Ridley Scott Takes Aim at 'Mediocre' Modern Movies

Ridley Scott is easily one of our greatest living directors. He’s responsible for all-time classics like Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, and so many more. And, as it turns out, he clearly has a very high opinion of his own work. And he also doesn’t think much of modern cinema. Via Variety, we learned that while the 87-year-old director was speaking at the British Film Institute, he didn’t hold back on what he thought of most modern movies. Not to mention how great he thinks his own films are. Here’s what he had to say:

The quantity of movies that are made today, literally globally — millions. Not thousands, millions … and most of it is s---. I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven’t got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper!

Don’t be so shy Ridley, tell us what you really think. Joking aside, what does Ridley Scott watch to unwind these days, if he think most modern movies are garbage? It turns out, he mostly watches his own stuff. He said “Right now, I’m finding mediocrity — we’re drowning in mediocrity. And so what I do — it’s a horrible thing — but I’ve started watching my own movies, and actually they’re pretty good! And also, they don’t age.” Scott cited Black Hawk Down as a favorite of his own work.