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| a weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves |
There is more than one way to look at this week's theme as there are several reasons why some films haven't aged well. Some aged badly because of now-obsolete special effects, some because of overacting, some because they are problematic as hell. I'm going with the latter.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
I loved this film as a child. I even enjoyed it when I rewatched it years ago. But now that I know better, I find it difficult to imagine rewatching this film considering how transphobic it is. Don't get me wrong, I never found the transphobic jokes nor twist funny.
Grease (1978)
It's hard to think of a film with a worse message than this as it basically says that a girl has to change her whole appearance and personality to get a boy who treats her like shit. Not to mention that horrific song about rape. I honestly don't know how some people still defend this film.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Whether you like this or not, you cannot deny how some of the jokes don't work at all nowadays as there's plenty of racist, sexist and I think even homophobic jokes. Not to mention how the dream boy talks about the ways he can take violate his girlfriend, and that Ted climbing on top of Samantha multiple times despite her protests.
I was never a huge fan of Grease, even as a kid. Mostly because everyone looked like they were 30+ years old and in high school. As an adult, I'm definitely with you on the entire "change yourself for your man", though I've had people point out to me that Danny was willing to do it too... but uh, wearing a sweater over your Greaser clothes isn't the same and he ditched it as soon as he saw her! Anywaaaay...I'm with you on all 3 movies. I chose Sixteen Candles for mine too. I did not like that movie at all.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand the point of using old actors to play teens since there's plenty of teen actors, but I'm not bothered by it anymore. Considering all the messed up things in movies, that's the least concerning.
DeleteThe only one of your picks that I saw is Grease. Even though that film has a few good songs, the overall message never sat well with me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even like the songs 😅
DeleteWe match on Ace Venture and I absolutely agree on all your choices. The rape culture Sixteen Candles perpetuates isn't talked about enough.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right.
DeleteI recall very little of Ace Ventura beside thinking it was moronic so I'm not surprised it's aged poorly.
ReplyDeleteI love the songs in Grease and Stockard Channing but the whole "I have to be someone else than who I am to hold onto this guy" thing never did sit well.
Molly Ringwald is very winning in Sixteen Candles and it has funny bits but I can see other parts that would have not held up at all.
I picked three that were huge hits upon release that are head scratchers now.
Crash (2005)-Inexplicable Best Picture winner is a dreadful collection of noxious elitists having conniptions about all “the dark people” threatening their privileged existence in Los Angeles. Yuck!
Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)-They say nothing ages faster than topical comedy and here’s the proof! Awash in shag carpeting, Nehru jacket, love beads and “groovy” talk of raising consciousness, EST, and a bunch of other hippie dippy subjects of the ME decade. In its favor it does have a phenomenal cast-Bea Arthur, Cloris Leachman, Stiller & Meara, Gig Young, Bonnie Bedelia and in her screen bow Diane Keaton among others, plus the Oscar winning song “For All We Know”. This was a big hit, but you’ll be scratching your head as to why if you watch.
Easy Rider (1969)-Meandering biker flick was a seminal turning point in cinema the year of its release, made on a minuscule budget it was unbelievably successful becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 1969, creating the whole “Born to Be Wild” rebel motorcycle genre. But it is a collection of maddeningly diffuse thinkspeak vignettes when viewed today.
I haven't seen Crash in years but I'm one of those who actually liked it. I agree with you on Easy Rider though. I watched it last month and it did not age well.
DeleteAce Ventura is one of the rare films that I turned off after 10 minutes because I never found it funny. I found him extremely irritating. Ahh Grease, I saw it in the theatre when it first came out and liked it until the very end. I was in disbelief that she decided to turn into a slut just to have that moron. She learns to smoke and be, well, a slut. I never saw it again even though I like the music. Which song is about Rape?? I can't place it. Sixteen Candles was stupid back then and stupid now. The Asian kid was very racist but I found him funny and the high point of the film as I was never a fan of Molly Ringworm. The horny kid is just plain horny and boys and men are pigs. It is not right nor do I condone it but I remember in grade school how the boys' tongues were out with one girl who developed early. I felt bad for her and ...envious. I caused me to put toilet paper in my bra...that was disastrous.
ReplyDeleteThe song is Summer Lovin. At some point the dude says, "Tell me more, tell me more, did she put up a fight?".
Deleteoh yeah...yup, I hated that line and that whole thing about a man is if he got in her pants
DeleteWe share Grease as the same pick. I definitely agree. Ace Ventura is quite an obnoxious character, and the "twist" is super lazy/offensive. I haven't seen Sixteen Candles, but I never quite understood the hype for John Hughes movies. The characters are considered iconic, but they treat each other like crap.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it either. The Breakfast Club is the only film by Hughes I enjoyed, and even that one is quite problematic.
DeleteI watched Ace Ventura for the first time last year and it was a funny experience. I've always loved Jim Carrey's humour but I was gobsmacked at some of the jokes!
ReplyDeleteYeah, some of the jokes really go too far.
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