Name two of your favorite movies from back in the day. One that has aged like a fine wine, and one that we no longer speak of
Posted by ughyoujag@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 547 comments
Comesontoostrong@reddit
I thought the point of American Beauty was that it all was problematic? Great movie.
discostud1515@reddit
People who say it aged like milk didn't get the point of the movie.
Alarming_Cat_2946@reddit
The movie itself is not the issue for most.
It’s that it starred Kevin Spacey, and (mostly) starting with Me Too, more and more people are having a harder time separating the art and the artist.
Really annoying when you consider the bangers Spacey was in that are somewhat tainted for me now. (I too have a hard time separating the art from the artist.)
max_power1000@reddit
I think that's easier to do with music where it's far closer to a solo endeavor, but I can't for a movie. Throwing out Spacey means throwing out the great work everyone else did on those movies with him.
Alarming_Cat_2946@reddit
Very good point, thank you.
mhyquel@reddit
It's watching a piece of trash dance in the wind
Denali973@reddit
Did I miss the point of American Beauty? I thought the transgressive nature of the movie was the theme.
jaywinner@reddit
You mean I shouldn't model my life after Kevin Spacey?
rdhdboi767@reddit
People want to act like the movie didn't have a good message in it because of who Kevin Spacey the man is. The Lester Burnham character's dramatic arc was incredible. He's a dude going through the earlier stages of depression and a midlife crisis his family could care less about that feels imprisoned in his "perfect" little suburban existence. When his daughter's friend expresses attraction to him it gives him a renewed vitality and sense of purpose, then when he realizes she's still a virgin and not the incredible sex vixen he'd imagined her to be, he acts like a responsible adult and most important a positive paternal figure for the first time in the entire film. Spacey is a weirdo, no denying that lol. The film itself remains a classic 90s suburban American satire.
Punky921@reddit
Great read on this film. I think American Beauty also came out when the American postwar suburban despair was at its height, before existential despair about a nice house and a stable job seemed embarrassing to two generations of people systematically denied those things. It's a really great portrait of where culture was in the 90s. (Fuck Kevin Spacey though, but I really did enjoy that film when it came out)
max_power1000@reddit
For all his warts Spacey was still always an outstanding actor. I'm especially not going to memory hole all his work if that means doing the same to everyone who worked on those projects with him.
Right_Hour@reddit
What? You mean you don’t pump your biceps while naked?
theagonyofthefeet@reddit
The movie dramatizes a middle aged man's fantasy of returning to his youth. And how you react to this return, I think, is in part determined by your own relative youth.
When I was a young man and first watched American Beauty, I thought Spacey's character was a hero for quitting his joyless job and loveless marriage by basically becoming a teenager again (including lust after teenage girls). It was a young man's idea of rebellion.
But as an older man, I realize that once you take on the certain responsibilities, there's no turning back the clock without turning yourself at best into a clown and at worst into a creep.
The movie shows not so much one adult man's transgressive rebellion against the system but a particularly ugly form of selfish regression that's revealed more clearly as the viewer ages, I think.
washufize@reddit
Gen Z thinks they discovered deeper meaning in film
sarithe@reddit
That was always my take as well. It's a movie full of people that are "ugly" on the inside, but otherwise would mostly be considered attractive or beautiful.
Oaken_beard@reddit
The polar opposite of the bag in the wind.
Consistent-Ad-6506@reddit
Saw this movie with a college friend and every time one of us sees a plastic bag in the wind, we send each other a pic with “Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”
digitalgraffiti-ca@reddit
I saw a calf chasing a plastic bag in the wind. Cute AF.
Sithstress_@reddit
I still do this with my sisters. Literally, last night I opened the back door of my car into a big burst of wind and one of my extra trash bags floated out, I took a pic and sent it to all three of them 😂.
tgerz@reddit
There was a stupid video on social media saying that plastic bags were ghosts so every time me or my mrs see one we say, "did you see that ghost?!" So, kinda the same.
rdhdboi767@reddit
I punch the bag and say "..... I don't know what that was for."
ParsnipDecent6530@reddit
I still say that.
mwcoast82@reddit
There was a napkin or something floating in a similar way around a soccer field this weekend and I thought the same thing
Jaynemansfieldbleach@reddit
I took a film and philosophy class back in the early 2000s and we talked alot about Plato's cave and whether or not Lester and plastic bag dude ever actually left the metaphorical cave.
axl3ros3@reddit
I took a rhetorical in film class and wrote a paper on Marxist themes in Fight Club.
Do they still have these sorts of classes?
I'll have to check
max_power1000@reddit
Marxist seems like a stretch to me, more like nihilist.
I get how you can make the argument - the project mayhem guys are essentially living in a commune, in the scene with the police commissioner they do lay out that these guys are essentially the proletariat, and blowing up the debt record will make everyone equal in that respect, but that's just the first half of the Marxist stuff. It's anti-materialist for sure, but it's missing the part where they seize the means of production.
Sure, there are overt anti-capitalist and anti-materialist messages all over the movie, but they don't seem to be the point, which is somewhere in between embracing the void and seizing your own destiny in a world designed to turn you into a drone.
ThingsOfThatNaychah@reddit
Subtle as a kick in the balls.
Allaplgy@reddit
The whole point was exposing the ugliness underneath idyllic white American suburbia.
rdhdboi767@reddit
I believe you're thinking of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' lol.
Allaplgy@reddit
The second one was more about struggling with sexual identity.
rdhdboi767@reddit
lol just kidding. well, honestly Elm Street is about that as well but no, I was playing around. 😂
SweatyCut4847@reddit
I always noted that the gay couple was depicted as the most wholesome and normal of most of the main characters. It wasn't an accident.
Roguebantha42@reddit
Just like her matching gardening attire
Forsaken_Fig_@reddit
CIAMom420@reddit
Most heavy handed metaphor in the history of American cinema. I still have no clue how that got the academy award for best screenplay.
GhostChips42@reddit
The film is way more than a metaphor. It's an outstanding film with outstanding performances from the entire cast. I think the reason it won is the simplicity of the story combined with the acting. It's also a beautifully shot film, iconic score - tbh I'm not sure how you could not have a clue why it got the nod.
TiEmEnTi@reddit
The precursor to White Lotus
JonnyQuest1981@reddit
Except for the bag. That bag was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It should have won the Oscar for best actor.
BloodyPaleMoonlight@reddit
That’s fine, but I think the major problem with the movie is that the actor is so ugly on the inside rather than the character he portrays.
SaltyGrapeWax@reddit
You don’t listen to Michael Jackson either, do you?
BloodyPaleMoonlight@reddit
No, I don’t
OneRub3234@reddit
That girl in american beauty has always given me the creeps. It's her teeth or mouth
Drakeytown@reddit
The literal sexual predator lead actor doesn't bother you, just a young woman's face?
OneRub3234@reddit
Oh no he's disgusting, but I've never been able to watch her in any movie
Drakeytown@reddit
Ah, the young woman's face bothers you more than the sexual predator, got it!
max_power1000@reddit
[relevant](https://www.bblloobb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pancake-waffle-tweet.jpg)
OneRub3234@reddit
If that's how you want to twist it go ahead
Character-Solution-7@reddit
In the movie (at least) he was tempted but, did not take advantage of the girl. He was a guy with a cheating wife having a midlife crisis. Every character was a misguided wretch masquerading as a good person.
ThePolemicist@reddit
I found it pretty sick and twisted when it first came out and still don't understand why so many guys seemed to like it.
RobotPreacher@reddit
Same thing happened with Fight Club. The philosophical message and cultural commentary go right over people's heads and a portion of the viewers zone in on the surface-level behaviors the film is actually critiquing.
broken_shadows@reddit
American Psycho gets this treatment too. I get so frustrated when I mention I really enjoyed it, and they everyone looks at me like I'm one of those 'red flag' guys you shouldn't date. I'm not a dude 🙄
I really wish people could have their own opinions and thoughts, or at least be curious and have a conversation about things.
I'm really pleased we are all having this conversation about American Beauty here, because I also really enjoyed this film and am really sick of people lately missing the point of it.
socoyankee@reddit
I have not watched that due to reading the book. I can’t imagine the book translating to film but did read and watch Rules of Attraction which Bateman makes a brief cameo
max_power1000@reddit
The movie actually does about as good of a job as you could translating the book to the big screen, with obvious cuts to keep it at an R rating rather than being closer to a snuff film. It is a little bit lacking in capturing Bateman's deep descent into madness that the second half of the book portrays, but to do that would require way too much voice-over work and I don't think that would really work in a visual medium.
It's worth a watch. Bale really nails it. For a side character, Dafoe is great as the detective too.
nostrademons@reddit
The movie version of The Hunger Games had this problem too. The books were very explicitly written to critique how you could have a war going on while society gets off to violence-porn on the TV. The author said that the whole idea for the series came from watching news footage of the Iraq war that was immediately followed by Survivor.
The movies...became the violence porn that the books satirized. You had millions of people go to theaters so they could watch Jennifer Lawrence shoot people with a bow, all so they could forget about the wars that were still going on in America's name. The audience became the very thing that the story thematically critiqued.
Ghoulie_Marie@reddit
Yeah, but at the same time the film makers did choose to have a nude scene with a 16 year old actor. Like if I put myself in their shoes and imagine making that decision and executing it it makes my skin crawl.
FungiStudent@reddit
She was 19
nostrademons@reddit
Assuming we're still talking about American Beauty here, there were two different actresses with nude scenes. Mena Suvari was 19 for all of her dream sequences in Lester's head. However, Thora Birch has a brief topless scene when she's being filmed by Ricky, and she was 16 at time of filming. That's the one that everybody's referring to here.
Ghoulie_Marie@reddit
Born in 82. AB released in 99. 99-82=17. She was 16 during shooting. But tell yourself whatever you need to cope.
RobotPreacher@reddit
You may be right, but understand that this viewpoint is very new. Sexual activity with a minor is of course out of the question, but nudity is a different situation and has been fine in certain circumstances for 90% of moviemaking's existence. Nudity does not equal sexuality, though in this movie's specific case it's a bold call specifically because the actress is the object of Spacy's desire. They want to make him look like a creep and convey that, but you also don't want to transfer too much of that to the audience.
