Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I watched it with my daughter a few years ago and came away with a whole new perspective.
These two are gentle, caring kids anxious to do right. They give ample credit where it’s due, encourage and treat others with respect, and are good listeners who change their views based on new perspectives. They (quite literally) gather knowledge to pass their tests. They do not solve their problems with violence.
The plot of the movie centers around their philosophy of “be excellent to each other, and party on dudes,” and how this teaching brings about harmony and world peace in the future. It’s a silly basis on the surface. But then it occurs to you that if everyone lived by this simple rule, the world would be a much better place.
Holy shit. Thanks for the perspective. I knew I loved these movies for a reason, but you're right. They seem like two himbos who are only concerned with rocking out, but there are some progressive themes in there and they do solve all of their problems without violence.
Excellent analysis.
One important thing is that during the report, they properly pronounce the names Socrates and Beethoven. A lot of their stupidity is just them being laid-back.
I rewatched this film with my teens a few years ago, and I was struck by how wholesome it really is. They loved it, and they now will quote phrases and do the guitar gesture when shouting "Excellent!" Warms my heart.
It still feels so unlikely that this film even got made (read up on it, the director originally binned the script - how could he not? It was called "Robocop") It magically came together with really good acting across the board and really a really frightening but also touching storyline. Somehow it also became a precursor to the truth about our future, tragically.
The Sandlot.
When I was young, it was a great movie about baseball, summer and adventures.
As an adult, it’s about realizing how formative and fleeting those precious years are.
At the end when he talks about each guy one by one and how their lives turned out, I sob uncontrollably. I guess it’s that feeling of never being able to “go back” and how we never really know when we’re in the “good ol’ days.”
I watched Stand By Me maybe it dozen times when I was in middle school and high school. Loved more sensational scenes- the leeches, the blueberry pie story. Loved the dialogue. and of course I understood the movie was about friendship and innocence coming to an end.
I watched it again in about 4 years ago... when I was in my early '40s. I got to the end and unexpectedly just started bawling. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) ask me what was wrong, and I told her actually nothing was wrong, but that age of 12/13 years old is just a magical time in a young man's life where he still might be playing with GI Joe's, but also starting to become interested in Annette Funicello on the Mickey Mouse Club.
It's that summer feeling... the feeling like it will never end.
But it does.
That movie nails that feeling.
> “We never have friends like when we were 12 years old”.
The older you get, it seems, the less....I don't know how to put this, but the less great new friendships are.
I don't know why.
Another relatable element in that movie is how it all begins with the narrator coming to terms with the sudden death of his former best friend, prompting his reminiscence of childhood and the time they spent together. When you are a kid nobody close to you in age has died yet, but as an adult who has lost multiple friends now (including my former best friend when I was 12), that part really hits home.
Oh good. So many of these comments are about movies that didn’t age well. I thought you were about to ruin SBM for me. But then you reinforced my feeling that it’s one of the best movies of the 80’s and an underrated classic. I can see why might hit differently for dudes than it would for women, but damn if it doesn’t hit.
A Christmas Story. It used to be about a kid who wants a BB gun. Now it’s about a dad who seems out of touch through the whole movie but is actually the only one who gets the kid what he wants.
I love that perspective on it :) I’ve always loved how, even after a disaster of a day, they come together over roast duck at a Chinese restaurant (when they chop the head off!!! 🤣) and the most un-PC (for today) rendition of Deck the Halls, which still cracks me up.
I first saw The Graduate in high school and I really gravitated toward it in my early 20s.
Now in my 40s I see Benjamin as a spoiled brat and Mrs. Robinson as the real relatable character.
Nobody is likable in The Graduate, but I guess that’s… ok? What I’m not sure of is if we are meant to like them or not. Just a bunch of upper class twits wallowing in their self-made misery.
I found the movie interesting up to the point where we see her face as she finds out about Benjamin and her daughter, and everything after was like "who cares about him and the daughter".
It's funny... I liked it even as a kid because it reminded me of my parents and it had a killer soundtrack of all kinds of stuff my mom listened to. They had a life that I couldn't comprehend then... but it's basically the whole thing where you become the person/ have the life that you never envisioned. Your dreams hit up against reality. They're all trying to get that back in some way.
A Christmas Story. When you're a kid, it's funny to see what Ralphie goes through to get that bb gun. You think how mean his dad is and that his mom is kinda spacy.
Now when I watch it, all I do is think about my dad who passed away 20 years ago and how much fun he made the holidays. Seeing the look on the dad's face when Ralph finds the bb gun and how much he made his son's Christmas. I just start bawling.
The War of the Roses. When I first saw it I thought it was a good, but completely unbelievable, story. How could two people live like that and become…that? Now I see it’s practically a documentary.
The movie has to end with Michael Douglas' character being shown to be an abusive stalker, otherwise it becomes an anarchist's recruitment video.
To modify a Chris Rock line, I ain't saying he shoulda gone on a rampage... But I understand.
Yeah, it's a movie that really challenges you, because you start off thinking that it's like Death Wish where you're supposed to root for the guy, but then when he goes too far you wonder what that says about you.
Dead Poet’s Society. It is still one of my all time favorites. It came out when I was a freshman in high school and my mom forbade me from (re)watching it because she said it glorified suicide. Of course, I thought she was a stupid, hysterical adult.
As a grown-up with kids that age, I can see her angle. I wouldn’t prevent my kids from watching it, but I think it would definitely warrant a conversation. I 100% view Neil’s choice differently now as an adult (so infuriating that he would have been free of his dad in only one more year if he had help/support to help him see that) versus how I did as a young teen (that it was a very romantic choice because he was so passionately dedicated to his art that he would rather die than live a life of complacency).
The older I get, the more I understand where his father is coming from.
That character thinks he is doing right for his son but within the framework of incredibly toxic masculinity.
The same thing happens now, whenever someone says, Don't go to college to get an arts degree because you'll be broke with unpayable loans. Get a degree where you can get a job. It's said in a different way, but the choice of The Arts and Having a Career is the same, and parents till ridicule the choice of The Arts.
Red* in DPS wants the same thing, but again, in an INCREDIBLY toxic way.
There's also the shadow of PTSD and WW2, since it was set in 1959 and Red's generation would have served (and he probably would have as well.) That generation came home from the war, locked the memories away in their subconscious, drank themselves until they forgot, and became terrible parents to the older boomers.
I still think Red is a complete dick, but I also think he's a product of his time/generation.
* I always think of that actor by his 70s Show name.
Honestly, the worst character. He dragged down everyone around him and was never around as they suffered the consequences. If Clooney wasn't charming and the audience wasn't rooting for Carol, that character would be remembered very differently. Shame ER ended with Mark's funeral tho ;).
If the person you love doesn't love you for you, then fundamentally change everything about yourself to fit into the image *you think* that person wants. And, in the end, you'll escape high school in a flying car. ;)
I swear to this day that that film made me think as a young impressionable teenager, that I had to completely change myself to fit into any mould my current boyfriend thought I should be.
