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I'm often asked if I ever change my opinion of a movie. The answer is yes, and over the years I've edited Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide I've rewritten a number of entries, adjusting my ratings in the process.

Let's face it: some movies look better with the perspective of time on their side, and others don't hold up as well as they might. When I first saw Ridley Scott's "Alien" in 1979 I found it upsetting-being a highly squeamish person-and gave it a middling review, even though many other critics praised it. When it was reissued theatrically twenty-five years later I saw it again on a big screen and changed my mind. During those years I'd seen many imitators and ripoffs, and raised my threshold of endurance for ickiness. In that light, "Alien" seemed almost classical in its approach to suspense and scares. I realized I'd been wrong, and I completely revised my review, giving it ***1/2.

There are many factors that can affect the way we view an older film, even one that was made just five to ten years ago. The earth-shattering events of September 11, 2001 changed our worldview, and our ability to accept what was once unthinkable. On a more mundane note, the development of computers and cell phones have altered our daily lives to such a degree that one can hardly find a contemporary movie in which those devices don't play some role.