People are entitled to like old movies if they want, and to dislike them if they want. You like what you like.

Unless you’re attending film school or working as a critic, in which case I’d argue that you’re obligated to broaden your palette, nobody is forcing you to watch them.

So I don’t think it’s fair to look down your nose at ordinary people who say, “I don’t want to watch this.” It’s their life, their time and so forth.

But I think it’s reasonable to have a broad understanding of film history if you’re going to present yourself as an authority.

(And I have to admit, one of my pet peeves in modern discourse is “I haven’t seen this movie, let me pontificate at length about how it’s eeeevil.”

Insisting people know what they’re talking about isn’t elitist gatekeeping or any such thing. Experts have a place and use.)

I’ve talked about how I’ve never really connected too strongly with code-era Hollywood.

I love silent cinema, German Expressionism, the international films of the fifties, and New Hollywood.

As much as I admire it the Code Era, it’s by and large not for me. And that’s fine.

Different strokes for different folks.

I’ll watch “new to me” films from the era from time to time, so I know what I’m talking about if they ever come up, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t consider it an obligation to myself.

That’s fine. As ever, people like what they like.

Anyway, don’t watch anything you don’t want to watch, because life is short.

But also maybe, when looking for opinions on that stuff, try to listen to people who have bothered to watch it.

Such is life.