This article http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/11/britain.hollywood.ap/index.html says that 1939 was voted the best year for movies. I agree, it had some good ones, but I’m still trying to decide if it’s the best. Help me out here…what are your favorite movie years? What movies really stood out for you?
1939 had some great flicks, no question.
The best movie year I lived through was the summer of 1982 – there was some really good SF and fantasy –
John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing
Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan
Bladerunner
**Poltergeist
Firefox
Tron**
It wasn’t up to the standard of these, but there was Conan the Barbarian.
We also got the superb documentary The Atomic Cafe
I can even forgive the year for E.T. – the Extraterrestrial
Besides these, we had
**Victor/Victoria
Swamp Thing
Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
Fast Times at Ridgemont High**
and the re-release of Bambi
(it also gave us clumkers like **GreaseII ** and Paradise, but you can’t win 'em all.)
1932, no contest. Great pre-Code talkies, some of the best movies ever to come out of Hollywood, anmd many of my favrite films, ever:
American Madness
Are You Listening?
As You Desire Me
The Beast of the City
A Bill of Divorcement
Blonde Venus
Cabin in the Cotton
Call Her Savage
The Dark Horse
Downstairs
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Flesh
Freaks
Frisco Jenny
Grand Hotel
The Greeks Had a Word for Them
The Half Naked Truth
The Heart of New York
Horse Feathers
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
If I Had a Million
Jewel Robbery
Life Begins
Love Me Tonight
The Man Who Played God
The Mask of Fu Manchu
Merrily We Go to Hell
Million Dollar Legs
The Mummy
The Music Box
Night After Night
Night Court
Once in a Lifetime
One Hour with You
One Way Passage
The Purchase Price
Rain
Red Dust
Scarface
Shanghai Express
The Sign of the Cross
Skyscraper Souls
Tarzan the Ape Man
Thirteen Women
Three on a Match
Trouble in Paradise
Washington Merry-Go-Round
What Price Hollywood?
White Zombie
As well as some of the best, naughtiest Betty Boop shorts: Betty Boop for President, Betty Boop Limited, Betty Boop’s Bamboo Isle, Betty Boop’s Bizzy Bee, Betty Boop’s Museum, Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs, Betty Boop, MD . . .
Beat that, 1939!
Freaks and If I had A Million! I love those movies. I have to say, I’m not familiar with most of the other ones, but I’ll take take a look at my dad’s collection and see if any of these pop up.
No argument for 1932 is complete until you add essential films from Japan (Ozu’s I Was Born, But…), France (Renoir’s Boudou Saved from Drowning), and Germany (Dreyer’s Vampyr)–each better than 2/3 of the films Eve cited in her (admittedly excellent) list.
Other films not listed include W.C. Fields’ best short, The Dentist; Louis Armstrong’s A Rhapsody in Black and Blue; and Our Gang’s Hook and Ladder.
Plus, 1932 was the best year Mickey Mouse ever had: The Klondike Kid, The Whoopee Party, Mickey’s Nightmare. He’s no Betty Boop (Minnie the Moocher was also '32), but he was actually funny back then.
So 32 it is, I think.
While it’s tough to compete with the hallowed Golden Age, let me suggest that the present state of affairs is not nearly as grim as is believed. In fact, we’ve had a couple of pretty good years recently. Consider 1999 and 1994:
1999:
American Beauty
American Movie
Arlington Road
Being John Malkovich
Boondock Saints
Boys Don’t Cry
Buena Vista Social Club
Dogma
Election
End of the Affair
Eyes Wide Shut
Felicia’s Journey
Fight Club
Ghost Dog
Green Mile
Insider
Iron Giant
Limey
Magnolia
Man on the Moon
Matrix
Mr. Death
Office Space (1999) 7.5/10 (14629 votes)
Sixth Sense
Sleepy Hollow
South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut
Stir of Echoes
Straight Story
Sweet and Lowdown
Talented Mr. Ripley
Three Kings
Titus
Topsy-Turvy
Toy Story 2
Virgin Suicides
1994:
Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Bottle Rocket
Chungking Express
Clerks
Crumb
Eat Drink Man Woman
Ed Wood
Exotica
Forrest Gump
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Heavenly Creatures
Hoop Dreams
Hudsucker Proxy
Last Seduction
Lion King
Little Women
Léon
Madness of King George
Muriel’s Wedding
Nightwatch
Nobody’s Fool
Once Were Warriors
Postino
Pulp Fiction
Quiz Show
Secret of Roan Inish
Shallow Grave
Shawshank Redemption
Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (the short upon which Sling Blade was based)
Speed
Three Colors: Red
Three Colors: White
Vanya on 42nd Street (1994) 7.3/10 (732 votes)
I had a great time going to the movies in 1997. I think it was the last great year for independant film.
My top picks from '97:
Affliction
Afterglow
Amistad
Apostle, The
As Good As It Gets
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Boogie Nights
Boxer, The
Chasing Amy
Clockwatchers
Contact
Cop Land
Deconstructing Harry
Donnie Brasco
Eve’s Bayou
Full Monty, The
Game, The
Good Will Hunting
Grosse Pointe Blank
Henry Fool
House of Yes, The
Ice Storm, The
In & Out
In the Company of Men
Jackie Brown
L.A. Confidential
Liar Liar
Lost Highway
Love and Death on Long Island
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Oscar and Lucinda
Private Parts
Smilla’s Sense of Snow
Spanish Prisoner, The
Titanic
Trekkies
U Turn
Ulee’s Gold
Wild Man Blues
Wings of the Dove, The
Plus:
Air Force One
Alien: Resurrection
Bean
Con Air
Devil’s Own, The
Edge, The
Face/Off
Fifth Element, The
G.I. Jane
Gattaca
Kiss the Girls
Wag the Dog
AND the re-release of all three original Star Wars movies. What a year!
Pash