# Movies that still hold up but only God knows why **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541 "2019-07-04T23:02:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/121 "2019-07-09T22:29:14Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > . . . I think that a lot of films from the 70s and 80s tend to hold up well . . . Not quite the 70’s, but this made me think of [Where Eagles Dare](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065207/reference) from 1968, a terrific WWII action/thriller. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/122 "2019-07-09T22:51:39Z")
My husband watches old westerns and war movies along with any movie that involves fighting, guns and sex. However, he must stop and watch (and I will join him but it’s not strange that I like) The Parent Trap. The one with Lindsay Lohan. He really enjoys watching those twins (Lohan is absolutely _terrific_ in it) get the better of that mean ole step-mom wannabe. This one is a for real ‘only God knows why’ dealie. Such a huge leap from another secret agent gladiator guns down barbarian drug lords in a war torn town full of bordellos. ---
**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:** [July 10, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/123 "2019-07-10T00:15:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > The comment about the end of Escape From NY (though its really Escape from LA that does it) made me me think of this, but this is a good illustration too… > > We should do a thread about movies that have great little 15 minute movies nestled within it: > > Dark Star When The Bomb Activates > The First Fifteen Minutes of Dances With Wolves > When Snake Plisskin Gets Out of LA and Sends the World to the Dark Ages **Easy Rider**. Even when it was new it was ridiculously overrated and pretentious. Except for the campfire scene in which Jack Nicholson stole the movie. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/124 "2019-07-10T12:51:49Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > …The First Fifteen Minutes of Dances With Wolves… The [initial scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK_wtjlQcns) in Dances With Wolves took me right out of the movie. It’s essentially the [opening scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihcd1XInF24) of the first season of F Troop! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/125 "2019-07-10T15:37:10Z")
I vote for _The Big Lebowski_. It actually has a lot of depth, and I notice new things when I rewatch. The nihilists seemed like a random bit of eccentricity, but they actually had some layered motives. ---
**Author:** ![Helmut\_Doork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e8c25b/32.png) [@Helmut\_Doork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helmut_Doork)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/126 "2019-07-10T18:10:39Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I vote for _The Big Lebowski_. > > It actually has a lot of depth, and I notice new things when I rewatch. The nihilists seemed like a random bit of eccentricity, but they actually had some layered motives. The interesting thing I find about this movie after rewatching is that ostensibly a loud mouth moron, Walter correctly predicts everything that takes place. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/127 "2019-07-10T19:55:19Z")
I couldn’t sleep and ended up watching “Excalibur” at 2am last night. While it’s fun watching a young Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Liam Neelson and others, it really is an oddball film. The dialogue is terrible. The plot feels kind of random. It’s cut together badly. Like you have snippets of Carmina Burana randomly inserted into the soundtrack and then cut out. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Good points, altho- The Warriors? I don’t know man, it’s always on HBO or Starz or whatever and I always get sucked into watching it. CAN YOUOOOO DIIIIIIG IT! > [@Biggirl](#): > > My husband watches old westerns and war movies along with any movie that involves fighting, Westerns are like WWII films. Every now and then they keep making a new one. They might not all be Unforgiven or Saving Private Ryan. But they are usually watchable. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/128 "2019-07-10T20:10:20Z")
[Up the Creek.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088333/) Totally derivative copycat film, cheap even for its day. But it has “stars\*” out the wazoo and a really quite clever hand with the dialog. - - Someone from Porky’s, a couple from Animal House, Wolowitz’s father, Lt. Howard Hunter, Higgins, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/129 "2019-07-10T22:22:53Z")
Plus it’s got that great theme song from Cheap Trick. Definitely one of the better crappy teen comedies of the '80s. I just checked the thread and since no one has mentioned it before, I will: _The Wanderers_ is still a great movie. I thought of it last night for some reason and paid $3 to watch it on Amazon. Now I want to get ahold of the Directors Cut from 1996. I really liked this movie when it came out; really cool to see that it has held up well. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/130 "2019-07-11T00:46:15Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > The [initial scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK_wtjlQcns) in Dances With Wolves took me right out of the movie. It’s essentially the [opening scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihcd1XInF24) of the first season of F Troop! 😕 That’s…_amazing_.:eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/131 "2019-07-12T04:56:50Z")
