Do Your Loved Ones Suffer from Dread Of Old Movies (DOOM) Syndrome?
We’ve all been there: That moment when you’ve cozily settled into the sofa as a classic film is coming on… and you can already feel the impatient fidgeting, hear the discontented sighs, catch a quick glimpse of the eye-rolling going on around you.
Perhaps some clueless family member asks, “Haven’t you seen this already?”
Or maybe, like something straight out of Pavlov, your spouse runs screaming from the room whenever the TCM intro music comes on.
These are all tell-tale signs of a tragic condition I call…
…Dread Of Old Movies (DOOM) Syndrome.
But now that we’ve named it, how do we cure it? Hey, maybe we can hold a telethon, like they do on public television!
Okay you’re right, maybe not.
Actually, there’s really only one way to defeat DOOM: with the classic movies themselves. There are lots of what I call “gateway films” that can help bring your loved ones around—movies that all but cry out, “Don’t go into the light! Stay here in the black and white!” Most of the movies on Streaming Saturdays—where I embed a free, fun film every weekend—are gateway films, so classic fans can watch along with family and friends and give them a glimpse of what they’ve been missing.
But this is the official start of my campaign to save those we love from DOOM. (And frankly, make it easier for us to watch our old movies in peace.) First step: The “Try It, You’ll Like It!” Blogathon, an event especially designed to turn this reaction…
…into this:
It will also give classic film lovers a ready-made “cheat sheet” of movies to lure their loved ones into the fold.
Watch this space—I’ve got other “gateway film” efforts in the hopper! Help is on the way…
- Posted in: Movie Briefs ♦ Movie News
- Tagged: bette davis, buster keaton, classic film, doom, gary merrill, marlon brando, pbs, public television, telethons, the fly
Sister Celluloid 
I have, on occasion, actually gotten hubby to admit that he might have liked an old movie we watched! HA! 😀
Yes, mine has admitted it on occasion too — but then is just as resistant the next time!! 🙂
Mine will watch and has even enjoyed some, but usually whenever I suggest it he is not too excited by the prospect…even when he enjoys the movie! Very excited to see what you have in store! 🙂
When I am laughing (too loud) at a 1920s comedy my husband’s favourite line is “I thought you were watching a silent movie.” Very droll – not. It’s a good thing he sniffles at the end of “Random Harvest” or I’d have to drop him to the curb.
LOL!! Yes, my husband’s love — okay like — of crime dramas and noirs is about all the movie taste we have in common…
If possible, find a color film starring a favorite actress or actor and use that as an introduction to the other stuff. (But make sure it’s a good print — a poorly remastered public domain version of “Nothing Sacred” does little to win new fans for Carole Lombard.)