Do You Prefer Some Decades of Film Over Others?

[Timothy Hunter]

I tend to stay away from films of the 2010s firstly because the cinematography tends to look too sanitized and I find reminders of social media and recent trends in movies to be extremely annoying.

However on the flipside I occasionally find movies from the early half of the 20th century to be hard to take because of the stiff acting and rigid camera work. It's because of this that I prefer to watch movies from the late 1960s to the early 2000s.

That isn't to say that films from ghe 60s to the 00's were better than films of other eras, as there are plenty of films from pre-1960 or post-2010 that I adore, but I find that the New Hollywood era of filmmaking that emphasized naturalistic performances makes it easier to be immersed in the story.

[AndrewCrossett]

There are some types of movies that I associate with specific decades. I really like the fantasy movies of the 1980's, starting with Clash of the Titans, Dragonslayer, and Excalibur and going on through Conan, Beastmaster, Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Krull, Ladyhawke, Princess Bride, the Gilliam films. There's something about those old practical-effects fantasy movies... they were occasionally kind of cheesy, but they had a lot of heart.

And the comedy films from the same decade. The distinct genre of "80s comedies" started with Caddyshack and ended with Say Anything.

[Cyke]

Sure, there are plenty of exceptions, but for the most part I'm not a fan of 90s movies. Many smaller or indie movies tried to capture that irreverent, home video aesthetic of grunge music videos, and while several big budget films had used grotesque CGI mainly to warp faces (like Lost in Space).

Going further back, the overall graininess of the 1970s really chaps at me, something I feel like I don't notice in 1960s films.

So with that said, I tend to prefer films from the 80s (there's a reason why Stranger Things and all this nostalgia is a hit), especially with big budget action films. I feel like the 90s made them more polished and almost prestige films at times (which is great), but the 80s is where they cut their teeth.

[caj]

I don't think I do.

I love scary movies and so does my nephew. A few years ago, he was in the military and stationed overseas. I wanted to write him more than just a letter. I wanted something that would take him some time to read and could enjoy.

I ended up putting together a list of my 50 favorite scary movies. I began with number 50 and counted down to number 1 (all those years of listening to Casey Kasem's American Top 40 rubbed off). With each movie, I listed the title, the year it came out, and a paragraph describing the plot of the film. I was so glad I did this because when he came home, he told me over and over about how much he loved getting that. He also shared it with his buddies over there and my nephew said they discussed that list for weeks. I'm tearing up just typing this thinking about it.

Anyway, my three top films on the list were: 1) Jaws from 1975, 2) Jurassic Park from 1993, and 3) Poltergeist from 1982. So I don't think my favorite films have anything to do with the decade they came out.

[Scott Taylor]

Well I was going to say that I gravitate more towards particular directors and cinematographers than decades. But then I realized that the great directors and cinematographers have tended to create new genres and have tons of influence within a particular time period.

The 1920s are a big favorite of mine because of the influences of German expressionism in the Silent Films. And it was before the censors, which allowed for greater freedom. I've not been a huge fan of the 1930s, though, with a few exceptions, or the 1940s.

The 1950s and early 1960s were really interesting because we started to see so much experimentation with color and lighting. I'm a sucker for Technicolor.

Then in the 1970s something happened where the films all had a more realistic and less fantasaical look to them, due to Scorcese and Spielberg primarily. For me, that worked but it also was a loss. I want to see a movie, not the news.

The 1980s were ok but just a continuation of that same gritty realism - some great movies but overall little in terms of growth and not a style I particularly love. And the 1990s took it to a whole new level, an unfortunate one, with the pseudo-documentary stuff. And then there were the first stumbling attempts at CGI.

Through the 2000s it was a mixed bag as CGI started to really come into its own but there were still duds. I feel that in the 2010s we've hit another sweet spot in cinema where computer technology has caught up to imagination. Even the ultra crappy movies I've seen have some pretty outstanding visuals. Directing is largely derivative of others, which is a drawback, but overall film quality is pretty good right now.

[stargazer01]

Hmm, I think I like films from all the eras starting with the 40s and up. I like the differences and the tendencies of the times.

Some of the old classic movies have a timeless feel with good stories and drama and great actors. Granted, some of them were stiff, but I think it was the style of acting. Even in the 60s, when they kissed, they just pressed their lips and heads really hard haha, no tongue or open mouth at all. But there was no CGI, just pure practical effects.

But things started to get more creative and gritty with the 70s. More violent movies and graphic action and realism. Blockbusters started to rule the world like Star Wars and Superman.

The 80s also had its own style. A lot of teen, comedy and family movies like The Goonies and The Breakfast Club. Some great Sci-Fi like Terminator. There was variety for everyone. Excess.

I personally really like the 90s. I feel there were lots of creative and dramatic movies in that era that I really like like Forest Gump, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Contact, and Disney animation like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid. Definitely more CGI present.

The last 20 years have been dominated for blockbusters and indies, I think. CGI more believable.

[The Gold Stream]

i think i probably prefer the 80s to 90s and 70s but ive liked a lot of movies the last decade as well

[Rev9]

80's had the best horrors
90's had the best crime dramas
2000-2010 had hilarious comedies

[DrNewGod]

...90's had the best crime dramas...

The entire Film Noir genre would like a word with you, and Chinatown's waiting when they're done. That said, I must confess that The Usual Suspects and L.A. Confidential are among my favorite crime films.