... To me, Alien is easily one of the best looking movies to hold up throughout the years. It has had some digital tinkerin' to benefit it, but nothing in that film, not even the matte paintings, pull me out of that flick. I think despite the fact that it was released in 1979, the DVD looks amazing.
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Movies that have aged AWESOMELY?
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Duck of Death
Member
I agree with Alien and Bladerunner. Ridley Scott was a master back then.
Terminator 2 has aged well; far better than other early 90s action films.
Stranger Than Paradise is a film that remains "cool."
Ghostbusters will forever remain awesome. The visual effects are noticeable, but they are well-implemented in the story. Slimer and The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man are still amazing.
Maybe we should limit this list somehow? It is easy to throw out a truly timeless film (North by Northwest, for example), but the rise in visual effects (and the 80s in general :lol) has put a clear timestamp on many films.
Terminator 2 has aged well; far better than other early 90s action films.
Stranger Than Paradise is a film that remains "cool."
Ghostbusters will forever remain awesome. The visual effects are noticeable, but they are well-implemented in the story. Slimer and The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man are still amazing.
Maybe we should limit this list somehow? It is easy to throw out a truly timeless film (North by Northwest, for example), but the rise in visual effects (and the 80s in general :lol) has put a clear timestamp on many films.
Litigation Manuel
Member
The Princess Bride
Ditto nod for Terminator 2 and Blade Runner. The story, effects, acting, everything has held up astonishingly well in both flicks. Granted, in the history of cinema those movies aren't old at all, but in relation to the growth of the CG/effects industry, they're ancient, and yet still set the standard...
Duck of Death said:
I remember showing a friend Blade Runner and he was amazed that it wasn't filmed like, five years ago.
Agreed.
I love this movie to death, but some of the stop motion work is horrendous. It really pulls me out of the flick at times.
Litigation Manuel said:
A surprising recommendation, but a good one, nevertheless.
North By Northwest? If there's any film out there that looks like it was filmed a few decades ago, it's that one.
Alien and Blade Runner are good choices for the most part. I think I'd add E.T. The Extra Terrestrial to that list. I think that one holds up pretty well, mostly because E.T. wasn't CGI or stop-motion animated, but was a real part of the movie.
Alien and Blade Runner are good choices for the most part. I think I'd add E.T. The Extra Terrestrial to that list. I think that one holds up pretty well, mostly because E.T. wasn't CGI or stop-motion animated, but was a real part of the movie.
Warm Machine
Member
Alien has hardly aged a day. I don't think Scott did any digital work to improve anything except for possibly remastering it.
Compare Alien to The Black Hole. Both came out the same year. Shows what good production design and lighting can give to a movie, let alone a more mature script.
Ridley Scott's style is probably always going to look contemporary. he was one of the few directors to actually use nice lighting and a more narrow depth of field. He was also one of the few to place a careful eye on set design.
Logans Run has dated horribly. It looks like some kind of disco/hippy mess. It came out the year before Star Wars and the difference between the two films is incredible.
Empire Strikes Back has hardly aged a day. Actually it has aged better than Jedi especially photographically.
THX-1138 has some incredible photography. Most of which looks like a cross between David Fincher and Kubricks work. Almost no director around that time was doing what George was doing.
I'd say Apocolypse Now has aged very well. Easier to do with a period piece, but once again the cinematography is beautiful.
Compare Alien to The Black Hole. Both came out the same year. Shows what good production design and lighting can give to a movie, let alone a more mature script.
Ridley Scott's style is probably always going to look contemporary. he was one of the few directors to actually use nice lighting and a more narrow depth of field. He was also one of the few to place a careful eye on set design.
Logans Run has dated horribly. It looks like some kind of disco/hippy mess. It came out the year before Star Wars and the difference between the two films is incredible.
Empire Strikes Back has hardly aged a day. Actually it has aged better than Jedi especially photographically.
THX-1138 has some incredible photography. Most of which looks like a cross between David Fincher and Kubricks work. Almost no director around that time was doing what George was doing.
I'd say Apocolypse Now has aged very well. Easier to do with a period piece, but once again the cinematography is beautiful.
Warm Machine said:
Definitely - it's easily one of my favorite war movies. It's slow, deliberate pacing makes it a great 'rainy day' film - you just sit back, absorb the environment and 'the horror'. I can't say I cared much for the Redux, as I can definitely see why some of the lean was cut, but the original film remains one of my favorites.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
Warm Machine said:
Definitely agree. I was watching THX the other night for, like, the third time in a month, constantly marvelling at the cinematography, set design, and the absolutely incredible sound work. It's really a shame Lucas went off in the direction he did, because this showed such fantastic promise.