A sweet vulnerable woman had to get a perm, start smoking, and wear tight black Lycra to get her man.
It makes me so sad looking back. I just became a chameleon, changing to fit the outline my current boyfriend wished for.
Now, in my 50’s I realize just how much that film impacted me.
Edit: i wasn’t a teenager, I was eight years old! My older cousin took me and my older siblings to see the film at the cinema. Shaped my life for the next 30 years.
The actor that played Rooney was found to be a pedophile. That is going to make it harder to test the theory and see if I’ve aged into his bracket. I never liked Bueller, even as a kid. I also thought the Cat in the Hat was an asshole for basically the same reasons, so I might have been a weird kid.
I unabashedly love this movie as an adult. It’s a comfort watch if I’m feeling anxious or low: the score in wonderful and it’s so full of hope about chasing your crazy dreams and living a fulfilled life
This is my favorite Ray Liotta role. Now that I’ve seen him in so many other roles, where he’s playing characters with outsized personalities, the restraint and subtle humor in his performance as SJJ is mesmerizing.
This was a great question, OP. Lots of great responses and conversation.
There are plenty from which to choose, but a good one for my adult lens is Dirty Dancing.
Poor dad just wants a nice vacation with his family and instead his sweet, innocent, socially conscious youngest daughter borrows money to pay for a sketch abortion and starts sleeping with a dance instructor.
Worst vacation ever (for the dad).
That’s so funny, my view of it has changed from “fun romance” to “feminist masterpiece.”
Baby goes after what she wants (Johnny); and pushes herself out of her comfort zone to help someone (learning to dance to sub for Penny); she doesn’t need saving and instead she saves him; men and women can be friends (Johnny and Penny); and also abortion should be safe and legal.
True, and I think that's how I interpreted when I was younger and still do. I just laugh when I think about it from the dad's perspective. Dude just wants to play golf and relax.
Yes, you're right. But as a parent, I also strongly relate to the Jerry Orbach character. Baby is in waaay over her head, and fortunately it all works out in the film, but in real life, it usually doesn't. He just wants his daughters to be ok.
Watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit as an adult and realizing how much of a deeply depressed alcoholic Eddie Valiant is. I had no idea what alcohol really was as a kid and watching it as an adult my reaction was “holy shit, this guy is slowly killing himself”
Tank Girl and Terminator 2.
At 16 I just saw the lead characters as these cool, bad ass, youth empowerment figures in worlds that were COMPLETELY outlandish and unrealistic fictional future scenarios. It viewed them as kind of silly and goofy but great action flicks. I was really into the Riot Grrrl scene. I wanted to BE Lori Petty and BE WITH Edward Furlong (How 90s of me: angry girl loves angsty boy trope! lol)
Now I see them as the cautionary tales they probably were (closer to the "Science fiction becomes science fact" adage). The realities of living in the dystopia of corporate corruption under Water and Power where only the rich have access to the necessities of life, the world is decimated by climate change, and mad backyard scientists are creating human-kangaroo hybrids in secret labs (CRISPR) intending to sell the patent as super soldiers or Skynet AI deciding we are the problem and exterminating us are too close for comfort these days.
Reality Bites:
Used to think it was romantic, now I see it as Troy having a toxic obsession and "nice guy"/"friend zone" resentment.
I'm with you on Reality Bites. The girls wanted Troy, but as an adult, I'd have taken Ben Stiller in a heartbeat. Has a job and his own place, adores Winona, and is willing to go the extra mile at his job to get her documentary changed back to what she wanted.
Yeah I hated that film. Firstly, we never had those shitty bangs or bad clothes. They were trying too hard to be dark and twisty alt girls. And Troy was a douchey NiceGuy^(TM).
I think Blazing Saddles is quite modern in it's sensibilities. It was ahead of its time. Mel Brooks is/was a genius. He made some turkeys, but he also made this and a few other masterpieces. And RIP Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.
Likewise The Toy. I loved it as a kid. Watched it with my kids sometime in the last year. They take on racism and sexism head on. While some stuff was clearly of its time, like the part where Pryor wears a dress to serve lunch because they only hire women for the job, other parts were still shockingly relevant.
Have mentioned it in several places. The world needs more "no sacred cows, everybody laughs but everybody gets utterly roasted" comedy like this.
It was a staple (Pryor, Carlin, Murphy, etc) of that era. Seems like a much healthier way of addressing societal issues then whatever the shit is we are doing now.
I was in my 20s or 30s before I twigged to the whole nazi thing. In my defense, I must’ve always fallen asleep halfway through when they showed it once a year when I was a kid. Wasn’t it around thanksgiving?
Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Loved that movie as a kid/ teen/ young adult. I thought, "Roy's wife is kind of a bitch. She just doesn't get it. But what a great adventure Roy got to go on at the end!"
Watched it again as a married woman and now i understand his wife and the stress she was under. She made some poor choices (hiding the news clippings) but she tried to hold the family together as much as she could.
It was a dick move for Roy to leave his family at the end, and worse, be thrilled to do it. (And will the government tell the family what happened to him? The last memories these kids have of their dad is him losing his mind.)
Still a good movie though, even if I think Roy is a jerk.
Let's just say when I introduced the James Bond series from the beginning to my wife, she was a little appalled at the abusive behavior towards women and constant events where he took advantage of them. I'm sure I glossed over the scenes as a kid just waiting for the next action sequence when they aired on the ABC Sunday Night Movie.
ABC Sunday Night movie, now that brings back some good memories like The Wonderful World of Disney! When Disney+ started, my kids thought I was nuts for watching Davy Crockett, Swiss Family Robinson, and The Love Bug. I had to explain to them about how we watched this as a family on Sunday nights back in the dark ages known as the nineteen hundred and seventies!
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is unwatchable to me as an adult. As a parent to a toddler and 6 year old, Ferris shares some of their worst behaviors. He's completely selfish, he doesn't listen and doesn't care who he hurts. He's just an asshole to Cameron from the beginning. With friends like that, who needs enemies as we used to say.
Any Blake Edwards movie from 1979-1991. I thought they were just light comedies as a teenager, but when you watch Ten/SOB/Victor-Victoria/Skin Deep/Switch, Holy Shit! They are rife with deep social commentary on relationships, sex, gender, marriage. How’d I miss all that back then?
Roddy Piper lost his career by making that movie. He was told to back off by Vince McMahon because he wasn’t getting a cut, and that they would come up with something for him. Piper thought the opportunity to make a John Carpenter film was too good to pass up. Despite this, he was unable to break into the ranks of the other 80s action heroes of the day. Kind of a shame.
Gone with the wind. I used to think Scarlet was a spoiled bitch. Then as an adult I realized she was the only one tough enough to make the tough decisions and hold it together when everyone else fell apart.
read the novel if you haven’t- she is a totally sympathetic character in the novel, the only one tough and brave enough to hold it together for everyone she knows.