Sea2Chi@reddit
One thing I loved about fight club was how many alpha super straight bros seemed to love a movie written by gay may where one of the direct lines was We’re a generation of men raised by women. I’m wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.
Instead, let's go down to dark sweaty basements and get physical.
And guys would be like "Yeah! That's a real man's man!"
Prudent-Session985@reddit
If you had a mother and married a woman like the mother Kevin Spacy's character is a lot more relatable. As a teenager you sympathize with the rebellion. As an adult you understand the why and should understand how to fix his situation in a way that doesn't mimic teenage rebellion.
pseudonymmed@reddit
Yeah having seen it as a teen and then again as an adult it's a whole different experience. As a teen it seems brave for this guy to rebel against the boring conformist existence expected of him. As an adult you realise that he's being really selfish and could have approached things in a far more mature and empathetic way. And it shouldn't have taken him so long to 'wake up' from his fantasy about his daughter's friend.
ladykansas@reddit
So many things are this way. When you read Tom Sawyer as a kid, your rooting for the clever and wild Tom. As an adult, you might relate more to his poor aunt who has the raise him and how stressful that must be.
I remember thinking that the TV show Sex and the City was so glamorous. Now I feel like so much of that show was selfish, immature characters still acting like teenagers when they were in their 30s+.
Kellzy1212@reddit
I loved Sex in the city when i was 21. I can’t even watch it anymore. Samantha is the only non cringe of the bunch and Carrie is downright unbearable.
Prudent-Session985@reddit
It's more like he married someone with impossible standards that doesn't really care about him. Their life is "fine" so long as he doesn't expect any of his needs to be met or to be treated with a basic level of respect. He was miserable for as long as he could stand it and then everything collapsed.
If he had stood up for himself in a healthy way earlier his life would have been a lot different. There's a world where he divorced his wife 10 year earlier, found someone who actually liked him, and he's happier.
CarpeNivem@reddit
But you do understand why girls seemed to like it?
Or are you posting only guys liked it?
I'm just trying to parse what you meant is all.
zackks@reddit
Base reasons.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I think I made a mistake picking that movie, honestly. My thoughts on being able to talk about it come from working with mostly 20-somethings — a lot of them. It’s just extremely taboo among younger generations, but I forgot I don’t have that same issue here. People aren’t as sensitive and prone to emotional outbursts.
Comesontoostrong@reddit
You could switch to a different Mena Suvari movie- Any from the American Pie franchise are pretty cringey now.
max_power1000@reddit
I can't recall too much from the second or third movies that are sex crime territory, but today Jim would be in jail for the webcam stunt in the first movie.
silverandshade@reddit
Honestly I'm with you on American Beauty, though. 15 years ago the ending monologue of that movie kept me alive during a very dark time. Since Kevin Spacey's allegations, it's been... A different film for me.
I don't find the movie itself problematic, and anyone who argues otherwise just didn't get the point of it. I understand that the fact that the topless scene was done by an underage actor is unnerving, but like... It was all done very above board and respectfully. Her parents were porn stars, so I'm assuming her relationship with nudity isn't as unhealthy as it often is with Americans. I doubt it took a very deep emotional toll on anyone... At least not until Spacey was revealed to be a monster.
I have difficulty now with any Spacey movies, but specifically American Beauty because of the predator he's been revealed to be. And it honestly crushes me after how important the film was to me as a survivor of CSA/SA struggling with my sexuality and suicidal ideation. Many points in that movie were deeply relatable and cathartic for me... And now, well. It's just tinged in a different light than it once was.
Database_Informal@reddit
I agree with everything else, but where did you get the idea that her parents were porn stars?
Roan_Writer@reddit
Thora Birch's parents were adult film stars. Her mom was in Deep Throat. This is her Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Connors_(actress)
silverandshade@reddit
Oh dear, double-checking I think I might have mixed her up with a different actress. I retract that statement.
Turbojelly@reddit
It's problematic since Kevin Spacey and the "get men blind drunk and blowjob rape them" thing came out.
silverandshade@reddit
I believe the issue with enjoying it now is Spacey's role in it
dust4ngel@reddit
at the very least, you can say that kevin spacey playing a sex pest isn't exactly a demonstration of his acting abilities
silverandshade@reddit
That's kinda what makes it worse lol
mosesoperandi@reddit
It's exactly what makes it worse. It's what prevents me from going back to House of Cards. I think Baby Driver might be the only movie he has a major role in that I can appreciate in spite of having learned that he was actually more type cast than skilled actor.
C_est_la_vie9707@reddit
This. The fantasy about Mena's was supposed to be problematic then. It's finding out that Kevin Spacey, whom I liked very much, is a real life sex predator.
It's like the Cosby show.
a-ha_partridge@reddit
I started working out in my 40’s and all I can think of is that I’m probably turning into Lester Burnham.
MetalEnthusiast83@reddit
Yes, but twitter has destroyed people's brains now and the dumbest people speak for everyone. So now any depiction of something is an endorsement. The point of the movie does not matter. If it depicts something bad, it is an endorsement of that thing.
Relevant_Leather_476@reddit
Yeah just like that Rapist movie Pulp Fiction
chocki305@reddit
I think the real issue is that the point of the movie doesn't beat you repeatedly accross the face. You actually have to think about it.
Thinking is a lost art now.
I would love to hear younger kids talk about the bicycle scene in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And what it means to the film.
bronzehog2020@reddit
I agree. I think this attitude is a consequence of media illiteracy more than anything else. It's not a new problem, but I think it may be worse. For instance, lots of men idolized Gordon Gekko in Wall Street in 1987. But I feel like media illiteracy has additionally moved in the other direction, so that now, people are overly critical because they miss the message. I do think the zeitgeist is to blame to a degree--everyone's a critic with a platform, which means idiots' opinions are broadcast and carry weight, and there's an insistence for perfectionism is in play too.
derps-a-lot@reddit
People still idolize Gordon Gekko.
Same with Jordan Belfort more recently.
CIAMom420@reddit
The weirdest one are how some people have affinity for the Always Be Closing scene from glengarry glen Ross, which is possibly the movie with the most across the board morally bankrupt people of any movie ever made.
max_power1000@reddit
You have to admit those filmmakers gave their bad guys some great lines paired with some outstanding performances by the actors, or else those lines wouldn’t have hard the impact they did.
It would be like listening to the bad guy song in a Disney movie and thinking “I like this Scar character, he seems like a guy with a plan.”
blondeviking64@reddit
I wonder if inattention is part of it too. AI has become a way to offload mentally and allows you to out your attention elsewhere (social media, short form content, etc.) Unfortunately, that mental load was also like a workout for your brain. Its a bit like riding in a car versus walking. If you suddenly ONLY drove places, even just next door, you might begin to see physical issues. I think offloading mental processes can be similar. Our generation are weaker on average than our great grandparents who did tons of manual labor. Washing clothes and cooking food used to be physically demanding tasks much less all the other stuff. Well, maybe we are seeing the same thing mentally? Its a guess but also possible.
IndependentLove2292@reddit
I think it predates AI, but not by much. Low attention span started with smart phones. Netflix realized that people were watching, but also playing Angry Birds, so they started having characters exposit what was going on every five minutes, and a generation grew up not learning to read between the lines.
kingjamesporn@reddit
Welp...now that song is stuck in my head and I'll hate you untill it's replaced by something else.
jaywinner@reddit
This makes for better movies but will cause more people to walk away thinking the movie supports what it actually decries.
ADMotti@reddit
You mean Starship Troopers doesn’t endorse mindless, unending war??
guidevocal82@reddit
It's not even that. It's that young people can't critically think and they have limited attention spans. TikTok has rotted their brains.
mischievous_misfit13@reddit
And everytime i see a plastic bag floating in the air I think of this movie
jeffrotull2000@reddit
Exactly. In the movie the guy snaps out of his weird crush on his daughter's friend when she tells him she's a virgin and he realizes he being a pedo. Much of what he does is not considered healthy. Its a pathetic attempt to recapture a time when he had no responsibilities because he's not happy with his life choices. By the end of the film he's slowly realizing he can't hit the reset button on his life. The thing with the bag in the wind was dumb but exactly the kind of thing a teenager would think is profound.
J_A1exander@reddit
But the way the teenager saw the bag WAS profound. That even things with no life in them can still have life behind them.
Forsaken_Fig_@reddit
zorbacles@reddit
I saw the title and thought yeh Wayne's World doesn't hold up.
but in seriousness I think the problem with American beauty isn't the movie it's that it's Kevin Spacey
TiEmEnTi@reddit
Totally. If it didn't creep you out in 1999 you missed the point.
Unlucky_Welcome9193@reddit
Yeah this may be controversial, but I like that movie. I'm repulsed by Kevin Spacy , but in American Beauty, his character, Lester, had this fantasy of a better, simpler life where he is young, and has few responsibilities, and he gets the hot teenage girl. But Lester confronted by the reality of that fantasy when we see that Angela is really just a young girl, still, once he tries to initiate being intimate with her, and he kind of has to go back into dad mode.
This was a time when it was super common for middle aged men to have midlife crises, buy luxury cars and find young second wives. I always felt like American Beauty showed us how ugly and pathetic that really is, although subtlety.
ThisCharmingDan99@reddit
Or in his case a ‘1970 Pontiac Firebird.’
Nice car choice.
Gwilym_Ysgarlad@reddit
I can condone buying a1970 Firebird, not trying to sleep with a minor.
Ok_Researcher_9796@reddit
I thought the part where he quit his job, bought a Camaro and went to work at McDonald's was pretty funny.
VoidOmatic@reddit
Man I have still never seen that movie or Space Jam.
Drakeytown@reddit
Yeah, it's just that we thought it was decent people making art any the problematic nature of these characters and their lives, and now we know the lead actor is and was a sexual predator.
SpaceBowie2008@reddit
I hope you don't like Chuck Berry.
swalabr@reddit
and so many other musicians, actors, athletes, and other public figures …
SpaceBowie2008@reddit
Well yeah but Bo took it way too far
regeya@reddit
It was problematic on arrival. The actress who played the daughter was underage, which meant her parents had to be there for her topless scene.
