Summer Movie Madness
I find I'm always talking about art in one way or another. It could be something I'm working on, maybe some cool public art, an exhibition, a performance, new music, or a great movie. It's on the brain.
Like any good art a good movie speaks to some part of us, and we connect with the story it tells in our own way. I am definitely a bit of a movie buff. I probably fall somewhere between a college sophomore who just took their third consecutive film class and Quentin Tarantino. I have always been someone who loves a good story and someone who thinks there is still something magical about sitting in the dark and letting a story unfold before you.
The experience of watching a movie has changed over the years, the past 20 years in particular, we have seen rise of streaming and decline of the cinema experience. Going to the movies, which was once a shared experience that brought people together, is something I have a lot of nostalgia for. That doesn't mean good films are not being made and shared experiences aren't being had, but often times rather than going into a cinema they are now being had on the couch, at home with a "pause" button, bathroom breaks and possible in your ugly pajamas.
With all that being said, I was asked to make a list of movies that I thought should be seen. Movies that people reference, and carry some cultural weight which might get overlooked in the endless shuffle across streaming platforms. What I've made is a list of my recommendations of movies that I think are "must see." This is just a selection, and not in order of importance. These are all movies I like and I've seen. (I never recommend a movie if I haven't seen it.) These are all movies I genuinely enjoyed for one reason or another, some of them were really big cultural moments and others really speak to the zeitgeist of an era, some of them have had long and profound impacts. A lot of these are films that I included, I think, hit on something important be it societal, political, environmental or whatever it is. I have stayed away from the big canonical films that most people have seen because they are always talked about everywhere. This is stuff like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Goodfellas, Singing in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Good Will Hunting... etc... these are acclaimed and amazing films for a lot of reasons, and you should definitely see them, but since they are already considered greats you don't need me to recommend them. I wanted to curate a list that focuses on some of the other films I know and love and think make for fun viewing.
I can talk about this all day. If something is on here, maybe i’m just saving it for another day. There are alway movies to add or subtract and new lists to curate… but this one is just to get the ball rolling.
There is a wide range of movies here. They are not all for all ages, they will not all make you feel good and they do not all have happy endings. Please look them up before you commit. This list starts in the 1934 and goes all the way to 2000. These are primarily movies in English and American, although there are a few that aren't. If requested maybe I will do another list for Non-American and non-english movies another time.
Where can I find these movies?
Sadly video stores are a thing of the past but, you can stream some of them on different platforms, often for a fee. Some are available on Youtube, some are available on Youtube for free. For the classics it's always good to check Turner Classic Movies. If you want to buy movies you can check out flea markets and yard sales. Definitely patronize cinemas that specialize in screening old or speciality films, these are fantastic spaces to experience a movie in cared for by people and communities who film and the cinema viewing experience. (In the Boston area, Coolidge Corner and the Brattle Cinema have always done amazing programming, the Drafthouse in the Seaport also screens old films sometimes). In the summer and fall there are also a lot of "Movies in the Park" or open air film screenings, typically free but do check. Local libraries are also an incredible place to browse movies.
So, now the question is… What are you watching!?
- J
Movies listed by date (in chronological order)
It Happened One Night, Frank Capra, 1934 (Comedy/Romance)
The Thin Man, W.S. Van Dyke, 1934 (Comedy/Mystery)
Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin, 1936 (Satire/Comedy)
The Lady Vanishes, Alfred Hitchcock. 1938 (Mystery)
My Man Godfrey, Frank Capra. 1939 (Drama/Comedy)
Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Frank Capra. 1939 (Drama )
His Girl Friday, Howard Hawkes. 1940 (Comedy/Mystery)
Sullivan’s Travels, Preston Sturges. 1941 (Drama)
Casablanca, Martin Curtis. 1942 (Drama)
Shadow of a Doubt, Alfred Hitchcock. 1943 (Suspense/Mystery)
To Have and Have Not, Howard Hawkes. 1944 (Drama)
