The Last 50 Years of Film
I’m very well known for watching films about ten years after they were cool (it took me ten years to watch Titanic); so it comes as no surprise that I only recently watched Back to the Future. Yet, despite this, it’s not as bad as people imagine, instead it just made me realise just how brilliant they really were. Without the surrounding hype clouding people’s judgement (such as with the Twilight Saga, who will think they were a good idea in about ten years!), it made me realise, in a very cliché manner, how brilliant the last ten years of films have been, even without the surrounding hype. Sure they can’t be classed as timeless, because, let’s face it, the outfits and styles date it a tad, in the fact whoever decided how people should dress between 1970 and 1999 probably began drinking heavily in 1970 and carried on way into the 80s and only began to sober up in the late 90s. Despite this though, the films themselves are still brilliant.
I can’t help beating the drum for the last 50 years of film, so prepare for some cringing time as I gush some more, because I can’t help feeling how lucky I was to have grown up in the 90s. For example, the wealth of film produced as my teeth were falling out, such Home Alone, Aladdin and 10 Things I Hate About You were brilliant in humour, storyline, and well, soundtrack. Over the last 50 years of films we’ve been given features such as The Graduate, with a soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel and of course Back to the Future with songs such as ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis and the News. We’ve even had films such as Labyrinth where they actually managed to bag David Bowie as both the musician and actor for the film. These films are just the best, I know that the technology was not that advanced (see Labyrinth), but in a sense because things aren’t blowing up in your face, it doesn’t detract from the story. I know that now films have gotten more technologically advanced, more complex in plot and character stereotyping (there’s far too many too cool guys in cinema, no one is that sleek all the time), but in my opinion I quite like the dressed down quality of the films, and to just add to the nostalgia, I think they’re just so much happier! Call me old before my time, because I certainly sound like a nostalgic old woman, but I do prefer the older films, so here’s my list of some of my favourites from the last 50 years.
60s
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->The Graduate (1967) – So here’s to you Mrs Robinson... and Dustin Hoffman, with a soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel a splash of infidelity, what more could you need?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Psycho (1960) – What more could you need than horror and a man dressed up as an old lady....
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Paris When it Sizzles (1964) – A conglomerate of genres, in Paris, in the 60s with Audrey Hepburn...
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – A brilliantly British comedy with the Beatles and one half of Steptoe and Son.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->The Pink Panther (1964) – The first one in the series of three films, a clumsy French detective and oh course some Peter Sellars genius makes one damn good film.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Mary Poppins (1964) – I don’t think this needs any other explanation, only homage to Dick Van Dyke’s truly terrible Cockney accent.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->The Italian Job (1969) – Amazing driving in some Mini Coopers, Michael Caine, and of course the best cliff hanger of an ending... quite literally.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Alfie (1966) – Yet another Michael Caine film to have been remade worse than the original, the original is still the best.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – it’s worth it just for scene the intense eye contact. Plus, it’s pretty good.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10. <!--[endif]-->The Jungle Book (1967) – It gave us tunes like ‘The Bear Necessities’ and ‘I Wanna Be Like You’.
70s
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) – Nothing beats the original orange Oompa Loompas, plus it has the song ‘Pure Imagination.’
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->American Graffiti (1973) – Set in the 1950s, it’s a very interesting portrayal of the culture, plus it has that kid from Happy Days.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Quadrophenia ( 1979) – Even though it was a decade late, the depiction of Mods and Rockers to a soundtrack by The Who is brilliant. It notably stars Phil Daniels (he also starred in Blur’s ‘Parklife’ Video) and Sting.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) – Not necessarily the best, but there needed to be a vintage Bond film in there somewhere.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->Carry On At Your Convenience (1971) – Carrying on brilliantly poking fun at the national unrest during the 70s and the continual strikes.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->On Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – Distressing, yet absorbing it’s a must see.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->The Way We Were (1973) – It’s an interesting one, certainly worth it to watch Barbra Streisand become creepily obsessed with Robert Redgrave.
80s
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Back to the Future (1985) – Boy goes back in time, yada yada, I’m sure you know the story, but it’s still brilliant.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->The Breakfast Club (1985) – Earmarking the beginning of the ‘teen film stereotype.’
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – A genius amalgamation of cartoon characters and real human actors.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->When Harry Met Sally (1989) – Everyone knows the story, but it’s still a pretty good watch.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->E.T. (1982) – It’s so heart warming, plus it’s about an alien who is not trying to destroy the Earth.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->The Elephant Man (1980) – Beautiful, but absolutely heartbreaking.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981) – Iconic.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Labyrinth (1986) – A coming of age tale, with David Bowie in a magical fantasy land. What more could you need?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->Dirty Dancing (1987) – This needs a mention, because the 80s was when the dancing film really sparked.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10. <!--[endif]-->Splash (1984) – A mermaid saves a man from drowning... basically the Little Mermaid with real actors.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11. <!--[endif]-->The Goonies (1985) – a group of kids embark on an adventure for buried pirate treasure. It’s like someone made a damn good film of your childhood games.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12. <!--[endif]-->Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Another iconic high school 80s movie.
90s
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Home Alone (1990) – It doesn’t need an explanation.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Schindler’s List (1993) – One of the most touching and unique films about WW2.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->American Beauty (1999) – Not just another teen movie, it’s thought provoking and a little creepy.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Titanic (1997) - The list would be incomplete without it.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->The Truman Show (1998) – The trippiest concept, but such a brilliantly unique idea.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Run Lola Run (1998) – A German film, examining three possible outcomes of the same situation.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->Toy Story (1995) – Pixar’s landmark animated film.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Forrest Gump (1994) – A genuinely touching film.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->Ghost (1990) – Following the course of a woman trying to make contact with her dead husband.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10. <!--[endif]-->Cruel Intentions (1999) – A savage teen film, following relationships, money and manipulation.
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