The death of originality and its sibling, creativity.

I saw a movie trailer the other day for a new Gerard Butler film called "Angel Has Fallen" or something like that. It's a sequel to the first move where the White House was taken by terrorists. Lots of napalm and explosions and guns that never need reloading. Also, lots of political correctness.

For the record, I like Gerard Butler as an actor. My favorite role of his was in "Law Abiding Citizen" and I thought he was very good in "Machine Gun Preacher."

But the sequel trailer to his first movie about the White House being taken over has once again reminded me how futile, lame, unimaginative, technology-reliant and just flat lazy Hollywood has become.

Somewhere along in the mid to late 90's, it seems that Originality caught cancer and began a rapid death dance, dragging Creativity along with it. Modern era movies are so filled with political correctness and political messaging (or virtue signaling, if that's a thing) that I find them unbearable.

In recent years, I have only enjoyed a handful of what passes for today's Hollywood productions, and interestingly or not, they were not spawn of original ideas. I enjoyed the movie "Aquaman" because that was my comic book hero growing up. My wife and I also thoroughly enjoyed "Bohemian Rhapsody," the biopic about Freddie Mercury and Queen. Prior to that, the only movies I really enjoyed were "The Blind Side" and "Gran Torino."

The movies of the 70s, 80's and 90's gave us classic characters, iconic phrases and everlasting idioms in our society still found today. Dirty Harry gave us "Go ahead, make my day." Die Hard causes a discussion every Christmas. Animal House gave us toga parties and food fights. Caddyshack introduced the Bill Murray to the world in a way we'd never imagine. Got spooks? Who ya gonna call? (Ghostbusters). We had original dance movies like "Saturday Night Fever," "Footloose," and "Dirty Dancing." Was there anyone ever cuter than Olivia Newton John in "Grease?"

Can we ever hear Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock n' Roll" and not think of the classic scene of a young Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear in an empty house? Later, he and Goose would give us "the need for speed" in "Top Gun." And Forrest Gump's wisdom will live forever. . . just like that.

For your stroll down memory lane, I'm including some movie posters of great classics of the 70's, 80's and 90's movies. May they live forever and remind us of an age in which creativity and originality reigned supreme in Hollywood.

 

An absolute classic.

  

"Don't call me Shirley."

 

Food fight! RIP John Belushi

 

The DeLorean

 

Banana in the tailpipe.

 

A cast of classic actors

 

To this day, we fear hearing banjos in the woods.

 

Yes, it IS a Christmas movie.

 

Another classic dance movie.

 

"Do you feel lucky, punk--well, DO YOU?"

 

Reese's Pieces candy and E.T. call home.

 

Set the standard for action movies.

 

Another dance classic.

 

Forrest Gump's wisdom will live on forever.

 

"Okay, so, she's a dog." 

 

What guy wasn't in love with ONJ in the 70's?

 

A classic horror film that relied upon your imagination.

 

What a concept and what a fun movie!

 

To this day, the theme to the "shark" is still being used.

 

Made us rethink bringing the dinosaurs back to life.

 

One of my favorite all-time movies.

 

"Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy."

 

One of the best surprise endings ever.

 

Harrison Ford's star power just kept growing.

 

An all-time classic that is still classic.

 

Launched John Travolta into the ionosphere.

 

One of my top five favorite westerns. 

 

Even the car was a star in this classic.

 

Nothing has topped the original, and nothing ever will.

 

Scary beyond comprehension.

 

Never been a better crime drama. 

 

The Karate Kid will live forever.

 

Decades later, it still plays at midnight showings.

 

"I'll be back."

 

Made women the world over swoon.

 

"I feel the need, the need for speed."

 

Eddie Murphy's rise to stardom continues.

 

A children's classic.