MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Movies that were once all the rage, but ...

Movies that were once all the rage, but get little mention now.

posted 3 years ago by jonathan_k80 (6436)
84 replies | jump to latest

I can remember when Close Encounters of the Third Kind was first released. Everyone was raving about this film, and it permeated the pop culture, even making the cover of Newsweek magazine: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8d/90/11/8d9011591005fdac7173fe82e788b9f1.jpg
It prompted discussions about whether or not we were "alone in the universe." The theme song hit the Billboard Hot 100 list. I even remember seeing commercials parodying the film.

It had a lot going in its favor, with Stephen Spielberg riding the success of Jaws (released two years earlier) and a revival of the science fiction genre, thanks to Star Wars premiering six months before Close Encounters.

Today this movie seems to be nearly forgotten. Possibly because a lot of UFO encounter stories have been debunked... I don't know. I can't remember the last time I've seen this listed on TCM or any movie channel.

I'm not at all insinuating that it was a bad movie. I saw it back then and really enjoyed it.

What are some other films that have suffered this same fate?

[–] nyctc7 (41406) 3 years ago

Woody Allen movies. Maybe not all the rage in terms of box office, but nobody talks about him anymore with any kind of reverence as an important filmmaker. I could be wrong.

[–] kukuxu (5409) 3 years ago

I'm not that sure. The 'Allen vs Farrow' documentary has been a real deal changer for many people, at least in Europe.

As an example, this is an article in Cinemania about that topic.
https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/allen-v-farrow-propaganda-contra-woody-allen-y-chapuza-periodistica-4585362/

Cinemania is an Spanish movie website. Even more: it's probably in the top 5 Spanish movie websites. It's completely mainstream, which means: when in doubt, follow the Official Narrative. An article opposing the that Official Narrative is like an Unicorn sighting.

[–] nyctc7 (41406) 3 years ago

I don't trust Mia Farrow at all. Having said that, Allen will never get over being creepy for marrying Soon-Yi Previn, even though the marriage has lasted over 20 years.

I saw Blue Jasmine in 2013 and really liked it, it also was well reviewed. But I don't think any of his stuff since has been particularly successful.

[–] mikethemartian (6116) 2 years ago

I wonder if the story about Frank Sinatra wanting to break Woody Allen’s legs was true.

[–] nyctc7 (41406) 2 years ago

This Sinatra story opens the documentary about Dominick Dunne (not about Woody Allen, but worth hearing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlM6mpBptvU

[–] MartyDeniro (4048) 3 years ago

The Full Monty

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

Still one of my favourites

[–] Wint3rFir3 (6931) 3 years ago

Probably, Inception (2010).

[–] degray9 (1126) 3 years ago

Supersize Me

[–] nyctc7 (41406) 3 years ago

Combination of the movie being discredited, and Morgan Spurlock having a Me Too moment.

[–] Knish (1721) 3 years ago

Speed had an impact when it came out. People don't talk about it much now.

[–] davodikum (5990) 3 years ago

I use the music from Speed as my ringtone.

[–] NitroHangover (1115) 3 years ago

Nice. I was just learning to drive when that movie came out, and I used to play that music in my head when I was behind the wheel, lol.

[–] davodikum (5990) 3 years ago

Yeah it gets stuck in my head all the time. Probably doesn't help that everytime my phone rings I hear it.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

I lasted 20 minutes into Close Encounters, then turned it off. Was never, ever, tempted to watch ET, or Schindler‘s List.

I haven’t met ANYONE who was boiling over with enthusiasm for Supersize Me—or even has heard of the film.

Avatar is bad at every level, except for its 3D tech, which is dubious praise. The only good thing about it is that it knocked Titanic off the top of the historical box office chart, demonstrating that quality has nothing to do with box-office success.

I hated Titanic because I hated its slavish fans.

[–] Mustang (5251) 2 years ago

I was a little too young to see it as a kid but tried watching it as an adult and was bored to tears by it. All I remember is something about communicating with lights and sound.

Supersize Me was a talking point at the time but the buzz didn't last long.

Avatar is crap and I was rooting for the Marines.

Titanic is also quite boring. I also tend to get bored with a film if it has too much hype.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

I love Close Encounters, one of my favorite films.

The Blair Witch Project seemed to be all the rage for a time, the hype was so intense I knew people who were too afraid to even watch it. When I finally saw it, I was completely underwhelmed. I applaud them for the clever marketing. They even created a fake documentary, which was honestly far better than the film itself. I know they made a sequel and a remake, but I never bothered to watch either one.

