MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Are these B-Films?

Are these B-Films?

posted a year ago by [deleted]
11 replies | jump to latest

I know it's a matter of personal opinion so I'm seeing where some might draw the line.

Are these B-Films?:

Fantastic Voyage (1966)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060397/reference/

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058530/reference/

Re-Animator (1985)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089885/reference/

The Last Man on Earth (1964)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058700/reference/

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052948/reference/

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/reference/

The War of the Worlds (1953)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046534/reference/

[–] samoanjoes (52970) a year ago

I say yes to the first 4.

[–] FredBurroughs (20214) a year ago

No. Reevalute your thinking beyond surface aesthetics.

Last Man on Earth, okay. That's a low budget movie through and through.

Fantastic Voyage and Crusoe on Mars are both relatively high budget productions, which should immediately disqualify them.

Re-Animator is an independent film, which also immediately disqualifies it for not existing within the same studio system that produces B-movies.

[–] samoanjoes (52970) a year ago

I took actors who appeared in the film, budget, and cheese factor into consideration. I didn't bother checking production company though.

[–] FredBurroughs (20214) a year ago

Then how did you come to the conclusion that Fantastic Voyage, one of the highest budgeted and grossing movies of its respective year with cutting edge special effects, fits that mold?

[–] samoanjoes (52970) a year ago

I didn't know about the budget. I'm just going by memory of when I saw it many moons ago.

[–] Strazdas (2328) a year ago

But... plenty of b-movies are independently produced?

[–] FredBurroughs (20214) a year ago

A case could be made for Last Man on Earth.

Aside from that title, none of those would qualify as B movies. They're all genre films, yes, though that alone does not a B movie make. With the exception of Re-Animator, all of those titles are some of the biggest budgeted productions of their day and were featured as top-billed releases. They might be viewed as corny compared to more contemporary efforts, but keep in mind that sci-fi was not treated with the same gravitas in those days.

Also, the more I compare it to the other titles, the more Re-Animator sticks out like a sore thumb. It's at least two decades removed from the rest of the list and hails from a completely different era in both creative and business respects.

[–] R_Kane (15828) a year ago

The original The Day the Earth Stood Still is indisputably an A movie and I am offended that you would even ask the question. It is a fucking landmark in science-fiction movie making, up there with Forbidden Planet and Blade Runner.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

[–] rnmboon (386) a year ago

Maybe Re-Animator is but the rest of them aren't. Those are just old school science fiction movies.

[–] mikejason (0) a year ago

[deleted]

[–] jriley555 (7227) a year ago

No to the last four - they're all sci-fi classics, with the possible exception of JTTCOTE - but I loved that one, too.