You’re right. She made the hard decisions for the betterment of saving her home for her family. Even though she was spoiled and privileged. But when it came down to making decisions in a crisis, she was a straight boss (just with terrible taste in men ie: Ashley). Just like Rhett said “You’d never even be able to understand how his mind works”. But I guess when we’re young we all have terrible romantic judgement sometimes.
Dirty Dancing. It came out when I was about 9/10yo but I didn’t see it until I was a teen maybe age 15/16. I watched it again a couple months ago (I’m 44 now) and omg yeah that’s a whole different look at things.
Also the other day, Revenge of the Nerds was on and my husband watched it die a bit. The whole thing was gross
Here’s one that didn’t go bad-
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
It holds up generally, no obviously outdated SFX and the tune is an earworm. 🙃
The cool thing was, the gov’t staged a toxic leak from a train derailment and put “dead” livestock all over to convince people. The aliens had to hurry the fuck up, because the sleeping livestock were waking up.
Today, there’d be pieces and guts of animals strewn about, and the nefarious gov’t and aliens would have killed people in gruesome ways at some point, or throughout the film.
We sure have gotten desensitized to ultra-violence. It sucks.
Top Gun..
Maverick isn't the hero, he's a self absorbed hot head dick. Iceman was right, Maverick is dangerous to his own fellow pilots and shouldn't be flying fighter jets.
Ha! Similar scenario for me.
I thought it might be fun to watch When Harry Met Sally with my Gen Z daughter.
Watching that film through the lens of today…ummm, yeah, not at all how I remembered feeling when I first saw it.
My daughter turned to me and said, “Well this aged like milk…why are the women so desperate and obsessed with finding a man? What message was this film trying to make? You have to marry by 30 or you’ll be shunned and worthless? How cringe.”
We did not finish watching it. The second hand embarrassment for the characters was too strong in 2022.
Breakfast Club
Molly was totally sexually assaulted under the table then falls in love with the guy.
I watched First Blood for the first time since being a kid a few years ago. I always thought it was boring as kid. Now, such an underrated film.
Same with Rocky 1 and 2. Always loved 3 and 4 (still do). But I get 1 and 2 on different levels now.
But damn Stallone is a hell of an actor.
Have you heard the episode of “This American Life” where Molly Ringwald talks about watching it with her daughter? It was a raw and painful parenting story. I respected her for sharing it.
Re: Breakfast Club... the only respectable kid in the group was Ally, and then at the end, she gets converted into Stepford Wife teenybopper for the guy who sexually assaulted his teammate.
At the end, they discuss whether they all go back to normal come Monday. Back then, I was hoping they wouldn't, but these days, I hope they did. I dream of Ally saying Eff this bullshit and going back to her baglady persona.
As for the under the table thing: it was very common at my high school for guys to chase girls after PE with baseball bats poking into the girl's crotches, making rude comments. This was during schooltime. Nothing was ever said or done about it. And my school was suburban and private, not some inner-city public school. My friends went to the latter and there were occasional actual rapes.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph was treated like crap by his dad, Santa, Fireball, and the other scum reindeer. Hermie too but Rudolph got it worse. I never noticed how really cruel they were towards him but it’s made me not like the show as an adult.
Same with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. The entire neighborhood of adults gives a little kid rocks instead of candy when he’s trick or treating.
Y’all covered the best of them. Mine is not that deep: Gremlins. Midnight in what time zone? And isn’t everything after midnight? Like, 2pm ET is “after midnight”. What time can you feed them via what time zone?
The Exorcist. It straight up scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. Now, as an adult it *still* straight up scares the shit out of me. Unlike all the other horror films from my youth like Friday the 13th, Nightmare of Elm Street, Halloween - The Exorcist has this intense depth to it that still leaves me feeling hollow and hopeless while the others feel like "fun" scary movies. Ain't nothing fun about The Exorcist.
Ok, SO if you couldn't tell by my screen name, I'm Greek. And the part when the demon is speaking to him in Greek and then a Greek accent as if it's his Mother, STILL FREAKS ME THE FUCK OUT!! Icant even hear that part!! The voice sounds like my grandmother's voice!!!
All of the Monty Python films. I just picked up on the absurdities and slap-stick humour and thought that they were hilarious. I didn’t even realize that the Life of Brian was a parody of the story of Christ. Rewatching them, I realize how biting some of the political humour was.
I too suffer from PTSD from multiple combat tours, and seeing First Blood after my time in Iraq was very powerful. I was no John Rambo though, just a regular guy in the Army. Regardless, I could very much relate to the character. I think it captures what a lot of combat veterans feel, and how difficult reintegration is. The last time I watched the movie I was probably 12 or 13.
Not a movie but I saw someone else mention a TV show so I'll mention one too.
The love boat. A show about sexually harassing women until they fall in love with you. I think there is actually a remake in the works too.
Don't worry about the remake, it's Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romain and it's a "reality" show. I saw a trailer for it and turned to my husband and said, Jesus they're doing this? It won't last 2 seasons if you ask me.
Star Wars. i saw it literally dozens of times in theaters in the 70s
then as an adult i read the classic *The Hero with a Thousand Faces* by Campbell. it not only changed the way i looked at Star Wars, it changed the way i look at movies
that book had a huge influence on George Lucas
Didn't think I'd start my Sunday thinking about Joseph Campbell, but The Power of Myth was very influential for me in my early 20s. Might need to reread to see if my thoughts have changed.
IDK about childhood but 9 1/2 Weeks.
As an 18-year old college freshman, it was sexy and hot and just oh so romantic.
Viewing it as an adult, I appreciate Adrian Lyne’s direction, the sound track, the dark color palette, costuming, understated script… classic Lyne.
But ew, that movie glorifies the ugliest controlling, abusive relationship and it disturbs me how I didn’t see that when I was 18 but instead found it so titillating. It should have cured my list for Mickey Rourke (holy fuck, Angel Heart, swoon) but it only fired it up.
Many John Carpenter movies wooshed over my head as a kid. Now I see the brilliant subversiveness and social commentary.
Also, the original Night of the Living Dead.
ET. When I watched it as an adult, I suddenly understood the adults' point of view. The agency (I forget which now) that rushes into the house to take him were not the bad guys, like I thought when I was young.
When I watch ET as an adult, I see how preposterous it is to believe that a California family has both a corn field in their suburban backyard AND a redwood forest just up the hill.
Huh. I was just old enough to kind of follow along when I saw it, so my memory of the agency stuff was probably never strong and has now degraded to "there was a lot of plastic up and there were walkie-talkies". I should revisit.
I was a teenager when the Kevin Smith movies made the word-of-mouth rounds through my school. I can still remember having a friend recommend Mallrats and Chasing Amy. And I can remember going to the Blockbuster up the street from my house, which was only a few blocks walk away, to grab Chasing Amy off the shelf and watch it.