He mentions in the commentary that his heart is still in that particular style of filmmaking and how he'd like to do something similar again once Star Wars is done and over with, but at this point, I just can't see it happening. He's too far gone, essentially mimicking the exact methods he used to rail against.
tree fiddy
Member
Apocalypse Now, at least in my eyes, could pass off as a modern film sans the horrible synthesized music.
Citizen Kane has aged well because of the wonderful cinematography. Those swooping shots and all of the cross dissolves are wonderful.
I'd say 'Rear Window' has aged well, too. I saw it on DVD and it's funny, well-paced, engaging, and suspenseful. It reminded me of A Link to the Past in the fact that it showed all of these side characters with problems, and at the end it showed them all again with their problems solved. Wonderful.
I'd say 'Rear Window' has aged well, too. I saw it on DVD and it's funny, well-paced, engaging, and suspenseful. It reminded me of A Link to the Past in the fact that it showed all of these side characters with problems, and at the end it showed them all again with their problems solved. Wonderful.
Manabanana
Member
I was gonna say Ghostbutsters and Jurrasic Park, but both have been mentioned. So I'll say Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I can't get enough of that movie.
SlickWilly223
Time ta STEP IT UP
Though I hate the series in general and such... I'd have to say "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan"
Well, along with what others said, especially T2, BttF series, a few older Disney flicks(timeless), Apocalypse Now, Jurassic Park and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.. I'd add:
- Almost any other Disney flick. For example, 101 Dalmations. The style in that movies animation is simply beautiful. That will look fantastic in any generation. Also, Snow White may be the most watchable movie ever for being that old.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit! This flick still nails everything it set out too. The 1940/50 undercover crime atmosphere, combining toons and people seamlessly, creating utter fear out of a villain killing a toon. This thing hasn't aged a minute and is still one of the most beautiful movies you can watch. For 1988 this is an insane achievment.
- Almost any other Disney flick. For example, 101 Dalmations. The style in that movies animation is simply beautiful. That will look fantastic in any generation. Also, Snow White may be the most watchable movie ever for being that old.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit! This flick still nails everything it set out too. The 1940/50 undercover crime atmosphere, combining toons and people seamlessly, creating utter fear out of a villain killing a toon. This thing hasn't aged a minute and is still one of the most beautiful movies you can watch. For 1988 this is an insane achievment.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Jurassic Park. Can't belive the movie is over 10 years old already.
Dagless M.D.
Member
Suprised no one has mentioned Brazil yet.
Phoenix said:
What did they do to make this movie look so awesome on the dvd release? I swear it never looked this good before. Take out that gay song they added in Return of the Jedi (I think that was added in the SE anyways) and it is perfect. The special effects still look great today.
Warm Machine
Member
bionic77 said:
the original effects in Star Wars/A New Hope don't look great today. Most people think they do mostly because many people are familiar with the movie through VHS and its hideous 320x240 resolution. There are parts on the new DVDs where the old effects still exist and they look pretty painful in comparison to the new work.
Still, after a movie like Logans Run where the model shots are done with hand held cameras with narrow depth of field that makes them look small, Star Wars and motion control cameras was an absolute break-through.
element
Member
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Curtis Hanson did an amazing job on this movie.
Willow (1988)
There wasn't a 'good' fantasy movie until LOTR.
The Goonies (1985)
A great child / early teen adventure movie. Pretty much timeless.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
One of the movies that set the standard for future Sci-Fi.
Jaws (1975)
Pretty much perfect.
Better Off Dead (1985)
Timeless teen story.
Dased and Confused (1993)
Another timeless teen movie.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Set the standard for future teen movies.
Curtis Hanson did an amazing job on this movie.
Willow (1988)
There wasn't a 'good' fantasy movie until LOTR.
The Goonies (1985)
A great child / early teen adventure movie. Pretty much timeless.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
One of the movies that set the standard for future Sci-Fi.
Jaws (1975)
Pretty much perfect.
Better Off Dead (1985)
Timeless teen story.
Dased and Confused (1993)
Another timeless teen movie.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Set the standard for future teen movies.
I love the movie, but has it aged well? Wouldn't be high on my list. That whole mountain sequence has some really awful matte painting compositing work, as did all of the scenes with the alien crafts in the first half. It's pretty distracting today, not to mention some less than ideal sound mixing.element said:
We're talking about more than just old movies that are still good...
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