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 3 years ago

The Blair Witch Project is another prime example. Everyone was talking and raving about it. It made the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F4hXniZZe_A/Umb-CPTmnUI/AAAAAAAAEMY/21VsiXuGJqg/s1600/blair-witch.jpg

Fast-forward to today. When was the last time anyone has even mentioned it?

I liked Close Encounters, too, and wasn't implying that it was a bad film. It just seems to have receded into the background these days.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

maybe this is just a reflection of my own horror & found footage obsession & the kinds of film currents i swim in, but blair witch is a film that i still see being referenced & involved in conversation all the time.

i'm not sure if that would show up in imdb activity, but it feels very current and relevant to me.

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

I agree on Blair Witch. It's mentioned on lists all the time. At least in my circles.

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

I don't really hear much about Natural Born Killers. It was talked about a lot when it came out, and then it was no longer shocking?

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

yes, that's a good one. that film was talked about endlessly that year, had people clutching their pearls & so on, & seemed like the ugliest, most transgressive film at the time.

& now find anyone who cares about it...

i'd really like to see it again. i don't think i've seen it since the year it came out, & i only have the vaguest memory of it. would be very curious to see how it plays today. not very well, i bet, but i'd like to find out either way.

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

I remember having an intense conversation at my grad banquet (I guess that's the same as prom?) with my principal and my bio teacher about it.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

i was taking accounting classes at the time, and i remember our communications instructor having a little melt-down in our class over how it was such a horrible, ugly movie, & that its popularity said something just awful about all of us.

people talked about that movie like it meant something.

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

I loved the soundtrack.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 2 years ago

It has a great NIN song that is exclusive to the ST.

[–] sslssg (28219) 2 years ago

Is that Something I Can Never Have?

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 2 years ago

Oh shit. I forgot there was more than one NIN song on that ST. I was speaking of "Burn" which is in my top 5 NIN songs.

[–] sslssg (28219) 2 years ago

Okay, that makes sense. I'd forgotten about Burn. I was pretty sure Something was on Pretty Hate Machine.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Disclosure. Anyone remember Discloser? It got so much buzz about Demi Moor sexually harassing Michael Douglas in a corporate setting where the big prize was to develop a new CD-ROM drive.

[–] sslssg (28219) 3 years ago

I do remember that one. What was the other one.....Paid a million for a one night stand. Indecent Proposal. I remember that one being talked about as a would you do it scenario.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Apropos the “would you do it?” scenario: You must know the old joke where a man offers a woman $1 million to sleep with him. She replies, “That’s a lot of money, so, yes. I will.” The man says, “Will you do it for 50 bucks.” Indignant, the woman says, “What kind of a girl do you think I am?!” The guy says, “We’ve already established that. Now we’re haggling over the price.”

Indecent proposal, also with Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford. Oh, the 90s! To keep the Demi theme going: Striptease. Oh, tisk. She had her boobs done again, took dancing lessons with an exotic dancer. How naughty. Catty tongue-wag, tongue-wag, tongue wag—then dead silence.

Here’s another one, without Demi: M*A*S*H. Yeah, I took the trouble to spell it correctly, because you deserve it. Did not age badly. Simply died of old age.

In a similar vein, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Or any other movie (except for The Exorcist) with Ellen Burstyn. Or Chris Kristofferson.

[–] Mustang (5251) 2 years ago

There's also the joke where the husband accepts the million on the condition he doesn't have to take her back!

Demi Moore is another actress who ruined herself with plastic surgery. She was seriously cute in the 80's.

[–] Mustang (5251) 2 years ago

I don't think they would like that film now as the woman is the villain. I thought it was a decent enough film at the time though. Haven't seen it since so not sure if it stands the test of time.

[–] davodikum (5990) 2 years ago

I never liked natural born killers and I don't know why. On paper, it screams a movie that old daveo would like. But nope, I just don't care for it.

[–] Drooch (5333) 2 years ago

NBK is a fascinating curiosity. Even though it depicts a culture going down the toilet largely because of the media… it seems quaint compared to the utterly deranged and sinister mainstream media we have today, and the sheer amount of messed up shit on the internet which is deranging generation after generation.

As fucked up as it is, NBK makes you want to go back to the mid nineties.

It’s more of a coked-up hell ride than a traditional movie, it’s quite difficult to watch, but it’s clearly a work of passion and leaves an impression. Plus the soundtrack is great. Be sure to watch the director’s cut for the added violence.

Bonus thoughts: Robert Downey Junior is probably the best thing in the film but nobody talks about this. Tarantino wrote the script but hates the film because Oliver Stone drastically changed it, I’d love to see Tarantino’s more coherent version but the Stone film remains a fascinating slice of madness from an era when Hollywood was daring, intelligent and creative.