Dr. DVD

I think it goes without saying that this thread is inspired by the release of the movie Super 8. I currently have yet to see it, but intend to as everyone is saying it hearkens back to the movies I grew up watching during the summers when I was in grade school. Reviews have been kind, but there seems to be little interest from the public overall .

I remember in the summer of 2002 when Minority Report came out and I found it to be quite a thrill ride with Spielberg employing a lot of the techniques he did back in his earlier days. The movie did okay, but was not a massive hit. It seemed old school methodology was on its way out. Now we have the school of Michael Bay packing movie houses with fast moving plots and seemingly excessive/non-stop/bordering on ludicrous amounts of action.

Let me just stop what could be a rant and get right to the question: what movies that were hits back in the day would most likely not be so today, and in all honesty maybe not even get greenlit (at least the same way we saw them)? Here are some off the top of my head:

Jaws
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
E.T.- shocking, but many would find it too sappy and lacking in action for a summer flick
Last of the Mohicans- wouldn't have an R-rating, and most definitely wouldn't end on the somewhat bummer down note. It was only a modest hit at the time, but got quite a following. At least it was greenlit and allowed to exist in its form.
T2- no way would the (at the time) most expensive movie in history be allowed out with an R rating in the summer time, especially if Cameron were of the same status as he was then (minus Avatar and Titanic).

islandclaws

I disagree with Jaws. If Spielberg hadn't adapted it someone absolutely would have, even today.

I'll go with something like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension or Big Trouble in Little China. Films that took more artistic chances would never get made in today's studio system.

riotinmyskull

*cough* SCOTT PILGRIM *cough*

godzilla rules

Taxi Driver
Do the Right Thing
Fight Club
Showgirls
Silent Movie
Blazing Saddles
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Song of the South

Dr. DVD

FWIW, I would say Scott Pilgrim will also fit well with the company of those two. A well enjoyed cult-hit, but not getting any kind of sequel.

Drexl

Yeah, but I think his point was that it wouldn't be made the same way. The shark would be all in your face and there would be a lot more action.

Mabuse

Yeah. If you pitched Jaws and said you'd make it the way the film is no one would make it.

RichC2

By that logic, could The Sixth Sense be made today? It was boring as hell when it came out and it still is, but it made a ridiculous amount of money 12 years ago.

islandclaws

True, but I still applaud Uni for allowing it to be made. I catch pieces of it on cable from time to time... I want to like it, but the utter disdain I have for Cera won't allow me to.

Well, weren't that planning on that approach to begin with? The only reason we don't see the shark all up in our face 24/7 is because it was a piece of crap that didn't work.

PopcornTreeCt

Funny, cause Spielberg likely didn't pitch it the way it turned out.

Tree of Life -- oh wait.

al_bundy

would T2 even get an R rating today? did it have sex?

PopcornTreeCt

T2 was littered with F words so yes, it would very much get an R rating.

DeanoBKN

Trim down some of the T-1000 kills and it could pass for a hard PG-13 rating.

raven56706

Blazing Saddles

Troy Stiffler

I can imagine Apocalypse Now being trimmed to 100 minutes. Or just not being made at all.

"You want how much to make what? The climax is what?"

Hokeyboy

Blazing Saddles is totally Exhibit Alpha here...

arminius

One of the first that I thought of. I think the pitch would have caused heart attacks more than Springtime for Hitler.

Mabuse

Why do you guys think Blazing Saddles wouldn't get made? While having a lot of jokes about race the overriding theme of the film is that people should embrace differences, not pre-judge, and work together. Maybe the rape jokes would be reconsidered in today's climate.

The only reason it wouldn't be made is because it's a comedy that isn't a rom-com and neither Jennifer Aniston or Vince Vaughn look good on a horse.

The fact that the film is still EXTREMELY popular and is one of WB's best earning catalogue titles probably proves that it would be made today.

Solid Snake

If someone could pitch it as well as they did and have the popularity behind them as well...I could see it being made today. Who knows if it'd be making cash in the BO today though...

Jaymole

Last Tango in Paris (one of the top 10 box office hits of it's year)

Pizza

Young Frankenstein

I love this movie, but it seems the old Universal monster stuff isn't appreciated as much anymore, let alone be done up as a high profile comedy. (I went to Universal park for the first time a month ago, the Uni monsters were reduced to a back up band for Beetlejuice. )

Ash Ketchum

HEAVEN'S GATE and pretty much 99% of all the westerns ever made. The occasional remake gets through, but that's about it.

Numanoid

Pink Flamingos

Bluelitespecial

RoboCop

majorjoe23

I don't know, if Human Centipede can find financiers I wouldn't expect this to be a problem.