Deletion of Old Messages is Profoundly Counterproductive

For a movie database, messages from the year of release yields vast amounts of insight into the perspective of fans and critics alike, that cannot be replicated. IMDB message boards are for more than having a current conversation; they are also for people to have a time capsule to the thoughts of those who wished to share their viewpoint at that moment in time. Why would you just snatch that away, and leave older movies that had a lot of people talking at one point, with nothing but a skeleton of current threads that leave the viewer with little to no "regular person" insight beyond "just found this movie. I liked it." 

I just rewatched RENT (the movie), and I really wanted to revisit some of the old posts that I and hundreds of others made about it back when it came out. We had some really good conversations about that movie at the time, and it would have been fun to review them. But not only will I never see them again; but those who just found the movie won't either. AND, they'll think that not many others have seen or care about said movie because the message boards have erased the movie's true history.

I'm not against cleaning house (zero response threads; off-topic threads; abusive/troll type threads); but you shouldn't have gutted the entire house. You have stripped the movies of their historical fan input; and deprived newer generations of that historical time capsule which is both fascinating, and a more true picture of that movie as a whole (from production to fan reaction from release, to the current day). 

I really hope you fix this - it's just not right.