Why are movies so long now?

[Red Storm]

I've noticed that most of the really good movies are also longer than the usual hour and a half standard.

 

[kalrith]

i like long movies that are good movies. i usually don't want them to end and they go by fast because they are good.

I agree.

My only problem is that long movies can be difficult at the theater without a bathroom break. I purposely don't drink anything during a long movie, because I won't get up for a bathroom break. I almost didn't make it through Return of the King (3 hr, 21 min)

 

[Staples]

I don't have much patience so if a movie is over 2 hr long, I won't watch it. I always look how long a movie is before I watch it.

 

[Markbnj]

the hawbit coulda used some editing

QFT. I finally watched it over the weekend on blueray, and I was hugely underwhelmed. It could have lost an hour in length and nothing in content... and that was only a third of the "real" movie!

 

[purbeast0]

QFT. I finally watched it over the weekend on blueray, and I was hugely underwhelmed. It could have lost an hour in length and nothing in content... and that was only a third of the "real" movie!

/facepalm

 

[Midwayman]

90min is fine for romcoms, but if you're trying to develop a plot it is way too short. Take your ADD medication and relax.

 

[CPA]

Lincoln was too short. Django Unchained was just about right. Same with Zero Dark Thirty.

Each of the Lord of the Rings - WAAAAAYYYYY TOOOOOO LONG. Especially the last one and it's 30 minute ending.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Good movies take as long as it takes to tell the story in the way the director wants to tell it.

I didn't find any of Django unchained to be boring or uninteresting or too long. Haven't seen the other two the OP mentioned.

There are many excellent movies that are 3+ hours, here are some of my favorites.
Gettysburg (1993) 271 minutes
Once upon a time in America (1984) 229 minutes
Gone with the Wind (1939) 226 minutes
Lawrence of Arebia (1962) 216 minutes
Seven Samurai (1954) 207 minutes
Andrei Rublev (1966) 205 minutes
Godfather 2 (1974) 200 minutes
Fanny and Alexander (1982) 188 minutes (though there is a 6 hour version which was broken into 4 parts for TV)
Barry Lyndon (1975) 184 minutes
Sparticus (1060) 184 minutes
Deer Hunter (1978) 182 minutes


Now, I will agree that some movies are terribland, and the fact that they exist at all is "too long".

 

[JackBurton]

Good movies take as long as it takes to tell the story in the way the director wants to tell it.

I didn't find any of Django unchained to be boring or uninteresting or too long. Haven't seen the other two the OP mentioned.

There are many excellent movies that are 3+ hours, here are some of my favorites.
Gettysburg (1993) 271 minutes
Once upon a time in America (1984) 229 minutes
Gone with the Wind (1939) 226 minutes
Lawrence of Arebia (1962) 216 minutes
Seven Samurai (1954) 207 minutes
Andrei Rublev (1966) 205 minutes
Godfather 2 (1974) 200 minutes
Fanny and Alexander (1982) 188 minutes (though there is a 6 hour version which was broken into 4 parts for TV)
Barry Lyndon (1975) 184 minutes
Sparticus (1060) 184 minutes
Deer Hunter (1978) 182 minutes


Now, I will agree that some movies are terribland, and the fact that they exist at all is "too long".

Holy crap, Seven Samurai and The Deer Hunter were RIDICULOUSLY drawn out. I appreciate character development, but The Deer Hunter was ridiculous. Most of the movie took place before the war. Jeez.

 

[Markbnj]

/facepalm

Oh, my bad. It's blu, because the laser is blu, right?

 

[BurnItDwn]

Holy crap, Seven Samurai and The Deer Hunter were RIDICULOUSLY drawn out. I appreciate character development, but The Deer Hunter was ridiculous. Most of the movie took place before the war. Jeez.

If any scene, or any second of any scene were removed from the Seven Samurai, then it would be a lesser film. Yes it is long, and yes it is paced slowly at many parts, but, that is all done to add to the strength of the film.

 

[darkewaffle]

Oh, my bad. It's blu, because the laser is blu, right?

It's blu because its coo

 

[Murloc]

I like long movies, I watch them without pausing.
If they're boring it kills though.

Most films are still 2 hours though, I don't think that's going to change. It's just some movies that are that long.

Plus plenty of important movies of the past are 3 hours long.

 

[Slew Foot]

Havent seen a movie in years. Seems like a waste of time to me now.

 

[Mixolydian]

Havent seen a movie in years. Seems like a waste of time to me now.

Yeah. Whenever I watch a movie I always think I should be doing something more productive.

 

[sdifox]

I still have that movie unopened in my library and have been meaning to watch it.

dude, open it now!

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Over the last couple of weeks I have watched This Is 40, Django Unchained, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, and a couple of others. Jesus H Christ does every movie have to be 2 hours and 30 minutes now? And they were all probably 30-45 minutes too long. Anyone else annoyed by this trend?

I used to try to focus on movies and not do anything else, but it seems like I can't make it though a movie without multitasking since they are so fucking long and some parts are just mind numbingly boring.

First of all your suspicions are confirmed. Movie length is trending up in the US.

However for all of your life movies have been relatively the same length.

What's different? You. You have seen more, heard more, done more, and are familiar with the movie format than in your movie-loving prime. All this adds up to an increased chance of boredom. It takes more to keep your attention.

 

[KeithTalent]

holy crap, seven samurai and the deer hunter were ridiculously drawn out. I appreciate character development, but the deer hunter was ridiculous. Most of the movie took place before the war. Jeez.

Hmph. :|

KT

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Kids these days -

A lot of this is due to the MTV video directors and their style of jump cut editing making it into mainstream movies. I absolutely hate it.

Thank you Tarantino for doing long shots with a single camera and much fewer stops.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Kids these days -

A lot of this is due to the MTV video directors and their style of jump cut editing making it into mainstream movies. I absolutely hate it.

Thank you Tarantino for doing long shots with a single camera and much fewer stops.

I can't believe you are able to criticize jump cut editing and then in the same breath praise Tarantino.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

I can't believe you are able to criticize jump cut editing and then in the same breath praise Tarantino.

Its effective at moments- its annoying for an entire 90-minute.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Its effective at moments- its annoying for an entire 90-minute.

So basically Tarantino's style.

Works well for scenes, horrible at full length movies.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Ebert: “No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough.”

True dat.

 

[zinfamous]

Exactly! I don't need an intermission because of my attention span; I need an intermission because my legs need to stretch and my bladder needs to compress.

still the standard in Europe--even for 2 hour flicks. always an intermission halfway through.

 

[zinfamous]

Holy crap, Seven Samurai and The Deer Hunter were RIDICULOUSLY drawn out. I appreciate character development, but The Deer Hunter was ridiculous. Most of the movie took place before the war. Jeez.

wow--I don't even know what to say about this type of comment.

woweewowwowowow.

(well, that is the best I could come up with)