# Movies too dated to be enjoyable **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793 "2013-01-30T07:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/41 "2013-01-30T23:52:08Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I have to agree. It’s been awhile since I watched (several months) so I can’t be precise, but it seemed that important scenes were left out, and the ending was too abrupt. Maybe the problem was in the editing. I think original audiences were so impressed with the FX, like you say, that they ignored the storytelling/directing/continuity flaws. One of my big issues with the movie, and remember, I had just read the book, was the way the castle was presented. The book dedicated something like 40 pages to the castle. Explaining everything about it in tremendous detail. By the time Stoker was done, you were almost to creeped out to get out of your own bed. The movie spent literally 30 seconds on that same subject. I expected the first 20 minutes of the movie to be a tour of the castle. Whenever I hear a person (specifically a celebrity) quote Dracula as their favorite movie I always wonder A)Have the actually seen it and B)did the read the book first? ---
**Author:** ![jack\_tardiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jack\_tardiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_tardiff)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/42 "2013-01-31T00:05:32Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So I guess my answer would be “silents.” Only because I tend to have a short attention span, and I lose concentration easily. I have to often go back and re-read things that didn’t sink in. I agree – not because of lack of concentration, but most of the silents are just really crummy and corny. I’d love to see the 9-hour version of _Queen Kelly_ or however long it was meant to be, for example, but I’m not going to sit through even one hour of some garbage just because it had John Gilbert in it or whoever the big deal was of the moment. Disagree strongly about _Golden Arm_, though. Preminger is always worth sitting through. One I loathe in the same vein, though, because it is just too hokey-dated: _The Lost Weekend_. Can’t stand Ray Milland, and it’s like _[The Days of Wine and Roses_. Too much of a joke to sit through and not be going MST3K in your head. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/43 "2013-01-31T00:27:15Z")
_The Graduate_ is a common answer for this question. But it’s not as if the film has dated badly, just the audience. 😉 “Issue” movies tend not to age well - **HandsomeHarry** named the one I came in to mention, _Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?_ **Jack Tardiff** mentioned another - _The Lost Weekend_, which won an Oscar for Best Actor (IIRC). And I don’t think they’ve “dated” badly, but I can’t imagine either _Fast Break_ or the original _The Bad News Bears_ being made today, in all their raunchy, race-baiting, no “drugs are bad, mkay” messaging glory. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/44 "2013-01-31T00:34:33Z")
**The Parralax View** is almost enjoyable _because_ it’s so dated. Government consipracy! GASP! My favorite part is when Warren Beatty follows a guy into the airport, then jumps a fence and sneaks onto his plane. After they’re airborne a stewardess walks up and asks him his name, so he gives a fake name which she writes down on her legal pad, then asks him for seventy dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/45 "2013-01-31T00:44:27Z")
Love Story A lot of it is dated generally, but not telling someone they are very sick “for their own good” and giving them no say in their own care – which is held up as a morally correct and acceptable act in the movie – is now (rightly, IMHO) considered despicable and makes the whole second half seem very cruel. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/46 "2013-01-31T01:03:20Z")
It was probably not particularly good even in its own day, but **The Bells of St. Mary’s** , where Ingrid Bergman develops tuberculosis (dated at the moment, but possibly not in a few years) and the doctor tells Bing Crosby that she needs to be transferred away from the parish she loves and into a better climate – but don’t tell her why. So they make her feel like an utter failure until the truth is revealed. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/47 "2013-01-31T01:10:17Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Are you an attorney? No. And I know that still now courtroom drama is nothing like real life. But _ **Law and Order** _ and the like have raised the bar for writing. I just don’t find _ **The Verdict** _ gripping. I can’t suspend my disbelief. The case hinges on a document that the defendants get thrown out as evidence (for a bullshit reason, but the evidence does get eliminated). So there’s no case left. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/48 "2013-01-31T01:38:48Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Love Story > > A lot of it is dated generally, but not telling someone they are very sick “for their own good” and giving them no say in their own care – which is held up as a morally correct and acceptable act in the movie – is now (rightly, IMHO) considered despicable and makes the whole second half seem very cruel. I think that was a sexist, pre-1970s-American-culture thing; would not even have been suggested if the sick one had been the guy. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/49 "2013-01-31T02:03:00Z")
