What modern films will become classics? **NO LISTING**

Skerries

so what do you reckon that has been released in the last 10 years will we still be heralding for the next 50 years
what will become the next Casablanca or Apocalypse now and can withstand the test of time?

carwash106

Interesting thread idea, I'd say this thread will have some good replies.

For me I would have to say Inception

ricero

lord of the rings, the dark knight ( due to being the best comic book movie ever), inception. cant think of much now il come back later

Dr. Bad Touch

The Departed, Inglorious Basterds

johnny_ultimate

carwash106 wrote: »

Interesting thread idea, I'd say this thread will have some good replies.

I really don't. This thread is already looking like it will descend into listorama. First and last warning to give some reasons to prevent a totally mindless thread!

Magic Beans

I'd say Avatar would be up there somewhere. I know it's only a glorified cowboys and indians but the quality of production was amazing.

FWIW I don't rate Casablanca. I watched it recently and was very disappointed.

mike65

Its quite impossible to predict, no one but no one could have foreseen the Wizard of Oz becoming a cherished favourite or Casablanca for that matter, both were received with lukewarm praise by most and some reviews were quite hostile.

johnny_ultimate

Avatar > Casablanca is what you're suggesting there, Magic Beans?

:eek:

Casablanca has thousands of times more character in the first five minutes than Avatar has in its entire bloated running time. I only recently sat down and watched Casablanca for the first time (on a big screen), but I fell in love with it. The atmosphere, the iconic lines, the stars, the lush cinematography and setting - it's the kind of timeless classic that still entertains 70 years on. Even mentioning the clinical Avatar beside it - take away the effects and what are you left with? - is sacrilege!

indough

mike65 wrote: »

Its quite impossible to predict, no one but no one could have foreseen the Wizard of Oz becoming a cherished favourite or Casablanca for that matter, both were received with lukewarm praise by most and some reviews were quite hostile.

that just means you cant predict every film that will become a classic, not that you cant predict any

Magic Beans

Definitely.

Cut out the scenes given over to lighting cigarettes and looking melodramatic drinking neat whisky and there's not a lot left. Throw in a head of the Gendarmes with a really ropey accent and your in "B Movie" territory without a doubt.

mike65

indough wrote: »

that just means you cant predict every film that will become a classic, not that you cant predict any

True now make a list of 10 films and we'll reconvene in say 40 years

Nolanger

None. Modern films are overrated, original, and lack the cultability factor.

johnny_ultimate

Magic Beans wrote: »

Cut out the scenes given over to lighting cigarettes and looking melodramatic drinking neat whisky and there's not a lot left. Throw in a head of the Gendarmes with a really ropey accent and your in "B Movie" territory without a doubt.

But you're just boiling the film down to some basic images when in reality it's so much more than that. It's a pinnacle of early Hollywood - indeed, it was meant to simply be a 'B Movie' as you suggest but a bitching script, fantastic cast & crew have propelled it deservedly into the highest echelons of cinema history. The melodrama is the charm, a powerful reminder of a Hollywood where charismatic stars, stunning black & white cinematography and sparkling scripts were dominant.

TBH, I feel a little absurd even justifying it next to something as awful as Avatar - a film that represents every excess that has dragged Hollywood down to the mindless, characterless place it is today. When the inevitable film that tops Avatar technically comes along, it will be forgotten. All it has is a shock of the new, and once you get past that Avatar shows up as the hollow cliched action film it is.

Nolanger

If you check out the big-budget Hollywood movies from the '50s and '60s most are rubbish and almost unwatchable. They date a lot worse than the smaller films made back then. Same thing will happen with Harry Potter/ LOTR/Avatar.

Magic Beans

I'll admit that the cinematography was excellent for it's time and I do love the glamourous athmosphere that black and white generates. I just found the story to be dull, simple and predictable. I didn't find myself captivated. Perhaps it's a victim of it's own success. What was innovative and entertaining in its day has become a cliché and spoils it quite a bit. It was quite cynical in marketing too as it's release was timed to cash in on the liberation of Casablanca in WW2. For its time it was just another popularist war exploitation movie.

Avatar although not everybody's cup of tea is cutting edge cinematography as evidenced by its Oscars. What that movie has achieved technically will influence movie production values for years to come.

catbear

CONGO, who can forget brilliant dialogue like "Aimee, good gorilla".

krudler

off the top of my head, Zodiac is a definite, its long, slow paced, has a plot and doesnt have a wrapped in a bow ending,along with some stunning but almost unnoticeable CGI. its basically everything modern movies arent.

Sunshine, its an awesome piece of modern sci-fi, divisive third act though.

