worst decade for cinema?

[socketlevel]

based on gamblor's suggestion here it is.

-sl-

[Gamblour.]

Whoever said 50s should really justify it. I thought about it myself. But when I thought about Brando, Kubrick, Billy Wilder, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Bergman, Fellini, seems like too many great reasons to vote for the 50s. However, I guess when I think of the 50s, I think of musicals and melodramas, while not bad types of films, they're definitely boring as hell to me and can be seen as overdone and even tacky. It's an acquired taste.

From the same point of view, I could argue against the 80s, citing Scorsese, Amadeus, the sci-fi greats like Aliens, Blade Runner, but then past that it's all Spielberg and cheesy 80s utter shit. Spielberg's films are great, but we all know Spielberg can't be taken too seriously. The 80s goes down the tubes much quicker than the 50s.

No one wants to say the 90s because it's too soon. There were great moments in independent cinema, and these are movies we've truly grown up with, but seriously, I think the 90s were more mediocre than we can consider. The truly great 90s movies off the top of my head: Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Fargo, but past that, I can only see that all the new directors are cashing on cheap or cute premises. (this is a broad, sweeping generalization). They're all wannabe greats, but not the real thing. Even Tarantino, the savior of modern auteurs, is starting to whither, or has been for a while.

[life_boy]

I don't think I've seen anything made between 1900 and 1910.

I don't think I'm alone, either.

[Sigur Rós]

Is this thread about American cinema only?

[Gamblour.]

I wouldn't say so. I mentioned international directors in my argument a few posts up.

[meatball]

Gamblor you use the word great a lot. Does a film have to be great to be a good film? And do filmmakers have to be great, to be good filmmakers? The 90s did have a lot of good films, but they aren't "wannabe great" films. I would hope that the filmmakers didn't have "greatness" on their mind while making their movies. I know a lot of wannabe filmmakers now . . . all they have is "greatness" on their minds and it bleeds into their work, and instead of telling solid stories they create watered down facsimiles of all the "greats" they've ever admired.

[Gamblour.]

I know a lot of wannabe filmmakers now . . . all they have is "greatness" on their minds and it bleeds into their work, and instead of telling solid stories they create watered down facsimiles of all the "greats" they've ever admired.

Ok, so you just proved my point?

Well, this is a subjective poll, right? Hence the reason I'm giving my opinion, which contains subjective views, i.e. my own. If it were size 9, would you understand?

I can define "great" for you: great movies never get old.

[meatball]

I know a lot of wannabe filmmakers now . . . all they have is "greatness" on their minds and it bleeds into their work, and instead of telling solid stories they create watered down facsimiles of all the "greats" they've ever admired.

Ok, so you just proved my point?

So you're calling all the 90s filmmakers obsessed with being "great"?

[socketlevel]

Is this thread about American cinema only?

no.

the best movies prior to the 70s didn't come out of America so they should be included, and besides i'm not an american.  but you can have whatever criteria you want, it's subjective; hence the poll.





oh yeah and life_boy i don't know if you're taking a stab but...

"The Frenchman Louis Lumiere is often credited as inventing the first motion picture camera in 1895. But in truth, several others had made similar inventions around the same time as Lumiere. What Lumiere invented was a portable motion-picture camera, film processing unit and projector called the Cinematographe, three functions covered in one invention.

The Cinematographe made motion pictures very popular, and it could be better be said that Lumiere's invention began the motion picture era. In 1895, Lumiere and his brother were the first to present projected, moving, photographic, pictures to a paying audience of more that one person."

i didn't include those five years but if you want i can include the 1890s too?  just let me know.

i apologize if you're not taking a stab and just writing matter of factly but there is so much hostility in this thread it's infectious.

-sl-

[Gamblour.]

I know a lot of wannabe filmmakers now . . . all they have is "greatness" on their minds and it bleeds into their work, and instead of telling solid stories they create watered down facsimiles of all the "greats" they've ever admired.

Ok, so you just proved my point?

So you're calling all the 90s filmmakers obsessed with being "great"?

[socketlevel]

i got to say, i love gamblor's attitude!  a certain amount of objectivity on the issue.  i think the main issue is that these are very talented artist (ie. david fincher and the sort) with nothing to say.  we all love the art they make but there doesn't seem to be the level of depth that a godard would have had.  it's too inundated with gloss because of the system they work in.

but you forgot to mention being john malcho, a simple plan and boogie nights with goodfellas, pulp fiction, and fargo

-sl-

[Ravi]

I voted 80s, especially since Attack of the Summer Blockbusters is around the corner.

[meatball]

I know a lot of wannabe filmmakers now . . . all they have is "greatness" on their minds and it bleeds into their work, and instead of telling solid stories they create watered down facsimiles of all the "greats" they've ever admired.

Ok, so you just proved my point?

So you're calling all the 90s filmmakers obsessed with being "great"?

Which directors and films?

[Gamblour.]

socketlevel, I totally agree. my roommate stole this term from someone, but Spike Jonze really opened the way for Charlie Kaufman to be the first writer-auteur, and BJM is a very important movie, I think. Boogie Nights of course, A Simple Plan, I haven't seen that in a long time. I think we can add Gilliam, but still his best was Brazil in the 80s, ironically.

Which directors and films?

Fincher - everything (I like Se7en but it's not great)
Singer - Usual Suspects
Gus Van Sant - my god, everything, especially Psycho. he only got good with Elephant, which is 00
For god's sake, do I need to name off the crap-fests of all these years.

[Pubrick]

halfway through reading this thread i forgot it was for the worst decade. so ignore one of the votes the 60s has, and put it on the 80s.