Fairly recent movies that could never be made today

I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of entertainment, especially in the US, today. While some themes continue to "push the envelope" of public values (movies along the tread of "American Pie" come to mind), in many senses we've taken steps backwards on what is permissible in mainstream entertainment.

Here's an example: the Tom Hanks movie from the '80s "Big." In it, Tom Hanks portrays a 13-year-old boy whose wish to be big is granted: he wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old.

Though I am a child of the '80s myself, I can't help but notice certain themes in the movie that would never occur in a film today. He has sex with a 30-something woman. He goes and plays laser tag with a young boy in a toy store (a 30-year-old man in a store playing with a child he just met is almost unthinkable).

Can anyone else think of movies that could never be made today, but that no one batted an eye at in their time?

I couldn't give you an example for another movie but what I can tell you is that movies (especially American movies) are very shallow not as bold. It's like drinking a bier that stood there for an hour or so, its not bad but not good.

The only good new movies are like the big ones, district9 avatar inglorious bastards, but other then that most movies are terrible. Just like the music nowadays. (not that im old)

Blazing Saddles

Lots of racist comedy.

You can actually do anything in todays Movie Business as Long as it makes money. If you look at any of the Judd Apatow movies they always feature full frontal Male Nudity witch would not have been acceptable in a mainstream movie of 70's, 80's or 90's.

reply to post by AshOnMyTomatoes


Almost every Western that included native Americans ever made

FYI i found them totally repugnant District 9 brought back memories of them.

Disneys' Song of the South has always struck me as somewhat racist

reply to post by AshOnMyTomatoes

Here's an example: the Tom Hanks movie from the '80s "Big." In it, Tom Hanks portrays a 13-year-old boy whose wish to be big is granted: he wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old. // He has sex with a 30-something woman. He goes and plays laser tag with a young boy in a toy store (a 30-year-old man in a store playing with a child he just met is almost unthinkable).

Is there something from your early childhood that you have to talk about? I mean, if you need to talk about something, there are some caring minds on ATS.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by wiredamerican]

reply to post by AshOnMyTomatoes

movies that could never be made today

Triumph of the Will and Song of the South, though neither are particularly recent.

Possibly Lolita, but that was made in Europe, so that might not count. It couldn't have been made when it was in the US.

Harold and Maude however, was made in the US.

Originally posted by wiredamerican
reply to post by AshOnMyTomatoes

 

Here's an example: the Tom Hanks movie from the '80s "Big." In it, Tom Hanks portrays a 13-year-old boy whose wish to be big is granted: he wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old. // He has sex with a 30-something woman. He goes and plays laser tag with a young boy in a toy store (a 30-year-old man in a store playing with a child he just met is almost unthinkable).

Is there something from your early childhood that you have to talk about? I mean, if you need to talk about something, there are some caring minds on ATS.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by wiredamerican]

No, not at all. The thread about the British Airlines assuming all males were pedos reminded me of it. In today's paranoid environment, they wouldn't make a scene with a child playing away from his parents with a stranger, and they wouldn't make a scene with implied underage sex.

Originally posted by intrepid
Blazing Saddles

Lots of racist comedy.

Why because we only save our race based comedy's for tv now? I couldn't disagree with this any more.

Les Cousins Dangereux comes to mind. I don't think they could get away with this movie any where in the world today.

How about the movie Airplane.
That scene where the young girl is approached by the young boy in a suit and ends up rebuffing him by saying something along the lines of "I take my coffee like I take my men.... black."

Or the two black guys who only speak 'Jive.'


Or the line of people taking turns shaking/smacking/beating the hysterical woman.

Just to cover a few of the scenes. It's been a while since I've seen it.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by sporkmonster]

Originally posted by sporkmonster
How about the movie Airplane.
That scene where the young girl is approached by the young boy in a suit and ends up rebuffing him by saying something along the lines of "I take my coffee like I take my men.... black."

Or the two black guys who only speak 'Jive.'


Or the line of people taking turns shaking/smacking/beating the hysterical woman.

Just to cover a few of the scenes. It's been a while since I've seen it.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by sporkmonster]

I don't understand why they wouldn't be able to do this anymore. The scary movie series went way further then this. I'm sure some of the other stupid parody movies have to. There are tv shows that have gone way further this in the last couple of years.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by mosesgunner]

reply to post by sporkmonster


How about "Billy, ever seen a gladiator movie?"........"Billy, do you like gladiator movies?"

reply to post by mosesgunner

Les Cousins Dangereux comes to mind. I don't think they
could get away with this movie any where in the world today.

According to a variety of sources 1 2 3 (and no imdb reference), this wasn't a real movie. It was a fictitious parody device used in episode 40 of the television series Arrested Devlopment.

Originally posted by mosesgunner

Originally posted by intrepid
Blazing Saddles

Lots of racist comedy.

Why because we only save our race based comedy's for tv now? I couldn't disagree with this any more.

Oh really? This would be allowed today? ATTEN. extremely racist.



I think not.

HAHA!! Back to the Future! No WAY we would see israeli terrorists portrayed in a movie nowadays!!! HA!!

reply to post by pexx421

israeli terrorists

I believe they were Libyan terrorists.

reply to post by intrepid


Yeah it would. That envelope has done been pushed.

more racist fun.
www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by mosesgunner
Yeah it would. That envelope has done been pushed.

No, it wouldn't and you know it. Anything like that comes out NOW and there'd be a huge outcry. Ask Micheal Richards, if you can find him now that his career is in the crapper. Ask Don Imus. That doesn't play anymore.

reply to post by pexx421


Does team america count?

According to the la times Arab actors are getting more work playing terrorist then ever.

articles.latimes.com...

I think this thread is bunk.