Age of The Nerd
Movies are a wonderful form of entertainment. They are one of the most popular forms of joy for audiences the world over. Some are outright classics, while others do not even pretend to be but exist purely for what they set out to do. Entertain. But like with many things of novelty in life, they normally have a timespan and that is when the components contained within start to show their expiration date. Almost always, the special effects are one that blatantly tends to stand out from the rest, at least to the average movie goer.
However, every once in a while a motion picture will have the aptitude to be considered to defy time. It is a rare gift for entertainment in media to almost never age, no matter how many times the clock ticks, and this can range for a number of reasons.
There are five features that this article is going to investigate, some of which are not terribly old but still would typically show their age in today’s era that is heavily dominated by the use of technology.
Alien (1979)
The movie that shot both director Ridley Scott and actress Sigourney Weaver to fame, Alien primarily uses creepy atmosphere and shows little of the monster that causes all the bloody mayhem, much in the same way that 1978’s Halloween did. But apart from it’s stylistic approach the practical special effects still hold up very well, even surpassing the computer generated presentation of the xenomorph used in Alien 3 that was developed fourteen years later! What could have easily become a 1970’s B-horror film, the performances by the actors particularly excel and the screenplay is top notch.
Scott went on to direct future classics such as Blade Runner and and Gladiator and is considered one of Britain’s legendary directors!
Rocky (1976)
The sequels may have turned this franchise, particularly in the 1980’s, into schlock but the original Rocky movie does not have much to challenge it in terms of it’s storyline and emotional punch in it’s subject matter. Writer and creator of this production, Sylvester Stallone made sacrifices to get this movie off the ground including selling his beloved dog, a bull mastiff. The inevitable battle in the ring near the conclusion is shown only in highlight format but the battle damage wound effects are nevertheless still convincing. One knows, still, they are highly unrealistic when comparing what would happen if the bout were to occur in reality.
The Matrix (1999)
Spawning two inferior sequels by popular consensus, the concept for the first Matrix movie seems to have gone unrivaled so far. The mission to get the special effects spot on was absolutely imperative, given the nature of the narrative but it did not fail in this regard, still being one of the best productions to utilize what was available at the time. The tone is often drippy, especially early on, but maybe that was intentional. Afterall, you can never be too serious with a picture that involves the central hero fighting a guy in sunglasses uttering the same tedious lines for three movies. What makes The Matrix noteworthy is it’s ability to provoke serious thought in the viewer. Many movies share this same ability, but this just adds to the value of the movie.
Die Hard (1988)
Bruce Willis may have been stuck being a bartender had he not been selected for the role in Die Hard. Widely considered to be one of the best action movies ever made, Die Hard’s protagonist John McClane is portrayed to be rather human who is often found in grave danger in various moments. Even for 1988, the production seems rather lavish and generally a huge spectacle. The storyline is one that has been replicated in some form several times since but few have matched or have even bothered to contain the rough atmosphere of Die Hard, perhaps with the exception of the original Lethal Weapon. This is probably known to you already, but does it need to be said that Die Hard is also considered to be the ultimate Christmas movie?! Well, you definitely do now!
The Fly (1986)
This sci-fi remake of the 1958 original features Jeff Goldblum in one of his most prominent roles. His character, scientist Seth Brundle is charted along as somebody who rapidly loses his mind as he discovers his newfound abilities that come at a terrifying price! Both the concept and general narrative never seemingly manages to show their age, and the special effects that reach their maximum potential toward the end can never really possibly show their age, due to the solitary reason that one never knows how a giant fly would appear which means there is nothing to compare it to! But the animatronics and other technical factors of the visuals still present themselves with a heavy degree of authenticity that all adds to the emotional punch to the often neglected mention of the love story between Seth and Veronica.
What do you think? Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments below!