Fysh

Good or bad, Avatar will go down in history as the film that established what could be done with 3D technology (and let's be honest, no other film has come close since its release). That said, it will also be forever damned for an awful script and some of the worst character development committed to film.

I think Fight Club will als be regarded as a classic, because of its excellent script and direction and how well it captured the sentiment of the times. It'll be a long time before Hollywood has the balls to make a darkly humorous satirical film culminating with domestic terrorists blowing up the financial district of a major American city. As with many films, it has its flaws but they don't stop it being a great film

The Matrix is another landmark film, and again I think it'll be a long time before Hollywood backs such a venture. A solid script, a distinctive visual style and some astonishing state-of-the-art effects that set the standard for several years hence - and all of it serving a story in which the protagonists Fight Authority, going so far as attacking a government building with automatic weapons before crashing a helicopter into it.

More recently, I'd suggest both Sunshine and Moon as two very different sci-fi films. Both craft tales of humans in circumstances at the limits of their endurance, with fabulous cinematography and music, and even Sunshine's disappointing descent into slasher-flick silliness towards the end doesn't quite wreck it. In both films there's the same sense of scale and epic scope that infuses greats like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris.

delbertgrady

Let the Right One In. Intelligent, thoughtful horror. Nasty enough for genre enthusiasts, and artistic enough to appeal to both the arthouse brigade and non-horror fans. Deserves longevity on a par with The Shining.
The Secret In Their Eyes. A peerless thriller, utterly engaging from start to finish, brilliantly written and acted. Age will not wither it. Unequivocally one of the best films I've seen in the last decade. And there's that legendary long take...
Up. Proved definitively to any cynics left unconvinced that animation could be taken seriously and have real emotional impact. Was it, in fact, the first Disney Pixar film for grown-ups?
Zodiac. Already mentioned. In my opinion, the true heir to the peerless All the President's Men, for making a real-life case as compelling as any fictional drama. Superb, subtle use of CGI (as already referred to) and an excellent ensemble cast.

I've probably forgotten something really obvious, but these will do for now.

Handsome Bob

Brokeback Mountain for me. The message isn't a "gay" one, it's a message about loving yourself, and living life the way you want to. Otherwise, you may end up an old man one day, torn apart by regret. Plenty of films have tried to put across the same message, but none of them have done it as effectively as BM. Not for me anyway.

Sad Professor

I think The Social Network will be very well regarded in years to come. I've watched it several times on Blu-ray and it just gets better and better.

I agree with all delbertgrady's choices above as well, especially Let the Right One In. A fantastic film whose reputation will just grow in years to come. The remake will be little more than footnote.

MrFlabr

I would have to say Blood Diamond. It had its action,drama and a fairly compelling message of what is going on around us but then again that's just me

SChique00

For me it would have to be Inception. Mind-bogglingly brilliant but with a simple yet moving message at its core. And Leonardo diCaprio is F.I.T. - just sayin' .
Do 90s movies count? Because Forrest Gump definently ranks up there with the new era of classics. Was never a fan of Zemeckis as a director as I felt he cared more about loading his movies with special effects and gizmos, but he conveyed real heart and compassion through FG. Beautiful and instantly recognisable through parodies.
Can't really think of many others - I suppose Avatar because it was in the cinema for half a decade(!) but I fell asleep halfway through it, so I don't know if that reflects badly on me as a film enthusiast or the film itself.
Hate to quote obese, jobless Youtubers here but to be fair, cinema has sharply declined since the late 80s. All we have now are endless recycled, gimmicky and overly predictable plot lines, poor quality scripting which sounds like the producers feel that a hot young bird with bouncy... hair is the epitome of acting talent, and STUPID AND POINTLESS REMAKES OF TRULY CLASSIC GEMS OF THE SCREEN WHICH SHOULD BE PRESERVED AS THEY ARE AND NOT "RETOUCHED" AND "UPDATED" TO APPEAL TO THE POPCORN SHOVELLING, SLOBBERIG MASSES.
Sorry, but that's how strongly I feel. ^^

nyarlothothep

Your Highness, in years to come people will realize that its a cult classic

castletownman

Some one earlier mentioned Up and I would add Toy Story 3 to that sentiment. They both revolutionised the animated movie genre and I can't think of any other film of it's type that can reduce grown men (myself included) to tears. Subtle moments of comedy and indeed a journey of redemption in both, make them definitely the two best animated films of my lifetime and make them set to live long in the memory. In fact I would say they are two of the best "new" films I've seen in the cinema in the last few years, as everything else I've seen have been a big let down (James Cameron I'm pointing to you)

skelliser

The Lives of Others
Zodiac

cosmicfart

Memento and already a classic the Highlander!