> [@PitJ](#): > > Does anyone apart from myself know or even like “The Ice Pirates”? Made in 1984, starring Robert Urich, Mary Crosby, Anjelica Huston and Ron Perlman it is on the one hand incredibly cheesy, on the other hand it has lots of classic Sci-Fi elements that are fun to watch (the Space Herpes!) and include lots of Star Wars spoofs. I have yet to see it on TV but fortunately found the DVD a couple of years ago. Since then I put it on from time to time but sadly enough no-one else wants to watch it with me… still, it is a sort of a classic for me. Back in the day, some buddies and I went to see it stoned out of our gourd when it hit the dollar movie house in West Texas. I was so blasted that I could not remember anything about it even as we left the theater. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/132 "2019-07-12T05:21:38Z")
I remember _Ice Pirates_. The robot pimp was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/133 "2019-07-12T12:34:19Z")
Also, after the Captain got fed up with one of the robots and wrecked it, the remaining robots suddenly shaped up and showed some respect. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/134 "2019-07-12T16:10:42Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I’ve got to agree with _The Fifth Element_ - love it. > > Another my husband and I have watched a lot is _Demolition Man_. I can’t stand Stallone, but I can’t not watch this one when it comes on. What’s really weird is that I’m not a big sci-fi-futuristic society fan, but I still like both of these flicks. Both of these for me, personally. Also unavoidable, and watched once or twice a year for me is _In the Mouth of Madness_ and _Event Horizon_. Not sure why, but they just hit something for me! Hmm, should probably also add _Big Trouble in Little China_ to the list- love me some Jack Burton, and I am pretty sure I could watch (as mentioned above) James Hong spell out the phonebook and be thoroughly entertained. Going to be a sad day for me when he passes away (I think he is 90 now?). ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/135 "2019-07-12T16:13:18Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I found a lot of John Carpenter films still hold up over time: > The Thing > Big Trouble in Little China > They Live > Prince of Darkness > Escape From New York Should have read the entire thread before responding! Yes, on further review, John Carpenter hits the spot for me. I introduced my kids to _They Live_ recently, and they absolutely loved it! ---
**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:** [July 12, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/136 "2019-07-12T21:13:41Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [Up the Creek.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088333/) > > Totally derivative copycat film, cheap even for its day. But it has “stars\*” out the wazoo and a really quite clever hand with the dialog. > > - > - Someone from Porky’s, a couple from Animal House, Wolowitz’s father, Lt. Howard Hunter, Higgins, etc. YASSSSSS…went in expecting nothing and was really entertained. Since we’re throwing that out there… [Making the Grade has a lot going for it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C397-aSnTlQ) ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/137 "2019-07-12T23:41:25Z")
Some family movies: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ---
**Author:** ![CurrlyD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CurrlyD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurrlyD)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/138 "2019-07-13T03:32:18Z")
Yet another vote for **The Fifth Element**. We taped it off cable back then, and our then tween-age kids watched it over and over and over. Nowadays, all my husband has to say is “Multipass” and those now 30-somethings will burst out laughing. Three more notables in our household: **Ferris Bueller’s Day Off** , **The Mask** , and **To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar**. We had taped those off cable as well. We currently own all four of those on DVD, and I can watch them anytime. So why is it that if I see one while channel surfing I’m compelled to watch it? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/139 "2019-07-13T04:52:03Z")
The original Planet of the Apes. The whole premise is, their spaceship has landed on an alien planet far from earth…and the big M Night Shyamalan reveal at the end with the Statue of Liberty…that they’re STILL on Earth? We saw feral humans, sentient chimps, gorillas, and orangutans, traditional horses, oxygen atmosphere, normal gravity and temperature, a dug-up human doll that says “mama”. I’m sure if he cared to check he’d find earth-native vegetation and salt water in the ocean. How can anybody be surprised this is earth? (Far in the future or parallel universe, but still earth!) Yet it is an awesome concept and movie! ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541/140 "2019-07-13T12:25:05Z")
Another family movie: **Swallows and Amazons (1974)** [Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgGpNRK8_y4) [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/swallows_and_amazons) (76%) _Blurb from the wrong movie, though._ A low-budget (£300,000) British film that’s still very pleasant to watch. Still loved by fans of the books, despite its shortcomings. I first started reading the book series after watching this movie. Pros - The right atmosphere - Genuine locations in the Lake District - Sailing boats and 1929 period detail 100% correct - Children cast with real-life characters similar to the movie/book characters - Music excellent - Reasonably faithful to the book Cons - Casting issues - ages of some of the children wrong - Part of ‘Uncle Jim’ _seriously_ miscast - Dialog a bit stilted - ‘Quaint’ by modern standards Think Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Railway children - something along those lines, but better. The books stand up well to adult reading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-still-hold-up-but-only-god-knows-why/836541.md?page=8)