Movie Classics And Cliches

I wanted to blog about movies only but then I don't go out to see one as often as I used to. In fact I had not been to the theatre in about three months now. I prefer to watch old movies from my collection and since classes are over, I have a lot of time to watch it now.

These old classic movies are one of the few things that make me genuinely happy. Watching classic movies such as Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Westerns like Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. Movies like these stir feelings of excitement that movies today don't deliver as much. Why? Well I admit that I am biased for the classics but it is only because I appreciate the effort put into it more. Movies nowadays use CGI and all those fancy gimmicks. It is ironic that frequent use of these special effects don't make them special anymore. A long time ago people were amazed at how lifelike the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were and it was groundbreaking. Now, just about anyone can make his own realistic monsters and effects theoretically since the technology is much more accessible.

And what did the old movies have? Hell, Jackie Chan had to do things the hard way before stuntmen became professional. The classic movies had to be inventive. They used cinematography, smart pacing and filming like the way the camera always panned to Clint Eastwood's squint eyes and permanent scowl before the big shootout. That trick, to zoom to the characters face dramatically and with wide angle shots across the middle of the dusty western town, became trademarks of the genre. It built tension and it was awesome. That's exactly why we call these movies classics because they pioneered the style and made it work. When modern movies try to do it, it's just cliche and its usually pointed out. The classics are remembered for their good plot and storytelling too and not just for the effects.

I love movies and a few new ones do stand out in my list. But few modern movies can capture the feeling , the "You have not seen this before" feeling. It is all so boring and formulaic. It's been done and done better. Nothing wrong with a tried and true formula but all this cliches make me want to watch something new, that's why I watch the old movies.