Littlehorny

agree with Fight Club and the Matrix as stated earlier also Gladiator, A History of Violence and imo the best film of the last ten years Slumdog Millionaire.

Wolfe Tone

How can you not like casablanca!

SChique00

MrFlabr wrote: »

I would have to say Blood Diamond. It had its action,drama and a fairly compelling message of what is going on around us but then again that's just me

Blood Diamond is a warning, a very powerful warning of what will become of the human race - in fact, what is already happening - because of our undeniably flawed nature which is full of greed and self-absorbment.
And of course, there's diCaprio

Anything with Tom Hanks works for me; best actor in cinematic history, I reckon. Big, Castaway, Sleepless in Seattle (one of the best romantic films ever made), Schindler's List, The Money Pit (comic gold!), Saving Private Ryan, TOY STORY; the list is never-ending, which only proves that the man can put not one foot wrong. If anyone will be remembered in 50 years as being the best, most prolific actor, it'll be him. :D:D

Also, The Wind That Shakes The Barley will be on every terrestrial channel - British or Irish - for possible months of reruns in 2016, mark my words. Can't WAIT for that (maybe that was a tad too sarcastic - I'm a big fan of the movie).

ziedth

I honestly think in 40 years people will still more then likely be talking about the likes of Casablanca as classics while inception/the dark knight will be remembered as great films from the naughties.

I just think that films are different now. Like we will never have another Die Hard and I think people will still look back on that before the likes I dunno Taken or a similar kind of film from now a days.

Same for Wizard of Oz. Can't see that being replaced as a childrens classic.

Only exception I can think of will be animation as UP/Toy Story 3 I think will stand longer then say Snow White.

Just my 0.02c.

cosmicfart

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

How can you not like casablanca!

Hardly 'modern' now is it?

The Scientician

I can imagine something like No Country For Old Men being well regarded in the future, for its cinematography alone. That's without mentioning the fantastic performances on the part of most of the cast.

cosmicfart

The Scientician wrote: »

I can imagine something like No Country For Old Men being well regarded in the future, for its cinematography alone. That's without mentioning the fantastic performances on the part of most of the cast.

I enjoyed immensely but it did let itself down with its ending. I expected a mMain Event fight off at the end but it just fizzled out :mad:

I really can't see Avatar becoming a classic movie - when you remove the initial wowness of the graphics, which will likely look very outdated in a few years time, you're essentially left with subpar acting and a very unoriginal idea.

Christopher Nolan's idea of using little CGi and mostly using mechanical means, will likely keep Inception looking fresh and help it stand the test of time - so good acting and an interesting story idea will likely make it a classic.

That being said, it's hard to predict what future movies and future cinema goers will be like, so for I know Transformers could be considered classic if Michael Bay keeps producing ever-popular brain dead movies.

I also think the Hurt Locker could just be considered a classic too, in the way some WW2 movies would be considered to be, especially for certain movie watchers. chael Bay keeps producing ever-popular brain dead movies.

I also think the Hurt Locker could just be considered a classic too, in the way some WW2 movies would be considered to be, especially for certain movie watchers.

my phone formatted this all weird and can't be arsed fixing it!


my phone formatted this all weird and can't be arsed fixing it!

jaykhunter

delbertgrady wrote: »

Let the Right One In. ....
The Secret In Their Eyes. A peerless thriller, utterly engaging from start to finish, brilliantly written and acted. Age will not wither it. Unequivocally one of the best films I've seen in the last decade. And there's that legendary long take...
Up.......Zodiac. ......

I like the way you think! Gonna check out The Secret in Their Eyes when i next get the chance. Or I could wait for the localisation remake with Jason Bateman :pac:

Gordon Gecko

Goodfellas - To a large extent this already is a classic (certainly the best mafia film ever made) and is Scorsese's finest film, with all due respect to "Raging Bull" and "The Departed".

Sad Professor

Didn't the OP say films released in the last 10 years?

Magic Beans

What about Saving Private Ryan?

A very human story portraying all the values we hold dear executed in a perfectly portrayed war movie. Ordinary men doing extrordinary deeds.

Renn

When I saw 38 replies I was sure they were all going to be There Will Be Blood.

Because that is the correct answer.

Skerries

SChique00 wrote: »

Anything with Tom Hanks works for me; best actor in cinematic history, I reckon. Big, Castaway, Sleepless in Seattle (one of the best romantic films ever made), Schindler's List, The Money Pit (comic gold!), Saving Private Ryan, TOY STORY; the list is never-ending, which only proves that the man can put not one foot wrong. If anyone will be remembered in 50 years as being the best, most prolific actor, it'll be him. :D:D

:eek: what version did you see!

