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Why 80s movies are better than 90s or 2000s

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
13 replies | jump to latest

The 80s were the last decade before special effects got outsourced to CGI.

The problem with CGI is that it is trying to fool an audience that something that they see is real, and not a video game. But as our exposure to realistic CGI and video games gets bigger, so does our ability to spot superceded technology.

Most of the CGI used in the 90s and 2000s looks very poor by todays standards. I compare it to the movie Rodger Rabbit, where cartoons interact with reality, but this time it's just CGI. It really does stand out.

Whereas 80s movies still had to do a lot of their stunts or use puppets or models, etc.

For that they have aged a lot better.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I'm not really down on CGI except when it comes to horror movies. I HATE CGI gore. I love the slasher movies of the 80s because half the fun was the practical effects used to create the kills.

[–] Bigcat (259) 6 years ago

True. Its why Halloween 1 and 2, Friday the 13th 1 and 2 and Texas Chainsaw Massacre will always be the best horror films of all time.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Friday the 13th parts 3 and 4 were great too featuring some cool Tom Savini effects!

[–] Bigcat (259) 6 years ago

The 3D stuff at the beginning always cracks me up for some reason. Plus the 3rd one is the last time Jason actually looks like a real guy in a way. I mean his clothing. Its like Dickies workwear before it became a big deal to wear that. Its the simplicity of these films that always reels me in. They will never make movies like that again.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

However, fake blood and puppetry are also terrible looking now (e.g., Brawl in Cell Block 99). They were convincing enough in the 80s but not today. It's bordering on unintentionally funny.

We just had seen too many good looking movies that are ambitiously budgeted, meticulously made, lovingly crafted already. The bar is raised so high anything worse is not gonna cut it. Making these kind of quality effects is just simply unfeasible for most productions, CGI or otherwise.

Whether it's bad CGI or bad practical effects... both are bad.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78603) 6 years ago

I agree
The Marvel and Star Wars movies look very cool and I enjoy them but practical FX are still very cool

[–] Stratego (31082) 6 years ago

No, 80s movies are not better than 90s movies. It's not like CGI had taken over like it has now.

[–] mikethemartian (7001) 6 years ago

My problem with CGI is that since it is a lot easier than practical effects, filmmakers overindulge themselves.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Absolutely. CGI used for explosions, fires, glass smashing, cars colliding etc looks very poor in my opinion.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

True. That's one of my criticism on Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) for example. They did the obviously CGI camera-through-the-bus-windshield effect while it served no purpose whatsoever. Like audience were gonna wow at that? Maybe in 1997 lol. It's totally unecessary and distracting even.

And it's not like it's a Fast and Furious movie or something. It's a simple musician biopic drama. Just why throwing random CGI nonsense out of nowhere??

[–] Knish (1721) 6 years ago

Kind of a bad comparison, the eighties were a terrible decade for films. After heavens gate they were scared to invest money in a risky project.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Hell yeah. Batman 89 shits all over Spiderman 2.