Ridley Scott calls contemporary films 'mediocre': Have started watching own movies

The 87-year-old director explained he watches many new films in order to find new talent, but lately it has become a challenge.

Filmmaker Ridley Scott, known for film like Alien, Gladiator and Blade Runner, says he finds present films mediocre despite the high quantity in which they are being released.

The 87-year-old director explained he watches many new films in order to find new talent, but lately it has become a challenge.

"Well, right now I’m finding mediocrity, we’re drowning in mediocrity…The quantity of movies that are made today, literally globally, millions. There’s not thousands, there’s millions, and most of it is shit – 80-60 percent ‘eh,’ 40 percent is the rest, and 25 percent of that 40 is not bad, and 10 percent is pretty good, and the top 5 percent is great,” he said at BFI Southbank, according to the news outlet UK Yahoo News.

Ridley explained that many movies are too similar and extremely expensive. “I’m not sure about the portion of what I’ve just said… But in the 1940s, when there were perhaps 300 movies made, 70 percent of them were similar, for example. 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 (script) on paper first. Get it on paper,” he added.

Also see: 11 must watch movies of Ridley Scott

Ridley admitted that he rewatches his own films and also finds good work once in a while. ”So what I do — and it’s a horrible thing — but I’ve started to watch my own movies, and actually they’re really good,” he said.

“And also, they don’t age … I watched Black Hawk Down the other night and I thought, ‘How the hell did I do that?’ But I think that occasionally there’s a good one that will happen, it’s like a relief that there’s somebody out there who’s doing a good movie,” he said.