Like...what the fuck, man
YourOwnPunkyBrewster@reddit
Is Thor’s Birch the actress we’re talking about? I don’t remember the other one being nude….and I suppose, the scene with Thora Birch (at least upon my watching) her being topless wasn’t super sexualized. She had a body issue with having extra large breast…and as a 16 yr old girl with huge boobs myself when I saw it, it felt really emotionally salient, it served the character and the scene. As an adult, I realize why it would be problematic, but I felt the scene served a story telling purpose, it wasn’t just gratuitous. In my opinion.
baron-von-buddah@reddit
Both her parents were porn stars in the 70s
Homo_erotic_toile@reddit
I thought she got emancipated in order to do that scene.
bk553@reddit
Kevin Spacey: Hold my beer....
Procrastineddit@reddit
I mean, yes, but in hindsight, we were like, "Hey, Kevin Spacey, wanna be in a movie where a middle-aged dude is infatuated with an underage kid?" Not awesome.
sarithe@reddit
It also wasn't known that Spacey was a creep back then. That came out later on. Asking filmmakers to have clairvoyance that Spacey will be revealed as a creep 10+ years after filming a movie with him in it is insane.
swalabr@reddit
eh, probably they knew. Insiders talk about these things.
dracrecipelanaaaaaaa@reddit
Yes, Kevin Spacey is problematic as we all now understand, but this is how stories are told.
They need someone to take the part.
Drakeytown@reddit
That may be the stupidest sentence ever written. "What do you mean, why'd I call the sex offender's halfway house to find a plumber for the preschool? They need someone to clear the drain!"
chicacherrie82@reddit
No one is saying sexual predators should be cast in movies because we're in need of actors.
They are saying the character existing and the actor playing it are 2 separate things. The character was going to be gross no matter what; some actor was going to portray an intentionally gross character, no matter who it was.
Judging the movie poorly NOW just because we now know that actor to be a pred, though we didn't then,* is just silly. Anyone watching should have viewed the character as a creep all along and watched the movie with that understanding. Other negative opinions about the movie may be valid - there's plenty of reasons to critique film.
(* Some industry ppl may have known back than that he was bad - there is a lot of cover up in hollywood, but we as viewers didn't know)
dracrecipelanaaaaaaa@reddit
Spacey doing the things he did wasn't general knowledge back then.
Yes, Spacey is extremely problematic. He also was into boys, not girls.
All of that, in context, gives this movie, and everything around it, more layers to dig into.
Asleep_Onion@reddit
Yeah, I mean finding out that the guy who played Lester was doing less acting than we really thought doesn't change my opinion about the film very much.
ArticulateRhinoceros@reddit
It’s one of those movies where people over identify with the protagonist, intentionally misunderstand their portrayal and bend over backwards to try and make him a hero/positive figure.
Illustrious-Lead-960@reddit
Of COURSE it was! Can’t anyone ever be responsible when using the phrase “aged well”??? We may as well just drop it from our vocabulary at this point.
jericho74@reddit
Exactly. Every since the fall of Spacey every still from American Beauty has been used to suggest the theme is “Hey, Mena Suvari, despite being in high school, is the real American Beauty and gosh darn it the heart wants what the heart wants and so here’s good ole Kevin Spacey’s middle aged character teaching America how to lust by constantly dousing her in rosepetals at and all of that is Just Awesome because 1998”
djdecimation@reddit
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I do think it’s fine to talk about it with people our age or older, but you probably wouldn’t with younger generations. I don’t think we need to censor things that existed in a different time, but the subject matter probably wouldn’t make it to theaters these days.
arnpjb@reddit
Princess Bride will always be perfect.
The brat pack movies haven’t aged well- I still like watching them now and then for nostalgia’s sake but there are definitely some things I no longer find as funny or cool as I did when I was a kid.
DmtTraveler@reddit
What's wrong with breakfast club?
dust4ngel@reddit
the part about weed making everyone hyperactive could have been more factual.
but also the homophobia and sexual assault.
max_power1000@reddit
I've always been a fan of Hollywood "high" scenes. Imagine treating Half Baked like it should be documentary-level accurate.
DmtTraveler@reddit
I was stoned first time I watched it and found the farsical weed scene hilarious
arnpjb@reddit
Bender going up Claire’s skirt under the table without her permission? The whole “makeover” being the reason Andrew liking Allison. There are others. All of the brat pack movies have some similar things that were played as jokes or romance back in the day that really don’t hold up now, same with a lot of 80s comedies actually.
DmtTraveler@reddit
Eh, Im still watching and enjoying it
arnpjb@reddit
I do from time to time as I said, and I still like them, but I don’t find some of humor funny anymore
Aestryx47@reddit
Fine wine: The Big Lebowski. Gets better every time. The Dude just vibes harder as I get older. I understand his rug obsession now. We don't speak of: American Pie. Tried watching it recently and spent the whole time wondering why we thought any of that was funny. The flute scene. The webcam thing. The "warm apple pie." No. Just no. Some things should stay in 1999.
Asleep-Elderberry260@reddit
I have a junior teen age boy, who watched this at buddy's house, the whole group thinks that movie is hilarious. On the plus side we had a lot of good conversations about the stuff that happened in that movie.
max_power1000@reddit
The optimal viewing age for that movie is between 15-22. Any younger and you're not ready for it, and any older and you've matured past it. But in that window of years, it might as well be the funniest thing ever.
trainwreckhappening@reddit
Actually American Beauty seems more fitting, since he was experiencing an irrational infatuation with his daughter's highschool friend while doing dope with his daughter's boyfriend (whose dad thought he was having a gay sexual relationship with).
max_power1000@reddit
And the gay couple had the only functional loving adult relationship in the movie.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
It's ground breaking for sure. It brought to the mainstream the black comedy humor that became the norm in the 2000s and beyond.
nostrademons@reddit
What, people forgot about Heathers?
You_need_a_drink@reddit
Rocky
Revenge of the Nerds
CIarkNova@reddit
I <3 huckabees.
driventhin@reddit
Gotta go with 2 very different childhood favorites:
Clue the movie (1985): I loved it as a 7 yr old and still to this day; it’s now become a cult classic apparently but for me, it is just my absolute favorite comedy ever and has aged like fine wine! 🥰
Purple Rain (1984): I was OBSESSED with Prince as a kid; the Purple Rain album was my favorite, the Purple Rain tour was my first concert and the movie Purple Rain, well… used to be a favorite. I can’t watch it now at my big age and in modern times; it is so problematic! How was this my favorite movie? The music may be 🔥but it doesn’t lessen the cringe factor at all! 🤦🏾♀️
digitaljestin@reddit
You are coming at this from the angle of "it wasn't as problematic at the time". That's absolutely false in the case of American Beauty.
Nothing whatsoever has changed since this movie came out, at least insofar as regarding the premise of the movie. Everything that is cringe today was cringe back then too. It was supposed to be like that, and if you didn't cringe at the time then you didn't get the movie at all...and were likely a creep.
The only thing that can make this problematic in retrospect is the casting choice, which if I'm being honest, actually makes it hold up even more. It's fitting that such a problematic character is portrayed by a similarly problematic actor. It kinda plays into the premise, and certainly doesn't detract from it. Had Spacey been playing a wholesome character, it would be a different story.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I get it. I said this elsewhere, but my perspective on this is really coming from working with tons of 20-somethings. Like, I could sit through American Beauty now and appreciate much of it. But I would never bring it up as a conversation with the kids who I work with who often pepper me with questions about how the world used to be.
I guess my heavy experience with young people isn’t the norm. I should have come at it from a different angle in this sub, or even picked a different movie.
Mockuwitmymonkeypnts@reddit
For what it is worth, I agree with you. When this movie came out I liked some of it, but as a teenage girl who was tired of creepy older men, I also hated it. I get what the message is, but for many girls who really are flirted with by their friend's dad or older bosses I also don't really care. Lester was gross.
thisistherevolt@reddit
Clue and There's Something About Mary.
king_scootie@reddit
I haven’t seen it in years… What’s wrong with there is something about Mary?
Edexote@reddit
I don't see what's wrong with it either.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
i had never seen Something About Mary and just watched it recently… i wouldnt have liked it then and i didnt like it now either lol
thisistherevolt@reddit
I saw it for the first time as an 8th grader. I understand why I liked it then, but I cringe now. Among other feelings and emotions.
thisistherevolt@reddit
Why in the world is this getting downvoted lol. People don't like that I grew up from what I was in 1999?
sweatshirtsweatpants@reddit
I agree with you!
ANotSoFreshFeeling@reddit
wrathofthewhatever2@reddit
People in my circle are still referencing 7 minute abs far too often for this movie to be considered forgotten about
thisistherevolt@reddit
No one said forgotten about.
wrathofthewhatever2@reddit
Isn’t the OP “one we don’t speak of”? I just took that as the same as forgotten about
thisistherevolt@reddit
Not the same sentiment
wrathofthewhatever2@reddit
Geez man, well it is similar enough to me. Ok how about this…..my friends say “7 minute abs” too often to have something about Mary fall into the category of “one that we do not speak of anymore”.
Is that better? Did I fulfill your exact criteria to the letter now?
thisistherevolt@reddit
Please go touch grass.
majikmixx@reddit
Can you keep a secret?
Yeah!
So can I.
Linzcro@reddit
There’s Something About Mary is one of my favorites of all time.
VonBrewskie@reddit
So I Married An Axe Murderer
While I still love most of it, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a bit sour for me. The entire movie hinges on the joke that the villain is Trans. I get it. It isn't supposed to be that deep. But as much as I admire and respect Jim Carrey, and as much as that movie means to me personally through shared experience with my dad, I still see it's shortcomings now that I didn't before. Don't mean to be a bummer, sorry.
highlnd@reddit
Goonies and Short Circuit
MeButSecret@reddit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is my forever fave and totally holds up
Ace Ventura aged like transphobic milk
Pea666@reddit
Ace Ventura does have moments of brilliance but the problematic bits make me cringe. The second one manages at times to be even funnier (the rhino scene) but it’s also so, so racist.
Known-Damage-7879@reddit
The second one isn't that racist, yeah he's in a tribal culture, but it's not like it's making fun of black people. More the absurdity of Ace Ventura in a place like that
Pea666@reddit
Many of the black people are being portrayed as backwards and silly and deferential to their colonial overlords. There’s a ton of stereotypes in that movie though so nobody gets off easy and it’s funny as shit but I don’t feel like it’s aged all that well.
