nudge me in right direction

hi,
First of all---thanks for all the response Ive received on the NG. You have
been VERY helpfull and patient.
But I am SO frustrated.
Here is my situation:
Back in the 80`s, my wife and I enjoyed a great 45 gallon marine tank. It
ran on a cannister filter, and an undergravel filter with powerheads.
Without me being a real scientist type, the tank STILL did great for about 5
years until a summer vacation power-outage disaster.Let`s just say that the
only thing we found alive was the Snowflake Moray.
Now, 20 years later my wife gave me a great 65 gallon tank and wants it to
be a Marine tank like the old days.
I have gotten so much conflicting advice on filters from my local pet shops
that my head is literally swimming.
From what I have seen on the internet---it seems the preffered method to
have a marine aquarium these days is to use Live Rock (in collaboration with
a protein skimmer)as the filtration system. This sounds very intriguing to
me, but is SO outside my paradigm for a fish tank!---
What usually provides the water current in these systems? Hidden powerheads?
Or do Skimmers provide some water Current? Does the rock work so well that
the water quality is high and appears clear?
This Live-Rock angle seems like the right thing to try. What are some
pitfalls?
Please direct me to FAQs, etc.

thanks for your time and patience