Knocked out some of the classics I've yet to see over the last month. Watched Taxi Driver (1976), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Deliverance (1972). Thought they were all pretty "meh." Liked Taxi Driver and Deliverance the best, Full Metal Jacket the least.
Taxi Driver was just okay. Didn't really buy De Niro's descent into madness. Ending was cool. Middle felt a little dragged out, and the reason for De Niro wanting to assassinate the Presidential candidate didn't seem clear.
A Clockwork Orange was strange (though that's fine, as I was expecting strange). The actions of the main character were disturbing, but I don't think he was portrayed well as disturbed/evil. From arrest to conversion therapy seemed too long and didn't add anything to the story for me. All the classical music in such a deranged film didn't do it for me either. Heavy English accents and vernacular also probably didn't help me enjoy it.
Full Metal Jacket. Wanted to watch another Kubrick film after A Clockwork Orange (and since I love the Shining). The boot camp part was cool, and seemed the most Kubrick-esque, but the Vietnam War part (which was the longest) just seemed long and boring, and didn't really deliver on the ending for me. And I didn't even pick it up while watching, had to get it from the reviews, but I totally missed the main character was supposed to get the 1,000 yard stare at the end (becoming emotionally detached from the horrors around him).
Deliverance was just okay. Everything up until the "squeal like a pig" scene was cool, but I was anticipating something else happening after that, more of a cat and mouse game I guess, with the mountain people pursing the city folk, but it was all just in their head. Had to go back and rewatch the scene where the guy was "shot" out of the canoe and Jon Voight killed the hillbilly (wasn't sure if they were the same or different) because to me the movie didn't make it clear what happened.
Personally didn't think any of these movies held up well over the years.
Next on the list of older films I want to watch, The Deer Hunter.