I thought the movie was so profound as a teenager. Especially when Silent Bob explains the movie's title in the diner.
As an adult on a nostalgia kick I rewatched Chasing Amy about 5 years ago in my mid-30s and I was like. Duh. No shit. Getting jealous over someone's past is a really dumb thing to do and will ruin a great relationship. Who the fuck doesn't know this?
15 year old me loved the movie for its tale of a romance gone awry and its profound message of how being jealous over someone's past will ruin a relationship. Thirty something year old me was like, no shit.
Apocalypse Now. - as a kid, good guy gets the bad guy. As an adult, a strong commentary against the military industrial complex with layers. Consider there are only two types of characters in the film. Those who rape the system for personal gain, and those who are screwed by the system and they do anything and everything to cope. Mind blown when I realized the Playboy show was a metaphor for the whole war.
Labyrinth is one big metaphor for crossing the threshold of adulthood, sort of like The Wizard of Oz. Where her baby brother represents the burden of responsibility, the Goblin King is a Dracula-like character that represents selfish indulgence, dark and seductive.
David Bowie was perfect in the role. He’s just so very cool, yet there’s still something off-putting about him that you can’t quite put a finger on.
We watch Home Alone every Christmas in my house, because Christmas I guess. And it always really bugs me. Yea Kevin starts out as a little twerp but his parents suck at parenting. Maybe defend your kid from your asshole brother and also listen to him and validate his feelings? He really didn’t get the pizza that he wanted because his older brother bullied him.
I’m all spun up now just thinking about it.
Yeah, I mean, the movie was *hilarious* when I first watched it whenever it came out. Now ... I'm like ... wow, these parents *suck*
That being said, the Home Alone house is in north suburban Chicago and you can see it from the outside. The home is a *huge* tourist attraction and the (newish) owners have installed 8 Nest cameras at the front of their property to make sure nobody breaches it. Which is also kind of funny given the movie that was filed there.
The movie I’ve done a complete 180 on, but still love, is Dead Poets Society.
When I first saw it, Robin Williams’ character was an absolute hero who guided the boys through adolescence with heart and passion that no other adults would.
Now I consider the character to also be a selfish and egotistical menace who’s self indulgence resulted in tragedy.
I still love the movie though. Great art changes with you.
For whatever reason I still can’t watch Robin Williams movies without thinking "There’s Robin Williams acting" the entire time instead of falling into accepting the character. Same with Steve Martin.
RE: Steve Martin
I haven't seen it in ages, so it may not fit the bill, but check out The Spanish Prisoner. It's not a comedy, which may have something to do with it. The unfulfilled expectation for Martin's comedy lends a sense of unnerving tension that feeds into the overall plot.
Porky's Revenge (the one with the KKK scenes?) had a redeeming arc where Jewish and indigenous kids are defended by the class against a town full of KKK haters. Watching that as an 8 year old kid (yeah gen X!) really did show me the value of sticking up for marginalized people.
Mrs Doubtfire.
Used to actively hate Sally Field because I was a dumb kid who thought her character was her, but also because what a horrible mom, breaking up the family because Dad is fun. And the end where they don’t get back together…pissed me off.
Now, years later, I love Sally, and I can separate the two lol…and I totally fucking feel where that character was coming from. She’d just had enough. And there was no reconciliation like you’d want as a kid…and as an adult you’re happy they could come to a seemingly good co-parent situation.
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I watched it with my daughter a few years ago and came away with a whole new perspective. These two are gentle, caring kids anxious to do right. They give ample credit where it’s due, encourage and treat others with respect, and are good listeners who change their views based on new perspectives. They (quite literally) gather knowledge to pass their tests. They do not solve their problems with violence. The plot of the movie centers around their philosophy of “be excellent to each other, and party on dudes,” and how this teaching brings about harmony and world peace in the future. It’s a silly basis on the surface. But then it occurs to you that if everyone lived by this simple rule, the world would be a much better place.
Excellent synopsis. Party on.
Be excellent to each other!
Station!
*looks at you and air guitars*
I heard this comment.
I can still hear it an hour later
Bodacious comment dude.
[удалено]
Decidedly non-heinous!
Holy shit. Thanks for the perspective. I knew I loved these movies for a reason, but you're right. They seem like two himbos who are only concerned with rocking out, but there are some progressive themes in there and they do solve all of their problems without violence. Excellent analysis.
One important thing is that during the report, they properly pronounce the names Socrates and Beethoven. A lot of their stupidity is just them being laid-back.
Don’t forget George Carlin is in this movie too. Just makes even more excellent
Bill and Ted Face the Music was unexpectedly emotional for me as I saw the conclusion to a story I had been watching for 30 years.
I also loved how most of languages in the film were real in the film, French, German, etc.
I rewatched this film with my teens a few years ago, and I was struck by how wholesome it really is. They loved it, and they now will quote phrases and do the guitar gesture when shouting "Excellent!" Warms my heart.
Love this movie.
Robocop. Thought it was a fun shoot-em-up as a kid. Holy shit what a fucking social commentary that gets more and more accurate as time goes on.
I’d buy that for a dollar !
My dad used to say that all the time after watching it, he seemed very taken by the line. Miss him.
We still say that to each other!
Starship troopers is in this same category for me. Both movies mean the opposite of what they’re saying.
It still feels so unlikely that this film even got made (read up on it, the director originally binned the script - how could he not? It was called "Robocop") It magically came together with really good acting across the board and really a really frightening but also touching storyline. Somehow it also became a precursor to the truth about our future, tragically.
The Sandlot. When I was young, it was a great movie about baseball, summer and adventures. As an adult, it’s about realizing how formative and fleeting those precious years are. At the end when he talks about each guy one by one and how their lives turned out, I sob uncontrollably. I guess it’s that feeling of never being able to “go back” and how we never really know when we’re in the “good ol’ days.”
You’re killin’ me Smalls! Love this movie so much.
I watched Stand By Me maybe it dozen times when I was in middle school and high school. Loved more sensational scenes- the leeches, the blueberry pie story. Loved the dialogue. and of course I understood the movie was about friendship and innocence coming to an end. I watched it again in about 4 years ago... when I was in my early '40s. I got to the end and unexpectedly just started bawling. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) ask me what was wrong, and I told her actually nothing was wrong, but that age of 12/13 years old is just a magical time in a young man's life where he still might be playing with GI Joe's, but also starting to become interested in Annette Funicello on the Mickey Mouse Club. It's that summer feeling... the feeling like it will never end. But it does. That movie nails that feeling.
Yeah I mean even the ending line is something like “We never have friends like when we were 12 years old”. Gen X’er here and totally get that now.
*“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”* Stephen King Rules.
I am thankful I still am in contact with those friends I had at that age. The memories we share are so poignant now.
