Top 10 Things Movies Used To Do Better

Top 10 Things Movies Did Better in the Past

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the aspects of old-school movie-making that we miss!

#10: Subtle Trailers

Creating and editing a movie trailer is an art form all its own. Or, at least, it used to be. Formidable filmmakers such as Joe Dante of “Gremlins” fame first got their start in the editing room for producers like Roger Corman. Dante and fellow future director Allan Arkush collaborated on selling the sizzle for Corman’s films, emphasizing the action and exploitable elements while also subtly ignoring budgetary constraints. Additionally, horror films and thrillers such as “Magic” and “It’s Alive” created maximum amounts of suspense while showcasing little-to-no spoilery aspects of the films at hand.

#9: Equitable Budgeting & Marketing

The film landscape of the 1960s and 70s was very different from what we enjoy today. Oh, there were still a lot of pictures hitting movie screens, but radio advertising and newspaper pages from these eras showcase a much more equitable amount of funds set aside for promotion. Cinephiles can find advertisements for even the most auteur-driven obscurities of the day, and this speaks to the studios’ desire to promote everything to everyone. Certain tentpole priority films still made their presence known, and it’s true that many movies often came and went in the theaters. However, it also wouldn’t be uncommon for box office receipts and critical buzz to be reiterated, week after week, for many different kinds of films.

#8: Fight Choreography

The nuts and bolts of movie making ebbs and flows, with certain creative methods regaining popularity, after moments of popular downtime. Franchises such as “John Wick” have reignited the desire for quality fight choreography among many movie fans, and this is a very good thing. Because, for a while there, at least, it felt as if shaky camera movements and gimmicks hid the real, visceral kind of joy we receive from watching action movies. The kung fu boom of the 1970s and especially the action-oriented VHS days of the 1980s brought tons of talented performers into our living rooms. Names like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Cynthia Rothrock all gave their all to turn martial arts cinema into an art form.

#7: Hand-Drawn Animation

There’s no denying that some truly vibrant and emotionally affecting animated imagery can be constructed by CGI. That said, there’s just something special about the hand-drawn animated features from back in the day. We understand that all movie fans watch in different ways and that the physicality of hand-drawn animation may seem quaint or archaic, given all of the technological advances we enjoy today. That said, the artifice of these older movies allows for astonishing detail to be delivered not only to characters and their emotions, but to backgrounds. In fact, it’s often the sumptuous designs afforded to these landscapes that allow our imaginations to dive headlong into the story at play.

#6: Suspense Over Scares

The aforementioned restraint afforded to many old-school horror trailers not only ties into the advertising, but also the films. Today, the term that’s often brought up is “slow burn,” but we prefer to call it “atmosphere.” Jump scares have their time and place. They’re designed to scare us, and they do their job. However, we’d argue that instilling an audience with dread or unease is a much more challenging task. Oftentimes, the classic gothic horror films of the 1960s, Italy’s giallo cycle of the ‘70s or 1980s horror shockers could take their time in delivering the menace… and we appreciated them for it.

#5: Practical Effects

They used to call it “movie magic.” The “how’d they do that?” wonder associated with practical effects maestros like Tom Savini, Rob Bottin, Rick Baker, and Dick Smith. This torch is carried today by people like Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX Group, but the industry’s halcyon era was definitely the 1980s. There’s often a sense of nostalgia when it comes to the creature features and slashers from this era, but we must also give credit where it’s due. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to bring these movies to life. The modern CGI landscape can achieve some wonderful things, but many people also just want something they can feel.

#4: Morally Ambiguous Protagonists

Has the massive influx of superhero movies skewed our perceptions of movie protagonists? Does the person whose story we’re following need to be a good person, or simply an interesting person? The “New Hollywood” era that peaked during the 1970s featured a wealth of morally ambiguous protagonists, leads that felt more human. This meant that often our narrative point of view was corrupted, troubled, or downright unreliable. This made for more interesting stories since our protagonists weren’t hamstrung by acts of necessary “heroism.” This, of course, doesn’t mean that old movies were bereft of heroic people. It’s more that this bygone era better reflects how we go through our lives on a daily basis.

#3: Steadier Pacing

Today’s streaming services seem to be getting the hint since many ad-supported options like Tubi or Pluto TV contain categories that cater specifically to movies under 90 minutes. This speaks to the growing clamor by audiences against the bloat of the multiplex. In other words: don’t take three hours to tell what you could easily do in two. Or, utilize more economical filmmaking by visually showing information, as opposed to an exposition dump of dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, the attention paid to character conversations used to feel much more focused, with fewer cuts and editing. This lack of excessive framing allowed each conversation to breathe, thus transferring its information to the audience in a steadier fashion.

#2: Directorial Autonomy

Are we living in a neo-studio system? Some think so since the era of directorial autonomy seems to be largely left by the wayside. Critics have pointed to the epic-sized financial blunders of efforts like 1980’s “Heaven’s Gate” or 1987’s “Ishtar” as an example of why studios became more reticent to hand over blank checks to directors. If a filmmaker is only as good as their last hit, then it becomes difficult for modern directors to develop their style, for fear of failing at the box office. For every big name like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg that feels bulletproof, there’s a Brian De Palma, Michael Cimino, or Elaine May that offer cautionary tales about the Hollywood system.

#1: More Originality, Less Remakes

Let’s face it: movies will always be remade. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Brian De Palma’s “Scarface” was a fantastic example of a remake being properly updated for its audience. That said, original ideas seem to be lacking in many film options today, with studios instead seeking out intellectual properties and fandoms to exploit. Again, this is nothing new, since many of the finest films ever made were adaptations of source novels. It’s not that a movie is remade, but how it’s remade is perhaps the question we should be asking. If there are no new, original ideas under the sun, then maybe all we can ask for is for directors and screenwriters to speak from experience, from the gut… and from the heart.

What’s your favorite, go-to classic movie? Let us know in the comments!