Canon Breakdown by Decade

[kubrickshines 15]

Including all films that have been discussed (but excluding the Best of episodes):

 

1920s: 2

1930s: 4

1940s: 3

1950s: 8

1960s: 6

1970s: 17

1980s: 29

1990s: 22

2000s: 12

2010s: 3

 

Combining all the films pre-70s, its still only 23 films compared to 1980s whopping 29. Dunno if anyone else cares, I just thought it was interesting.

[Muthsarah 124]

This is known. Apparently, D&A have been focusing on building a fanbase for their podcast (I get it), and that unfortunately necessitates focusing on the kinds of films that likely podcast viewers (mostly the young) will prick up their ears to. Hence, a lot of 80s legends and 90s genre-setters. The kind of stuff that's old enough to feel like legacy picks, but recent enough to be somewhat relatable by today's standards.

 

Hopefully, as time goes on, D&A will feel comfortable enough to drift away from the 80s/90s. But, they wanna stay relevant. And they know what (metaphorically) pays the bills.

 

Also, they're children of the 80s (as am I, being very close to Amy in age), so they bring a lot of nostalgia with them. I would probably have leaned very heavily towards the 80s as well (not so much the 90s), though if I cared not for the clicks/ratings, I would surely have gone so much harder towards the 20s-60s.

[Cronopio 127]

 

Combining all the films pre-70s, its still only 23 films compared to 1980s whopping 29. Dunno if anyone else cares, I just thought it was interesting.

 

I brought it up a few threads ago, and Devin commented that it's about appealing to the demographic that listens to podcasts, which is fair enough. I was a teenager in the 80's so these are the films I grew up with, and there are a lot of great films there (and the nostalgia factor), but it would be hard to argue that it is the most canon-worthy decade.

[kubrickshines 15]

Sorry, I didn't mean this to become a critique of the Canon's film choices, I just like statistics. I meant it more to inspire discussion or thoughts about what films we choose to discuss and the biases we (as a community or as a people) face.

 

And maybe the 80s really are the most canon-worthy decade? It was the decade where low and high culture met in the mainstream marketplace: Coppola started making more family friendly fare (The Outsiders, Peggy Sue Got Married), Scorsese got into comedies, Woody Allen was making family dramas into box-office boffo, all before collaborating on the uneven "New York Stories". We've got the brat pack, Spielberg perfecting the blockbuster, a horror revolution, Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Soderbergh, and Jarmusch all getting their starts. Hell, someone even gave David Lynch $40 million to make boring Star Wars. The diversity is staggering!

[Llewellyn_Wells 47]

And maybe the 80s really are the most canon-worthy decade?

 

funny, the 80s is widely considered the worst decade for film. I love the 80s, but I think it's more to do with gaining listeners, and that's not a bad thing. All the movies they've done so far are more or less fair episodes to do. Eventually they'll get around and the decades will even out.

[Muthsarah 124]

 

funny, the 80s is widely considered the worst decade for film. I love the 80s, but I think it's more to do with gaining listeners, and that's not a bad thing. All the movies they've done so far are more or less fair episodes to do. Eventually they'll get around and the decades will even out.

 

Really depends what you're into. 80s action films are still being remade, re-launched, sequelized, or just referenced ad nauseum thirty years later. A critical aggregate Top 50 or whatever list of the 1980s would probably feature more action or action-y films than any other decade (even considering recent comic book movies). It was a genre coming into its own, and it dominated the cinematic landscape. Also, as should be clear from other recent topics, it was a landmark decade for horror, a genre I know considerably less about. Therefore, I think you could also conclude that the decade was the golden age of practical effects AND the R-rating. If you want gritty, dark, envelope-pushing films, sure, you have the 70s, but if you want all that and some flash/gore/splosions, you can't beat the 80s.

 

Sure, action films don't typically have the classy cache of mysteries, suspense, or historical epics (all genres I love), but they each had their own periods in the sun, when all their own genre tropes were sussed out and a canon assembled. If you're into any of these genres, or psychological dramas, or romances, or just independent film in general, sure, probably not the most memorable decade. And, yeah, sequels and blockbusters started to run amok, but back then, most sequels and blockbusters were GOOD, or at least more reliably good than they are now. It wasn't until about a decade ago that they developed their truly ugly reputation. Prior to that, the kinds of sequels that were derided were mostly horror sequels, which were never critical darlings to begin with, just B-movies with A-movie grosses.

 

Overall, I don't think the 80s deserves a reputation as one of the worst decades for film. I'd still put it ahead of the 90s, 00s, and the 60s. Sticking with Hollywood, of course.