The thing about trying to figure out which movies still ‘hold up’ for me is that as time goes on I get a different type of enjoyment out of the movie than I might have the first time I saw it, how ever long ago. The movie The Wizard of Oz is still a wonderful film I can enjoy. The flying monkeys no longer scare me, the set pieces are obvious set pieces, and the make up and special effects are unquestionably antiquated, but the film still works despite these issues (if one were to consider them issues at all).
The thing about films like this is that they work because they were never trying to paint these visions of Wonderland as any sort of reality, the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man are all intentionally fantastical, as is the munckin city and the yellow brick road. This is a big part of why this film still works so well, when much more recent movies, especially those in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre’s don’t even come close, their special effects are often meant to look real.
Thoughts of the ‘uncanny valley’ pop into my mind when I think about why these newer films don’t work, but that doesn’t explain why they did once, even if they don’t now. Uncanny valley suggests they should have looked like crap, even back when they were released, but for some reason I, at least, accepted them for what they were and could still be razzled and dazzled by them.
I have a hard time selecting any more recent effect-heavy genre movie for a list like this, because almost without exception the effects are going to add a certain degree of sillyness I can’t overlook, unless the sillyness is intentional, or adds a certain specific type of charm.
I would say Ghostbusters still holds up, because the movie is a comedy, and some of the cheese of the effects works extremely well with the setting. The only real exception I have with that movie is Gozer’s make up and hair, and voice. The stop-animation for the gargoyle dogs is a bit off putting too, but it isn’t as bad as the stop animation in the 80’s version of Clash of the Titans.
Other movies that hold up for me would be:
The Shining (assuming you can stomach a slow building Kubrick movie)
Rocky (Though the pacing might feel a bit slow for younger viewers)
Top Gun (especially with the new gay sub plot revelations)
Misery (Jesus!!! I can’t believe it’s been 20 years!)
Grease (still works baby)
Ferris Beuler’s day Off
The Breakfast Club