> [@grude](#): > > What movies are just so much a product of their time that they just aren’t very enjoyable to a modern audience? > > I nominate The Man With The Golden Arm, supposedly almost scandalous on release it is just a really turgid and tiring morality tale with no real drama. Characters like the dope dealer in the bar are pure cheese, eye waggling villain from a western. > It just isn’t that interesting to watch a guy struggle with staying off heroin, and when he goes back on we the audience are assured he went through withdrawal again quickly.:rolleyes: The movie just needs something more, a guy addicted to heroin isn’t enough to maintain my interest. I remember watching that, noting that the other characters were calling Frank Sinatra “dealer”, and then being utterly baffled to find out what he was dealing were _cards_ at various illegal poker games, and he didn’t even look all that skillful at it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/50 "2013-01-31T02:16:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I remember watching that, noting that the other characters were calling Frank Sinatra “dealer”, and then being utterly baffled to find out what he was dealing were _cards_ at various illegal poker games, and he didn’t even look all that skillful at it. Trivia note: The hands shown dealing the cards belong to Milton Berle, according to Frank Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/51 "2013-01-31T02:16:10Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Whenever I hear a person (specifically a celebrity) quote Dracula as their favorite movie I always wonder A)Have the actually seen it and B)did the read the book first? Who cares? I just read the book for the first time last year and I still think the Bela Lugosi movie is a great. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/52 "2013-01-31T02:47:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I think that was a sexist, pre-1970s-American-culture thing; would not even have been suggested if the sick one had been the guy. Yes, obviously. The original audience accepted it as normal and even good; today it makes the whole movie grotesque. Hence my choice to include it as a “movie too dated to be enjoyable.” ---
**Author:** ![jack\_tardiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jack\_tardiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_tardiff)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/53 "2013-01-31T03:24:11Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Trivia note: The hands shown dealing the cards belong to Milton Berle, according to Frank Jr. No shit? That’s amazing trivia. I am guilty above of confusing just plain shitty movies with movies that are “dated.” As I think some people are as well. It’s really a fine line. _All That Heaven Allows_ is extremely dated in that the very attractive Jane Wyman is presented as an old hag, pretty much. A spinster. And the cartoonish, Three Stooges-style “society women” in her town are just as dated. But I can accept that was just sort of the trope of the day – didn’t stop me from enjoying the film (as much as I can ever enjoy that type of movie – not my thing, even if there are some good things in it reading between the lines). So where’s the line? Someone mentioned _2001_ above, which I’ve heard lots of people say regarding the special effects and the “Hey, that’s not like 2001 was – I was there, man!,” and I get that, and specific examples must be the only way to attack the theoretical problem. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/54 "2013-01-31T03:34:17Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I’m going to say [Harold and Maude](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/?ref_=sr_1), [Midnight Cowboy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064665/?ref_=sr_1), and [Wait Until Dark](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062467/?ref_=sr_1). > > People of a certain age really love these movies, but to me they just seem hopelessly dated. I’m only 26 and I absolutely loved Wait Until Dark. A fantastic movie. ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/55 "2013-01-31T04:28:41Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I’m going to say [Harold and Maude](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/?ref_=sr_1), [Midnight Cowboy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064665/?ref_=sr_1), and [Wait Until Dark](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062467/?ref_=sr_1). > > People of a certain age really love these movies, but to me they just seem hopelessly dated. I agree with you on all three of these films, especially Wait Until Dark (NOT SCARY OR SUSPENSEFUL) and Harold And Maude (NOT FUNNY OR COHERENT). I’ll add some more: Repo Man. When I first saw it I thought it was funny and unusual and cutting edge. I watched it recently and it was none of those things, although I still enjoy Harry Dean Stanton’s performance. Some Like It Hot. It’s a one joke movie and in my opinion the joke isn’t even funny. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I actually like this movie, but I find Lou Costello’s schtick to be quite painful and embarrassing to sit through. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/56 "2013-01-31T04:37:16Z")
Good call on SLIH, **Hottimus**. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/57 "2013-01-31T06:35:17Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Some Like It Hot. It’s a one joke movie and in my opinion the joke isn’t even funny. Well, no movie’s perfect. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/58 "2013-01-31T06:48:11Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > Reefer Madness is watchable _because_ of the dated styles and unintentional satire. As it as 40 years ago. It was a favorite at smoke-filled midnight movie theaters. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/59 "2013-01-31T07:31:56Z")
Shampoo. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793/60 "2013-01-31T09:07:03Z")
As a matter of fact, there’s [apparently some reason](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_%281931_film%29#Background.2FProduction) for the problems with Dracula, as mentioned above—it seems the director, Browning, was suffering from personal problems at the time of the shoot (he was an alcoholic, and depressed after the death of friend Lon Chaney, who might have been the star otherwise). Abandoning the set to leave the cinematographer to direct scenes, tearing pages out of the script, etc. The [Spanish language version](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_%28Spanish-language_version%29), filmed at nights on the same sets, with the same script, costumes, and whatnot, is actually considered the technically superior version. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-too-dated-to-be-enjoyable/648793.md?page=4)