# Movies that made a big pop culture splash but are now disporportionately forgotten **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2014, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755 "2014-11-16T08:07:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/221 "2014-11-21T03:51:59Z")
I found this list of highest grossing for each year [http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/#tab=year](http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/#tab=year) John Huston’s “The Bible” was the highest grossest film for 1966 but doesn’t seem to be one of these films you see at Christmas or Easter like you do for “Ben Hur” or “The Ten Commandments” “Three Men and a Baby” was the best seller of 1987. You don’t see it much but you can argue tv shows like “Full House” copied it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/222 "2014-11-21T08:42:42Z")
How many posts before someone mentioned \*Brokeback Mountain \*? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/223 "2014-11-21T17:58:06Z")
What I’ve learned from this thread-- “If I personally don’t love it or remember it, it didn’t have a lasting impact on the culture.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/224 "2014-11-21T19:09:54Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > What I’ve learned from this thread-- “If I personally don’t love it or remember it, it didn’t have a lasting impact on the culture.” This is why I’m not making suggestions…just pointing out ones I think are on the far side of crazy. There have been plenty mentioned that I saw, know made a buzz and don’t remember a damn thing from. But Miami Vice? They did a remake and one of the GTA games is based on it. Archer did a whole season called Archer Vice. Cannonball Run? Deliverance? Smokey and the Bandit?..so basically everyone in the world has forgotten who Burt Reynolds is? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/225 "2014-11-22T02:14:44Z")
There are a lot of movies that have won Oscars for best picture/actor/actress, which may have been a big thing at the time, and since have sunk out of sight. Known only in listings in books now. Not that it won any Oscars, but “On The Beach” (the movie) was a Big Thing back during Cold War days. It shows up on TV once in a great while. It was a product of its time. (still a GREAT movie, though. And book.) ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/226 "2014-11-22T15:02:45Z")
I would add “Prizzi’s Honor”; I remember it being huge when it came out, with numerous Oscar nominations and the big deal that it was directed by John Huston. It seems dated now, like a lot of films of that era, and has (IMO) been overshadowed by “Goodfellas”, which seems like the definitive mob film. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/227 "2014-11-22T17:25:03Z")
> [@CGav8r](#): > > I would add “Prizzi’s Honor”; I remember it being huge when it came out, with numerous Oscar nominations and the big deal that it was directed by John Huston. It seems dated now, like a lot of films of that era, and has (IMO) been overshadowed by “Goodfellas”, which seems like the definitive mob film. Yes, I mentioned that one earlier. It does seem very dated. Even at the time it came out it seemed overrated to me. I think this is one of those situations where everyone involved with the film was very well-connected in Hollywood, and it consequently got rated more highly than it really deserved. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/228 "2014-11-22T17:27:55Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > What I’ve learned from this thread-- “If I personally don’t love it or remember it, it didn’t have a lasting impact on the culture.” I noticed that too. I think a more objective measure of whether an older movie is still culturally relevant is how often it shows up on basic cable these days. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/229 "2014-11-22T19:08:11Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Yes, I mentioned that one earlier. It does seem very dated. Even at the time it came out it seemed overrated to me. I think this is one of those situations where everyone involved with the film was very well-connected in Hollywood, and it consequently got rated more highly than it really deserved. Just saw that-‘F’ for reading comprehension. There are quite a few Oscar winners that limped over the finish line based on late-season hype nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/230 "2014-11-22T20:41:50Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Yes, I mentioned that one earlier. It does seem very dated. Even at the time it came out it seemed overrated to me. I think this is one of those situations where everyone involved with the film was very well-connected in Hollywood, and it consequently got rated more highly than it really deserved. Agreed. I remember my mother being strongly disappointed in it. Speaking of Kathleen Turner, how about Body Heat or that really awful movie with Demi Moore and Michael Douglas(where she harasses him) which both got tons of coverage when they came out but neither of which had the kind if staying power as Fatal Attraction. Hell, I can’t even remember the name of the Douglas/Moore movie. