Communication and the "Generation Gap"

[Joe]

Saw a movie recently where the 40-ish mother is talking with her teenage daughters. Mom mentions something from the movie This is Spinal Tap (1984). The daughters give Mom this blank look, as if to say "We don't know what you are talking about."

I guess what I'm trying to get at is how older people can know whether younger people will understand what they are talking about when they refer to a book or movie.

A group I am involved with is planning on showing the film Dr. Strangelove (1964). Will people under-40 recognize the movie? Or is this all foreign and ancient history? We don't want to have a screening of the film that people will not attend because they've never heard of it.

 

[Blobbenstein]

when I was 12, I used to like watching Harold Lloyd films on BBC 2, of an evening.
More fool anyone who doesn't watch a movie because it is old. Their loss.

 

[beancounter]

I think the bigger question, is which demographic are you trying to attract? Or which demographic makes up the majority of the people who belong to the group.

 

[KLS52]

Lol...great timing! My daughter and I were discussing something and I said "what's it all about, Alfie"...there was a pause and she asked, who's Alfie? Hahahaha.

 

[Amy SF]

Some years ago I read an article in the LA Times about how film schools operate these days. They're more about studying technique and philosophy of film than watching and critiquing film classics, in part because film students these days don't want to watch "old" movies. The takeaway was that young people, even movie lovers who want to become filmmakers themselves, don't care about movies that are more than say, 5 or 10 years old. The newspaper followed up with a letter to the editor; the reader said that he was an educator who tried to get his students interested in film classics by showing old movies, especially black and white films. The films, even the ones in color, generated so little interest that the principal asked him not to bring in such films for showing because the students just weren't interested. Apparently even the other adults didn't want to watch old movies, either. The idea that young people have no interest in "old" movies was used to explain why a new version of Spider-Man was made with Andrew Garfield just ten years after the Tobey Maguire version was released. It was suggested that after ten years, the movie and its star were considered "too old" for young people who flock to superhero movies. They wanted to see a new version with someone younger that they could relate to.

So I guess my point is that unless you find a young person who is such a diehard movie lover that they'll watch anything, even a 70 year old black and white movie, most young people these days only want to watch new movies. And they HATE black and white movies, even if it's a new movie filmed in black and white for artistic reasons.

It's especially sad when these young people live in the Los Angeles area, where they're surrounded by constant reminders of the industry that help build the city into what it is today.

Oh, as to Joe's original post, I would say, if you make a movie reference and get a blank look, don't have a heart attack, just explain the reference. Maybe you'll get lucky and the person will want to watch that particular movie.

 

[Joe]

I think the bigger question, is which demographic are you trying to attract? Or which demographic makes up the majority of the people who belong to the group.

We are trying to reach the general public (with the possible exclusion of children). The viewers would not be (exclusively) members of the group.

 

[Joe]

Would younger (under-40) viewers not want to watch a black-and-white movie?

 

[Blobbenstein]

I don't think they ever got around to remaking The Dam Busters.
The thing with that movie is that it was made not long after the war, so I think the feeling of the war was still around. If they made it now that feeling wouldn't be there. The only reason to remake that movie would be modern graphics.

 

[Joe]

Lol...great timing! My daughter and I were discussing something and I said "what's it all about, Alfie"...there was a pause and she asked, who's Alfie? Hahahaha.

There was a re-make of the movie with Jude Law (fairly recently).

 

[Blobbenstein]

maybe part of the reason is that all the old movies were in the last century...which makes them seem older.

 

[Joe]

Some years ago I read an article in the LA Times about how film schools operate these days. They're more about studying technique and philosophy of film than watching and critiquing film classics, in part because film students these days don't want to watch "old" movies. The takeaway was that young people, even movie lovers who want to become filmmakers themselves, don't care about movies that are more than say, 5 or 10 years old. <snip, snip>

Thanks for your very thoughtful and thorough response, Amy. Well, this is kind of dis-spiriting, but I'm afraid you may be correct.

 

[ledboots]

Saw a movie recently where the 40-ish mother is talking with her teenage daughters. Mom mentions something from the movie This is Spinal Tap (1984). The daughters give Mom this blank look, as if to say "We don't know what you are talking about."

I guess what I'm trying to get at is how older people can know whether younger people will understand what they are talking about when they refer to a book or movie.

A group I am involved with is planning on showing the film Dr. Strangelove (1964). Will people under-40 recognize the movie? Or is this all foreign and ancient history? We don't want to have a screening of the film that people will not attend because they've never heard of it.

I think of Dr Strangelove as a classic, so I think it would be good. I know my kids (20's) don't like black and white films but will sit through a Hitchcock or something.

 

[Moll Flanders]

The idea that young people have no interest in "old" movies was used to explain why a new version of Spider-Man was made with Andrew Garfield just ten years after the Tobey Maguire version was released. It was suggested that after ten years, the movie and its star were considered "too old" for young people who flock to superhero movies. They wanted to see a new version with someone younger that they could relate to.

I've often wondered why they keep remaking the same films.

I'm not young (39) but I love black and white films but then I grew up watching them with my family. I watched Rebecca for about the tenth time the other day.

 

[Second Summer]

Would younger (under-40) viewers not want to watch a black-and-white movie?

I'm also 39, but I would really not want to watch a black-and-white movie. In general I find that the acting and plots in movies from before the 80s are inferior to that in more recent movies. My spare time is precious, and I don't want to waste 2 hours on something which isn't stimulating.

 

[Blobbenstein]

You should watch 12 Angry Men IS.

 

[Amy SF]

I'm also 39, but I would really not want to watch a black-and-white movie. In general I find that the acting and plots in movies from before the 80s are inferior to that in more recent movies. My spare time is precious, and I don't want to waste 2 hours on something which isn't stimulating.

That is such a BROAD generalization, I don't know what to say. Unless you've seen every single movie ever made from many different countries, I don't think such a statement is really fair. I've seen many movies made before the 1980s that I think are actually superior to recently made movies. For example, I've seen The Bicycle Thief, yes a black and white movie, made in Italy right after WWII, which made me cry. I thought it was such a beautiful movie.

 

[Blobbenstein]

yes, there were talented people in the movie industry before the 80s.

 

[Moll Flanders]

when I was 12, I used to like watching Harold Lloyd films on BBC 2, of an evening.
More fool anyone who doesn't watch a movie because it is old. Their loss.

I had the theme song in my head all day because of you. A pair of glasses and a smile.

 

[Joe]

I think of Dr Strangelove as a classic, so I think it would be good.

Yes, I agree. It is one of the greatest films ever made IMHO. But if younger people don't want to watch these things, you can't force them.

 

[Joe]

I'm also 39, but I would really not want to watch a black-and-white movie. In general I find that the acting and plots in movies from before the 80s are inferior to that in more recent movies. My spare time is precious, and I don't want to waste 2 hours on something which isn't stimulating.

I'm just curious. Have you ever seen Dr. Strangelove ?