# Movies that shouldn't have aged well, but did **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826 "2013-01-11T04:29:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/1 "2013-01-11T04:29:01Z")
The companion to [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=678438) Lots of movies are shoveled out as disposable crap, to cash in on the latest trend before those punk kids turn to something new. Movies that only have a reason to exist for a short time, and then are deservedly forgotten. Except sometimes, somehow, someone manages to make a movie about a disposable trend or fad or flavor of the month pop star, but years after the trend is forgotten and mocked, the movie is still watchable and moving. The classic example is “A Hard Day’s Night”. This movie was supposed to be a cash grab based on the popularity of the Beatles. But even though Beatlemania has been over for 40 years, the movie is still worth watching. The disposable teenage pop songs are still worth listening too. The lads themselves knew the studio would be happy with a crappy exploitation movie, but they decided to make something worthwhile instead. Other times a movie is so thoroughly of or about its own time and place that it’s a fascinating historical document. I recently saw John Carpenter’s “The Thing”, made in 1982. Kurt Russel’s hair and attitude instantly date the movie to the late 70s/early 80s. The creature effects are all puppets and slime, whereas nowadays they’d use crappy cartoony CGI. It held up nicely for a cheap horror movie from the early 80s. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/2 "2013-01-11T05:40:12Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > The creature effects are all puppets and slime, whereas nowadays they’d use crappy cartoony CGI. It held up nicely for a cheap horror movie from the early 80s. Held up nicely? IMHO it’s still one of the best horror films ever. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/3 "2013-01-11T08:10:49Z")
Casablanca was just another B movie. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/4 "2013-01-11T08:45:06Z")
_Casablanca_ was not a B movie. A B movie is one intended to be the minor film in a double feature. _Casablanca_ was “an A-list film with established stars and first-rate writers”: > **[B movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_movie)** > > A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature (akin to B-sides for recorded music). However, the US production of films intended as "second features" largely ceased by the end of the 1950s. With the emergence of commercial television at that time, film studio B movie production departments changed in... [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca\_(film)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film)) ---
**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:** [January 11, 2013, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/5 "2013-01-11T08:58:01Z")
_The Thing_ was not a low-budget film at all. It came out the same year as _E.T.__E.T._ had a budget of $10,500,000. _The Thing_ had a budget of $15,000,000. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/6 "2013-01-11T13:40:51Z")
I watched War Games a month or so ago and thought it would be cringe-worthy nostalgia, but I felt it actually held up. Considering all the outdated technology, it probably showed one of the better hacking scenes by Hollywood standards (that’s a very, very low bar). YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/7 "2013-01-11T13:47:11Z")
_Hunt for Red October_ (both the book and the movie) especially considering the drivel that Clancy pens today. The Connery James Bond, from \*Russia with Love \* especially. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/8 "2013-01-11T13:56:30Z")
[“All Quiet On The Western Front”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front_%281930_film%29) (the 1930 version with Lew Ayres) still stands out as a well-made war movie with harrowing battle scenes, not what you’d expect for the era. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/9 "2013-01-11T14:02:04Z")
Sol Yurick’s recent passing puts me in mind of _The Warriors_. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/10 "2013-01-11T14:05:33Z")
Full Metal Jacket - Holds up for several reasons: 1. It is based in the 60s so its intended to be dated 2. It is an amazing movies with great acting 3. It ends with the Mickey Mouse theme 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/11 "2013-01-11T14:10:38Z")
I’ll certainly agree on\* A Hard Day’s Night\*. On a recent viewing, I remember thinking “that’s a really good song!” Duh. Since the other thread is accepting TV shows, I’ll mention _Max Headroom_. The ladies’ shoulderpads are pure 80’s–but the larger concepts still make sense. The tech had a retro design, so it’s aged far less than “state of the art” 80’s stuff would have. Yes, we’re now probably “20 minutes into the future”–but the show is set in a slightly off-kilter alternate future… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/12 "2013-01-11T15:49:40Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > _Casablanca_ was not a B movie. A B movie is one intended to be the minor film in a double feature. _Casablanca_ was “an A-list film with established stars and first-rate writers”: The point remains, though, that it didn’t even have a complete script until shooting was well underway, and nobody had any reason to imagine it would last any longer than its first run in theaters. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/13 "2013-01-11T16:28:32Z")
But remember that movies back in the Casablanca era had a completely different life cycle than they do in today’s home video era. Movies were transitory by definition. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/14 "2013-01-11T16:32:41Z")
I watched \*\*Willow \*\*a couple of years ago, and thought it had held up remarkably well. It’s got some stop-motion animation that does stand out a bit, but the acting, cinematography, and story are still quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/15 "2013-01-11T16:38:45Z")
I’d argue for _2001: A Space Odyssey_. Big-budget special effects SF really should “date” very quickly, as the effects become standard and then cheesy. This one is still good, and still looks good (yes I know some people hate it, but they hate it for the same reasons they would hate in back in 1968 when it was released - that’s nearly 45 years ago!). ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/16 "2013-01-11T16:39:46Z")
Blade Runner I saw this on TV the other week. HD transmission and it looked\* beautiful\*. As the nominal future date actually approaches it looks more relevant than ever. Actually, thinking about it, perhaps this is down to Ridley Scott seeing as much could be said about “Alien” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/17 "2013-01-11T16:42:41Z")
_Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ and _Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure_ are much better movies than they should have been, and are still very watchable. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/18 "2013-01-11T17:24:54Z")
\The Graduate\ is so sixties-mod that it could easily have begun to look dated and cheesy to the point where we don’t care about the characters. Instead, it has stayed retro-cool, charming, and relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/19 "2013-01-11T17:32:15Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Blade Runner > > I saw this on TV the other week. HD transmission and it looked\* beautiful\*. As the nominal future date actually approaches it looks more relevant than ever. > > Actually, thinking about it, perhaps this is down to Ridley Scott seeing as much could be said about “Alien” That’s the movie I instantly thought of. I got the Final Cut for Christmas last year. The effects still look great after 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826/20 "2013-01-11T18:07:15Z")
Star Wars was supposedly a complete mess while it was being made. The actors thought the script was poor, the production was rife with problems, and George Lucas was promising visuals that nobody expected to look nearly as good as he was selling. The first cut of the film was overly long and tedious and in bad need of an editor to make it watchable. As the release date approached and the film still wasn’t finished the production company seriously considered scrapping the film and salvaging a few of the better unfinished special effects for TV shows. It was a film that very few people had any faith in until all of the pieces came together at the end. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-shouldnt-have-aged-well-but-did/646826.md?page=2)