I am pie

jaykhunter wrote: »

I like the way you think! Gonna check out The Secret in Their Eyes when i next get the chance. Or I could wait for the localisation remake with Jason Bateman :pac:

Check out Nine Queens (Neuve Reinas) too ! Darin in sparkling from from around 2001.

rain on

Fight Club has been out 12 years now :eek: so too old for the OP's 'last 10 years' criterion

Mr. Denton

Inception
Synecdoche, New York
There Will Be Blood

I reckon 30 years from now people will be lamenting how "they don't make good movies like that any more"

Phill Ewinn

Be kind rewind.
That last Starwars movie.
Mirageman
The Borne identity.
Gladiator.
No country for old men.

lifehacker

I agree with the No Country For Old Men post :cool:

But for me it has to be Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S Thompson books = genius), also leaning towards more mainstream I think 500 days of summer will be looked back on also... great movie

Liam O

Nolanger wrote: »

If you check out the big-budget Hollywood movies from the '50s and '60s most are rubbish and almost unwatchable. They date a lot worse than the smaller films made back then. Same thing will happen with Harry Potter/ LOTR/Avatar.

Whatever about Harry Potter and Avatar but the LOTR films are one of the best examples of book-film adaptations that I've seen and will undoubtedly in my mind go down as classics.

Am I the only person who thought Inception wasn't that good? They overuse what is a very good score to get cheap feelings and the plot is very thin and surely unbelievable to anyone who's ever dreamed (i.e. everyone!). I don't think a movie with the (paraphrased) quote 'we have to go down another dream level' should or could ever go down as a classic.

I think it may be that a lot of people who rarely go to the cinema went to see Inception and were blown away by the great score and overall sound and got an over-inflated sense of how good it actually is. Not bad by any means but certainly not a classic. I preferred Shutter Island from Leo's exploits that year.

johnny_ultimate

Lord of the Rings will likely be remembered by a huge number of people in years to come. Say what you will about it, but a production of that scale and success is unlikely to be replicated. It's not quite Star Wars popularity - probably the closest thing since, mind - but there's few other event movies looked upon with such reverence by so many. Love it, like it, indifferent or the rare few who hate it - individual opinion doesn't really matter, as they're films that are still going to be watched for a long time. Similarly with Harry Potter - debate about the quality, but I can still see kids of the future digging it when they aren't screwing around on hoverboards.

Spirited Away I can see being as loved in the future as it is today. There's rarely been a film in animation's rich past with a vision so endlessly compelling as Spirited Aways. A wonderful cultural artifact, breathtakingly illustrated and one of a kind - fine indicators that a film will enjoy decades of appreciation.

And now one which will inevitably attract critics, as the mere mention of its name seems to rile up the blood of so, so many vocal detractors. Eternal Sunshine... shall be remembered as a rule breaker, a film that presented a well worn idea in an utterly unique manner. The themes shall always resonate, but the delivery will stand alone. I'm sure we will say many films with equal levels of structural ingenuity in times to come, but ES shall remain peerless in its individual take on the oldest of all genres. The Tree of Life is a recent one that will surely be looked upon with the greatest admiration by the critics of 2050, a film that is so clearly the work of a singular auteur that it will help propel Malik's reputation ever upwards.

Plenty of other ones I personally feel will be remembered for a plethora of narrative / structural / visual advances and director ambition - films like There Will be Blood, Synecdoche, New York, Requiem for a Dream or Mullholland Drive (four very different examples) - are perhaps too niche and obtuse to be widely recognised the way traditional classics are. But I also think they may be the kind to retain some sort of small but ever present critical respect for many years hence, and shall always find a new enthusiast audience too.

Skinback

Dancing with Wolves

Fysh

I think Timecrimes will age very well, as another sci-fi film with confident direction and some striking visuals, not to mention a tightly-woven plot.

On a slightly different note, Pontypool deserves to be recognised as one of the most interesting reinterpretations of the zombie film ever made. A great script combined with a fabulous lead performance make it a unique film, and one that deserves much wider acclaim

Kess73

Open Range.


I think that it will have a similar lifespan as some of the classic westerns to yesteryear.


A magnificent slow burner where even the minor roles have depth of character. Each actor is spot on for their roles and the viewer really buys into what is happening.

Costner excels as the hired cattleman with death in his past as a military man, and Duvall steals the show with his turn as Boss Spearman.

Watch it as a western. Watch it as right versus wrong. Watch it as socialism against capitalism. Watch it as a revenge film. Watch it as a male buddy film.

For me, Costner +Western = win everytime.