17. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
In 2001, Stanley Kubrick goes from the dawn of mankind to the birth of a new species, all in 142 minutes. Kubrick's masterpiece reaches deeper into the grandiosity of cinema than any before. At its time of release, the special effects were extraordinary - even leaving NASA baffled by their detailed accuracy. Thematically, the film explores evolution, the nature of intelligence and the philosophy of life. The greatest science-fiction movie of all time has been hugely influential to George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and numerous special-effects technicians. 2001 is hypnotic and unforgettable, as its giant scale and monumental ambition make you feel tiny in comparison. Kubrick is known for his magnifying attention to detail and that is what makes his movies such a success. 2001 would never have been made if the special-effects weren't good enough or something didn't quite look right - his perfectionism drove his work to lofty heights. 2001 is a thrilling work, it makes us think, it stays with us for a long time as we ponder within ourselves the questions the movie asks. The detailed essence of each scene is remarkable as it is transcendent and works the mind in a way so few movies do. 2001 makes you feel, it evokes a reaction from everybody that watches it and if I could describe my viewing experience of 2001 using a single word, I would use awe.
16. Easy Rider (1969)
Dennis Hopper's counterculture road movie defined the 60's. Motorbikes, hard drugs and free love defined this cultural landmark, ushering not just a new age of cinema but a significant change in American societal attitudes. Easy Rider sparked the definitive New Hollywood period of moviemaking and it was the landmark movie for many of the generation, capturing the hearts and minds of a nation. The movie sums up America in the 1960's as well as any, detailing the social tensions of the time, the hippie movement which left millions disaffected and hard drug use. The film is known for its actors and director experimenting with the substances during the production and Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson are well known for their hedonistic lifestyles. Easy Rider was a huge hit at the box office as it resonated with the youth at the time who went in their droves to see the movie. As a result of the financial and critical success of the movie, studios were more willing to give more control to the director on a small budget as they had faith the directors could produce commercially successful movies with little resources. The New Hollywood phrase of the 70's saw a rise in maverick directors such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin and Terrence Malick who went on to make some of the greatest American movies of all time. Easy Rider also gave a start to would be film icon, Jack Nicholson who stole the show in his small role in the movie and Dennis Hopper's career was resurrected as a result. Easy Rider signalled a change in Hollywood and in the way movies were made and its themes of disillusion are still incredibly relevant today.
15. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
Melvin Van Peebles' 1971 film led to the creation of the blaxploitation genre, though the debate about whether Sweet Sweetback is a blaxploitation film is a debate still ongoing. Quentin Tarantino is a noted fan of the genre and its influences on him can be seen in Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and Death Proof. Without a film like Sweet Sweetback, there may not have been Spike Lee and with that no Do The Right Thing - it showed the black community they could make a movie without selling-out, but still earning money as Sweetback was a huge financial hit. Sweetback is obviously a politically inflammatory film as the censors and some critics took issue with the violence and slurs against white people. The movie was a hit within the Black Panther organisation who recognised it as a revolutionary film about black people directed by a black man. Hollywood thus saw that there was a market for black-orientated movies and saw to exploit the market with films like Shaft, which was modernised in 2000 by John Singleton. No studio would touch Van Peebles back in the early seventies so financed the movie himself (Bill Cosby loaned him $50000) and did all his own stuntwork. The film suffered from censorship but is required viewing for film fans, not just because of its historical importance, but because it is a hell of a film.