MovieChat Forums > Silver Bullet (1985) Discussion > How did this movie and others like it ge...

How did this movie and others like it get "lost"

posted 8 years ago by wesperkins
14 replies | jump to latest

I watched this movie growing up at the theater as a young teenager. Had I not been around or read the book version, I never would have known it existed, even though it has some famous stars in it. Made me wonder.. Why do certain movies seem to vanish? Like you never see them on HBO or cable after they come out. I've seen Karate Kid 3 on HBO or cable at least 30 times, yet never even seen this one on tv. Who decides how that works? Certain movies that were big at the time just get over looked. I talk to 20 somethings and they never heard of movies I thought everyone knew about. And there were certain movies before my time my parents complained about this happening to. An example I'll give besides this was Krull in the early 80's. A big movie but no one under 35 has heard of it. Swamp Thing, Mr Mom, Blue Thunder.. The list goes on. These were movies for me growing up that were off the top of my head that I'm talking about. I am sure everyone has their own list.

[–] ms-zanadu 8 years ago

I am sure everyone has their own list.

I totally agree here wesperkins
and also noticed this too  .

Some movies I also watched growing up
and last time saw on cable TV but
haven't seen for several years  .
* Some I have on DVD & VHS - thankfully !  

1. Creepshow ( 1982 ) *

2. Creepshow 2 ( 1987 ) *

3. Visiting Hours ( 1982 )

4. Terror Train ( 1980 )

5. Trilogy of Terror ( 1975 - TV Movie ) *

6. Trilogy of Terror 2 ( 1996 - TV Movie ) *

7. Prom Night ( 1980 ) *

8. Ghost Story ( 1981 ) *

9. Cold River ( 1982 ) *

10. A Reflection of Fear ( 1972 ) *

11. Fear in the Night ( 1972 )

12. Enemy Mine ( 1985 ) *

13. When A Stranger Calls ( 1979 ) *

14. When A Stranger Calls Back ( 1993 ) *

Of course there are way more
but those are the ones that
come to mind at the moment for me   .

Also agree " Krull " from 1983 was
an excellent film used to rent that one weekly
from the movie video store on VHS
back in the 1980's  .

It's sad all these good classic flicks
that you and I have mentioned here are being
overlooked and ignored on TV today   .

Thanks so much wesperkins for your subject post  .

PS - Actually watching SK's Silver Bullet right now on AMC
as part of a Stephen King Movie Marathon today  .

[–] wesperkins 8 years ago

Some great movies In that list and I'll agree with it. I have to admit I haven't heard of s couple of them, which probably proves our theory even more. (The Trilogy of Terror's and the The Reflection of Fear). They need a channel for movies like this. Now I want to see Creepshow after after seeing it on your list! And I wish I new Stephen King marathon was on.
And it's too bad Krull isn't as well known. I loved that movie. Maybe a little cheesy but it was good. I am sure there are lots of other movies to go on this list.

[–] ms-zanadu 8 years ago

Actually both " Trilogy of Terror " TV movies
are great anthology style scary
yet fun Halloween TV Movies   .

Unfortunately I haven't seen the first " Trilogy of Terror " from 1975
since the early to mid 1980's on TV of course
( but luckily I do have it in my DVD Collection ) .
The second Trilogy of Terror from 1996
I saw that one on the SyFy channel
about 5 years ago and haven't see it on TV since  .

If you haven't seen either one before
I do recommend these  .

Here's the Wikipedia pages for both
( both are currently available for purchase on VHS & DVD ) .

Trilogy of Terror 1975
---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy_of_Terror ----

Trilogy of Terror 2 1996
---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy_of_Terror_II ----

Also you mentioned not ever viewing A Reflection of Fear from 1972 .
That's another mysterious yet creepy-eerie one as well .

Here's the Wikipedia page that one too .
---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Reflection_of_Fear ----

The Stephen King marathon is still on right now
on the channel AMC .
I don't know if you have that channel or not
on your cable TV System .
If you do the movie " Thinner " from 1996
is on now .

As for special channels that should show these movies
the current one that shows rare type movies like these is called COMET
( but don't know if you have that channel ? not every state has it ) .
Another good channel that shows all classics is TCM ( Turner Classic Movies )
been showing star of the month Christopher Lee horror movies
every Monday night this month too   .

[–] ms-zanadu 8 years ago

Now I want to see Creepshow after after seeing it on your list!

That is also available for purchase on DVD .
---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creepshow ----

[–] wesperkins 8 years ago

I am watching Thinner now lol. But I have never heard of COMET. I do have AMC and TMC and watch them all the time. I will look those movies up! I was but a baby in the 70's so I didn't get to see a lot of TV movies from that era. I do get ME TV and watch old Columbo and Perry Mason episodes though. I taped the Walking Dead and just watched the season premier.
I'll try and find these movies at a local level first. I like seeing overlooked movies and paying it forward. There are so many hidden gems out there!

[–] utahman1971 8 years ago

Don't know where you been but it is every where here where I am at and on television all the time.

Rated R Horror movies are better, no matter the argument.

[–] salimy3k 8 years ago

It's because of the ratings - in their quest for greater revenue, movie producers and cable programmers show movies that can be seen by all ages with no objectionable content. So movies with excessive violence or sexual overtones tend to get downgraded for more family-friendly fare. The demand overseas for movies that can be shown on cable that won't have parents frowning has exacerbated the issue. So movies like this with lot of gore slowly fade away.

[–] Wuchak (8830) 7 years ago

I think it got "lost" because it's rather quaint and forgettable, particularly in comparison to other 80's werewolf flicks, like "The Howling" (1981). "Silver Bullet," by contrast, is basically a 50's horror flick transplanted to the mid-80s.

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 6 years ago

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[–] Wuchak (8830) 6 years ago

That hasn't been my experience. "In the Heat of the Night" is an iconic movie of the 60s and hardly dismissed when discussing films of 1967:

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=ba9TW4yqEOWh_QbN2LOIAw&q=best+movies+of+1967&oq=best+movies+of+1967&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0l3j0i22i30k1l7.2646.7167.0.9027.21.19.0.0.0.0.223.2457.0j12j3.16.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..5.16.2592.6..35i39k1j0i131k1j0i131i20i264k1j0i20i264k1.142.MFb4gZqaZJA

But I agree with what you said about "Silver Bullet." I like it, but it's quaint B-horror and hardly memorable like "The Howling" and the offbeat "Wolfen" (which I realize isn't technically a werewolf flick).

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Wuchak (8830) 6 years ago

Speaking of "The Graduate," my wife & I were just discussing the outlawed straws in Seattle (while needles are given away free) and the best relevant answer came to me: "Plastics."

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TandyMan (11180) 6 years ago

This movie definitely slipped through the cracks for all but extreme horror-philes. Not sure why. The public collective hive mind, the zeitgeist, isn't so much different than a human brain. It can only hold so much at a given time. The more new stuff that comes in, the more old stuff that goes out. I think one thing different today than before is people don't build collections like they used to. This movie was a VHS staple once upon a time. But now it's all just streaming, everything is disposable. It's harder to hold on to the love of movies and pass it on.