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/231 "2014-11-22T22:24:34Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > That’s a fairly memorable Jaws quote, but whether Jaws belongs on this list depends on how we define the criterion for this thread. Since the OP has weighed in against it, I’m willing to remove it from consideration and have already said it’s debatable. > > Many a typical WalMart shopper will still throw Jaws in the cart if they find it in the discount rack and maybe get around to watching it, but it’s not an essential like Star Wars, LOTR, Godfather, Dumb & Dumber, Nightmare Before Christmas, The Grinch, Shrek, 2001 Space Odyssey, etc. > > And I suspect that many youngsters will find humor in the Caddyshack candy bar scene based on the absurdity of clearing a pool for a candy bar itself rather than an appreciation of the Jaws reference. Shark Week would disagree with you. 26 years and going strong. Their first live host was Peter Benchley so they don’t hide the inspiration. Jaws is still hugely influential. I would debate the debatable. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/232 "2014-11-22T22:26:52Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > ☹ > > I remember _The Big Chill_ coming out. The soundtrack triggered a burst of popularity for Motown classics, and made Jennifer Tilly the sexiest woman on screen for a brief period, but I think that’s really the only impact the film had. On the other hand, I still quote Jeff Goldblum’s line “That’s what I like about Nature. It’s one big toilet.” whenever I pee outdoors. It didn’t do jack for her sister Meg who was actually in the movie. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/233 "2014-11-22T22:49:40Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Shark Week would disagree with you. 26 years and going strong. Their first live host was Peter Benchley so they don’t hide the inspiration. Jaws is still hugely influential. I would debate the debatable. Let me expand a little bit. Jaws was a movie that started a cultural phenomenon. It started the entire shark culture. This culture is still going strong; we have shark week and we just had 2 sharknado movies. Sharks have never left the cultural imagination since this movie came out. This is like George Romero and Night of the Living Dead. The difference is that when you ask "what is the best movie ever made in your genre, you’ll get some argument with newer movies getting more love as they are more current and they’ve improved on the genre. Not so with Jaws. I think if you asked what is the best shark movie ever you won’t get much argument. It’ll be Jaws in a landslide. What’s the second best shark movie ever? I haven’t ever seen another really good one and yet the shark phenomenon is still culturally relevant. That’s impressive. If you played one of those word association games and someone said shark I’m betting Jaws will be the number one answer or in the running. That’s very impressive. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/234 "2014-11-22T23:02:49Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > or that really awful movie with Demi Moore and Michael Douglas(where she harasses him) which both got tons of coverage when they came out but neither of which had the kind if staying power as Fatal Attraction. Hell, I can’t even remember the name of the Douglas/Moore movie. Disclosure, currently in rotation on premium cable. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/235 "2014-11-23T05:02:20Z")
What about The Truman Show? Popular when it first came out (and admittedly quite ahead of its time in terms of exploring the reality show phenomenon), but it seems it’s hardly talked about or discussed now. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/236 "2014-11-23T05:19:38Z")
I just saw a Truman Show reference on a current network show (probably a sitcom) in the last two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/237 "2014-11-23T09:08:51Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Disclosure, currently in rotation on premium cable. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/238 "2014-11-23T15:11:30Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Let me expand a little bit. Jaws was a movie that started a cultural phenomenon. It started the entire shark culture. This culture is still going strong; we have shark week and we just had 2 sharknado movies. Sharks have never left the cultural imagination since this movie came out. What I think is more important is that Jaws started the [summer blockbuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockbuster_%28entertainment%29#Blockbuster_films) idea. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/239 "2014-11-23T18:17:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What I think is more important is that Jaws started the [summer blockbuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockbuster_%28entertainment%29#Blockbuster_films) idea. Agreed. It’s hard not to see the cultural impact of Jaws all around us to this day. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/240 "2014-11-23T19:20:51Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > I think if you asked what is the best shark movie ever you won’t get much argument. It’ll be Jaws in a landslide. What’s the second best shark movie ever? I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=13)