# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/41 "2014-11-16T17:05:33Z")
> [@kellner](#): > > _Avatar_ was the biggest thing ever for a while, but for a movie with that kind of box office it seems to have gone downhill really fast. This is what I came in to contribute. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/42 "2014-11-16T17:06:48Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I just watched the Nostalgia Critic’s review of it…though he pulls back on his snark of it toward the end, it doesn’t sound as though it’s aged all that well. I do remember people hating on the ending. I wrote [my own, much better ending.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6429149&postcount=31) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/43 "2014-11-16T17:07:38Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Oh, OP, good call on Something About Mary. I was in about middle/high school when it came out (so among the peak audience), and though I didn’t see it, I remember it was huge. But I can’t remember the last time I really heard about it. Because cum in your hair was so edgy in the day, and has been pushed back on the overall scale to, oh, Peckinpah’s incredibly gory shoot-outs. 🙂 ---
**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 16, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/44 "2014-11-16T17:09:02Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I wrote [my own, much better ending.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6429149&postcount=31) 🙂 Not bad! ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/45 "2014-11-16T17:09:17Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Similarly, one might associate the name “Silkwood” with “whistle-blower who gets murdered” but how many details from the actual movie _Silkwood_ can one recall, assuming one saw it in the first place? One. Merryl Streep flashes her boob in one scene. Other that, I’ve got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/46 "2014-11-16T17:09:20Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Oh, OP, good call on Something About Mary. I was in about middle/high school when it came out (so among the peak audience), and though I didn’t see it, I remember it was huge. But I can’t remember the last time I really heard about it. Because cum in your hair was so edgy in the day, and has been pushed back on the overall scale to, oh, Peckinpah’s incredibly gory shoot-outs. 🙂 (ETA: They had _spattering blood_, kids.) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/47 "2014-11-16T17:18:43Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Related, how familiar a touchstone is _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_ these days? As my wife’s all-time most-hated movie, in our household it’s still quite the touchstone. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/48 "2014-11-16T18:13:17Z")
JohnT, as you say, the name “Madison” for girls in the U.S. came from the use of the name in the 1984 movie _Splash_. Note that the name immediately started being used and peaked in popularity in 2001 and 2002. So you can say that the film is indeed now being forgotten, although it lasted longer than you might think in the public imagination. I suspect that most people giving their child that name these days don’t even know that it came from the movie. I keep wondering where the name “Taylor” for girls in the U.S. came from. It came out of nowhere in 1979 and peaked in popularity in 1994, 1995, and 1996. It’s decreasing in popularity now. As a male name, it goes back to the nineteenth century at least. What happened in about 1978 that suddenly caused parents to start giving their daughters that name? It peaked as a male name in 1993 and is now decreasing quickly in popularity. Social Security baby name website: > **[Popular Baby Names](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/)** > > Home Page for Baby Names ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/49 "2014-11-16T18:34:10Z")
The sound of music (1965) is among the top grossing movies in history, adjusted for inflation. I don’t get the impression that it’s remembered much. The Ten commandments, Doctor Zhivago, Gone with the Wind and Snow White are all as old or older and better remembered. One problem with the question, if not properly researched, is that asking for films which have largely been forgotten may fail to turn up excellent examples precisely because they’ve been so thoroughly forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/50 "2014-11-16T18:52:51Z")
The Michael Keaton Batman movie. I had the tee shirt, the video game, the song on cassingle, the McDonald’s stuff. Maybe it kicked off a series of 50 more Batman movies and of course set the tone for the genre. But I don’t feel like people think about it as much as any other Batman movies. And I’d think that Toby as Spider-Man is more famous than Keaton as Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/51 "2014-11-16T18:56:13Z")
I don’t know if I have ever been sufficiently plugged into the zeitgeist to comment accurately, but how about “Romancing the Stone”? I remember it being a fairly big deal, but it seems mostly forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/52 "2014-11-16T18:56:17Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > The sound of music (1965) is among the top grossing movies in history, adjusted for inflation. I don’t get the impression that it’s remembered much. The Ten commandments, Doctor Zhivago, Gone with the Wind and Snow White are all as old or older and better remembered. Are you a big film history buff? Bcause that is the only explanation I can think of where your perspective was skewed to think Dr Zhivago is more culturally relevant today than The Sound of Music. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/53 "2014-11-16T18:59:44Z")
