Generation Film!

25. Broadcast News (1987) – While director/writer James L. Brooks’ comedic workplace drama Broadcast News is situated in a particular time it’s by far the most acute of his distinct, humanist character studies elevating it above aged placement. All of Brooks’ movies are constructed around Euclidean geometry emphasizing the natural triangle of romantic conflict that in this case involves three media professionals whose dedication to their work lives ruin their romantic ones. Broadcast News has a balance between humor and sadness that is effectively delivered in the film by incredibly realized disparate characters and their defining use of vernacular and inflections. Brooks knows that in life there are boundaries, whether they are professional, personal, or moral, and through his characters he is able to relate those challenges of boundary limitation in a very humanist fashion. Even though there is also an underlying theme between genuine news and the bastardization of news as entertainment, Broadcast News remains more about the relations of people in the workplace and how feelings, professional or personal, can either connect us together or divide us apart.

24. Sex Lies and Videotape (1989) – Sexuality is a difficult subject that isn’t too often treated with maturity or respect seeming to always be more exploitative rather than deeply meditative but that isn’t the case with Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Steven Soderbergh’s directorial debut was the revolutionary independent film that laid the inspirational groundwork for the 90s independent movement and it’s because contained in the film is an authentic portrayal of human sexuality that has great depth and introspection. Focusing on the vulnerability of distinct characters that seem incredibly real in their dialogue, temptations, and reservations Soderbergh creates an uncomfortable film revolving around sexual fetishes, betrayed infidelity, and primal human connection. Sex, Lies, and Videotape moves methodically almost as if we’re peering into private lives the way James Spader’s Graham Dalton views sexual confessional footage making the audience complicit voyeurs. Soderbergh inspired a generation of quality minimalist filmmaking because he made a film with a low budget that possessed a great deal of maturity relating to the subject matter of sexuality but more importantly relating to the sobering realistic characters involved.

23. Die Hard (1988) – John McTiernan’s neo-western Die Hard defied normal action genre conventions by utilizing an incredibly savvy technical style, a humorously clever script, and a representative everyman protagonist that eventually made it the ideal prototype for the modern action movie. Combining the mechanical action drive of early John Woo and the charming western sympathies of a relatable protagonist Die Hard adopts the best qualities of two cinematic worlds, Eastern style and Western plot. It didn’t follow basic spectacle to enhance the cinematic experience but rather it focused on a claustrophobic environment and a mixture of brains and brawn problem solving. Though not completely believable in plot there is a realistic simplicity to Die Hard especially in regards to protagonist John McClane who keeps us engaged as he grittily suffers and struggles through every painstaking task in order to save the day. Every action movie that followed Die Hard attempted to combine all of the right elements in order to mimic its quality but it’s probably a film made at the right time with the right ideas and duplicating its genuine charm might be impossible.

22. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) – One of the most reflectively serious, explicitly literate, philosophically complex, and emotionally connected religious films ever to grace the silver screen is Martin Scorsese’s adaption of Nikos Kazantzakis’s “The Last Temptation of Christ.” The book as well as the movie actively portrays one part of the dualistic nature of Christ, which focuses on the profoundly human side of him rather than the equal divine side of him. Through the tenderness and warmth of the human side of Christ the entire message of sacrifice is amplified making The Last Temptation of Christ a stirring affirmation both in Jesus the person and his teachings. Scorsese’s artistic reflection and visual mastery aided this simple and unadorned version of Christ’s life much in the same way that Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel According to Saint Matthew did in 1964. To view The Last Temptation of Christ as controversial or “blasphemous” would be missing the point entirely because while it is unorthodox in its exploration of divinity gained through process rather than initially given it is an overwhelmingly spiritual film that seeks to affirm the teachings of Christ through a fully human experience.

