The reason I don't update my letterboxd account anymore is because most movies I see, even the very well received ones, usually elicit a "eh, it's fine" reaction. Anyone else who has been watching movies for decades (let's say age 40s on) have this reaction more and more? Is it just saturation? - ThreadSky

fantomascinema.bsky.social • 68 days ago

The reason I don't update my letterboxd account anymore is because most movies I see, even the very well received ones, usually elicit a "eh, it's fine" reaction. Anyone else who has been watching movies for decades (let's say age 40s on) have this reaction more and more? Is it just saturation?

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brianchaley.bsky.social•68 days ago

I was in this rut for a while, but 2024 was a great movie year for me.

brianchaley.bsky.social•68 days ago

In one way or another, all of these really made an impact.

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

I'm so bad at new movie watching now it often takes me a full year or more after release to see something. Haven't seen one of these yet but the two I want to see most are Red Rooms and Megalopalis.

brianchaley.bsky.social•68 days ago

I’ve been blessed, well, cursed really, with the time to catch up so I understand. All of these are so strong though. And while DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH is earthshakingly great and distinctly of our moment, the two I would urge you to see are LA CHIMERA and CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT.

brianchaley.bsky.social•68 days ago

They craft their own realities and rhythms. I really do think things are looking up for film.

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

I look forward to it. And yeah, there are plenty of great movies put there now, it's more me just getting past my apathy.

rohandas.bsky.social•68 days ago

I'm still wowed by the occasional movie and, in fact, it's the 'it's fine' movies that I miss! The solid genre programmers/thrillers/action movies etc I used to take for granted. They're still around but in far fewer numbers than before.

kenlowery.bsky.social•68 days ago

i just throw out a sentence (or two, if i'm feeling fiery) and either give it a heart or not, no star rating. mostly right now it's just commenting on variations of themes we've seen many times now, so why do more.

kenlowery.bsky.social•68 days ago

the people yearn for this kind of insight

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

Star ratings are the death of criticism, and yet I've used them for pretty much every movie I've logged on there. But that was another reason I stopped logging. I'd look back at something I gave four stars to and another one i gave three stars to, and couldn't remember why I assigned those scores.

kenlowery.bsky.social•68 days ago

Yeah, they're just kind of pointless. All I do now is use the heart to say, basically, is there something here to recommend, something I'm glad I saw. that's it

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

Next time I post a review there, that's what I'll do. I'm going to call it "The Ken Method."

kenlowery.bsky.social•68 days ago

I have somehow reinvented the thumbs up/down thing, I am so wise

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

I mean, I can acknowledge they're good, if they are, but at a certain point, most things just don't wow you anymore, right? I think I would suck as an active movie critic for new releases because "meh" would 97% of my reviews.

ryangodfrey.com•68 days ago

I was much more likely to give five-star and half-star reviews when I was younger, even ten years ago. Now there’s just not as much that I have an extreme positive or negative reaction to.

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

Same. My reactions have become rather dulled down over time.

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

To be clear, the movies themselves are no better or worse. My reaction to them has become a kind of inevitable shrug. I think it's why lately (as in last full year) I've been watching old TV from the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. Kind of resetting my viewing brain.

thecraggus.bsky.social•68 days ago

There’s definitely more meh, but then there’s more titles coming out than ever before so it makes sense. Does make those high (and low) lights extra special when you find them though!

fantomascinema.bsky.social•68 days ago

True. As I said in my third part of the thread (just as you were typing this, I think) it's not the movies necessarily but my underwhelming reaction to them.

achyringer.bsky.social•68 days ago

This is largely how I feel about new releases as well. But when I go back and watch something from 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, my reaction is way more intense.

Why don’t they just make them like they used to?

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