2000s

[paulofilmo]

Putting the washing out this morning. Getting down on my knees to pray to the rain gods, which are ducks because ducks live opposite and they quack. Calculating the rainfall via quacking ducks. Cradling the earth with my gentle palms, my knees pressed with weight, I drift an ear to the Gods, Anatidae Barometer. "Quack!" they proclaim, and I release with the burst of the breath of cotton, "these clothes will bathe but once today."


Yeah, after that, I thought, "what about the 2000s?" It's easy to think of films that sum up the '70s, or '80s; that defined an era, that are of and about that era. Were the 2000s an era? Are there any films that are unquestionably, quintessentially about the period after the '90s? Is there a distinct and recognizable culture for the time just passed? Have technologies and advancements in film truly set it apart from previous decades?
Are any already out of date?

[MmzHrrdb]

Looking at the 2000's movie-wise, I think superhero/action movies, CGI, franchises, and remakes.

[ShogunRua]

Looking at the 2000's movie-wise, I think superhero/action movies, CGI, franchises, and remakes.

That's just the shitty films of the 2000s. You might as well call the 1970s the era of the exploitation genre, with needless amounts of blood, rape, etc.

Anyways, for a long time, I considered the late 90s to the late 2000s the greatest era in cinema. Nowadays, I consider the best to be the very late 60s to the very early 80s, especially the 70s, but I would put the recently ended period in second. (The 50s would be third)

There are a ton of signature films, but more than any previous decade, the level of diversity, and number of wildly different directors was what distinguished the 2000s.

Unfortunately, if the pitiful 2010 is any indication, the 2010s are going to suck hard...

[MmzHrrdb]

Looking at the 2000's movie-wise, I think superhero/action movies, CGI, franchises, and remakes.

That's just the shitty films of the 2000s. You might as well call the 1970s the era of the exploitation genre, with needless amounts of blood, rape, etc.

I probably would call the 1970s the era of the exploitation genre, with needless amounts of blood, rape, etc. What's wrong with that? Seriously though, it's the flaws that represent decades for me, just as it's the flaws in people that give them their character.

[ShogunRua]

Looking at the 2000's movie-wise, I think superhero/action movies, CGI, franchises, and remakes.

That's just the shitty films of the 2000s. You might as well call the 1970s the era of the exploitation genre, with needless amounts of blood, rape, etc.

I probably would call the 1970s the era of the exploitation genre, with needless amounts of blood, rape, etc. What's wrong with that? Seriously though, it's the flaws that represent decades for me, just as it's the flaws in people that give them their character.

When I consider a decade, I only think about its best or at least its good films, not whatever trash, or even mediocre fare was made along the way.

[MmzHrrdb]

When I consider a decade, I only think about its best or at least its good films, not whatever trash, or even mediocre fare was made along the way.

I see what you mean. But, I think that aside from fashion, it's mostly the mistakes that show us how movies have changed decade-to-decade. The 2000's are harder to define, because there haven't been any advancements in the past year.

[KGB]

I feel you, paulofilmo. I've been thinking about the same myself lately. I think (though I might be wrong) you all misunderstood the idea of the thread: it's not about the filmmaking tendencies of the last decade, but rather those films that portrayed society itself and represented this decade and the people who lived through it.

I had to think about this one for a while, because it's hard to define the 2000's as an era, at least now that they're barely over. If there is something that will define this era in it's cinema approach, I think, it's product placement: this last decade was way more about consumption and technologic progress than anything else. At least when I try to think of a film that will encompass the decade the closest thing that comes to mind is 'Casino Royale', with all it's gadgets and neat cars. And when one thinks of the most iconic films of the decade, really the only films that one can think of are the CGI blockbusters, that is, the superhero genre, LotR, Harry Potter, the abysmal remakes every week as ~pumpkin~ said, really all things that didn't speak much about the decade itself.

[astrakhan]

The first one to pop into my head was Magnolia, a strange choice because it doesn't show in any way the increasing impact of technology on our lives in the past decade. However it does show a more fragmented, isolated society which seems to be the way the world is going these days. Oops, I just realised it's from 1999 and not 2000! Lost In Translation would be another good pick for the same reason. All the internet-themed films have been crap so it'll have to be a more metaphorical approach.

[SirStuckey]

I would say movies where cellphones played important roles. I don't really think they were used much in the 90s but it seems they crop up more and more in movies now. The Departed was one of the first movies that used it heavily that I can remember, and it seems lately that just about every other 'set in modern-day' movie has at least one character with an iPhone.

[Bojangles]

The 2000s was the digital decade (sorry film.) Digital cameras, digital intermediate, and heavy CGI use.

Digital cameras I'll associate with the work of David Fincher, Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh. DI first used in 2000 by the Coens. Now a vast majority of filmmakers will color grade digitally from beginning to end. CGI handles almost all special effects.

Winner of the 2000s: Our future overlords: Computers.

Loser of the 2000s: Stunt doubles...sorry "Reckless" Randy, IT's got this one covered.