iRewind Talk: Why do film critics hate 80s movies so much?

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Posted by rocksteadyflamethrower (Member # 1065) on :

In my 19 years on Earth, I've read a lot of nasty jabs at 80s movies in general. They've been criticized as stupid, shallow, meaningless and unenjoyable...they've described the decade as destroying cinema forever.

As we on here are all 80s movie fans, why is it such sour persimmons between the decade and film critics and scholars?

The way some of these critics write it, they feel that Hollywood didn't make good movies again until the 90s.

I like 80s movies...on here, we all do. Why else would we be here? Why such animosity in the real world?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...the rock steady flamethrower

Posted by The Wizard (Member # 533) on :

Maybe some film critics take their job just a little too seriously, after all films are for the most part meant to make you forget about your own life and give you an escape from reality, an hour and a half of living in someone elses shoes/another world.
A lot of 80s movies accomplish that in a fun way, films aren't always meant to be serious or oscar winning for you to enjoy them.

How many people have you talked films with and you say you watched xyz last weekend and they go "ohh I remember that film, it was great", but they still have a blanket view that all 80s films were bad.

My friends think I'm mad how I'm into my 80s films & music but I don't care because it makes me happy.

Posted by McFly (Member # 354) on :

Well, I'm an Ebert and Maltin discipfle and have a bunch of their books and they were pretty favorable to 80s movies. Just looking at the films to the left there, they've given high marks to most.

Ocassionally Ebert was out of his mind, like zero stars to Police Academy, claiming he didn't laugh once. PA only made 84 million dollars, so that was just him.

Only ** and a half stars to Beverly Hills Cop.

One star to Brewster's Millions.

One star for Dirty Dancing.

OH a big one was one star to Fast Times. "A scuz-pit of a movie" he said.

But I have seen a lot of old reviews and I think critics just viewed the 80s as lacking in substance, a lot of bubblegum type stuff.

The 90s really turned into the art house, indy decade where smaller movies got big critical responses. Exactly the kind of movies I don't watch which make me miss the 80s even more.

Posted by Blake (Member # 75) on :

I dont care what critics say they are all just wanna be film makers with no talent so they decide to slag off films that are just ment to be fun to watch. What a bunch of losers

Posted by Bridgette Marie (Member # 88) on :

I agree with Blake

Most movie critcs are just wanna-be journalists who are pist that they didn't get the job they wanted, and they also tend to be very cynical and argumentative. Personally I think they should have gone to college to be Lawyers, lol.

Same thing with fashion critiques in magazines. They're always putting down peoples clothes and hair, which are ususally fine, and bagging on how much actors weigh. And the reason for that is because most fashion critiques are homosexual and only have certain tastes and crap on everything else. Sorry if I'm sounding sterotypical, but trust me most of my mother's friends are homosexual (she's a hairdresser AND spent most of her life dancing at disco clubs in Hollywood)so I've spent a lot of time around them, and that's the way they are.

Posted by P_a_u_l (Member # 1022) on :

I've recently updayed my copy of Halliwells Film and Video Guide, and you'd be SHOCKED to read some of the dismissive comments about the greatest of 80's movies - even the Breakfast Club is described (from memory) as 'a poor excuse for displaying the worst aspects of teen loutish behaviour'

I mean was the guy watching the same movie?

The truth is of course, that they haven't seen the movie. They crib reviews of several other reviewers, identify some soundbite that make them look and sound interesting and intellectual, when in reality most of them are no-nothing bozo's who couldn't find their asses with both hands.

Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :

In defence of the film critic, sometimes they do have interesting things to say, but some of the old timers either feel alienated by the movies they're forced to see or dont want to climb down from some podium of intelectual superiorty...

I bet the guy who said those things about 'the Breakfast Club' probably keeps his copy of the'Dirty Dancing' DVD in a '3 Colors Red' box and busts a move when he thinks no ones looking...pretension can be such a burden sometimes...

Posted by jonesy (Member # 867) on :

If you ask me, film critics don't know what the hell their talking about anyway. Take the movie Porky's for example. critics said that it was basically irresponsible teens playing rauchy tricks....THAT'S THE POINT!!!

I watch 80's movies cause they make me feel happy and carefree. I would rather sit down and watch the breakfast club, police academy, or St Elmos fire for the 50th time rather than sit through something like the Patriot or Hannibal again.

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