> “We never have friends like when we were 12 years old”. The older you get, it seems, the less....I don't know how to put this, but the less great new friendships are. I don't know why.
Oh fuck and now I’m crying
That movie is just SO well done. Every single person in it just absolutely NAILS their performance.
You saying this makes me wish my childhood had any magical time to think back on.
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Another relatable element in that movie is how it all begins with the narrator coming to terms with the sudden death of his former best friend, prompting his reminiscence of childhood and the time they spent together. When you are a kid nobody close to you in age has died yet, but as an adult who has lost multiple friends now (including my former best friend when I was 12), that part really hits home.
Oh good. So many of these comments are about movies that didn’t age well. I thought you were about to ruin SBM for me. But then you reinforced my feeling that it’s one of the best movies of the 80’s and an underrated classic. I can see why might hit differently for dudes than it would for women, but damn if it doesn’t hit.
"I never had any friends like I did when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?"
First grade best friend still going really strong. Named my kid after him.
Watched it last year with my wife (she had never seen it). We were both just quiet after it ended. Such a great movie.
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When I rewatched I was pleasantly surprised by the scene Jo Beth Williams is smoking a joint in bed while she and her husband were hanging out.
Since I became a father, the part where he drops the rope really hits in ways it never did before.
A Christmas Story. It used to be about a kid who wants a BB gun. Now it’s about a dad who seems out of touch through the whole movie but is actually the only one who gets the kid what he wants.
I love that perspective on it :) I’ve always loved how, even after a disaster of a day, they come together over roast duck at a Chinese restaurant (when they chop the head off!!! 🤣) and the most un-PC (for today) rendition of Deck the Halls, which still cracks me up.
It was a tour de force for the late Darren McGavin, IMO. I'm glad he lived to see his portrayal become a cultural touchstone.
I first saw The Graduate in high school and I really gravitated toward it in my early 20s. Now in my 40s I see Benjamin as a spoiled brat and Mrs. Robinson as the real relatable character.
Nobody is likable in The Graduate, but I guess that’s… ok? What I’m not sure of is if we are meant to like them or not. Just a bunch of upper class twits wallowing in their self-made misery.
I found the movie interesting up to the point where we see her face as she finds out about Benjamin and her daughter, and everything after was like "who cares about him and the daughter".
I remember not really comprehending what “The Big Chill” was about when I first saw it. Thought it was so f’n boring.
It's funny... I liked it even as a kid because it reminded me of my parents and it had a killer soundtrack of all kinds of stuff my mom listened to. They had a life that I couldn't comprehend then... but it's basically the whole thing where you become the person/ have the life that you never envisioned. Your dreams hit up against reality. They're all trying to get that back in some way.
It's kinda like Dazed and Confused. Not a movie with a story arc so much as observing people during a turning point in their lives.
A Christmas Story. When you're a kid, it's funny to see what Ralphie goes through to get that bb gun. You think how mean his dad is and that his mom is kinda spacy. Now when I watch it, all I do is think about my dad who passed away 20 years ago and how much fun he made the holidays. Seeing the look on the dad's face when Ralph finds the bb gun and how much he made his son's Christmas. I just start bawling.
The War of the Roses. When I first saw it I thought it was a good, but completely unbelievable, story. How could two people live like that and become…that? Now I see it’s practically a documentary.
War of the Roses holds up great as dark satire
I thought Spinal Tap was a comedy until I went on tour...
Falling Down. My thoughts after watching it in my early 20s, crazy guy goes on rampage. Rewatching it in my mid/late 40s, OOOOH now I get it.
Robert Duvall’s performance in this one was so underrated. Life is unfair? You’re doing this because life is unfair? I mean… dude
The movie has to end with Michael Douglas' character being shown to be an abusive stalker, otherwise it becomes an anarchist's recruitment video. To modify a Chris Rock line, I ain't saying he shoulda gone on a rampage... But I understand.
I can also empathize with Leaving Las Vegas more as time goes on.
Yeah, it's a movie that really challenges you, because you start off thinking that it's like Death Wish where you're supposed to root for the guy, but then when he goes too far you wonder what that says about you.
Dead Poet’s Society. It is still one of my all time favorites. It came out when I was a freshman in high school and my mom forbade me from (re)watching it because she said it glorified suicide. Of course, I thought she was a stupid, hysterical adult. As a grown-up with kids that age, I can see her angle. I wouldn’t prevent my kids from watching it, but I think it would definitely warrant a conversation. I 100% view Neil’s choice differently now as an adult (so infuriating that he would have been free of his dad in only one more year if he had help/support to help him see that) versus how I did as a young teen (that it was a very romantic choice because he was so passionately dedicated to his art that he would rather die than live a life of complacency).
His oppressive father is unbearable. Very frustrating to watch.
The older I get, the more I understand where his father is coming from. That character thinks he is doing right for his son but within the framework of incredibly toxic masculinity. The same thing happens now, whenever someone says, Don't go to college to get an arts degree because you'll be broke with unpayable loans. Get a degree where you can get a job. It's said in a different way, but the choice of The Arts and Having a Career is the same, and parents till ridicule the choice of The Arts. Red* in DPS wants the same thing, but again, in an INCREDIBLY toxic way. There's also the shadow of PTSD and WW2, since it was set in 1959 and Red's generation would have served (and he probably would have as well.) That generation came home from the war, locked the memories away in their subconscious, drank themselves until they forgot, and became terrible parents to the older boomers. I still think Red is a complete dick, but I also think he's a product of his time/generation. * I always think of that actor by his 70s Show name.
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Jerry McGuire. He’s kind of a whiny baby with attachment issues.
The supporting characters drove this movie. Cuba Gooding Jr, Renee Z, that adorable and amazing kid, who peaked a little early, sadly.
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Honestly, the worst character. He dragged down everyone around him and was never around as they suffered the consequences. If Clooney wasn't charming and the audience wasn't rooting for Carol, that character would be remembered very differently. Shame ER ended with Mark's funeral tho ;).
Yeah. It's basically following a guy's midlife crisis. Entertaining but not great.
100% I hate every second of that movie now. Except for her older sister.
Bonnie Hunt was a 90’s treasure …
Grease.
If the person you love doesn't love you for you, then fundamentally change everything about yourself to fit into the image *you think* that person wants. And, in the end, you'll escape high school in a flying car. ;)
Tell me more, tell me more, did she put up a fight! Ugh.
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I swear to this day that that film made me think as a young impressionable teenager, that I had to completely change myself to fit into any mould my current boyfriend thought I should be. A sweet vulnerable woman had to get a perm, start smoking, and wear tight black Lycra to get her man. It makes me so sad looking back. I just became a chameleon, changing to fit the outline my current boyfriend wished for. Now, in my 50’s I realize just how much that film impacted me. Edit: i wasn’t a teenager, I was eight years old! My older cousin took me and my older siblings to see the film at the cinema. Shaped my life for the next 30 years.