21. Blood Simple (1984) – This directorial debut from the brother auteurs Joel and Ethan Coen was an inventive modern noir that was equal parts homage as it was an ambitious twist on the genre by placing conventional noir archetypes in an unconventional setting. The Coen Brothers have a rare ability at making their chosen setting play a psychological role where the expansive openness of Texas is flipped on itself making the noir tendencies become more personally internal. What’s surprising about Blood Simple is that it’s incredibly claustrophobic for being a pseudo-western leaving you with a perpetual feeling of tension throughout the twisty and deceptive tale of cheating spouses, untrustworthy private detectives, and mistaken identities all delivered with that typical Coen Brothers darkly comedic touch. Blood Simple was one of the most riveting debuts to come out of the 80s by a team that not only knew how to replicate genres but they also knew them so well they could turn them inside out. Even if Blood Simple isn’t the Coens best work it definitely established their blending of genres, their visual prowess, and narrative experimentation.

20. This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The portmanteau of the words “mock” and “documentary” give us the word Mockumentary which was a term that was popularized by This is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner and describes the modern genre of delivering parodied events in a factual documentary style. This immensely clever and consistently hilarious film that follows the failures, embarrassments, and egos of a rock band “Spinal Tap” might not have been the first example of a mockumentary but it certainly made it into an inspirational and popular creative choice. It’s interesting to note that while the humor in the film seems undeniably British, filled with self-deprecating irony and clever turns of phrases, it was conceived by the all American team that makes up the band “Spinal Tap:” Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. The satire in This is Spinal Tap has such an impressive subtlety that it not only parodies the documentary style in all of its flawed conventions but also makes a farce of the lifestyle of Rock N Roll artists. This double edged sword of a comedy will be remembered as one of the best comedies ever written and it’s because of its mix of intelligence and silliness.

19. Platoon (1986) – Oliver Stone’s partially autobiographical disorienting launch into the Vietnam War is a surprisingly impartial study of the human experience in war without being overtly political when it very well could have been. Instead of preaching the horrors and mistreatment within the Vietnam experience Stone allows his camera to capture the unflinching realism of war from the chaos of battle to the inner struggle to remain attached to your soul making Platoon a haunting cinematic experience. The representation of good versus evil within Platoon uses both Sgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes respectively and though this simplistic moral posturing could be considered contrived it is handled with tact and a clear purpose in delivering the message of the film. Vietnam was vastly different from previous wars because the soldiers lacked a true sense of purpose, morale was incredibly low, and distrust in everyone seemed to be rampant and Oliver Stone is able to immerse us into this desperate world with honesty because he experienced it himself. This anti-war declaration comes from the heart and packs no animosity relying purely on engaging the audience’s sympathies.

18. My Dinner with Andre (1981) – French director Louis Malle, playwright Wallace Shawn, and theater director Andre Gregory collaborated on a deceptively simple conversational film entitled My Dinner with Andre that while seeming nonchalant is perhaps one of the most impeccably crafted independent meta-theater films ever conceived. Its cult classic status inspired myriad parodies and pop-culture witticisms that riff on the title, but this philosophical film following a dinner conversation between a self-proclaimed scientific rationalist and a free thinking wanderer invokes genuine reflection. The first half of the conversation is one sided as Andre espouses his search of enlightenment but the second half becomes an argument as if the two men represent two different sides of consciousness battling between reason and faith. As this captivating and philosophical film comes to an inconclusive end its only goal was to inspire even a momentary change in perception, and it succeeds with every viewing. Though it might be an undeniable freeze-frame of cosmopolitan life, My Dinner with Andre transcends to a different plain of existence due to its patient and reflective nature.

17. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) – By the end of the 80s the prolific writings of Woody Allen, which always incorporated wit and comedy within his dramatic arcs, culminated into what would be one of his scathing philosophical masterpieces, Crimes and Misdemeanors. Within this thought provoking piece about adultery, values, and morality Allen takes an intricately balanced and nuanced direction following two very different men, a morally repugnant Ophthalmologist and a humble idealist documentarian, exposing their beliefs, temptations, and consequences. Oddly enough each of these men’s actions represents the antithesis of their beliefs as one sees an unforgiving world empty of values in a pitiless moral design while the other sees meaning and forgiveness in a higher power. Crimes and Misdemeanors is probably Woody Allen’s most cynical view on moral justice and relationship happiness as the final dialogue between two strangers leaves you with a contemplatively empty feeling demonstrating Allen’s rare ability to have levity in the face of darkness. While a worthy spot on this list could have gone to Hannah and Her Sisters it just doesn’t seem to have as lasting of a thought provoking impact that is clearly evident in Crimes and Misdemeanors.

