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I tend to believe that while movies have always been commercial art, they are currently almost purely commercial, and very little art. In the current horror films I feel very little passion and love for the material, only an impulse to calculate, package and sell the product. Technology and techniques have advanced; but it is their nature to evolve--I'm not impressed with special effects simply because they're current techniques. Give me "Curse of the Demon" or "Night of the Living Dead" any day, or the earlier Hammer Dracula movies....these things still give me good chills! And the original three Star Wars movies--even the seriously flawed "Return of the Jedi" --are way better than the later prequels. And give me the original "King Kong" any day. Its story and pacing were tight and focused and dynamic, while the remake, oozing money and effects from every pore, tastes like flat soda to me.
Of course, I grew up with all that older stuff, and I am biased that way. I don't think it's impossible at all for new great movies to me made; I just don't see too many things that deeply impress me these days.
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