AlienDelarge@reddit
I hated Ace Ventura, and I'm so glad most people seem to have forgotten it.
walter_grimsley@reddit
Ghostbusters and Short Circuit. Love both movies but SC seems sadly forgotten today. Still can't believe they never sold toy J5s.
Auyan@reddit
One of my father's favorite stories to tell was me asking to watch Johnny 5 and him yelling at me "there is no movie called Johnny 5!" How could he have seen that movie so many times with me and not known what I was talking about... Oh shit, was that just his parenting way of not having to watch that again?!
Hey laser lips! Your momma was a snowblowa!
Turd-In-Your-Pocket@reddit
I called Gremlins “Gizmo” for several years but my parents always knew what I meant and called it that too lol
toasterb@reddit
I will say that the way that the way women are treated in Ghostbusters has not aged like fine wine at all.
I realize that it's in service of showing qualities of certain characters — e.g. Venkman is a creep — but he still gets the girl at the end! Not a great lesson.
basiden@reddit
He is a total creep. She basically goes into fawn mode to get him out of her apartment after he corners her in it. But it's totally ok, because then he stalks her lightly so it must be love.
My kids got a quick reminder on enthusiastic consent during that one.
toasterb@reddit
Thank you! I've gotten downvoted to hell in the past for pointing this out.
Some people just don't want to admit that favourites from the past — it was probably one of my most watched movies — might have some dicey moments.
Grumpy-Troglodyte@reddit
I have a flag that instead of being "Don't tread on me" is "NO DISASSEMBLE!" and it's J5 with his hands up. I almost cried laughing when I saw it. One of my favorite movies
-piso_mojado-@reddit
You can’t say things like that and not share a link.
xrelaht@reddit
If you search for “no disassemble gadsen flag”, you’ll find it instantly.
JonFromRhodeIsland@reddit
I need this
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
You know I thought Fisher Stevens was Indian until like two years ago?
xrelaht@reddit
I can beat that: I thought he was until I read your comment!
yamahowzer@reddit
He tried really hard to present the character honestly and really regretted the role later on. The character wasn't Indian when he took the role and they changed it in pre production, so he studied the accent and mannerism... but then it's played for laughs with classic brownface tropes, very problematic in a modern lens. I blame the director not the actor for this one
walter_grimsley@reddit
I still say to this day, he was such a good actor I accepted him as Indian without a second thought. I never perceived him as mocking that culture, he was mocking the stereotypical shut-in computer nerd/tech wonk with limited social skills. Both he and Crosby were originally written that way. I don't even blame the director- 100% studio exec interference.
Chicken_Water@reddit
I have Indian coworkers who grew up and thought he was Indian. Was one of their favorite movies.
Tempest_Fugit@reddit
He also makes the most uncomfortable boner joke in cinema
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I honestly don’t hold it against him. It was a different time. He wouldn’t do it today, and that’s good enough for me.
RUk1dd1nGMe@reddit
The same year short circuit was released, a movie called Soul Man was also released. It was a different time indeed.
zorbacles@reddit
but yet white chicks is considered fine and possibly getting a sequel
walter_grimsley@reddit
I forgot about Soul Man. I remember seeing the commercials and trailers for that when I was 9 and thinking it was kinda weird.
Dfiggsmeister@reddit
The movie was just as bad. He leaned into the blackface.
PancakeProfessor@reddit
When I was a kid, I got Soul Man and Rain Man mixed up. When Rain Man was up for all the Oscars, I remember thinking “the movie about the guy who pretends to be black?”. Even at 10 years old, I didn’t understand why that movie was getting so much praise. I watched Rain Man later and it all made sense finally.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
Not C. Thomas Howell’s finest moment
andrewclarkson@reddit
Yeah I feel like 90% of these types of complaints are just performative outrage. It clearly wasn't mean-spirited and back in those days nobody would have even thought to be bothered by it. Social norms have changed so much since then, it's not really fair to judge old work by current standards IMO.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
That’s my main issue. I can say that playing brown face isn’t the best way to do it anymore, but you can’t go back and freak out about shit that happened in the 80s. Times and standards were different.
Ackapus@reddit
I think it's actually kind of a "Mexicans Love Speedy Gonzales" situation- I've heard that his character is actually well-liked in India, mostly for Stevens' honest hard work on the accent and mannerisms, and despite the malapropers and comedic sidekick status he's still playing technically a heroic and intelligent role. He doesn't play the culture itself for comedic effect.
walter_grimsley@reddit
He doesn't play the culture itself for comedic effect.
Agreed. He's playing up the stereotype of highly specialized engineers who relate better to machines than people. Having gone to school with those types, his portrayal is dead-on accurate.
dialguy86@reddit
Don't forget Apu, people loved Apu
FluffusMaximus@reddit
As I understand it, Indians actually praise his portrayal.
zorbacles@reddit
same
Apprehensive_Hat8986@reddit
Yes. It's been discussed here before and is always worth identifying.
Fischer Stevens discussed it with Aziz Ansari and regrets the role. He has also had a number of Indians tell him that they thought he was Indian.
Grinagh@reddit
Same actor as the evil hacker in Hackers
Teasing_Pink@reddit
He goes by Mr. The Plague now.
VistaLaRiver@reddit
Mr. The Plague, sir.
CSWorldChamp@reddit
You know, I never put together that the wizkid Hollywood director turned murderer from that one episode of Columbo was the Indian guy in Short Circuit until like 3 months ago.
wazacraft@reddit
He only got US citizenship when he started dating Michelle Pfeiffer.
Delilah_Moon@reddit
I mean, I’d say being able to continue hooking up with Michelle Pfeiffer is as patriotic a reason as any to pledge allegiance…
Klutzy-Delivery-5792@reddit
Unless I'm missing the joke, he was born in Chicago.
wazacraft@reddit
You're missing the joke, but I appreciate you.
Separate_Counter9427@reddit
Started watching Succession?
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
PreachitPerk@reddit
Johnny 5 IS ALIVE!
CeleryDramatic4678@reddit
Ooh I love Short Circut!! I always say “today, Crosby, today!!”, when someone is taking a long time to turn in traffic.
My ex and I also named our 11 year old daughter Stephanie - I love saying “beautiful Stephanie!”
heylistenlady@reddit
A few months ago, I was mixing a batter and said "Lumpy." Then I informed my husband "That's what Johnny 5 says when he's making pancakes in Short Circuit" and his response was "..ok." haha
walter_grimsley@reddit
Sounds like my wife who somehow missed all classic 80s movies
sven_ftw@reddit
Short circuit was amazing. You're a heeeeerooooo
vand3lay1ndustries@reddit
I would pay anything to upload Claude to a replica J5 toy.
swizzymcbane@reddit
Well I taught my kids “Hey laser lips, your mother was a snow blower” and they thought it was pretty funny so I guess it’s not completely forgotten.
valleysally@reddit
Not long ago I saw Ghostbusters in the theater, playing alongside the frozen one. There was a kid a row ahead of me, probably 7 or 8, on the edge of his seat. A great movie is timeless.
-piso_mojado-@reddit
They did sell them. They were all disassembled.
ResurgentClusterfuck@reddit
Mo disassemble Johnny 5!
bikemandan@reddit
NO DISASSEMBLE
Expensive-Froyo8687@reddit
And thus . . . dead?
LeroyJacksonian@reddit
The movie is (or was) free on YouTube premium, and I watched it with my nephew. He loved it! I found a Lego Johnny 5 on Amazon for him for Xmas.
attnbajoranworkers@reddit
I’ll never forget how excited I was when my family visited Toronto and I got to buy Sweet Valley Twins books from the world’s largest bookstore where they filmed j5 going nuts in SC2 🤣 INNNNNPUTTTT
LooseAlbatross@reddit
NO DISASSEMBLE
Whitetiger9876@reddit
First off how dare you. Johnny 5 is alive.
Batmansbutthole@reddit
OK, I’ve never seen short circuit and I just watched the trailer and it’s hilariously bad, but in a really good way.
brainvheart143@reddit
And also Batteries Not Included!!
Key-Shift5076@reddit
I still love *Batteries Not Included.
walter_grimsley@reddit
Another forgotten favorite! Saw it in the theatre on original release. Such an odd little movie.
burner456987123@reddit
Short circuit and SC2 are on tubi
FrostyMasterpiece400@reddit
A toy store in my city made a full size animatronic J5, it's insane when they take it out
Blue_Eyed_Devi@reddit
Johnny Five’s alive!
Street_Breadfruit382@reddit
Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead is as good as it ever was.
Flight of the Navigator seems all but forgotten.
beatlegirlstl@reddit
elboberto@reddit
Flight of the navigator holds up
NoMorePunch@reddit
It was the original Project Hail Mary
toasterb@reddit
A few months ago, I watched it with my wife (who hadn't seen it growing up) and my kids (10 & &). I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it held up!
I think my kids really enjoyed watching a movie geared for kids that wasn't purely a comedy. It doesn't seem like they really make live action movies like that anymore.
heylistenlady@reddit
I'm right on top of that, Rose!
RememberCakeFarts@reddit
Flight of the navigator blows my mind when I consider if it was remade and did remotely the same with it taking place the very year it released. Then it would be about some kid going missing in 2017 and arriving in 2026.
There wouldn't really be any new marvels just some poor kid going "wait what happened in 2020? And that's all right? How did it get worse? Wtf you mean chuck Norris is dead?!"
Allaplgy@reddit
Flight is a classic!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
The dishes are done, man
FoofaFighters@reddit
Park it yourself, Metallica-breath.
djsynrgy@reddit
There's a post here about it every few weeks or so. 😆
LivelyUndead924@reddit
"A gun rack? Chyeah, right..I don't even own a gun let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack."
Intelligent-Bed7284@reddit
The Birdcage is and always will be a delight.
I loved Cruel Intentions when it came out, but everyone looks like babies in it now. Tried to watch it the other day and didn’t make it very far in. Still a great soundtrack.
bjgrem01@reddit
I know the whole accent thing is not really appropriate these days, but Hank Azaria totally made this move go from good to great for me. His acting is entirely over the top and I love it. Agador is by far my favorite character in The Birdcage.
divinemadness42@reddit
Hank Azaria based the accent on his own grandmother's accent
Minotaar@reddit
Her Guatemalaness
AshDogBucket@reddit
Agador Spartacus
AshDogBucket@reddit
Watching cruel intentions as a teenager, it was sexy.
