There is a reason movies become classics. The stories a good and the performers are great. Often in the old movies the story line was very simple, but a great actor can take a plain Jane role and turn it into a must see event. For example, in a Charlie Chaplin movie the entire plot was based on him trying to get home for dinner. He would take this simple act that everyone can do every day and turn into an event of hilarious proportions.

The best reason to watch classic movies is that they are very family friendly. Many of the classic movies didn't have sex, cursing, or violence. Even though some of these things may have been part of the plot they were not shown in graphic detail, but implied.

This makes it easier for children to watch and does not give them night mares. It was Alfred Hitchcock who said "there is nothing more frightening than an unopened door". And that is a very true statement from a horror film genius. There are now many channels on cable and satellite television that allows you to view these classic movies. One of these channels is American Movie Classics (AMC). On this channel there is usually a host of the movie who will give you a summary of what to expect and even some hidden features that can be missed if you aren't looking for them.

One of them is actors in small roles before they were famous. It can give a look at what your favorite actor might have experienced before their big break. There are even movies with sub titles that tell interesting facts about the making of the movie. Another place to find classics is in the video store.

There have been many movies redone in recent years. But it is fun to get a copy of the original to see how different or the same they are. Different actors have different views on how to play the same character. For example, in The Shining, with Jack Nicholson, he played the main character as someone who was slowly losing his mind.

In the recent version with Steven Weber as the main character he played it with more understanding and was more of a victim than aggressor. Classic movies can also give you a glimpse of the past. Usually in movies that were considered modern when they were made, can give those of us in the future a look at what life at that time was like. From fashion to interior decorating it is a slice of history that is hard to explain in words but can be presented with a flourish on film.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as classic movie dvds at http://www.classictelevisiondvds.com