" ,so to speak. What kind of social shift would become nessaty for Zombie Holocost or Robot Holocost, or, God help us, Titanic to become ,well...Classics?
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Chris K.
Guest
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2001, 03:33:39 PM »

Hell, you can hate the guy for his films to. True, the pacing and acting in his films are "not-so-good", but that makes it more worthwhile because their is no such thing as bad acting in horror films. Fulci's best actors and actresses he has worked with are Catrioina MacColl, David Warbeck, Patrick McGee, and Mimsy Farmer. But Fulci did not want to work with "stars". He just wanted to work with actors. But his films DO WORK weather you like him or not and his films are classics not because of budget or acting, but because he entertains. Remember, his films are not for the critics or the audience, but they are for those who find his work appealing and not a "critical success".

As for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, it too has become a standpoint classic as well. For if it had not become a classic, it wouldn't have spawned countless immitations of the film. Or maybe that is not a good thing?
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