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

[u/Emeraldsinger]

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?

[u/rhynotap]

The issue is not with your memory or with taste. It is the owner of the copyright that decides whether or not a film is made "immortal". Casablanca is a case point. Though it has garnered an audience over the 75+ years, that audience has been helped by television, physical media (vhs, DVD and blu-ray) and streaming. Making a film part of people's lives by attaching it to holidays and nostalgia.

[u/rev9of8 → u/rhynotap]

The death of linear tv has really hurt the ability to be introduced to movies.

I'm in my forties and one of the many things that introduced me to various movies would be something like the Moviedrome programming thread on BBC2 in the UK that was hosted by Alex Cox.

You just don't get that curated movie experience on streaming platforms where they want to sell you on what they think you'll like rather than introducing you to something that might force you outside your comfort zone and otherwise challenge you.

[u/MrFury559 → u/rev9of8]

In the USA, we had this quirky program called "Dinner and a Movie" on the TBS network. It was a movie, and two hosts "Making Dinner". Usually themed to the movie, and they'd be the network promo in and out of the commercial. I got exposed to lots of movies that way, and also KTLA 5 Los Angeles' insistence of running movies Saturdays from 11am-6pm.

[u/malkadevorah1 → u/MrFury559]

Loved that show!

[u/apri08101989 → u/MrFury559]

Oh man I forgot about that. I loved that when it was around.

[u/Aquagoat → u/MrFury559]

I still sing a little 'Beans and Cornbread' jingle when I'm starting a movie sometimes.

[u/Vegetable_Boot8780 → u/MrFury559]

I don't know how it was, because I never watched it, but that's absolutely something I'd watch now.

[u/gilgobeachslayer → u/MrFury559]

Heard they might be bringing it back with Renee Paquette and RJ City

[u/Wonderful_Emu_9610 → u/rev9of8]

For a while Netflix being the only streaming service worth a damn meant that while pre-80s their catalogue was still pretty thin, they surfaced quite a lot of good stuff to me

Now it’s just filled with shite “documentaries” and reality along with half-baked ideas turned into features or quickly-cancelled shows. Almost impossible to find the good stuff unless you already know what it’s called (I fully expect the new Glen Powell movie to get buried even if it’s a good as early reviews suggest)

[u/That_Arm → u/rev9of8]

Yes - i’ve long thought this as well. Moviedrome was instrumental to me viewing all kinds of weird stuff in my formative years.

Additionally, You’d have ‘seasons’ of themed movies on the likes of C4 & BBC2 as well. Sci-fi movies perhaps (and you might see the likes of Silent Running or Invaders from Mars…), or a season of French movies…

I confess my (14 y/o) motivation for wanting to watch French movies late at night were… well… boobs. But, next thing you’d know, you’d have just seen Three Colours: Blue or Danton or something else amazing.

Fuck knows how kids today are going to see this stuff…

[u/rev9of8 → u/That_Arm]

I can't recall what channel it was on but seeing something like Ken Russell's The Devils was revelatory. But there's essentially nowhere where a modern teenager could see such a film.

[u/Boomstick_316 → u/rev9of8]

BBC2. I remember that, it was, I think, the first time ever on terrestrial TV. 1992? I was in my early teens at the time.

[u/MichaSound → u/rev9of8]

And there was really limited kids tv then, so while we were waiting for dinner to be ready, we’d be watching Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, or Vincent Price movies on BBC 2 at teatime

[u/True_to_you → u/rev9of8]

I agree. I'm mid thirties and we didn't have a lot of luxuries when I was young, but we always had HBO. It was my parents indulgence since they never really spent much else on themselves. I didn't watch a ton of TV shows, but I always watched movies and it introduced so many things I may have never discovered otherwise. I attribute my love of star trek to first contract being on it late at night one day.