As an adult... it feels creepy. Even though these people are older than me now.
sweatshirtsweatpants@reddit
Same!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
The Birdcage is an all time favorite of mine. I loved everyone in that movie, particularly Gene Hackman
sweatshirtsweatpants@reddit
My grandmother loved the Bird Cage in the 90s. “I just love the Bird Cage,” she would say. I didn’t see it in its entirety until a few years ago and enjoyed it.
CrouchingDomo@reddit
I can’t hear “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge without picturing him in white sequins and a fabulous wig 🤩
Seriously, it’s like “Fortunate Son” and rotor blades, it’s positively Pavlovian.
OSUBeavBane@reddit
I love The Birdcage but Val and his motivations hit different when I watched it last year.
AshDogBucket@reddit
I really think Val was doing the best he could with what he had, in the culture he was a part of at the time. Not ok, but i like to think that he would do better today.
OSUBeavBane@reddit
I would agree with you if he was just your every man, but this is a dude who was raised by 2 gay men. He should have known that he shouldn’t ask them to be something that they were not.
AshDogBucket@reddit
Should, absolutely. But we don't always do what we should. I think he's realistic as a human character who gets it wrong sometimes.
Strange-Employee-520@reddit
Val was always the one weak part of that movie, he sucked. But I'll deal with him every time because everyone else is so good.
Adventurous_Pin_344@reddit
Agador! Agador Spartacus!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I don’t wear shoes…because they make me fall down…
Ace_Ranger@reddit
I quote this all the time. It's right up there with "there's no crying in baseball".
MustyGooNerd@reddit
Yeah I think Val is what stops it being a GOATed movie, totally out of his depth cast wise which is a shame because everything else is just perfect
unkindernut@reddit
The Cruel Intentions soundtrack introduced me to Placebo and I am forever thankful.
mssheevaa@reddit
https://youtube.com/shorts/wEuKZrCh0Rk?si=41X3qz3cM9z2e2C2
Just in case anyone wants a Albert shrieking montage
Lazy_Osprey@reddit
wazacraft@reddit
Man, I need some pirin tablets right now.
Dfiggsmeister@reddit
Armand: what are you doing giving him drugs? what the hell are pirin tablets?
Agador: It’s aspirin, I just scrape the a and the s off of them.
Armand: my god, what a brilliant idea.
Agador: I know.
wazacraft@reddit
I thought he said, "Agador, you are a GOD."
Dfiggsmeister@reddit
Nope! Clip
Jedi_Mind_Chick@reddit
Yes, the soundtrack!
Resident-Pattern4034@reddit
Walked out of the birdcage.
Also Mixed Nuts.
Who are these for?
Futant55@reddit
I tried watching it a few weeks ago and they did look like babies so I looked up their ages if they filmed in 1998 and its 21 to 26, I can’t believe Selma was the oldest at 26.
Evan_802Vines@reddit
This my cringy fav too. Richard Ashcroft was amazing in concert!
Invidiana@reddit
Randall_Hickey@reddit
I would say I judged people at the time by whether they liked American beauty or not. I don’t see this movie as cringe at all. The people that couldn’t admit to humanity having a dark side or doing things that you’re not always proud of or not people I wanted to be friends with. I don’t need fake people.
It was never OK that he was trying to sleep with his teenage daughter‘s friend. But when it came down to it, he did the right thing and didn’t do it. Sorry, I still think that’s a fantastic movie.
johndoe040912@reddit
Not Another Teen Movie (aged like fine wine) - so quotable & classic
All other movies it spoofed of
Floorlamp5@reddit
Fried Green Tomatoes / Zandalee
Asleep_Onion@reddit
Armageddon is a movie that has aged like milk - not for any nefarious reasons, but just because nobody wants to admit that they ever liked it. I know it was a dumb movie for a lot of reasons but I'm not ashamed to admit it's a guilty pleasure of mine to still watch it from time to time.
Hot-Ad930@reddit
I still love Armageddon and I have no idea why.
Asleep_Onion@reddit
It's a stupid story, but also a fun and emotional story at the same time
ThingsOfThatNaychah@reddit
The Emperor's New Groove is as funny today as it was in 2000.
Dumbo, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, The Aristocats, The Jungle Book, Aladdin, and Pocahontas to name a few, are rough watches with all of their racist caricatures. Not to mention all of the sexism in early Disney princess movies.
banterjosh@reddit
Princess Bride and that awful Garbage Pail Kids movie that feels like a fever dream.
AdumLarp@reddit
Garbage Pail Kids was fucking terrible. Still glad I got to see it though.
Hot-Ad930@reddit
I do still think the concept of a "state home for the ugly" is hilarious
sweatshirtsweatpants@reddit
We went to see Garbage Pail Kids in 1987 in the theatres, and we left in the beginning of it. I think I watched a clip or two of it on YouTube.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I’ll have to ask my brother if he saw the garbage pail kids movie — I remember them, but not the movie. Princess Bride is a forever classic though.
sweatshirtsweatpants@reddit
Hero (with Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, and Andy Garcia), the Fugitive 90s reboot with Harrison Ford, The Bird Cage, Empire Records (I think?), Jurassic Park. No Longer Speak of: when the party ends (1992), American Pie series, there’s something about Mary, Cruel Intentions
GustavSnapper@reddit
We all know what Kevin spacey is like as a human being. Nobody is ever not going to forget that.
But Usual Suspects and American Beauty are two of the best movies ever made.
Officialfish_hole@reddit
Dana Carvey deserved an Oscar for his portrayal of Garth. it's one of the best acting performances ever
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I was sad to learn that Mike Meyers was a crazy “don’t look at me in the eyes!!!” kind of monster making these movies. I think he and Dana worked it out eventually and Mike chilled out years later, but I think this movie was less fun to make than it has always been to watch.
Doesn’t dampen my enjoyment one bit.
FidgitForgotHisL-P@reddit
Sooooo you’re saying Mike wanted everyone bowing down, saying “we’re not worthy”?
That makes sense lol
Officialfish_hole@reddit
yeah, I have a hard time watching Mike Myers movies because he seems like such a pompous jerk in real life
thewayoutisthru_xxx@reddit
Just remember the feeling he must have had based on his face when Kanye said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and it cut to commercial
Mike left his body in that moment
Officialfish_hole@reddit
"on one occasion he stormed off the set, upset that there was no margarine for his bagel"
wanting margarine on anything is gross, but throwing a fit about it is weird
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
This is one of those facts you remember forever. Like when he dies, I’m going to immediately tell someone he ate margarine on his bagels
Level_99_Healer@reddit
"Did you hear? Mike Meyers died last night! This really sucks."
"Did you know that he ate his bagels with margarine? MARGARINE! What kind of heathen does that? But yeah, RIP Austin Powers."
danbob411@reddit
Uh, a lot of us ate margarine back then. It was supposed to be healthier than butter. I grew up on it.
Superdad75@reddit
This sounds like a Dr. Evil-esque tantrum.
CoyoteDown@reddit
I thought that only applied to Carvey bc he would make Mike laugh.
Myers breaking character due to Dana’s improv
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
this isn’t where I first read about it, but it talks about the stuff I referenced
Master_Bookkeeper858@reddit
I thought the Dana Carvey Mike Myers feud was over Myers stealing Carveys impression of Lorne Michaels for Dr. Evil??
yourfriendkyle@reddit
That’s kinda weird cause there are plenty of Lorne Michaels impersonations throughout the SNL extended movieverse
WiseDrink2324@reddit
He based Garth on his brother. His brother was a customer of mine and his mannerisms are spot on. I would have LOVED to been there when those two were growing up
yourlittlebirdie@reddit
I mean, why does this guy have contracts?
azazyl@reddit
Always separate the art from the artist. American Beauty is still an amazing film.
nothingnatural@reddit
Embarrassed to say I saw Garden State in theatres, TWICE.
FewAdhesiveness7146@reddit
I figured out that movie is good at only a very particular point in your life. Watch it too soon or too late in life and it comes off as incredibly awkward, weird, and whiny
Eephusblue@reddit
You hate Wayne’s World now!?!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
Noooooo. I don’t watch American beauty much
Eephusblue@reddit
I figured. Just playing. American Beauty curdled fast
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I can’t have anyone thinking I don’t have eternal love for WW
PizzaWhole9323@reddit
Okay fine wine.... raiders of the Lost ark. The one we no longer speak of... Revenge of the nerds.
Allureme@reddit
Yeah I don’t really talk about Wayne’s world. It was funny when I was 12
RyFromTheChi@reddit
The Mighty Ducks is still awesome.
The 3 Ninjas is unwatchable
killedmygoldfish@reddit
Fine wine: Cruel Intentions
Shame Corner: Bring It On (still a peak 90s movie anyway)
Fine_Violinist5802@reddit
The Usual Suspects will never die as a brilliant film. As for films no longer spoken of, I'd go with Basic Instinct. It was so wild in its day, but your average 14 year old has seen 10 times "more" on a daily basis since about 2 years after it was released.
International_Bit478@reddit
Nobody talks about The Usual Suspects anymore, presumably because of Kevin Spacey, but damn was that a great movie. Amazing ensemble cast, great story, great acting, and of course all the crazy twists. Benicio Del Toro was hilarious.
trickstress@reddit
As was Kevin Pollack. “Fuck your father in the shower and have a snack. Am I being charged?”
No_Network4228@reddit
I rewatched this not too long ago and boy, was the peak attractiveness Benicio Del Toro. I always had a thing for Spanish/Latin guys and always liked him as an actor but now 40 year old me is looking at younger Benicio being like whoa, I want that snack.
VisiblePlatform6704@reddit
I don't understand this view... There are SO MANY things we enjoy nowadays that come from people or companies with terrible pasts: Like Aspirin and IG Farber, Asbetos awareness, Sulfa drugs; or the US founding fathers: Jefferson had 600 slaves, Washington, etc.
Like, we can hate or disagree with the person and their actions. But their products and creations can still be valuable to society.
cjbevins99@reddit
“Can you hear me in the back?! Hellllllooooo??”
junglegymjessie@reddit
"He'll flip ya" took me 15 watches to finally figure out what he was saying. Brilliant!