☹ > [@campp](#): > > _Big Chill_ was a huge hit with my group. 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. ---
**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 16, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/54 "2014-11-16T19:11:51Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Are you a big film history buff? Bcause that is the only explanation I can think of where your perspective was skewed to think Dr Zhivago is more culturally relevant today than The Sound of Music. Yes, agree. I can’t think of the last time I heard anyone mention Dr. Zhivago, but remember last year when the Sound of Music musical aired live? Granted, that was based on the musical, not the film, but I think a big part of why Sound of Music hasn’t been forgotten is because of the movie. It still airs every Christmas, and I think most people can hum at least one or two songs from it, even if they aren’t huge fans. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/55 "2014-11-16T19:19:55Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Good example. I think like _The Big Chill_ mentioned above, there is a species of series and very boring movies that manage to get some attention but quickly fade. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Popped in to post this. Huge splash with the slightly aging '60s crowd; I have refused to rewatch it for years because I suspect (and have been told) it doesn’t hold up. Not too many years after it came out, it was spoofed on SNL (or a similar program) as “the movie where a bunch of yuppies sit around talking about themselves”… **The Big Deal**. Although, to give credit where due, TBC is the film in which Kevin Costner gave the best performance of his career. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/56 "2014-11-16T19:24:34Z")
I suspect the more topical a film is when it’s released, the more likely it’ll be dismissed after time passes. “Easy Rider” comes to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/57 "2014-11-16T19:49:31Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > One. Merryl Streep flashes her boob in one scene. Other that, I’ve got nothing. Eh, the “Silkwood shower” still is a reference one can make. As in “oh god did you see Meryl Streep’s boob? I think my eyes need a Silkwood shower.” ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/58 "2014-11-16T20:38:55Z")
Twister was huge, for a few weeks. Then Independence Day came out. I remember everyone loved saying Action Jackson and was charmed by Carl Weathers doing the movie promotion. You would think it was going to be the next Lethal Weapon. But all that quickly went away after the public actually saw the movie. > [@Aeschines](#): > > The first is _A Fish Called Wanda_ (1988) > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095159/?ref\_=nv\_sr\_1](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095159/?ref_=nv_sr_1) > > I don’t remember liking this movie. But it was everywhere. It had a wacky, edgy sense of humor (or so it tried to have, and people seemed to agree). It was as hip as anything was in 1988. It won an Oscar and got a bunch of nominations. It has a high 7.6 rating on IMDb, but does anyone talk or for that matter think about this movie any more? I see no evidence for it. That won an Oscar?!? It’s one of those movies I wanted to be good so it got more laughs then it deserved thanks to my forcing out the laughs. Now it looks more dated then 9 to 5 and not nearly as funny. > [@kellner](#): > > _Avatar_ was the biggest thing ever for a while, but for a movie with that kind of box office it seems to have gone downhill really fast. I blame internet piling on. First for calling it the greatest thing ever, then cutting it a new one for having flaws. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, the sequels are in production. Their success (or lack thereof) will be a big indicator of the premise’s staying power. > > As a thought experiment, I reviewed a list of Oscar winners and nominees for Best Picture going back to 1960 (arbitrary benchmark), to see if there were any cases where one of the nominees had more cultural staying power than the winner. I’m not trying to assess if I think the nominated film was better than the winner, just if it would be more broadly familiar to a modern audience: I find most of the winners of best picture to be kind of boring. Maybe for their lack of robots. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Related, how familiar a touchstone is _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_ these days? Some of the most boring robots in a movie I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![alted315](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@alted315](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alted315)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/59 "2014-11-16T21:02:08Z")
The Addams Family & 200 cigarettes ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/60 "2014-11-16T21:22:30Z")
> [@kellner](#): > > _Avatar_ was the biggest thing ever for a while, but for a movie with that kind of box office it seems to have gone downhill really fast. Well, Disney is making '[Avatar-land](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_Land) in their Animal Kingdom. So it will have lasting effects. Although at this point I bet Disney is wishing they had spent their dollars on ‘Frozen land’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=4)