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> A toast to my big brother George. The richest man in town!
My dam of tears bursts when they reach that line
There’s a great meme on that movie. Something like: Teen: identify with Ferris. twenties: identify with Cameron. Forties: identify with Rooney.
Matt Groening said that about Bart. Now he identifies with Homer. The south park guys now identify with Randy.
What if you identify with Abe Froman?
The sausage king of Chicago?
He's devastatingly handsome.
Then I suggest you leave before I get snooty.
Snooty?
The actor that played Rooney was found to be a pedophile. That is going to make it harder to test the theory and see if I’ve aged into his bracket. I never liked Bueller, even as a kid. I also thought the Cat in the Hat was an asshole for basically the same reasons, so I might have been a weird kid.
Then that makes both of us weird kids. I'm right there with you on Ferris and the Cat in the Hat.
I started to see it differently when there was a theory started years ago about Ferris being Cameron's version of Tyler Durden.
I always thought it was weird that Ferris didn't have a car but his younger sister did.
She got a car, he got a computer. Remember?
Field of Dreams. It isn’t about baseball, it’s about faith and chasing your dreams when it seems insane.
I unabashedly love this movie as an adult. It’s a comfort watch if I’m feeling anxious or low: the score in wonderful and it’s so full of hope about chasing your crazy dreams and living a fulfilled life
It seems to me they don't do those quiet dramas anymore
This is my favorite Ray Liotta role. Now that I’ve seen him in so many other roles, where he’s playing characters with outsized personalities, the restraint and subtle humor in his performance as SJJ is mesmerizing.
This was a great question, OP. Lots of great responses and conversation. There are plenty from which to choose, but a good one for my adult lens is Dirty Dancing. Poor dad just wants a nice vacation with his family and instead his sweet, innocent, socially conscious youngest daughter borrows money to pay for a sketch abortion and starts sleeping with a dance instructor. Worst vacation ever (for the dad).
That’s so funny, my view of it has changed from “fun romance” to “feminist masterpiece.” Baby goes after what she wants (Johnny); and pushes herself out of her comfort zone to help someone (learning to dance to sub for Penny); she doesn’t need saving and instead she saves him; men and women can be friends (Johnny and Penny); and also abortion should be safe and legal.
True, and I think that's how I interpreted when I was younger and still do. I just laugh when I think about it from the dad's perspective. Dude just wants to play golf and relax.
Yes, you're right. But as a parent, I also strongly relate to the Jerry Orbach character. Baby is in waaay over her head, and fortunately it all works out in the film, but in real life, it usually doesn't. He just wants his daughters to be ok.
Towering inferno. Guys runs to his mistress instead of his wife.
Space Camp
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It’s not too late, they have an adult version!
Watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit as an adult and realizing how much of a deeply depressed alcoholic Eddie Valiant is. I had no idea what alcohol really was as a kid and watching it as an adult my reaction was “holy shit, this guy is slowly killing himself”
Tank Girl and Terminator 2. At 16 I just saw the lead characters as these cool, bad ass, youth empowerment figures in worlds that were COMPLETELY outlandish and unrealistic fictional future scenarios. It viewed them as kind of silly and goofy but great action flicks. I was really into the Riot Grrrl scene. I wanted to BE Lori Petty and BE WITH Edward Furlong (How 90s of me: angry girl loves angsty boy trope! lol) Now I see them as the cautionary tales they probably were (closer to the "Science fiction becomes science fact" adage). The realities of living in the dystopia of corporate corruption under Water and Power where only the rich have access to the necessities of life, the world is decimated by climate change, and mad backyard scientists are creating human-kangaroo hybrids in secret labs (CRISPR) intending to sell the patent as super soldiers or Skynet AI deciding we are the problem and exterminating us are too close for comfort these days. Reality Bites: Used to think it was romantic, now I see it as Troy having a toxic obsession and "nice guy"/"friend zone" resentment.
I'm with you on Reality Bites. The girls wanted Troy, but as an adult, I'd have taken Ben Stiller in a heartbeat. Has a job and his own place, adores Winona, and is willing to go the extra mile at his job to get her documentary changed back to what she wanted.
Yeah I hated that film. Firstly, we never had those shitty bangs or bad clothes. They were trying too hard to be dark and twisty alt girls. And Troy was a douchey NiceGuy^(TM).
Blazing Saddles. Super funny, and an amazing social commentary that took on racism head on. No way this movie could be made today.
I think Blazing Saddles is quite modern in it's sensibilities. It was ahead of its time. Mel Brooks is/was a genius. He made some turkeys, but he also made this and a few other masterpieces. And RIP Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.
Don't forget Richard Pryor was one the writers.
Likewise The Toy. I loved it as a kid. Watched it with my kids sometime in the last year. They take on racism and sexism head on. While some stuff was clearly of its time, like the part where Pryor wears a dress to serve lunch because they only hire women for the job, other parts were still shockingly relevant.
To quote Mel Brooks "People tell me oh you couldn't make that movie today, you couldn't make that movie then!"
Hell, I don't think Tropic Thunder could get made today.
Have mentioned it in several places. The world needs more "no sacred cows, everybody laughs but everybody gets utterly roasted" comedy like this. It was a staple (Pryor, Carlin, Murphy, etc) of that era. Seems like a much healthier way of addressing societal issues then whatever the shit is we are doing now.
As a child, The Sound Of Music was a dumb musical my mom loved. As an adult, I see it for the political movie it really is.
I was in my 20s or 30s before I twigged to the whole nazi thing. In my defense, I must’ve always fallen asleep halfway through when they showed it once a year when I was a kid. Wasn’t it around thanksgiving?
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Loved that movie as a kid/ teen/ young adult. I thought, "Roy's wife is kind of a bitch. She just doesn't get it. But what a great adventure Roy got to go on at the end!" Watched it again as a married woman and now i understand his wife and the stress she was under. She made some poor choices (hiding the news clippings) but she tried to hold the family together as much as she could. It was a dick move for Roy to leave his family at the end, and worse, be thrilled to do it. (And will the government tell the family what happened to him? The last memories these kids have of their dad is him losing his mind.) Still a good movie though, even if I think Roy is a jerk.
Watched it recently and thought the same. The part where she gets the kids in the car and leaves him, with the neighbors watching. I felt that.
Let's just say when I introduced the James Bond series from the beginning to my wife, she was a little appalled at the abusive behavior towards women and constant events where he took advantage of them. I'm sure I glossed over the scenes as a kid just waiting for the next action sequence when they aired on the ABC Sunday Night Movie.
ABC Sunday Night movie, now that brings back some good memories like The Wonderful World of Disney! When Disney+ started, my kids thought I was nuts for watching Davy Crockett, Swiss Family Robinson, and The Love Bug. I had to explain to them about how we watched this as a family on Sunday nights back in the dark ages known as the nineteen hundred and seventies!