Goongagalunga@reddit
“Flip you for real!”
djsynrgy@reddit
Not just Kevin Spacey; Brian Singer, too.
jeffsang@reddit
I think Usual Suspects is still relatively popular. I'd still certainly recommend it to be. And just generally referring to Keyser Soze is still a cultural reference.
Rags2Rickius@reddit
I was already watching Shannon Tweed and Shannon Whirry movies before Basic Instinct.
Basic Instinct was pretty fkn average for me lol but I guess the plot was better
taleofbenji@reddit
Yea, Basic Instinct is like one frame of nothing. And people lost their minds.
Fine_Violinist5802@reddit
HELLO-NEWMAN looked like he was going to have a heart attack
hdiggyh@reddit
Personally I am not sure what the issue with American Beauty is now compared to when it came out. It seems like people are creeped out by Kevin Spacey - but what does no one have an issue with Seven or Usual Suspects or any of his other movies? The age dynamic thing was always an issue even when it came out, that was kind of the point.
AshDogBucket@reddit
Are you aware of what's going on in the news right now regarding predatory men and underage girls?
ello_bassard@reddit
You are aware Spacey molested boys right?
AshDogBucket@reddit
Have you watched the movie American Beauty??
ello_bassard@reddit
Yes. I'm talking about what Spacey did IRL not in a fucking movie.
AshDogBucket@reddit
This post is about a fucking movie 😆
ello_bassard@reddit
Stop being disingenuous af. 5 month old account with over 12k karma, yea ok. Loser.
hdiggyh@reddit
Uh yeah I’m not living under a rock. I’m also aware that people thought this was creepy at the time it came out. I’m also aware he did eventually come to his senses and didn’t do anything with her in the movie.
MetalEnthusiast83@reddit
Kevin Spacey doesn't care about underage girls, since he's gay and all.
GhostChips42@reddit
Revenge of the Nerds and This is Spinal Tap. Both from the same year. One is vinegar and one is a Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru.
elusivejoo@reddit
hey now, i talk about waynes world all the time.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
xfileluv@reddit
Blade Runner = fine wine
Sixteen Candles = turned wine
TragicHedgehog@reddit
Too sleepy to think of one that aged well…but Revenge of the Nerds aged like crap.
paloma_delmar@reddit
Now that I think back on American beauty, it's def a pedo film, but also so stupid it's funny
Checked_Out_6@reddit
Disney’s Robin Hood, a classic
Summer of Sam, it didn’t catch on in its time but, in my opinion, is Spike Lee’s best film. A lot of people were just confused by a bisexual lead at the time. If you look at rotten tomatoes a lot of people say its too violent? Like, have you seen today’s movies?
tabrazin84@reddit
Literally every person I know had a crush on one of those two foxes… 🦊
Checked_Out_6@reddit
I didn’t want to say it, but you did! Maybe I’ll see you in furry_irl 😘
Economy-Weird-2368@reddit
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Next_Rent_9096@reddit
The craft aged very well.
-SandorClegane-@reddit
Fairuza Balk is bae
ApatheistHeretic@reddit
I have a theory that in Waterboy, she's playing the same character she was in the Craft, just aged a bit and calmed down with some exposure to the world.
DAHMER_SUPPER_CLUB@reddit
toothpicks-galore@reddit
would have been nice to have that sync up and be in the buffy universe
chadwickipedia@reddit
Had a whole unit in class in college on American Beauty in 2007. Still think the movie is great
CuriousLands@reddit
Aged like fine wine: Zoolander
We no longer speak of: Bio Dome
putitontheunderhills@reddit
The episode of my '80s and '90s movie podcast that drops next week is on Wayne's World. Funny the coincidences that you notice.
Ingonyama70@reddit
The Secret of NIMH is a movie that's as old as I am, but doesn't show a single year of its age. It's exceptionally well animated, utterly beautiful, and has a deeply moving story, though the ending is a little WTF if you're not willing to buy into magic amulets in a largely rural animal story with light sci-fi elements, LOL.
Conversely, even though I grew up on it and hold it dear to my heart to this day, I cannot in good conscience recommend The Secret Of The Sword to anyone unironically unless they're already a He-Man or She-Ra fan and somehow have not seen it.
HYThrowaway1980@reddit
Withnail & I has only got better with age, especially since Richard E Grant found real success in the last few years.
Dazed & Confused has so many contentious elements that I don’t think it would fly with Gen Z or Alpha at all.
Laherschlag@reddit
I watched Dazed and Confused recently and it still holds up pretty ok. Full disclosure: i was violently high while watching it, but i enjoyed it and it was entertaining
peenpeenpeen@reddit
Both original Addams Family movies. Extremely well written and the camp factor + deadpan cynicism feels even more potent today.
ello_bassard@reddit
I absolutely adore those movies and always get a bit teary eyed being reminded Raul Julia is no longer with us.
Laherschlag@reddit
I watched a documentary on Raul Julia on PBS a few years ago and it had a scene where he's playing opposite Meryl Streep in a Shakespeare in the Park production of Midsommer Nights Dream and he is acting circles around her. This was a production in the late 70s-mid 80s (iirc), but it was fascinating to watch. He was so good. What a tragedy he died so young.
Cuandoman@reddit
Office Space & Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels.
dust4ngel@reddit
wait, what's problematic/cringe about lock stock?
DAHMER_SUPPER_CLUB@reddit
I don’t think op read the question right. Lockstock has aged well IMO.
Cuandoman@reddit
No longer speak of is not the same as againg badly. Just fell off the radar.
Fine_Violinist5802@reddit
I live in Europe. Recommended a Serbian workmate watch Office Space for first time literally last week. He reported back that it's 100% on point and brilliant. Only thing that's aged is the CRT computer monitors.
Cuandoman@reddit
I'm gonna have to ask your Serbian workmate to come in on Sat-ur-day, mmm kay?
coffee_robot_horse@reddit
That's gotta be the only good use of "recommended a Serbian" in a movie thread.
Logical-Cherry9395@reddit
Goonies
Out of left field on this one - Sgt Scott on Midsomer Murders as a ladies man. The leering is so off putting in 2026. I still love the show, but I can't wait until he's gone because it just doesn't land as anything other than Creeper Ick.
HerRoyalRedness@reddit
I skip his episodes and go right to the Ben Jones era.
CrouchingDomo@reddit
I’m still salty about how they nerfed Sgt. Jones. He was a sharp detective and when the time came for Best Barnaby to retire, the show should’ve promoted Jones and had the WPC become the new sidekick. Instead, we got New Barnaby with still-Sgt. Jones, who is now inexplicably kind of a dummy.
I do like the dog, though.
Emotional_Site1786@reddit
If Sgt. Troy's not in it, I don't watch it.
wayoverpaid@reddit
Agree with a lot of items listed here so I'll name a few not said.
Alien is an all time classic. As with most things it had too many sequels, but it still holds up.
I feel like Ferris Bueller's Day Off has not aged well. Ferris seems like such a toxic friend who actively is ruining Cameron's life.
Ok_Passage_7151@reddit
This is debated a lot. Depends if you believe this was all about Ferris, or if Ferris was just trying to get his friend to have fun and get out of his shell. I used to be in the former camp but upon rewatch have switched to the latter.
horror-@reddit
I'll just leave this here.
Ok_Passage_7151@reddit
Midlife crisis movies are very hit or miss. I always hated American Beauty and Lost in Translation as boring, pretentious dogshit.
Now that I am in midlife, I still think they are dogshit.
viking_linuxbrother@reddit
Nothing with Kevin spacey aged well.
arafel3@reddit
Ghostbusters is always good.
Ace Ventura, not so much. Liked it at the time but…
Muffin-sangria-@reddit
I still talk about American beauty. It’s still in my top ten.
DeadHead2002@reddit
I recently rewatched Tombstone and Braveheart, and historical inaccuracies aside, I felt they aged well. I used to love, I mean watched over a 100 times type of love, Dazed and Confused. I finally tried to rewatch it a year or so ago after not watching it for almost 20 years, and I couldn't finish it.
FalconGK81@reddit
I never understood the movie, even back then. A few memorable/quotable bits in a see of "who cares".
Plumeria9798@reddit
I’ll do battle of the teen 1999 movies 10 Things I Hate About You (I still think this holds up well ) and She’s All That (this really doesn’t.)
absentlyric@reddit
Aged like fine wine: Falling Down
One we don't speak of: Battlefield Earth
flaming_bob@reddit
Let's be honest, we didn't speak much of Battlefield Earth then either
AdTop3924@reddit
Ooo Shawshank Redemption could’ve been made yesterday. It is eternally good and I will watch forever. A movie we don’t talk about is Crash! Fuck that garbage
n0exit@reddit
How about the 1996 Crash directed by David Cronenberg?
dust4ngel@reddit
do you mean the one where james spader gets horny about car crashes or the one where matt dillon is a rapey cop?
luthervespers@reddit
oooof the oscar going to crash over brokeback mountain still pains me
Res_Novae17@reddit
Honestly that's the only reason people hate it. If the movie didn't win that award it would be remembered as a perfectly functional if on-the-nose bit of social commentary.
flightlessbird7@reddit
Nah, I always thought it was pretty bad, even back then. It's just not subtle.
Roguebantha42@reddit
To be fair, if it didn't win an Oscar very few people would likely remember Crash at all
AdTop3924@reddit
It was really hyped for a time though. Everyone I know saw it at the time and we all thought it was ridiculous
pm_me_your_lub@reddit
I still don't know what that movie was supposed to be about. I was as confused at the credits as I was when the film started.
Funny-Top-1759@reddit
I was gonna ask, Which Crash?, but they are both trash. The JG Ballard noel Crash is interesting, though
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
1997 version?
Seven22am@reddit
Yes! The Cronenberg Crash was so weird and so good. For those of you who missed it, it’s about a group of people who have a fetish for being in car crashes.
Educational-Tie00@reddit
lwk Crash! was garbage. I dunno why everyone was praising it when it came out
jeffsang@reddit
I've wondered that as well. Maybe in another decade or two, there will be another reappraisal of it and everyone will love it again.
TheDangDeal@reddit
I watched Shawshank so many times when I had cable. If I flipped to it or saw it was on, it was on. Top 5 movie!
thisistherevolt@reddit
Bush-era War on Drugs propaganda. Gross.
