TV/Movies Megathread

[Malthus]

Malthus, you're over 50 right? Way past the target demographic.

True, at least as far as selling toys was concerned. 

But I was always into animation, whether made for children or not ... if it was good. The 80s were a bad time for Western animation, it was mostly cheaply produced pap designed purely to sell stuff to kids' parents. In that category I mentally put She-Ra and He-Man, so I never watched either.

In that era, I mostly watched the old cartoons - Looney Tunes, the even older Fleisher studios stuff. Though arguably much of that wasn't made just for kids!

In contrast, we are now in a "golden age" for Western animation; many of the shows, including Disney shows ostensibly for kids, are classics that can easily be watched by adults (like Gravity Falls, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil); and other studios as well (Over the Garden Wall is a work of pure genius, Steven Universe - though not my taste - is also an instant classic). 

[Valmy]

The 80s were a bad time for Western animation,

Well...I will just point out that many of those cartoons are still going strong with huge fanbases. If you want to postulate they were pap then you have to explain that. I think the voice actors are mostly the reason for that, they really brought those characters to life despite the often weak art and writing.

[Valmy]

In contrast, we are now in a "golden age" for Western animation; many of the shows, including Disney shows ostensibly for kids, are classics that can easily be watched by adults (like Gravity Falls, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil); and other studios as well (Over the Garden Wall is a work of pure genius, Steven Universe - though not my taste - is also an instant classic). 

I personally think we are past the golden age with many horrible horrible shows out there with lame humor. But given the sheer volume of shows there are some really great ones going on.

But about ten years ago I think it was much stronger. Just IMO.

[The Brain]

The early 90s were pretty good. Simpsons was still fresh and Ren & Stimpy was... Ren & Stimpy.

[Josquius]

In contrast, we are now in a "golden age" for Western animation; many of the shows, including Disney shows ostensibly for kids, are classics that can easily be watched by adults (like Gravity Falls, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil); and other studios as well (Over the Garden Wall is a work of pure genius, Steven Universe - though not my taste - is also an instant classic). 

I personally think we are past the golden age with many horrible horrible shows out there with lame humor. But given the sheer volume of shows there are some really great ones going on.

But about ten years ago I think it was much stronger. Just IMO.

Agreed.
We've passed the golden age and are into the silver age.

[Duque de Bragança]

They had a certain charm but they were also cartoons designed to sell toys.

The hilarity of He-Man and She-Ra's secret identities when they almost 100% looked like their alter-egos was great. Along with She-Ra's male friend's amazing porn 'stache.

Anyway they were a definitively 80s thing and I don't think would translate well at all today. I mean those little shorts go against the primary aesthetic of the show, where everybody wore speedo looking loin cloths. But I don't think anybody wants to see that today

Like Gi-Joe back then too, with awful animation and character design, like Lady Jaye's breast size changing between shots.
Or even the Lego cartoons nowadays, to sell also video games. 
I still miss the heyday of Japanese cartoons in France from the late '70s to mid '90s. All on main free channels, not on cable or streams.

[Savonarola]

The early 90s were pretty good. Simpsons was still fresh and Ren & Stimpy was... Ren & Stimpy.

I think the 90s were good throughout with the WB revival (Tiny Toons, Animaniacs); Disney Revival (starting in 1989 with "The Little Mermaid," but continuing on throughout the 90s) and the start of Pixar's feature length films.  South Park got its start then and even Futurama had its first season in 1999.

Edit:  I forgot The Tick

Edit again:  Daria, Beavis and Butthead, and King of the Hill as well

[Savonarola]

Like Gi-Joe back then too, with awful animation and character design, like Lady Jaye's breast size changing between shots.

Heh, yes, from what I understand they had to make a bunch of cartoons quickly in order to have enough to get into syndication.  That's probably why Cobra Commander had some truly amazing schemes, like shrinking soldiers, hiding them in wrapped paper boxes and delivering them as Christmas presents; or the time he carved his face onto the moon.

[Oexmelin]

Well...I will just point out that many of those cartoons are still going strong with huge fanbases. If you want to postulate they were pap then you have to explain that.

Only a few TV channels available, concerted and targeted marketing effort tied to toys, routine TV watching habits (i.e., Saturday morning cartoons being one of the few moments showing cartoons), nostalgia of now parents for their childhood, trickling down to their own children...  G.I. Joes and Transformers had a hold over kids imagination (similar, I reckon, to Pokemon), because you saw on TV the toy you couldn't/didn't have, recognized the ones you owned.

[Malthus]

The 80s were a bad time for Western animation,

Well...I will just point out that many of those cartoons are still going strong with huge fanbases. If you want to postulate they were pap then you have to explain that. I think the voice actors are mostly the reason for that, they really brought those characters to life despite the often weak art and writing.

Oex put it better than I could. 

Objectively, there is no comparison: at least some shows these days are simply better in every way (better animation, better story writing, more attention paid to details like music, etc.).

The cartoons made in the 80s (at least, in the West) fell heavily in the "animation age ghetto" (the notion that animation, at least for TV, is purely for children with no artistic qualities). Shows in the '90s mostly (but not entirely) put an end to that - but often did so by replacing "animation is purely for children" with another trope - "... except where it is filled with gross-out humour").

This is why I say we are in a bit of a "golden age": we are at a point where we can have shows that are, literally, all-ages, and are actually objectively good. Over the Garden Wall is perhaps the best example of this (if you haven't seen it, I suggest you give it a try).

Edit: the "dark age" of animation:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation

 

[HVC]

James Gunn got canned from directing guardians of the galaxy 3. People dredged up some old tweets where he used (in his words) "dark humor"

[Eddie Teach]

Did he direct the first two?

[HVC]

He Did. His brother plays Kraglin, and motion captured Rocket.

[garbon]

Apparently, he was felled by a pizzagate believer.

[The Brain]

The Silence of the Sky. Woman gets attacked in her home, her husband becomes a secret witness but dares not intervene. A movie about fear and silence. Somewhat similar in style to Tiger, and same male lead. Not too bad, and I liked the ending. Notes: the movie is in Foreign. [spoiler]There is no lesbian sex.[/spoiler]