The Silver Screen Oasis

Hi Judith,
Your feelings about To Kill a Mockingbird may reflect your own viewpoint, but try watching the movie with someone who hasn't seen it before. It still moves people in so many ways, particularly since it is one of the movies that captures a child's viewpoint of the world well. I recently went to a showing of this movie at a library and the questions and discussions before and after the film were wonderful, touching on familial relationships, racism, and justice. I do think it was an important film because it translated the issues of the civil rights movement down to a human scale, beyond sociological or political considerations. I've seen how the influence of the movie transcended the cinema then and now.

ChiO wrote:
BREATHLESS - the French New Wave hits and continues to influence both serious film and parody

I almost mentioned Breathless as well as a couple other foreign films, but I balked because I was getting the impression that this exercise was only meant to involve English-language cinema (both the original list and Dewey's appear to center on American or British films). But if we're considering world cinema, another couple I would offer for 1960 would be The Virgin Spring and L'Avventura.

As for other years - if we're considering foreign language films as well as English-language, oy vey! My brain isn't quite up to that task today.

1960 - LA DOLCE VITA
1961 - LOLA
1962 - JULES ET JIM
1963 - DR NO
1964 - A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
1965 - THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS
1966 - THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
1967 - BELLE DE JOUR
1968
1969 - MIDNIGHT COWBOY
1970 - MASH
1971 - GET CARTER
1972 - a very good year, I'd like to name DELIVERANCE, LAST TANGO IN PARIS AND CABARET but ultimately I've got to go with THE GODFATHER
1973 - DON'T LOOK NOW
1974 - A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
1975 - JAWS, although I want to say THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.
1976 - TAXI DRIVER/ROCKY
1977 - STAR WARS
1978 - GREASE, love it or loathe it.
1979 - APOCALYPSE NOW
1980 - RAGING BULL
1981 - RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
1982 - BLADE RUNNER

Good thread, my list is so different than everyone elses because I haven't seen quite a few on the important films named by others, so I've offered my alternatives. 1972 was a very strong year, I couldn't even come up with anything for 1968. I agree with Stephen about European films in the first half of the sixties.

Judith, you aren't alone with TKAM, I like it, it's a good movie but for me that's it, it doesn't move me like the book did, the book's beautiful.

charliechaplinfan wrote:I couldn't even come up with anything for 1968. I agree with Stephen about European films in the first half of the sixties.

I'm guessing you haven't seen 2001 or Night of the Living Dead? If not, please, rent both, as soon as possible. And make sure you've got lots of popcorn ready (or your alternate favorite movie-watching snack) when viewing the latter. (No comment on what you should ingest when watching the former.)

1968 has become one of my favorite years in film. Besides the two mentioned above, I've also enjoyed The Lion in Winter; The Killing of Sister George; The Subject Was Roses; Rachel, Rachel ; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Bullitt; the lengthy Russian epic War and Peace; Yellow Submarine; Funny Girl ; The Odd Couple; Planet of the Apes; and Pretty Poison.

charliechaplinfan wrote:Judith, you aren't alone with TKAM, I like it, it's a good movie but for me that's it, it doesn't move me like the book did, the book's beautiful.

I think this film is influential, but I don't think the influence was really felt by the film industry. The weight of the influence was felt more by the individuals who were touched by it (the book as well). For what it may be worth, I still think it's one of the 5 or so best adaptations of a novel to film. It really captures the spirit of the book - the only thing I've whined about is that I wish Miss Maudie had been as strong a presence in the film as she was in the novel.
And it's probably one of a few films made during that time in which child actors gave strong, effective performances. God forbid that Disney, that haven of adorable child actors, had gotten their hands on the property. I can see it now: Fred MacMurray as Finch, Ed Wynn as Boo Radley, and Kevin Corcoran and Angela Cartwright putting on adult-sized shoes and singing "Stand in the Other Man's Shoes" (merciful heavens, make it go away...)

God forbid that Disney, that haven of adorable child actors, had gotten their hands on the property. I can see it now: Fred MacMurray as Finch, Ed Wynn as Boo Radley, and Kevin Corcoran and Angela Cartwright putting on adult-sized shoes and singing "Stand in the Other Man's Shoes" (merciful heavens, make it go away...)

Talk about the stuff of nightmares!!!!! EEEEEEEK

I had The Good The Bad and The Ugly down as 1966, I checked that in the movies to see before you die.

I have tried 2001, it wasn't for me. I might give Night of the Living Dead a go. I love Lion In Winter and The Odd Couple, again I thought the Odd Couple was slightly later. Don't know how influential a movie it was, I love Felix and Oscar.

All roads lead to, and then from, Xanadu.

No, Klondike, not the Olivia Newton-John movie. Not even nominated in the Musical Poll!?!?!

That was me, Jackie, who asked about Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.....

I thought it was great, but wasn't sure about influential. It was the first grown up film I ever saw, and I have to admit, it influenced me at thirteen. I probably shouldn't have seen it so early, but I was pretty precocious. I still remember what a jolt it gave me after that lush technicolor opening with Alice Faye....

No problem. I've done it myself, sometimes over and over... so it's payback time for me!

The Battle of Algiers premieres at the Vienna International Film Festival -- 08/31/1966