Movies & Series

This in sharp contrast to many older films in which the acting is cliche, unnatural or "larger than life".

This.
The acting and the way they talk in most of the older movies are the reasons I can't enjoy them.

NL wrote:
While that is true I disagree that is the only progress that has been made.
Method of acting, scripting and directing, lighting and photography have come a long way and now depict almost real life behavior. This in sharp contrast to many older films in which the acting is cliche, unnatural or "larger than life".

Like you said it is a matter of opinion and taste. I think you and snowman probably like the nostalgia of older movies, maybe even because the world (and so the plots) was simpler back then. Nothing wrong with that. I just think it is nonsense to say good movies are no longer made, maybe you just don't find them among the mainstream productions and should look more into smaller, indie productions which of course are harder to find.

Method of Acting & scripting - Nothing to do with Technology. I don't think it has made much progress. The difference in Acting & scripting you see in Old films compared to new films is mostly due to change in culture. The way of talking, behavior, dressing, acting, swearing etc...everything changes with time. So its the culture which has changed a lot and that's reflected in films. Acting & scripting itself doesn't change much. The underlying culture has changed.

Lighting & Photography - This has come a very long way. You just can't compare Hardware used in 1950s to present day used in film industry.

I don't know why you say that world was simpler in old times. There were two world wars & millions dead. I don't think all this happened because world was a simple place. It was complicated. The cold war was a complicated period. Nothing simple about that. Apart from Politics, the society itself changed a lot in 20th century. Ask any Russian about social & Political changes in last century. Ask any European or American. The social, cultural, religious and Political issues of 20th century were by no means in simple.

It would be naive to say that world was simple before. Anybody who thinks this way doesn't know the history.

Regarding film industry. I don't know why you say that plots used to simple. Maybe you haven't explored the older cinema. Of course you won't find themes of Drugs, Gays, LGBT, Feminism, sex crimes etc in most of older movies. But there are a lot more more things that are covered in older movies. You have to understand it to praise it. I would say themes of Politics was demonstrated pretty well in older film industry. Similarly themes of Humor & Romance were very well crafted.

At the end of the day, films are according to taste. I was never into older cinema. In fact black & white gives me headache. I started discovering older cinema & foreign cinema only few years back. The film industry (called Bollywood) in my country is absolute garbage in present times. So i have to look into other film industry.

I appreciate good films whether they are old or new.

For eg, i find this underrated American film interesting.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6133466/

There are countless examples. But i would say that most of modern cinema is mediocre & dull. There are gems somewhere in between.

Damni wrote:

This in sharp contrast to many older films in which the acting is cliche, unnatural or "larger than life".

This.
The acting and the way they talk in most of the older movies are the reasons I can't enjoy them.

You are right. Cultural changes does make older films less interesting. The way people in talk in older movies looks unnatural not because of bad acting. But because of way of talking, dressing, swearing, behaving etc is of the past era. So if you are accustomed to modern film industry, you can't enjoy older films.