Oldies - The Thread Dedicated to "Mature" Motion Pictures

[Yared]

This thread's purpose is to serve as a medium for discussions on pretty much anything regarding "old" movies. What is an old movie? Well, that's pretty hard to define. I want neither a definition that's too specific or a definition too vague. I suppose everybody will get a feel for what is old enough and what isn't as time goes on. My own definition would be anything pre-1994, 'cause that's when I'm born Nah, it's more like pre-1990. The "old" movies that I've seen lately have mostly been made between 1930-1970.

 

[Yared]

So, to start off, I'd like to make a post about The Wizard of Oz, since pretty much every American seems to have seen it. Is it worth watching as a teen-young adult if you've missed it?

 

[SuperJay]

Haha, you almost had me with the mention of mature motion-pictures. Not that I ever watch any of those.

 

[Yared]

(OOPSIE ) The third post and someone is already trying to derail my thread?

 

[timtofly]

So, to start off, I'd like to make a post about The Wizard of Oz, since pretty much every American seems to have seen it. Is it worth watching as a teen-young adult if you've missed it?

Only if you like musicals. I prefer Mary Poppins as in musical. Or even Sound of Music.
Read the books (the whole series), they are more entertaining.

 

[LightSpectra]

So, to start off, I'd like to make a post about The Wizard of Oz, since pretty much every American seems to have seen it. Is it worth watching as a teen-young adult if you've missed it?

Absolutely. Has one of the best Aesops of any movie I've ever seen; also, the music is delightful, and the general feel of it is serene.

A movie I would suggest anybody see is A Man for All Seasons (1966) starring Paul Scofield.

 

[Yared]

Only if you like musicals. I prefer Mary Poppins as in musical. Or even Sound of Music.
Read the books (the whole series), they are more entertaining.

Meh, musicals are fine once in a while.

Absolutely. Has one of the best Aesops of any movie I've ever seen; also, the music is delightful, and the general feel of it is serene.

A movie I would suggest anybody see is A Man for All Seasons (1966) starring Paul Scofield.

Thanks

Since A Man for All Seasons is a musical, I must ask: what are your thoughts on Fred Astaire?



Link to video.

 

[LightSpectra]

The 1966 version isn't a musical, but I do like Fred Astaire.

 

[SuperJay]

(OOPSIE ) The third post and someone is already trying to derail my thread?

Haha, no, not trying to, but I couldn't let the potential gutter humor pass by!

I think the Wizard of Oz is definitely still worth watching. At this point, some of the older films are becoming a kind of American folklore or a type of popular mythology. We don't have real myths because our country is so young, but we do have popular stories that are familiar to generations, and some of those come from old movies like Wizard of Oz. I'd watch it just for cultural engagement, if nothing else.

One classic film I'd recommend right away is To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

[Yared]

Haha, no, not trying to, but I couldn't let the potential gutter humor pass by!

I think the Wizard of Oz is definitely still worth watching. At this point, some of the older films are becoming a kind of American folklore or a type of popular mythology. We don't have real myths because our country is so young, but we do have popular stories that are familiar to generations, and some of those come from old movies like Wizard of Oz. I'd watch it just for cultural engagement, if nothing else.

One classic film I'd recommend right away is To Kill a Mockingbird.

Yeah, exactly!


To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those movies that does come up often. It's on the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Films_considered_the_greatest_ever list. I can sometimes watch a movie just because I'm interested in one of the characters.

For example, I saw A Streetcar Named Desire just because I was curious about Marlon Brando's character. I don't know if it's true but I've heard that women had to be carried out of the cinemas and that many a parent was asked uncomfortable questions by their daughters because of the raw masculinity of Stanley. Of course, in many cases he's overly aggressive and violent, but go figure. Apparently, the sexuality back then was very repressed. I don't know if all of it's true, but I think the Youtube-comments speak for themselves.


Link to video.


Anyway, what I've read about the character of Atticus is that he's, in some aspects, the epitome of what a father should be. That makes me very interested. Do you agree?


Also, has anyone here seen Citizen Kane?

 

[NickyJ]

So, to start off, I'd like to make a post about The Wizard of Oz, since pretty much every American seems to have seen it. Is it worth watching as a teen-young adult if you've missed it?

I think so. It's a classic, and it's also a landmark movie, having been the first film in color.

 

[GamezRule]

Link to video.

 

[Takhisis]

Arsenic and Old Lace!

 

[Yared]

Link to video.

Some people have this prejudice that old movies are boring and that you need a "certain mindset" to enjoy them and just generally shy away from them... I love finding hilarious nuggets like that. Though I sometimes feel lonely and wish I could enjoy them with some other like-minded individuals who don't hold their age against them.

Arsenic and Old Lace!

Cary Grant Have you seen the movie? Doooo tell what you think about it?

 

[GamezRule]

Some people have this prejudice that old movies are boring and that you need a "certain mindset" to enjoy them and just generally shy away from them... I love finding hilarious nuggets like that. Though I sometimes feel lonely and wish I could enjoy them with some other like-minded individuals who don't hold their age against them.

You do know what that movie is, right?

 

[Ajidica]

Also, has anyone here seen Citizen Kane?

Yep, I saw it in film study. It was good, but I never felt attached to the characters. I got an excellent sense of their emotions, but I never was connected to them. For a film from the same time where I got connected to a character I prefer Casablanca.

However, for my favorite 'old' movie, it still has to go to Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Sure, it is silent, in black and white, and some of the actors clearly don't know how to act (the lead was actualy just an extra who Lang decided to make the main character because he looked better) the interactions between Joh Fredersen and Rotwang are excellent. If anything, Metropolis has had more of an impact then Citizen Kane. The city-scapes in Metropolis inspired Blade-Runner quite heavily, Metropolis showed us picture-phones when TV's had yet to be invented, and the design for the Machine-Man robot inspired the design for C-3PO which is go-to image for the modern 'robot'.

EDIT: Oh, whatever you do, avoid To Kill a Mockingbird. The voice of Scout was annoying and the best part (outside of the courtroom scene which wasn't handled very well) was the morphine addicted old lady yelling at Scout calling her an ugly girl.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I once indulged in a Katherine Hepburn movie marathon. It was wonderful - and it was the first time I got to see The African Queen (my grandmother would finally be proud - she didn't think anybody was sufficiently "cultured" who hadn't seen that one).

I guess my favorites of the old movies are the historicals and Bible-themed ones - Spartacus, The Ten Commandments, and Ben-Hur.

But it's bizarre to consider a movie old that was made before 1990!

 

[Yared]

You do know what that movie is, right?

Nope, don't think so. Why?

 

[GamezRule]

...It's a Wonderful Life...

You Swedes.

 

[Takhisis]

Cary Grant Have you seen the movie? Doooo tell what you think about it?

That it's awesome?