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by **michelanCello** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:17 pm

We had quite a disagreement with Sjoerd on this topic and we'd like to hear other opinions to have a better view on the whole...

So first of all, what do you consider a "classic" movie? Is it based on release date, on popularity, on the story?
And what is your favorite classic?

And, most importantly: do you consider Dirty Dancing a classic??

by **pip** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:23 pm

I'd go for popularity. To be a classic lots of people have to love it. Time does have to pass to see if its popularity lasts.
For me Rollerball is a classic.

Sadly for Sjoerd Dirty Dancing is definitely in the classic bracket.

And thanks foe the cardo

by **Willem** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:38 pm

Yup, it's a classic. A classic example of movies to be avoided!

Hard to say what defines a classic movie but I'd say time is definately a factor, it has to prove it can stand the test of time.

by **chris.ph** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:39 pm

blade runner is a classic

dirty dancing is a chick flick classic :wink:

by **Kin Arad** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:40 pm

Is Blade Runner the one with Harrison Ford? Or am I thinking of another one....

by **Quatermass** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:26 pm

No, Blade Runner does have Harrison Ford in it.

A classic has to be a mixture of vintage and popularity. A decent story wouldn't hurt either.

by **The Mad Collector** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:32 am

I'm with Q on this one. A certain amount of age is required in order to see if the film stands the test of time. After all loads of people saw Titanic so it was popular (no idea why though) but I'm pretty sure nobody would describe it as a classic film.

by **ChristianBecker** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:55 am

I second that.

by **Tonyblack** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:16 am

I think there's a difference between a 'cult' and a 'classic'. Star Wars, for example could have been a cult hit as it genre specific, but it appealed to a wide range of people who might not have been interested in such a genre. That made it a classic, in my opinion. A film that transcends its genre and has universal appeal.

Lord of the Rings isn't an old film (or films) but I think it will be considered a classic because it has broken free of its genre.

Look at books that are considered 'classics'. They are often genre specific and yet they have a wide appeal to people who might not normally be interested in that genre.

HG Wells - The War of the Worlds is Sci-Fi pure and simple, yet many people who wouldn't normally read Sci-Fi can and do enjoy it.

Dirty Dancing, I'd tend to put in the catagory of 'cult' rather than 'classic'. But this may change.

The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a cult that became a classic with time.

by **michelanCello** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:31 am

I like Tony's theory and I can't really argue with it (I've tried it, promise, but Sjoerd's not being really helpful

)

by **Quatermass** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:18 pm

Tonyblack wrote:Lord of the Rings isn't an old film (or films) but I think it will be considered a classic because it has broken free of its genre.

But it was based on a classic book. Anyway, a film can be classic if it's relatively old. Like the best part of a decade at the earliest.

by **Tiffany** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:14 pm

Gosh! What a question to answer. For me there are lots.
Dirty Dancing is a classic. But going back further Barbarella is as well.

Gone With The Wind, though I wasn't keen.
Any of the Disney's feature films, up to 1994 were brilliant. They changed after that & haven't been as good.
There must be loads more, but off hand I can't think of any.

by **Dotsie** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:28 pm

The Mad Collector wrote: After all loads of people saw Titanic so it was popular (no idea why though) but I'm pretty sure nobody would describe it as a classic film.

Lots of people saw it, but I don't think as many people loved it. It really needs to stand the test of the opening weekend, the age of the film doesn't have that much to do with it. There are some instant classics, but only with time can they be widely recognised.

Tonyblack wrote:Dirty Dancing, I'd tend to put in the catagory of 'cult' rather than 'classic'. But this may change.

No, it's too well-loved to be a cult. Definitely a classic. And even though some might describe it as a chick-flick, it definitely isn't. A lot of men like this film, and everyone knows that you don't put Baby in the corner.

To be a classic, you have to be able to watch it again and again. And if it came out again tomorrow, it would be just as well-received as the first time.

by **pip** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:29 pm

Tiffany wrote:Gosh! What a question to answer. For me there are lots.
Dirty Dancing is a classic. But going back further Barbarella is as well.
Gone With The Wind, though I wasn't keen.
Any of the Disney's feature films, up to 1994 were brilliant. They changed after that & haven't been as good.
There must be loads more, but off hand I can't think of any.

What about the Disney Pixar films since 94 , Pirates of the Caribean and the brilliant Remember the Titans for Disney classics

by **Dotsie** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:42 pm

Not classics, I feel. They haven't lasted well.

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