# What is your Favorite Movie Year?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753 "2003-09-15T17:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/1 "2003-09-15T17:38:06Z")
This article [http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/11/britain.hollywood.ap/index.html](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? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/2 "2003-09-15T18:11:09Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/3 "2003-09-15T18:48:32Z")
**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! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/4 "2003-09-15T20:57:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/5 "2003-09-15T21:55:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/6 "2003-09-15T22:27:44Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-movie-year/201753/7 "2003-09-15T23:27:27Z")
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