Students and critics of film note a big break in style and substance of movies after the fall of the old studio system in the mid-60s, through the chaotic years as the new studio heads tried to figure things out and they finally settled in the mid to late 70s on the neo-studio system based on the concept of the summer blockbuster. Because Im I guess literally EXACTLY the right age for it, I am absolutely a product of the new system: Star Wars, which came out in late May 1977 is the first movie I remember seeing in theaters, and (along with Spielbergs earlier Jaws) is considered to have ushered in the era of the blockbuster. That said, I do enjoy a fair bit of old movies--by which I mean movies before the advent of the neo-studio system with its focus on blockbusters, tight editing, dedicated special effects houses, and pacing, stuntmen who were influenced by Hong Kong, and all that. There are a few that I pull out at least once a year, sometimes more, and watch again and again. Just finished one of them a few minutes ago: Where Eagles Dare with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton, as the consummate prototypes for Jason Bourne during World War II. Supposedly, this movie had the highest body count (all Nazis) of any movie ever, and it held that record until Rambo III was made nearly twenty years later. Of course, whats my kids reaction to this movie? It looks really old. These graphics are terrible. That fight scene looks so fake. I guess I can sympathize, as a product of newer movies, in the wake of CGI and serious stuntwork influenced by the athleticism and over-the-topness of Hong Kong theater. But I still love Where Eagles Dare. I watch it almost every year.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 00:21:17 +0000
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