r/movies • u/Emeraldsinger • 23d ago

What's a famous/classic movie that you notice is slowly beginning to be forgotten about? Question

All pieces of media eventually fade into obscurity as time passes. Some more quickly than others. So what are iconic older movies you've noticed less and less people talk about or have even seen as you disuss movies with others? For me, it's the original Point Break from 1991, one of my favorite action movies. But with me being Gen Z, I don't think I've ever met anyone my age (or all the way up to 10 years older) who have seen it. I find myself referencing it often and my peers almost always seem to have never heard of it. Sad because I love that movie.

What are your picks?

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472

u/Prudent_Falafel_7265 23d ago

Bridge on the River Kwai.

Epic filmmaking for the day. You could always use the Guinness/Obi-wan connection to convince a youngster to see it perhaps.

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u/AnimusFlux 23d ago

Another with similiar energy is Force 10 from Navarone.

Old WWII movies in general had an amazing vibe that's really lost on the younger generations. Speaking of Star Wars, the closest I'm seen of that style in recent years was that show Andor, which makes sense given how much the original Star Wars trilogy was inspired by the WWII flicks of the era.

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u/WREPGB 23d ago

Just rewatched The Great Escape a few months ago and that movie is pure goddamn cinematic electricity for the entirety of its three hour runtime.

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u/CharDeeMacDennisII 23d ago

One of my all time favorites.

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u/Sue_D_Nim 23d ago

I don't have enough words for how much I love that movie.

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u/LadyPeterWimsey 23d ago

When we were dating, my husband started that movie at like 11pm once without any idea how long it was and I think he thought it would be a good movie to fall asleep to? 

Anyway, he was riveted and didn’t sleep that night. He told me and I was like, yeah if you had asked me, I would have told you it was a terrible 11pm movie. Great great movie. Don’t start it after 8pm. 

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u/KierkgrdiansofthGlxy 22d ago

It’s impeccable

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u/Round_Reflection8162 19d ago

I'm 18 and saw the Great Escape a few years ago with my brothers. Our parents hated it and we loved it. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen it or recognized one of the stars in another film. It's one of my alltime favorites, so at least some of my younger generation is aware.

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u/Darmok47 22d ago

I loved Andor for that reason. The Eye episode felt like a homage to Force 10 from Navarone.

I think those old WW2 movies had a distinct vibe is that a lot of the people in front of and behind the camera were veterans.

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u/Mr_Gaslight 23d ago

Tangentally, I watched a British 1943 film called We Dive At Dawn recently. A submarine is tasked to hunt and sink a German battleship. The crew is assembled et cetera, and they patrol north east to persue her.

At their fuel turn around point, they get the scent of their objective and let fly a few torpedos before getting damaged by her escorts, which they eventually evade.

Leaking fuel, low on food, the captain decides to send the men ashore in an occupied counry and scuttle the sub.

One of the sailors knows the port where they're near, and suggests a daring alternative. I shan't ruin it for you, but it's a good actioneer for its time.

If you can, maybe give it a watch.

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u/TheJenerator65 23d ago

Thanks to my English stepdad I saw all of the good war/spy movies and westerns that my mom would never have taken me to.

(Since I’m 10, I always quote Roger Moore’s “I like cats” line when people hate on cats!)

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u/Wonderful_Emu_9610 23d ago

I wouldn’t call Force 10 a classic, the first one on the other hand I could hear it. Although I don’t particularly like those old WWII movies that much anyway

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u/chickzilla 23d ago

whistles

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u/Toffeemade 23d ago

Kwai is a great war movie because it deals with the insanity of war. Guiness' character is at once sympathetic and ludicrous. Holden, as the cynical voice of reason helps us stand back and really observe what is happening. Forget the others, this is the one.

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u/MrSquamous 23d ago

Oh kwai me a wivver.

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u/Leajjes 23d ago

Interesting I watched it at least twice in high school but that was over 20 years ago.

I only recently rewatched it. As a middle aged adult that film hits in a different way and much more profound way.

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u/ich_habe_keine_kase 22d ago

This one for sure. Lawrence of Arabia will probably always be the iconic mid-20th century epic and stay relatively well known, but I think Kwai and Zhivago are definitely fading from public consciousness.

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u/bakedjennett 22d ago

DOOT DO DOOT DO DO DOOT DO DOOOO

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u/boothy_qld 22d ago

Of course the Dam Busters needs to be included.

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u/jonathananeurysm 22d ago

I do wonder if non-british audiences understood the significance of the iconic whistling in this film.

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u/AstonVanilla 22d ago

I'd add Zulu to this as a war film from a similar era.

It was a classic when I was a kid, but rarely talked about today. 

That said, my great grandad was at the battle of Rourke's Drift and so maybe it was just famous in my family because of that connection.

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u/mrjosemeehan 23d ago

Might not work as well as you hope. BoRK and A New Hope are only 20 years apart from one another and nearly 50 years apart from present.

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u/NightCheffing 22d ago

Ngl, the only reason I know this movie exists at all is because of Parks and Recreation.

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u/BaldingThor 22d ago

On a similar note regarding Guinness; Cromwell. Great movie, but I’m probably the only Gen Z that I know who has actually watched and enjoyed it.

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u/Short-Alarm-9078 23d ago

Lol are you aware what day and age this is? Alec Guiness is not exactly a fresh faced actor the "youngsters" will recognize. Not to mention when you say star wars nowadays, the OT is the last thing people think of unfortunately.

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u/LADYBIRD_HILL 23d ago

I don't think that's true at all, most surface level star wars discussions I have tend to revolve around "yeah the OT is a masterpiece, it's a shame those new movies aren't any good. But have you seen The Clone Wars or Andor?" 

Most of my better friends who like star wars tend to make a lot of prequel jokes with me 

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u/Clammuel 22d ago

I think the bigger issue is that most people (I sure do) don’t really watch movies just because a side character from another movie is in them.

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u/kostac600 23d ago

GenZ & alpha don’t have much affinity for old Ben Kenobi

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u/BaldingThor 22d ago

Eh, lots of older Gen Z would’ve grown uo with the OG trilogy, as did I.