Memories -- 3 Real Bad Movies
There are always movies that you loved as a Teenager, but as an adult you watch them with a blank expression on your face wondering "What in the world was wrong with my head?"
Clint Eastwood is a great actor and director, but he made a few stupid, though highly successful movies, like Every Which Way But Lose. OK, I concede that Clyde the Orangatang was great, but other than that? Grown men travelling the country beating each other to a pulp just to prove they're tough. That is real impressive material. What was I thinking when I loved that movie. (OK, it was entertaining to see their mother take on an entire Motor Cycle Gang and win too.)
Next up: Billy Jack. When I was 15 Billy Jack was just below God to most of the kids. He was a half-breed ex-green beret fighting the rednecks who were just giving the Pacifists are a hard time. I watched the movie a couple of years ago and realized something. While the Sheriff and Billy Jack were reasonably developed characters, all the rest were two dimensional with all the character development of the Power Rangers. Also the kids in the movie got into trouble because they were looking for it; they intentionally created a problem and it spiraled out of control. Yes a bit of restraint by the authorities would have helped, but a bit of restraint by the kids would have helped even more. There were a few other problems with the movie as well. Yes there were a couple of great scenes but two great scenes don't make a great movie.
How about The Exorcist. It was a groundbreaking horror movie that was supposedly, as was said then, based on a true story. People who went to see it discussed it in great detail and it was supposed to be a major event movie. You know Star Wars came out just a couple of years later and the critics who loved The Exorcist hated Star Wars, but which movie is still watched today? It is actually a relatively bland horror movie by today's standards. Today I am troubled by how thrilled the critics were with Linda Blair (then 12 years old) for her "maturity" when it came to spouting obscenities. It seemed terrifying when I was 16 but now it is just a bad movie.
There were other movies that are probably best forgotten from that time period but probably will not be.
Clint Eastwood is a great actor and director, but he made a few stupid, though highly successful movies, like Every Which Way But Lose. OK, I concede that Clyde the Orangatang was great, but other than that? Grown men travelling the country beating each other to a pulp just to prove they're tough. That is real impressive material. What was I thinking when I loved that movie. (OK, it was entertaining to see their mother take on an entire Motor Cycle Gang and win too.)
Next up: Billy Jack. When I was 15 Billy Jack was just below God to most of the kids. He was a half-breed ex-green beret fighting the rednecks who were just giving the Pacifists are a hard time. I watched the movie a couple of years ago and realized something. While the Sheriff and Billy Jack were reasonably developed characters, all the rest were two dimensional with all the character development of the Power Rangers. Also the kids in the movie got into trouble because they were looking for it; they intentionally created a problem and it spiraled out of control. Yes a bit of restraint by the authorities would have helped, but a bit of restraint by the kids would have helped even more. There were a few other problems with the movie as well. Yes there were a couple of great scenes but two great scenes don't make a great movie.
How about The Exorcist. It was a groundbreaking horror movie that was supposedly, as was said then, based on a true story. People who went to see it discussed it in great detail and it was supposed to be a major event movie. You know Star Wars came out just a couple of years later and the critics who loved The Exorcist hated Star Wars, but which movie is still watched today? It is actually a relatively bland horror movie by today's standards. Today I am troubled by how thrilled the critics were with Linda Blair (then 12 years old) for her "maturity" when it came to spouting obscenities. It seemed terrifying when I was 16 but now it is just a bad movie.
There were other movies that are probably best forgotten from that time period but probably will not be.
posted by shoprat at 9:32 PM
6 Comments:
Actually, I kind of like the movies before these periods. They were big productions, and required a lot of work, effort, and people. The theme hasn't changed much, and some of the new movies I wouldn't even waste a bag of popcorn on. If they didn't have special effects, and computer generated graphics, they wouldn't have a movie. The movies a lot of the critics pick wouldn't even run on my TV. They seem to pick pure garbage as winners.
You know, I just saw The Exorcist again recently, since I saw it first as a teen on tv (yeah, it was censored big time) and I thought it was still a pretty good film about the priest's internal struggles with faith.
The actual exorcism itself was authentically done too. Much better than that pile of crap "Exorcism of Emily Rose".
you sure pegged those movies pretty well - - although i have to confess to being a Clint spaghetti western junky - - i sat up last night and watched Pale Rider and Fist Full of Dollars.....classics....
i was flippin channels week or so ago and stumbled across another oldie you might remember - - Rosemary's Baby - - i hadn't seen it in a good many years - didn't realize quite how corny or cheesy it really was until now...
must be one of those age related things.... :)
Heh, at my advanced age, all I can conjur up is Victor Mature running around in sandals and swinging a sword. :)
That's funny you bring up Billy Jack, Shoprat. I saw it when it was first released, and thought it was awesome, but I very recently rented it and watched it for the first time in over 30 years, and got exactly the same shallowness out of it that you did.
Perhaps it has something to do with the social climate of the times when it first came out vs, as Don's_Mind says, current age issues.
And I think BB's pulling some legs, here. Victor Mature, indeed. :-)
abf more than one person has said they don't make movies like that anymore (actually alot of good movies are being made but there is lot more garbage than there used to be.
d_m Clint Eastwood is a very good actor and I too like many of his movies. I just matured beyond the reach of a couple of them though.
bbi Sorry. You lost me.
Chance I can think of a couple of dumb movies I love anyway.
seth I think it's just that we grow up and see the world a bit more clearly as we do.
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