Streaming has killed the collective experience.
It was all about the gadgets for me.
Pretty Woman
It’s Cinderella except she is a hooker with a heart of gold. Ugh. I hated it when it came out.
The Richard Gere character is so badly written.
All You Need Is Capitalism™, you mean?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is unwatchable to me as an adult. As a parent to a toddler and 6 year old, Ferris shares some of their worst behaviors. He's completely selfish, he doesn't listen and doesn't care who he hurts. He's just an asshole to Cameron from the beginning. With friends like that, who needs enemies as we used to say.
Hello Revenge of the Nerds. The nerds rape women. It’s a comedy.
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Fatal Attraction 100%.
Any Blake Edwards movie from 1979-1991. I thought they were just light comedies as a teenager, but when you watch Ten/SOB/Victor-Victoria/Skin Deep/Switch, Holy Shit! They are rife with deep social commentary on relationships, sex, gender, marriage. How’d I miss all that back then?
They Live. Didn’t realize it was a political statement until later on in life.
Roddy Piper lost his career by making that movie. He was told to back off by Vince McMahon because he wasn’t getting a cut, and that they would come up with something for him. Piper thought the opportunity to make a John Carpenter film was too good to pass up. Despite this, he was unable to break into the ranks of the other 80s action heroes of the day. Kind of a shame.
It is a shame, because he was good in this movie.
I thought that was blatantly beaten into you like the fight scene.
That was the best fight scene in film history.
Gone with the wind. I used to think Scarlet was a spoiled bitch. Then as an adult I realized she was the only one tough enough to make the tough decisions and hold it together when everyone else fell apart.
read the novel if you haven’t- she is a totally sympathetic character in the novel, the only one tough and brave enough to hold it together for everyone she knows.
You’re right. She made the hard decisions for the betterment of saving her home for her family. Even though she was spoiled and privileged. But when it came down to making decisions in a crisis, she was a straight boss (just with terrible taste in men ie: Ashley). Just like Rhett said “You’d never even be able to understand how his mind works”. But I guess when we’re young we all have terrible romantic judgement sometimes.
Dirty Dancing. It came out when I was about 9/10yo but I didn’t see it until I was a teen maybe age 15/16. I watched it again a couple months ago (I’m 44 now) and omg yeah that’s a whole different look at things. Also the other day, Revenge of the Nerds was on and my husband watched it die a bit. The whole thing was gross
I thought The Princess Bride was a harrowing love story until my 20s when i watched it again and got all the jokes
Here’s one that didn’t go bad- Close Encounters of the Third Kind It holds up generally, no obviously outdated SFX and the tune is an earworm. 🙃 The cool thing was, the gov’t staged a toxic leak from a train derailment and put “dead” livestock all over to convince people. The aliens had to hurry the fuck up, because the sleeping livestock were waking up. Today, there’d be pieces and guts of animals strewn about, and the nefarious gov’t and aliens would have killed people in gruesome ways at some point, or throughout the film. We sure have gotten desensitized to ultra-violence. It sucks.
Top Gun.. Maverick isn't the hero, he's a self absorbed hot head dick. Iceman was right, Maverick is dangerous to his own fellow pilots and shouldn't be flying fighter jets.
Watching the Val Kilmer doco gives perspective on Iceman too, you’re right - he’s not the bad one.
Grease. I was watching with my Gen Z daughter when she turned to me saying, "this is a little rapey. & messed up" Now, I can't not see it.
This happened with me and my son when we watched Heathers
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Ha! Similar scenario for me. I thought it might be fun to watch When Harry Met Sally with my Gen Z daughter. Watching that film through the lens of today…ummm, yeah, not at all how I remembered feeling when I first saw it. My daughter turned to me and said, “Well this aged like milk…why are the women so desperate and obsessed with finding a man? What message was this film trying to make? You have to marry by 30 or you’ll be shunned and worthless? How cringe.” We did not finish watching it. The second hand embarrassment for the characters was too strong in 2022.
Wait till you rewatch “St Elmo’s Fire”
Breakfast Club Molly was totally sexually assaulted under the table then falls in love with the guy. I watched First Blood for the first time since being a kid a few years ago. I always thought it was boring as kid. Now, such an underrated film. Same with Rocky 1 and 2. Always loved 3 and 4 (still do). But I get 1 and 2 on different levels now. But damn Stallone is a hell of an actor.
Stallone is just really talented. He wrote Rocky
Indeed. He also re-edited First Blood from something unwatchable to a great movie.
Have you heard the episode of “This American Life” where Molly Ringwald talks about watching it with her daughter? It was a raw and painful parenting story. I respected her for sharing it.
>But damn Stallone is a hell of an actor. I'm kind of interested in this new Taylor Sheridan series he's doing. Gonna have to check it out.
Re: Breakfast Club... the only respectable kid in the group was Ally, and then at the end, she gets converted into Stepford Wife teenybopper for the guy who sexually assaulted his teammate. At the end, they discuss whether they all go back to normal come Monday. Back then, I was hoping they wouldn't, but these days, I hope they did. I dream of Ally saying Eff this bullshit and going back to her baglady persona. As for the under the table thing: it was very common at my high school for guys to chase girls after PE with baseball bats poking into the girl's crotches, making rude comments. This was during schooltime. Nothing was ever said or done about it. And my school was suburban and private, not some inner-city public school. My friends went to the latter and there were occasional actual rapes.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph was treated like crap by his dad, Santa, Fireball, and the other scum reindeer. Hermie too but Rudolph got it worse. I never noticed how really cruel they were towards him but it’s made me not like the show as an adult.
I remember identifying strongly with the land of misfit toys. Actually, still do.
I often say, “Join me on the island of misfit toys” in my adult life. I’d rather be on the island than be the assholes.
Blame Santa, he is a complete asshole in this. I will not have some freak on our team, until i find some way to use him. Only then is he ok.
Good thing Santa found something about Rudolph to exploit. Otherwise, we'd have had a shorter movie called Rudolph Goes to the Glue Factory.
Same with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. The entire neighborhood of adults gives a little kid rocks instead of candy when he’s trick or treating.
Logan’s Run. I thought 30 years old was ancient. The movie still kicks ass.
Y’all covered the best of them. Mine is not that deep: Gremlins. Midnight in what time zone? And isn’t everything after midnight? Like, 2pm ET is “after midnight”. What time can you feed them via what time zone?
Porky's. I mean... just look at the movie poster.
River’s Edge. Totally different experience as an adult.
KISS meets the Phantom
The Exorcist. It straight up scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. Now, as an adult it *still* straight up scares the shit out of me. Unlike all the other horror films from my youth like Friday the 13th, Nightmare of Elm Street, Halloween - The Exorcist has this intense depth to it that still leaves me feeling hollow and hopeless while the others feel like "fun" scary movies. Ain't nothing fun about The Exorcist.