Professional_Boss_20@reddit
Now and then vs. The remake of Cruel Intentions
brainvheart143@reddit
Perfect- Stand By Me
Problematic…. Thelma & Louise. I still think it’s perfect but yeah… the ending is not the message we want out there.
mnbvcxz9753@reddit
Just you, Ace. Just you!
brainvheart143@reddit
What do you need a comb for Verne? You haven’t got any hair!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
Wayne’s World is still my all-time favorite movie. I remember loving the hell out of American Beauty and raving about it for years…today…not so much. Like big yikes
No-Clock-2420@reddit
Are you gonna marry her?
Garth! Marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries
ThePerfectSnare@reddit
So do you come to Milwaukee often?
Klutzy-Delivery-5792@reddit
I think you mean "The Good Land."
Mechanical_Monk@reddit
And it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que"
satanya83@reddit
Which is Algonquin for…”the good land”.
fire_n_ice@reddit
Does this guy know how to party or what?!?
Seven22am@reddit
Well, I'm a regular visitor here, but Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers were coming here as early as the late 1600s to trade with the Native Americans.
ooooooootreyngers@reddit
Does this guy know how to party, or what!?
FoofaFighters@reddit
I did...not know that.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
Well, I'm a regular visitor here, but Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors.
yamahowzer@reddit
45 minutes door to door from Aurora!
kingrat1@reddit
Doin' it our way! And yes, I'm old enough that I got the reference was to the Laverne and Shirley TV show.
Prudent-Session985@reddit
You're not supposed to approve of Kevin Spacy trying to bang a teenager.
That movie should be more relatable as you get older. Again, not the banging a teenager bit but everything else. If it's not then well consider yourself lucky.
weelassie07@reddit
The homophobia hiding a closeted homosexual was a big deal back then.
Allaplgy@reddit
Nope. That was a major plot point with the neighbor.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I’m a woman, so American Beauty has not gotten more relatable
Allaplgy@reddit
You are lucky. The point of the movie is exposing the ugly truth behind many faces of white American suburbia. It's still a fantastic movie, people just have a hard time with movies that don't really have "good guys."
AshDogBucket@reddit
As a woman, it never appealed to me. It was always triggering watching it as a young woman who was too aware of predatory men. As an adult, especially given gestures wildly at everything, I can't understand why we haven't universally agreed to be done with this movie.
Into-the-stream@reddit
When I was a teen girl I thought the discomfort was the point. I only saw Spacey’s character through the lens of the girl having to negotiate around creepy af older men.
I haven’t seen it as an adult, but I have no doubt my read was the wrong one. In the 90s a teenage girl would literally never see her point of view reflected back at her through a major Hollywood film. Of course it was whitewashing spacey’s character. Of course it was supposed to be his point of view.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
Best way is to tell your kids "you may and will likely come across friends that live a life or have grown up similarly around these kind of people".
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I don’t even mean my kids. They could give a shit about what movies I watched and would never grill me about them. I work with a ton of 20-something though, so a lot of my perspective comes from tiptoeing around them. You have to be extremely careful because they get upset very easily.
AshDogBucket@reddit
If American beauty is relatable to you, please seek help. ❤️
Prudent-Session985@reddit
It was relatable and I did get help. Again, not the don't bang high school girls part but everything else.
As an adult you should be able to identify with each of the main characters and be able to explain why they do the things they do. Not in I wanna bang kids or be homophobic because of my repressed homosexuality.
Like I said this should be a completely different movie to watch now than when you were a teenager. I could write dissertations on each character. How they are, what trauma they likely experienced, why that results in the way they act, the problems with what they're doing, and what they should do instead.
jeffsang@reddit
Yeah, the whole movie is about characters who are presenting themselves one way but are really the complete opposite. The only characters who are content are the ones who aren't doing that or overcome doing it. The movie is about Lester's journey to overcome all of it, including lusting after a teenager. I interpret it as the last temptation of a fake life that he didn't want that he has to overcome, which he does at the end when Mira Sorvino admits she's a fake as well. He decides not to bang a teenager and instead makes her a sandwich. At the end of the film, Lester is finally just content just being who he is. Col. Fitz is the complete opposite, thus the violent end.
I_AM_DEATH-INCARNATE@reddit
Independence Day and Volcano.
One is an all time classic sci-fi disaster movie, the other a mostly forgotten natural disaster movie.
I maintain that if you look past the inaccuracies of Volcano, it's a very fun movie.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I have only a vague memory of Volcano. Joe versus the Volcano, on the other hand, is still pretty clear
Hard agree on Independence Day. I saw it at the theater the weekend it opened. Was blown away.
Funandgeeky@reddit
Saw it on July 4th 30 years ago. I agree it was a fantastic theater experience and I still love it.
omega_manhatten@reddit
I feel like Volcano gets overlooked due to Dante's Peak. Both movies are a lot of fun though.
Independence Day is still a yearly watch on Fourth of July.
RipErRiley@reddit
Back to the Future and The Naked Gun w/ OJ
kingrat1@reddit
You take that back - Leslie Nielson is a saint, you hear me? A saint!
True, OJ didn't do much beyond be a straight man in the movie - but it was ok. Yes, I know this is in light of what he did in the 90s and after.
Funandgeeky@reddit
The way they handled OJ in the legacy sequel was brilliant.
blondeviking64@reddit
I would say Naked Gun holds up for me. I still watch the trilogy a couple of times per year. Its just too good.
Grumpy-Troglodyte@reddit
just watched Airplane a couple months ago. Love me some Nielson
AsparagusOverall8454@reddit
American beauty is so problematic now. Yikes
yourlittlebirdie@reddit
There was a whole spate of “oh no, I’m an aging white man with a comfortable, well paying white collar job and stable life and everything is going my way but I’m so booooored!” movies from the 90s that didn’t age particularly well.
New_Stats@reddit
I think the movie did a fantastic job of holding a mirror up to that part of our society back then.
yourlittlebirdie@reddit
It was an interesting time, between the end of the Cold War and before 9/11. We kind of had to invent our own enemies.
Common_Juggernaut724@reddit
Isn't it supposed to be though?
Allaplgy@reddit
Yes. People just don't understand media with "protagonists" that aren't supposed to be good people.
drwebb@reddit
How do you feel that we don't get movie like American Beauty anymore? In general, media has become more milquetoast.
dracrecipelanaaaaaaa@reddit
The entire point of the movie was to talk about problematic things.
That's the difference between "a movie" and "good cinema".
"A movie" entertains.
"Good cinema" makes you think, feel, and question things.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
At the time, even the whole affair thing seemed proposterous. But I realized all the stuff they highlight actually happens in real life.
dracrecipelanaaaaaaa@reddit
Exactly.
This was a spotlight on how rotten things can be in suburbia.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I can’t tell you how much I loved it. How interesting and sophisticated and funny I thought it was. I feel like such a dipshit
jeffsang@reddit
I agree with you regarding how I felt about it when it came out. It was interesting and sophisticated and funny and among the first movies like that where it was in the zeitgeist and I was old enough to be part of the conversation. I don't feel like a dipshit for it though. I haven't watched it a while, but last time I did, I still thought it was a pretty good movie. And it absolutely opened my eyes to what a movie could be. For that, I'll always appreciate it.
Sensitive_Pianist777@reddit
Well you are a dipshit for just sitting on your high horse for not taking accountability for who you are, not realizing "why" to can't even figure it out yet will absolve yourself that easily for other dipshit things you probably did and are still doing today without realizing it.
kingrat1@reddit
Ah, the 90s - edgelords were we all.
InfidelZombie@reddit
I don't understand how it would be more problematic now than it was then. It was ahead of its time if anything.
boring_person13@reddit
I think the fact Thor Birch was only 16 or 17, when she filmed it, is a problem. I know her parents signed off for her to do the nude scene but I think it's still a bit cringey.
B4SSF4C3@reddit
Hmm. Don’t think I’ve heard anyone mention Wayne’s World in like… 15 years. American Beauty is still brought up consistently. Not sure this works as well as you think.
nirreskeya@reddit
Brazil kind of meets both criteria, alas.
Own-Economy6208@reddit
Jurassic Park and 16 Candles
GoatTnder@reddit
Can I say it? I kinda hate all of the Brat Pack movies. They're not realistic, and everyone in them is kinda hateful.
el_pinko_grande@reddit
Yeah, watching The Breakfast Club as a teenager, it seemed way too much like adults projecting their own weird issues onto teenage characters. Never liked it.
Own-Economy6208@reddit
True. But Jake Ryan was hot 🤷🏾♀️
MonkeyBred@reddit
I think Groundhog Day is just as funny and sweet (and a little disturbing) as it was when it first released 33 years ago.
Powder released 2 years later, but about 7 years prior, it's director Victor Salva abused a 12 year old. Not super circulated info pre-internet.
Background_Intern_29@reddit
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut remains my favourite movie of all time. It's the only movie I've ever paid to see multiple times in a cinema. Still quote it all the time. And yes, I think its premise (beyond hur-hur-farts-and-f-bombs) totally holds up.
Revenge Of The Nerds*, on the other hand... as someone who was bullied for most of my school years, I used to love seeing the jerk jocks get their comeuppance. But of course no one speaks of it anymore due to the, er, extremely problematic stuff...
ooooooootreyngers@reddit
Ahhh...dirka dirka dirka Mohammed jihad!
lopingwolf@reddit
Team America World Police is still a fun watch!
itsamemarioscousin@reddit
Sounds like a giraffe is dying over there!
Beneficial-Cause9726@reddit
Napoleon Dynamite and Cool Runnings.
Funny-Top-1759@reddit
Love American Beauty and always will
TheVenetianMask@reddit
The CGI and a bunch of the "made for 90s TV" filming style in Screamers have aged very poorly, but it's a cool plot.
Kellzy1212@reddit
Addams Family and the sequel aged perfectly. A rare occasion of a sequel being better than the original, imo. I adored Sixteen Candles as a teenager, but it’s racist and praises sexual assault. “I think i liked it” ….. truly awful.
CanadianBertRaccoon@reddit
RoboCop
Revenge Of The Nerds
BirdNo4838@reddit
Terminator - still an all time favorite. American Beauty - doesnt really work today
Allaplgy@reddit
Why? If anything, it's as relevant as ever.
