How many times have you heard/uttered that phrase? I ask this because I got into a conversation on Twitter last night with two other movie lovers (you know who you are). I mentioned The Night of the Hunter to one of them, they replied they've heard of it. I then asked if he had seen it, to which he replied no (he told me he added it to his queue).
The other person in question has admitted he has yet to see a number of classics. The more classics he admits to not seeing, the more I wondered about this guy's credibility as a movie lover.
A lot of other Twitter users/movie lovers I talk to tend to talk about recent movies than classics. I mean, I do too, but let's face it: a lot of the newer movies kind of, uh, suck.
Now don't get me wrong. I have to see my share of movies as well but mind you, most of them have been released in the last twenty years. I, for one, am trying to catch up on movies featuring actors who have either passed away recently or are going to be gone sometime in the near future (which is kind of evident in that movie list I made).
In short, I wouldn't go around saying you're a movie lover if you haven't seen the most essential ones. Or at least half of either AFI's "100 Years...100 Movies" lists.
I completely disagree. Many of the recent films are quite brilliant and we only know of the "sucky" ones because we see them get released. If we lived 70-80 years back, I'm sure bad films would have released. Think proportionately.
ReplyDeleteAlso the claim that you can be a movie-lover after having seen atleast half of AFI's 100 movie lists is quite pretentious, no offence. I don't think you become a movie-lover only after having seen many films, it's how the films you see affect you and your life and your way of thinking that really matters. Atleast that's what I think. It might take time for people of our generation to see all the films so fast, but that doesn't mean they haven't seen and loved some absolutely incredible films. To love films is to love the miracle of it. Every film is a whole new world, and getting to be a part of it, whether it was made today or half a century back is just as splendid.
Joe Dante said there's two types of film lovers, those that "love the movies they love" and those that "love movies" most people are the first, it takes a special kind of somebody to be the second.
ReplyDeleteI agree to a point. I realize how hard it is for many people to access older films, but I think it's important that they try. I know a guy who wants to be a director, but he hates films in black and white and refuses to watch so many classics and it just infuriates me! I also am wary of anyone whose Top Ten Favorite Films list doesn't contain at least one film from the 70s or earlier and/or is completely composed of films from the last 10-15 years. There are just SO MANY FILMS out there to watch and I don't understand people who refuse to watch the classics.
ReplyDeleteSomeone's got the snob fever!!!! ahah
ReplyDeleteIn addition...as I tell everyone who has gotten on my case for not seeing a certain film and ask me how I claim to be a film lover and aspiring critic. "There is only so much time in the world". Try as you might to get through any kinod true movie buff lists, it's nearly impossible unless you do not have a job, go to school, have friends, have anything else to do in life than watch movies 24/7. I mean would love to just be able to watch films, but I have to leave my home at some point to make a living. My Netflix queue is somewhere around 490 something now and that's just the DVD list. There's more on my instant. So just because someone hasnt seen something doesn't mean they aren't a lover of film. Just Sayin'
ReplyDeleteThe AFI list is definitely a good place to start if someone wants to expand their film knowledge, but I don't think there are any conditions anyone can put on being a "movie lover", other than, well, loving movies.
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