re: The golden age of movies is over isn’t it??

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was the high point of big-budget adaptations, striking a rare balance between artistry and respect for the source material.

Today, that era feels over. Too many modern writers lack the skill—or the humility—to do justice to classic works. Instead of honoring the original, they try to “fix” what was never broken, with far less talent than the authors they seek to outdo.

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As a kid and a teen in the 60s, the movie theaters are huge and jammed for good movies on weekends.

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Similar ages.
I remember the different stages of movie fandom:

Waiting in line, or going in late and just staying for the next showing and walking out when "this is where we came in".

Getting there early for the first showing of Jaws, and then seeing the line grow to wind through the parking lot (for a weekday afternoon premier).

Seeing Star Wars from the hood of our car at the drive-in, with the John Williams score and the blasts and explosions crackling through a tiny mono-speaker.

The midnight movie, working a film into your weekend night of teen debauchery.

The advent of the VHS, and Friday nights coming home with the hot new release of the week and a pizza, like a hunter returning to the tribe with an unexpectedly large kill.

The midnight premier. Probably the last gasp of theaters as the social focus of the community. Every screen showing The Dark Knight at midnight, and spending an hour waiting to get out of the jammed parking lot.

And none of those compare to my father's experience... going to the morning matinee and spending the entire Saturday watching serials, cartoons, and feature films.

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That ended w/Jaws and then Star Wars

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Jaws 3 (1983)
Star Wars - RotJ (1983)

So you would agree that people in the mjid-80s would have thought "the golden age of movies is over."

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As a kid and a teen in the 60s, the movie theaters are huge and jammed for good movies on weekends. Ushers with flashlights find you a seat. Even the drive-ins can be packed. I saw easily a 3/4 mile line of cars waiting to get into Polyanna.

70s-80s the big theaters shut down and the there's a transition to the multiplex with a bunch of smaller theaters and a larger variety of movies.

Now I see there are fewer multiplexes and they sell tickets at the concession counter and you butter your own popcorn and dispense your own coke.

I think the golden age would be the years before tv, cable, streaming, and vcrs ate into their market.

That's not to say we don't get a lot of popular blockbusters, but there's a lot of cheap entertainment you can get at home.

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I too was a product of this era and going to the movies was such a joy. Drive-In theaters were also a fun part of these days from the past.

I'm not sure there is one thing you can put your finger on and say this is why attending movies have declined. Some of the things I feel that has impacted attendance are as follows:

1. Technology has made watching movies at home easier. Streaming, home theaters have made the home movie experience that preferred way to watch a flick.

2. Price of attending a movie. You can sign up for 4 -5 different steaming services for one movie night (not matinee), having popcorn, a soda and candy to share. Regardless of a person's financial status, attending a movie in a theater is too expensive. There was a time when my wife and I would take the family to a film without knowing a lot because if ii wasn't good you were losing much. Nowadays I wait for people here on the MB give some reviews before I think about attending a film.

3. Too much political correctness. Could you see Tropic Thunder made today? Pretty in Pink with Long Duk Dong? The Academy Awards has the DEI criteria forcing certain cultural representation for a film to be considered for an award. This has resulted horribly watered down films that nobody likes. There was a time any given year you could have a significant number of solid movies worthy of being seen in a theater. Now if you get one or two worth the money it's a surprise.

4. Young people don't like "Hollywood" like older generations. My kids spend their media time watching whatever social media site that interests them.

Movie theaters will be a form of nostalgia in the near future.

More of the golden age of the movie star is definitely over. Quantity over quality.

The 70’s were a spectacular era with young filmmakers who became icons
During their careers. Great movies were
produced by the likes of Spielberg, Coppola, Friedkin, Scorsese…

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Pretty in Pink with Long Duk Dong?

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Sixteen Candles?

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I would argue that I did in the 1990s.

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The 90s and 40s are the two greatest decades of film

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Yep...there's just too much competition for movies now. Phones are also frying our brains so some people can't even sit still and watch a two hour movie anymore.

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100% and that goes for all ages.