Arsenic and Old Lace, Frank Capra. 1944 (Comeday/Suspense)
The Third Man, Orson Welles. 1949. (Drama/Suspense)
The Set Up, Robert Wise. 1949 (Drama)
All About Eve, Joseph L. Mankiewicz. 1950. (Drama)
Asphalt Jungle, John Huston. 1950 (Crime)
Ace in the Hole,Billy Wilder. 1951 (Drama)
A Street Car Named Desire. Elia Kazan. 1951 (Drama)
Wages of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot. 1953 (Drama/Suspense)
Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock. 1954 (Drama/Suspense)
On The Waterfront, Elia Kazan. 1954 (Drama)
12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet. 1957 (Drama)
Witness for the Prosecution, Billy Wilder. 1957 (Mystery, Drama)
Some Like it Hot, Howard Hawkes. 1959. (Comedy)
The Graduate, Mike Nichols. 1967 (Drama)
“Z”, Costas-Gavras. 1969. (Political Thriller)
Easy Rider,Dennis Hopper. 1969 (Drama)
The Bird with Crystal Plumage, Dario Argento. 1970. (Horror/Suspense)
Cabaret, Bob Fosse. 1972 (Drama/Musical)
Dirty Harry, Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood. 1972. (Action/Crime)
The Seven Ups, Philip D’Antoni. 1973 (Drama/Crime)
Parallax View, Alan Pakula. 1974 (Political Thriller)
Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby. 1974. (Comedy/Drama)
Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks. 1974 (Comedy)
Murder on the Orient Express, Sidney Lumet. 1974 (Murder Mystery)
Chinatown, Roman Polanski. 1974. (Crime/Drama/Mystery)
The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola. 1975 (Mystery/Thriller)
The Man Who Would Be King, John Huston. 1975 (Drama/Adventure)
Dog Day Afternoon, Sidney Lumet. 1975 (Drama)
Jaws, Steven Spielberg. 1975 (Horror)
All the Presidents Men, Alan Pakula. 1976. (Drama/Suspense)
Marathon Man, John Shlesinger. 1976 (Drama/Suspense)
Network, Sidney Lumet. 1976. (Drama)
Sorcerer, William Freidkin. 1977. (Suspense/Drama)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, George Lucas. 1977. (Sci F)i
Death on the Nile, John Guillermin. 1978 (Drama/Mystery)
Coma, Michael Crichton. 1978. (Mystery)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Phillip Kaufman. 1978 (Sci Fi/Mystery)
All That Jazz, Bob Fossee. 1979 (Drama/Musical)
Aliens, Ridley Scott. 1979. (Sci Fi/Suspense)
The Life of Brian, Terry Jones. 1979 (Historical Satire)
Salem’s Lot, Tobe Hooper. 1979 Horror
Airplane, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker. 1980 (Comedy/Spoof)
The Fog, John Carpenter 1980. (Horror)
Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese. 1980 (Drama)
An American Werewolf in London, John Landis. 1981 (Horror/Comedy)
Brief History of the World, Mel Brooks. 1981 (Comedy)
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Stephen Speilberg. 1981 (Action/Adventure)
Missing, Costas-Gavros. 1982. (Drama)
John Carpenter’s The Thing, John Carpenter. 1982 (Horror/Sci Fi)
Deathtrap, Sidney Lumet. 1982 (Mystery)
The Verdict, Sidney Lumet. 1982 (Mystery)
First Blood, Ted Kotcheff. 1982. (Drama/Action/Crime)
Poltergeist, Tobe Hooper. 1982 (Horror)
The Meaning of Life, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam. 1983. (Comedy/Musical)
Blood Simple, Joel and Ethan Cohen. 1984. (Crime Drama)
Amadeus, Milos Forman. 1984. (Historical Drama)
Romancing the Stone, Robert Zemeckis. 1984 (Action/Romance)
Gremlins, Joe Dante 1984. (Horror/Comedy)
The Breakfast Club, John Huges. 1985 (Drama/Comedy)
Clue, Johnathan Lynn. 1985 (Mystery/Spoof)
To Live and Die in LA, William Freidkin. 1985 (Drama/Crime)
Back to the Future. Robert Zemeckis. 1985. (Action/Comedy)
The Goonies, Richard Donner. 1985. (Action/Comedy)
Out of Africa, Sydney Pollack. 1985. (Historical/ Drama)
Big Trouble In Little China, John Carpenter. 1986 (Action/Comedy)
Salvador, Oliver Stone. 1986 (Drama)
Stand By Me, Rob Reiner. 1986. (Drama/Mystery)
Highlander, Russell Mulcahy. 1986 (Historical Fantasy)
The Untouchables, Brian De Palma. 1987 (Drama/Suspense/Crime)
Spaceballs, Mel Brooks. 1987 (Comedy/Spoof)
The Princess Bride, Rob Reiner. 1987. (Comedy/Fantasy)
They Live, John Carpenter. 1988 (Action/Sci Fi)
Who Franked Roger Rabbit, Robert Zemekis. 1988 (Animated/Mystery)
Without a Clue, Thom Eberhardt. 1988. (Mystery/Comedy)
Paris is Burning, Jennie Livingston. 1990. (Documentary)
My Cousin Vinny. Johnathan Lynn 1992. (Courtroom/Comedy)
Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood. 1992. (Western)
Singles, Cameron Crowe. 1992. (Drama)
Groundhog Day, Harold Ramis. 1993 (Comedy)
Clerks, Kevin Smith. 1994 (Comedy)
Muriel’s Wedding, P.J. Hogan. 1994 (Drama/Comedy)
Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino. 1994 (Drama)
Before Sunrise, Richard Linklater. 1995 (Drama)
Party Girl, Daisy von Scherler Mayer. 1995 (Drama/Comedy)
Sense and Sensibility, Ang Lee. 1995. (Historical/Drama)
From Dusk til Dawn, Robert Rodriguez. 1996 (Horror)
Trainspotting, Danny Boyle. 1996 (Drama)
All About My Mother, Pedro Almodovar. 1999 (Drama)
The Matrix, The Wachowski’s. 1999 (Sci Fi/Mystery)