I have been watching some old movies from the 1980s recently. Some have been movies that I saw, but have long since forgotten. Others are iconic films of that era that I never got around to seeing when they were current.
For example, I recently wrote a post about Mystic Pizza (1988). Last night I watched Risky Business (1983). I will have a post about Risky Business soon.
One thing I’ve noticed is that many films created in 1980-something as disposable teen comedies were actually pretty good. In 1985, did anyone imagine that people in 2025 would still be talking about The Breakfast Club? Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) has been recognized by the American Film Institute for its merits.
Another thing I’ve noticed is the diversity in movies from that bygone era. In 1985, an original movie, properly executed, could make a lot of people rich. But the economics of the 21st-century box office encourage conservatism and a tiresome emphasis on franchise films.
At present, the films playing at my local cinema include:
- The Conjuring: Last Rites
- Freakier Friday
- Hamilton (see it on the big screen)
- Jaws (50th anniversary showing)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Bad Guys 2
- Nobody 2
- The Legend of Hei II
- Superman (yet another remake, apparently)
Every one of the above offerings is a sequel, a franchise film, or a retread.
I have nothing against any of the above films; but must we see them yet again? Hamilton was a cool musical, but it’s now ten years old. Last Rites is the ninth film in The Conjuring franchise. And as for Superman….don’t even get me started.
Likewise, teen and young adult coming-of-age movies seem to be a thing of the past. Young people, we are told, don’t go to the cinema or even go on dates anymore.
And as movie subjects, how interesting are they nowadays, anyway? One can imagine the plot of a 2025 version of the classic teen movie: a group of neurotic teenagers sit in a room, ignoring each other while fixated on their cell phones. (With an adult keeping watch, of course.) In the second act of the movie, they all go to counseling and get Ritalin prescriptions.
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I did notice one new, non-franchise film playing at my local cineplex: The Threesome. This one is about a man who, after a sexual encounter with two women, learns that both of them are pregnant.
No thanks. I’ll keep an open mind regarding new-release movies. But until I see something genuinely fresh and interesting there, the twentieth century film archives contain plenty of movies to keep me entertained.
-ET