The Projector #44: What Does “Classic” Mean to You? (Patreon)

* A tip of the hat to Matt Singer, for once again inspiring a newsletter topic.

by Keith Phipps

Some film discussions are both eternal an irresolvable. Keaton or Chaplin? Dubbed Studio Ghibli movies or subtitled Studio Ghibli movies? Such questions also have a way of flaring up when new developments prompt them. The new streaming service HBO Max debuted this week, and with it a new home for a selection of movies curated by Turner Classic Movies. (Show friend Brian Tallerico put together sprawling guide to what HBO Max has to offer in the way of movies that covers much of this. I’d love to weigh in but my cable provider won’t let me access the service even though I’m an HBO subscriber and I was unable to resolve this issue with a painful 25-minute phone call that ended with them promising to call me back. It might finally be time to cut the cord.) 

One item that’s come up: what are movies like Commando doing in a section dedicated to classic movies? Which raises the bigger question: How do you define a “classic” movie in the first place? We use the term pretty loosely in making our selections for The Next Picture Show. If “classic” more or less means the era dominated by the golden age Hollywood, many of our selections don’t fit that definition. (If anything, we need to be reaching back further more often.) We’ve even drawn on films from the 21st century more than once, most recently with Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous. But calling that movie a classic raises fewer eyebrows than Commando, even though it’s much more recent.

The idea of what defines the classic era keeps shifting as the years go by. Growing up in the ’80s it felt like it extended through the end of the ’60s, with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid serving as a kind of line in the sand between the old and the new. But that was 30-plus years ago and I’ve seen the line moved up to Star Wars and then to points beyond. Yes, that makes me feel old. And it probably should. To me, “classic” feels like a term best applied to a great film that comes from a moment that feels out of reach from the present. And, as time passes, the notion of “great” gets a little blurrier. TCM plays clunkers all the time, but they’re vintage clunkers with tremendous appeal as historical objects. And at this point, sure, why not include a second-tier Schwarzenegger movie from the ’80s. They’re not going to make any more of them, after all.

This week: We hope you enjoyed our discussion of How to Build a Girl, which some of us enjoyed quite a bit, and others not at all. And if you’re looking for something to read, well, hey, why not read these pieces?

• First off, here’s a massive project Tasha orchestrated for Polygon: A whole week dedicated to Studio Ghibli’s films and history. 

• For GQ, Gabriella Paiella profiled the great, resilient Steve Buscemi.

• At Vulture, Bilge Ebiri considered what the future of moviegoing might look like.

• At The Ringer, Dan Devine took a deep dive into a bizarre, hilarious 1998 SNL sketch starring Lucy Lawless as Stevie Nicks, fajita restaurant proprietor.

• For Mel, Keith Phipps considered the lost pleasures (and considerable pains) of watching movies on network TV.

• At Screencrush, Matt Singer delved into Warren Beatty’s strange, wonderful Dick Tracy.

• Also, not a thing to read, but here’s a reminder that Karina Longworth’s You Must Remember This just launched a new season, this one dedicated to Polly Platt, an often overlooked driving force behind several eras of filmmaking.