FUWS@reddit
Big Trouble in Little China was my fav but nobody talks about Willow.
Willow was the OG fantasy/medieval movie.
Allaplgy@reddit
My friends still quote Willow!
Out of the way, peck!
KayBeeToys@reddit
I mean, you’re not necessarily wrong about Willow, but they did reboot it as a TV show three years ago.
TK1129@reddit
I was so excited for the Willow show and was really disappointed with how it turned out. I didn’t even finish it and Disney+ removed it a short time later
chillin1066@reddit
Yeah. Glad I finished it, but oh it was disappointing
flyfisher1970@reddit
Outta my way, Peck!
lrdwlmr@reddit
I watched Willow more times as a kid than I can count, and still love it as an adult. Big Trouble in Little China is on my “embarrassed to admit I haven’t watched,” list.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
I loved both then & Love both now! Absolute classics for me
Magmomies@reddit
Golden Child and Commando. You choose which is which.
zookuki@reddit
American beauty literally focused on problematic people. It was a critique of society and was meant to be uncomfortable.
People may not like Kevin Spacey much (they don't like Mike Myers much either these days), but the film is not something we no longer discuss.
C-3Pcheep@reddit
Before Sunrise (1995) still feels true to the idealism and passion and ridiculousness of my own early 20s. I can roll my eyes at them because I'm out the other side of that age, but it captures something bittersweet in its accuracy.
Reality Bites (1994) was equally responsible for my Ethan Hawke, uh, mental situationship—but now the eye rolls are genuine. The characters look even more self-absorbed and annoying from the other side of 2008.
Geebeeskee@reddit
Wayne’s world is one of my top three favorite movies of all time.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
When I watch the movie, which is at the very least once a year, I have to stop myself from reciting almost every line.
A gun rack? What am I going to do with a gun rack? I don’t even have A gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I going to do with a gun rack?
Twilight_Skip34@reddit
If it’s a severed head I’m going to be very upset.
Geebeeskee@reddit
I requested the hand job
Nuprin
Cream of sum yun gai
Kung foo fighting
Pralines and dick
The list goes on…
blamberr@reddit
Independence Day was one of my favorites and I think it legit holds up. I watch it every few years. I wouldn’t say that we can’t speak of it, but I used to be obsessed with Fight Club. It doesn’t land the same way anymore.
p4rc0pr3s1s@reddit
Fight Club is an all time classic. The themes will always apply to modern society.
TheDangDeal@reddit
I get the idea of it combined with the current state of toxic masculinity…not standing up well…but you’re absolutely correct on the messaging. I would say it is more relevant today than when it was first released.
p4rc0pr3s1s@reddit
It has nothing to do with toxic masculinity, more the absence of masculinity. What even is a man? The whole speech about not being your belongings, the desire to erase the financial institutions that enslave us. Frankly, it hits harder than it ever did. Things have only gotten worse since it released.
n10w4@reddit
yeah though I think looking at it and thinking it was a pro-toxicity film is part of the bigger problem now of seeing everything through a twitter frame of mind.
E-2theRescue@reddit
The problem is that the "manosphere" has 0 media comprehension and believes that Durden is a hero. They believe he escaped some "feminized" life and became the pinnacle of what a manly man should be; essentially taking the "red pill" they go on about.
Which, side note, the "red pill" was created by two trans women, and The Matrix movies can easily be read as a trans metaphor. Even Agent Smith deadnames Neo to mock him.
TheDangDeal@reddit
I agree with you. I was just stating that I could see some people looking at it through that lens, as to why they would say it didn’t age well. Like you, I also think that is a shallow view of the overall message the film is making.
I am Jack’s herniated esophagus
Jedi_Mind_Chick@reddit
The book is almost identical to the movie, if you haven’t read it. Good read!
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I just don’t looooove it like I did. I was obsessed with it for years
Academic_Run8947@reddit
We watched Independence Day with our teens last summer and I couldn't believe how much I still enjoyed it. "Welcome to Earth!"
sarithe@reddit
Fight Club lands different now for you probably because you actually understand the message.
Delilah_Moon@reddit
Not just ID as a film - but the cultural embodiment it had. Theaters were packed all day and night for that movie. We all collectively cheered for the dog, we screamed and cheered for Bill Pullman’s speech, and we truly felt American that opening weekend.
A masterpiece in promotion and delivery.
OSUBeavBane@reddit
I think maybe your lens changed, Fight Club always had that message.
ColdFIREBaker@reddit
Clueless and Muriel's Wedding were my favourite movies in my teens. My daughter is a teen now and she and her peers have seen Clueless (and 10 Things I Hate About You, and Bring It On) but Muriel's Wedding has been largely forgotten. I know it was never as popular, so I guess it just faded into obscurity.
arnpjb@reddit
Love Muriel’s Wedding! You’re right, I never hear about it from other people though
Slammajadingdong69@reddit
1984 brought us
Ghostbusters
aaand…
Revenge of the Nerds
Chemical_Cat_9813@reddit
I dont understand why. Movies are just that, the actor? Separate from the movie. So sick and tired of the cancel culture bs.
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
I honestly wasn’t meaning to get into a negative cultural thing. It’s about my experience working with 20-somethings. I should have considered my audience much more.
Chemical_Cat_9813@reddit
well, I think its more about your phrasing. Kevin Spaceys actions have no bearing on the qualities of the film or their impact to popculture at the time.
Zip668@reddit
Airplane!
Tetsuo the Iron Man
Leather-Arachnid-417@reddit
American Beauty was supposed to be jacked up. That was the whole point.
Desperate_Gap9377@reddit
Empire Records and Reality Bites. "Welcome to the Maxi Pad"
swalabr@reddit
Glengarry Glen Ross
litesaber5@reddit
I thought and still think American Beauty is a masterpiece.
Grumpy-Troglodyte@reddit
Fine wine: any movie you enjoy watching
We no longer speak of: everything being problematic for one person, or 3 people, trying to remove it from ever being seen by anyone ever.
we all need to lighten the fuck up, it's a movie, not an instructional video, and we're all stuck here on this rock with a WHOLE lot more shit wrong than a 30 year old movie to worry about. if you get a deeper meaning, or you like the acting, cool, watch it and be happy.
we need to be happy. life is too short to be miserable about everything all the time.
LakeSolum@reddit
Not me but a friend of mine I knew in high school loved the horror movie clown house(1989) and I remember watching it once or twice….
Well during the post production of the film that sick fuck of a director sexually abused the child actor who played Casey in the film between shoots. And he only served 15 months….
It’s out of print now and I tried watching it once a few years ago, and nah I just couldn’t.
OctoWings13@reddit
American Beauty is still a great movie
kalitarios@reddit
I always get a kick out of the drive thru scene. I love this movie!
FrostyMasterpiece400@reddit
I kinda structured my life around that line.
I got snipped, no kids and travel a lot
Low responsibility is the tits
kalitarios@reddit
Me too!
"You're so busted!"
kalitarios@reddit
me too!
Hot_Frosty0807@reddit
Way too many people think that watching something means that you relate to the content or aspire to be like the people in the film. It's a great movie, and it should make you uncomfortable when you watch it. The predatory dynamic is part of the fabric of the movie. The entire point is to showcase how fucked up and selfish seemingly ordinary people can be, behind closed doors.
I have a friend who won't watch "Mad Men" because he doesn't like how the women are treated in the show. I keep telling him, it's just a depiction of how things were at the time, and he still doesn't want anything to do with it. I get it, be feminist all you want, but you can't deny history. Not watching a show because it's an accurate depiction of society is just as bad as whitewashing history. It needs to be left how it is and observed so we don't make the same mistakes over again.
iameveryoneelse@reddit
Why don’t you speak of Wayne’s World?
larryb78@reddit
Karate Kid & White Men Can’t Jump
Moist_Rule9623@reddit
Kevin Spacey: making already creepy movies a LITTLE CREEPIER IN HINDSIGHT since 2017
RoseMistress-@reddit
“Wayne’s World” aged like a fine vintage, while “Showgirls” is the hangover we all wish we could forget!
GravyPainter@reddit
Kevin Spacy hitting on minors turned out to be an unironically correct
Nervous_InsideU5155@reddit
Step Brothers and American Pie.
Baroque1123@reddit
"Starship Troopers" and "The English Patient"
JaxxisR@reddit
The Princess Bride and Willow are both perfect movies. After the series bombed, nobody talks about Willow.
dishwasher_mayhem@reddit
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey - Good
Soul Man - Not so much
SixAlarmFire@reddit
I still quote Ace Ventura but can never show it to modern kids because of the transphobic ending.
Jurassic Park is still a gem.
barefootincozumel@reddit
The fact that I had an American Beauty poster in my dorm gives me the big ick now. Especially because I had been the victim of an older man.
Roupes@reddit
Good will hunting is still a masterpiece. saving private Ryan 14 year old me loved but now it reads as boomer slop/propaganda.
rxFMS@reddit
Varsity Blues.
“Will you go prom wit me”?
bravoromeokilo@reddit
15 year old me loved both, for very different reasons. [Sad shwing noises].
Adventurous_Pin_344@reddit
Yeah... I had a big thing for Wes Bentley (the "creepy neighbor kid")
ughyoujag@reddit (OP)
Loool as long as you’re not still watching American Beauty.
dukecityzombie@reddit
Norm the Gnome. What a fun flick!
Agreeable_Mouse6000@reddit
Ferris Bueller’s Day off and Sixteen Candles. Yikes.
That1Master@reddit
I watched Wayne's World yesterday... it's...ok. I don't think it's aged very well. But it's way better than Wayne's World 2
dracrecipelanaaaaaaa@reddit
The world has changed a lot... "feeling" those movies is dependent on being soaked in a culture, a world, that hasn't existed for 30 years.
Evan_802Vines@reddit
Legends of the Fall and Cruel Intentions. Still enjoy all the actors now and both soundtracks are awesome.
Btw the Verve's Richard Ashcroft was amazing in concert!
theluzah@reddit
Waking Life and MirrorMask
No-Hospital559@reddit
I cant stand Mike Meyers for how he treated Dana Carvey. He just comes off as a smug piece of crap.
GreenLeafRelaxed@reddit
A year ago I watched Wayne’s World while on acid and was shouting why didn’t this win an Oscar lol. That movie just hit differently.