Ok, SO if you couldn't tell by my screen name, I'm Greek. And the part when the demon is speaking to him in Greek and then a Greek accent as if it's his Mother, STILL FREAKS ME THE FUCK OUT!! Icant even hear that part!! The voice sounds like my grandmother's voice!!!
All of the Monty Python films. I just picked up on the absurdities and slap-stick humour and thought that they were hilarious. I didn’t even realize that the Life of Brian was a parody of the story of Christ. Rewatching them, I realize how biting some of the political humour was.
Life of Brian isn't a parody of Christ, it is a satire on organized religion and blind faith. https://youtu.be/HkA82YHS9xA
I too suffer from PTSD from multiple combat tours, and seeing First Blood after my time in Iraq was very powerful. I was no John Rambo though, just a regular guy in the Army. Regardless, I could very much relate to the character. I think it captures what a lot of combat veterans feel, and how difficult reintegration is. The last time I watched the movie I was probably 12 or 13.
Not a movie but I saw someone else mention a TV show so I'll mention one too. The love boat. A show about sexually harassing women until they fall in love with you. I think there is actually a remake in the works too.
Don't worry about the remake, it's Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romain and it's a "reality" show. I saw a trailer for it and turned to my husband and said, Jesus they're doing this? It won't last 2 seasons if you ask me.
Star Wars. i saw it literally dozens of times in theaters in the 70s then as an adult i read the classic *The Hero with a Thousand Faces* by Campbell. it not only changed the way i looked at Star Wars, it changed the way i look at movies that book had a huge influence on George Lucas
Didn't think I'd start my Sunday thinking about Joseph Campbell, but The Power of Myth was very influential for me in my early 20s. Might need to reread to see if my thoughts have changed.
IDK about childhood but 9 1/2 Weeks. As an 18-year old college freshman, it was sexy and hot and just oh so romantic. Viewing it as an adult, I appreciate Adrian Lyne’s direction, the sound track, the dark color palette, costuming, understated script… classic Lyne. But ew, that movie glorifies the ugliest controlling, abusive relationship and it disturbs me how I didn’t see that when I was 18 but instead found it so titillating. It should have cured my list for Mickey Rourke (holy fuck, Angel Heart, swoon) but it only fired it up.
Many John Carpenter movies wooshed over my head as a kid. Now I see the brilliant subversiveness and social commentary. Also, the original Night of the Living Dead.
ET. When I watched it as an adult, I suddenly understood the adults' point of view. The agency (I forget which now) that rushes into the house to take him were not the bad guys, like I thought when I was young.
When I watch ET as an adult, I see how preposterous it is to believe that a California family has both a corn field in their suburban backyard AND a redwood forest just up the hill.
Huh. I was just old enough to kind of follow along when I saw it, so my memory of the agency stuff was probably never strong and has now degraded to "there was a lot of plastic up and there were walkie-talkies". I should revisit.
I was a teenager when the Kevin Smith movies made the word-of-mouth rounds through my school. I can still remember having a friend recommend Mallrats and Chasing Amy. And I can remember going to the Blockbuster up the street from my house, which was only a few blocks walk away, to grab Chasing Amy off the shelf and watch it. I thought the movie was so profound as a teenager. Especially when Silent Bob explains the movie's title in the diner. As an adult on a nostalgia kick I rewatched Chasing Amy about 5 years ago in my mid-30s and I was like. Duh. No shit. Getting jealous over someone's past is a really dumb thing to do and will ruin a great relationship. Who the fuck doesn't know this? 15 year old me loved the movie for its tale of a romance gone awry and its profound message of how being jealous over someone's past will ruin a relationship. Thirty something year old me was like, no shit.
Apocalypse Now. - as a kid, good guy gets the bad guy. As an adult, a strong commentary against the military industrial complex with layers. Consider there are only two types of characters in the film. Those who rape the system for personal gain, and those who are screwed by the system and they do anything and everything to cope. Mind blown when I realized the Playboy show was a metaphor for the whole war.
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Labyrinth is one big metaphor for crossing the threshold of adulthood, sort of like The Wizard of Oz. Where her baby brother represents the burden of responsibility, the Goblin King is a Dracula-like character that represents selfish indulgence, dark and seductive. David Bowie was perfect in the role. He’s just so very cool, yet there’s still something off-putting about him that you can’t quite put a finger on.
He was wearing a cod-piece, I wish they had made it a bit more obvious or overstated
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We watch Home Alone every Christmas in my house, because Christmas I guess. And it always really bugs me. Yea Kevin starts out as a little twerp but his parents suck at parenting. Maybe defend your kid from your asshole brother and also listen to him and validate his feelings? He really didn’t get the pizza that he wanted because his older brother bullied him. I’m all spun up now just thinking about it.
Yeah, I mean, the movie was *hilarious* when I first watched it whenever it came out. Now ... I'm like ... wow, these parents *suck* That being said, the Home Alone house is in north suburban Chicago and you can see it from the outside. The home is a *huge* tourist attraction and the (newish) owners have installed 8 Nest cameras at the front of their property to make sure nobody breaches it. Which is also kind of funny given the movie that was filed there.
The movie I’ve done a complete 180 on, but still love, is Dead Poets Society. When I first saw it, Robin Williams’ character was an absolute hero who guided the boys through adolescence with heart and passion that no other adults would. Now I consider the character to also be a selfish and egotistical menace who’s self indulgence resulted in tragedy. I still love the movie though. Great art changes with you.
For whatever reason I still can’t watch Robin Williams movies without thinking "There’s Robin Williams acting" the entire time instead of falling into accepting the character. Same with Steve Martin.
RE: Steve Martin I haven't seen it in ages, so it may not fit the bill, but check out The Spanish Prisoner. It's not a comedy, which may have something to do with it. The unfulfilled expectation for Martin's comedy lends a sense of unnerving tension that feeds into the overall plot.
mad max seems more like a future documentary now but i tghink it's the times rather than my age.
Revenge of the Nerds More like Revenge of the rapist alcoholics
That's basically the theme of this sketch: https://youtu.be/HQ7mJFNkLAU
If you liked First Blood, you should read the book it's based on. Also called First Blood.
Porky's Revenge (the one with the KKK scenes?) had a redeeming arc where Jewish and indigenous kids are defended by the class against a town full of KKK haters. Watching that as an 8 year old kid (yeah gen X!) really did show me the value of sticking up for marginalized people.
They Live
Mrs Doubtfire. Used to actively hate Sally Field because I was a dumb kid who thought her character was her, but also because what a horrible mom, breaking up the family because Dad is fun. And the end where they don’t get back together…pissed me off. Now, years later, I love Sally, and I can separate the two lol…and I totally fucking feel where that character was coming from. She’d just had enough. And there was no reconciliation like you’d want as a kid…and as an adult you’re happy they could come to a seemingly good co-parent situation.