Are Movies Getting Worse?

Take a look at these statistics courtesy of Nathanial Johnston. Keep in mind, however, that this is no foolproof and flawless representation of the accepted film ratings. It is interesting though. And what Johnston only touches on, should these statistics be generally representative, is the reason for such an outcome.

Unsurprisingly, the old movies fare well. They are classics that people love to love and are likely to go back and recognize this. They are also films more likely to be seen only by those wishing to go back and watch them, i.e. an older generation who like them but is not too old to be technologically savvy. The recent films fare well too because of there presence in our culture. They are on everybody’s mind, they are cool to like, and they receive far more attention. But we must consider more than the films themselves.

Audiences are changing. They expect more, know more about what they expect, and have much more competition for the senses. As a culture saturated with media and technology to display it, we are consumed by its presence. But what effect does this have on our interpretation as to the quality of the movie? This is determined in part by our viewing experience. We have much vaster capabilities for viewing besides the simple theatre, but even here we have plenty of options. Ipods, home theatres, in car DVD players, airplanes, and countless other modes allow our consumption. Can we, however, presume this to be the main criteria for our satisfaction with a film? It certainly plays a big part.

We need to keep in mind, too, that while movies and styles have changed and the way the story is delivered has been subject to heavy experimentation, the stories remain. And the older stories have had much more time to soak into the culture and become engrained. And copied. It seems rarely that a remake of any sort fares as well as the original, even if for the fact that it isn’t something completely new. This separates old and new from the start; old films have stood the test of time and new films have yet to do the same. So can we assume that old films are better? Can we assume that current films will be seen as better when they are the old films and the old films are the really old films? I don't think old films are any better nor do I think new films are any better. We are comparing apples to oranges and most times that doesn't work.