16. The Last Emperor (1987) – One of the most beautifully extravagant pieces of tourist cinema to hit the big screen was Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, which ambitiously spanned over three decades emerging us deeply into Ching Dynasty China but also kept us focused with an intimate character study. The Last Emperor is another picture with a balance of dualistic features the first being expansive in its detailed reconstruction of sets and culture—all thanks to the unparalleled craftsmanship of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti—and the second being intimate in the personal reflections of Emperor Pu Yi who is reconciling personal responsibility and political legacy. The importance of Bertolucci’s obvious respect and fascination with Eastern philosophy, culture, and design translates on the screen with a vast array of colors, costumes, and architecture making The Last Emperor a rare visual experience. Included in this visual tapestry though is a reflection on fate, identity, and the power of dreams which leaves behind one of the great monuments to emperors not only in their styles but also in their historical importance.

15. Das Boot (1981) – the uncomfortably intimate and claustrophobically unnerving World War II submarine drama Das Boot from director Wolfgang Petersen is an unrelenting immersion into the depths of submarine warfare authentically revealing crippling fear, delirious boredom, and unmitigated bravery. This incredibly patient film never feels overdramatized nor does it follow typical Hollywood conventions to manipulate your sympathies because everything appears real. The filthy surroundings, the carefully constructed sound design, and the well-developed characters all aid in the psychologically draining film that is guided with precision by director Wolfgang Petersen. Das Boot acts more like a relic than an actual film because there aren’t any submarine films, or war films for that matter, that counteract its genuine realism or its artistically engaging environment. No matter which side you happen to be on, whether it’s the usual depiction of Americans involved in war or the rare portrait of Nazis involved in war, the idea that war is hell is a universal experience that shouldn’t divide us by sides but unite us in understanding. Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot is relentless in its realism and completely engaging all the way through because it understands character, environment, ambiance, and contains a clearly cynical message that all can understand.

14. Full Metal Jacket (1987) – There is an uncomfortable duality to Stanley Kubrick’s unforgiving portrait of Vietnam Full Metal Jacket, relating mostly to the dueling nature of protagonist Joker and the obvious tonal split in the different segments of the script. If Platoon is the Vietnam story that contemplates the battle of your soul then Full Metal Jacket is the internal battle between rationality and irrationality stuck in a place that seems void of both. Kubrick at this point in his career had familiarity contemplating war considering his dualistic World War I drama Paths of Glory and the comically absurdist doomsday scenario in Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, but Full Metal Jacket elevated that understanding to a truly artistic reconsideration. From the humiliating initiation in the first act to the dead end pointlessness of the third act there is a haunting reflection on the frustrating, disconcerting, and incomplete nature of war. While there is a great sense of realism to Kubrick’s style there is also an understated dream realm that makes the real seem quite surreal in all of its authenticity. The reason Full Metal Jacket is so difficult to grasp or even experience is because it’s an unabashedly horrific examination of how war not only changes our physical selves but also our internal selves.

13. Back to the Future (1985) – Though there is an irremovable childhood nostalgia linked to the time traveling classic Back to the Future there is still an undeniable charm to its genuine balance between youthful self-discovery and superficially intriguing science-fiction adventure. Hollywood blockbusters are intended for unadulterated amusement but director Robert Zemeckis utilized an incredibly energetic and witty script that has kept the material fresh for decades after its initial release. Back to the Future creatively explored the advantages of visual effects at the time and due to its restrained usage of limited technology it has resisted the laughable aging that many older films unfortunately experience. Sometimes film aficionados need to be reminded about the true entertainment value of cinema and there are seldom the kinds of quality examples as Robert Zemeckis’ time travel misadventure. Because Back to the Future still had a level of intriguing time travel contemplation it definitely laid the inspirational groundwork for future science-fiction works both of the blockbuster and artistic variety.

12. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) – Sergio Leone’s name had been synonymous with ambitious before he went out to create his expressively cynical expose on the American dream, or rather an American opium dream filled with all its hopeful highs and deceiving lows. Epically surveying a lifespan of friendship, love, regret, and betrayal Once Upon a Time in America shows the mob lifestyle as something inherent in the American psyche that has a coldness accompanied with a conscience. The desperation of survival by any means is the natural human tendency and Sergio Leone examines how the criminal temptation is the highest form of survival. To understand the full profound impact that was intended by Sergio Leone it must be seen through the director’s cut because without its ambiance, non-linear plot, and the full immersion in its cinematic visual prowess then most of it is lost in translation. Once Upon a Time in America is an evocation of life that includes all of its dark prisms, boastful hopes, and cynical ends showing us that death is the only certainty of being able to start anew.

11. E.T.- The Extra Terrestrial (1982) – Peering through the lens of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is entering the uncontaminated innocence of childhood itself where belief, imagination, and acceptance are not challenges but rather natural traits. This oddly unique friendship tale between a boy and a misplaced alien is undoubtedly the kind of childhood fantasy that inevitably lives on to become an equally beloved adult memory. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is a rousing and lively timeless tale that never ages itself because it strikes our hearts with creative consistency maintaining our fascination with worlds beyond and connections at home. There is a shared charm in its entertaining populism because there is a touching simplicity to its style and reverts our imagination back to when contemplating awe inspiring possibilities was a regular occurrence. Steven Spielberg’s range as a storyteller is incredibly vast but this particular timeless childhood tale of friendship will be at one end of his creative spectrum as one of his most memorable and emotionally inspiring films.

10. Blue Velvet (1986) – While most people associate the cinema as a translation of their dreams onto the screen director David Lynch has consistently inspired to depict the unnerving world of nightmares and his unsettling thriller Blue Velvet is one of his most haunting suburban criticisms. Lynch’s intrigue into the aspects voyeurism, torture, and murder create a spellbindingly surreal noir that is more dependent on disconnected ambiance than it is on meticulous procedural. Blue Velvet is the cinematic depiction of our depraved nightmares that lurk in the shadows of the most innocent of towns that juxtaposes positive colorful imagery with dark repulsive action. The quintessential Lynch experience can be found in this sleight of hand criticism of Americana that is both lightheartedly humorous and horrifyingly mysterious. David Lynch’s masterpiece is a primal, vulnerable, and sadist nightmare that grips you in its visual intensity and unsettles you in its storytelling dynamism.

9. Wings of Desire (1987) – One of the most heartwarming and delightful city specific symphonies is the angelic drama Wings of Desire, a holistically aestheticized piece of European art cinema that is both pleasing and demanding in the same viewing. This effervescent fantasia of love from director Wim Wenders follows the angel-on-earth ballade in war ravaged Berlin where an angel, who can hear the fears, hopes, and dreams of the city’s inhabitants, chooses love over immortality to be with a trapeze artist he has fallen for, figuratively and eventually literally. The depiction of benevolent angels listening in on the thoughts of the unsuspecting city dwellers is a fantastic representation of humanity as their eavesdropping is both empathetic and voyeuristic giving us a moral idea of how to regard our fellow Homo sapien brethren. Wenders’ vastly beautiful poem might be incredibly spiritual but the true intention is to create cinematic truth as the angels represent the audience voyeurs and observers. Wings of Desire isn’t a film that eliminates the viewer of responsibility because it demands that you perceive, empathize, and ultimately mold by the end of the film. This spiritual allegory of a film will keep you emotionally engaged and through its graceful cinematic beauty will open your heart to something more profound.

8. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – The darker and vastly more mature continuation of Star Wars: A New Hope leaped from space opera serial homage to high concept science-fiction reflection on power, sacrifice, and loss making not only the perfection of a sequel but a sequel that was far superior than its quality beginning. Instead of writing the script or even directing the picture George Lucas was put to the sidelines as director Irvin Kershner and screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan/Leigh Brackett took over the position. The Empire Strikes Back doesn’t pander to your sequel expectations and instead delivers a deeply complex character development mostly in relation to Luke’s struggle with the force and the temptation to choose darkness over light. A split plot focusing on two different adventures heightens the tension in each scenario and greatly shows Kasdan and Brackett’s exceptional writing abilities to keep us intrigued and entertained with character involvement rather than special effects spectacle. Of course we would never have had The Empire Strikes Back without A New Hope but this sequel expanded the consequences and stakes of this universe far more than we ever could have hoped or imagined.

7. Brazil (1985) – Fantasist filmmaker Terry Gilliam thrives in creating haunting, shadowy depictions of the imagination and his masterpiece Brazil effortlessly does this in creating a dystopian reality that embodies political satire, dreamy romance, and boisterous fantasy. To say that Brazil was ahead of its time would be a drastic understatement because its verbal and visual wit is still immensely perceptive as it critiqued and satirized societal alienation, political terrorism, and the bureaucratization of absolutely everything. Through a wide artistic visual display Gilliam is able to construct a believable fantastical reality that is as hilarious as any memorable comedy but remains a perceptively cautionary dystopian satire that is the cinematic equivalent of George Orwell’s “1984” and Franz Kafka’s “The Trial.” Brazil is one of those rare cinematic gems that become more evocative, more thought provoking, and more powerful with each and every viewing. Despite having influenced a plethora of retro-futuristic followers, most evident in Soderbergh’s Kafka or Jean Pierre-Jeunet and Marc Caro’s The City of Lost Children, Brazil is an individual testament to social satire depicting a world that is as outlandish as it is eerily familiar.

6. Amadeus (1984) – Milos Forman and Peter Shaffer’s grand fictional biography about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arguably the greatest composer who ever lived, is relayed to us through the subjective obsession of rival composer Antonio Salieri reflecting on genius versus mediocrity and grace versus desire. The appropriate usage of Mozart’s middle name for the title Amadeus, which translated in Latin means loved by God, showcases Salieri’s point of view that Mozart himself was graced by God with talent while he was hated by God and denied the ability to make exceptional music. This extravagant tale of jealousy is as thoughtful on the human condition as it is in religious criticism that never enters a level of pretentiousness but instead utilizes vibrant fictitious interpretations of historical characters to gracefully make its message clear. Amadeus is a cinematic rarity that showcases two spectrums of life one that is celebratory through joyous and inspirational music and another commenting on the darker side of human nature relating to insatiability, mania, and jealousy.

5. Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Guiseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso isn’t just a dedicated tribute to the wonder of cinema but it’s also a positive testament of imagination, first love, and the bittersweet inevitable end of life. Through a script that is divided into three different chapters highlighting the character building moments of a particular man’s life creating a portrait of sentimentality that is as uplifting as it is deeply heart wrenching. Cinema Paradiso is one of those love stories about mentorship, intimacy, and career that embraces the darker and more realistic attributes showing us that love can be include devastating heartbreak. Experiencing the director’s cut is the only way to get the fully intended epic story of friendship, an adoring tribute to the power of the cinema, and a deep romantic connection with all of its uplifting hopes and bitterly realistic lows. This meaningful love letter to the movies is matchless in its form and beautiful in its sentimentality making it one of those most touching and memorable love stories the movies have ever offered.

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’s collaborative archeological adventure combining fictional history, frenetic action, and worldly exploration created not only one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history but it also ideally defined the perfect blockbuster. Raiders of the Lost Ark redefined the cinematic experience of exotic locations, natural dangers, and external enemies as it inevitably became the quintessential adventure film that has yet to be repeated. Re-watching the first of the Indiana Jones archeological escapades never loses its originality, exuberance, and charm because its inventive structure, ahistorical creativeness, and energetic scenarios continuously impress us to this day. Even though the character Indiana Jones is itself a great example of iconography the film Raiders of the Lost Ark is also an iconic picture in its cinematic reveals and adventurous style rarely repeated by equal or superior filmmakers. Spielberg and Lucas, despite both of their aging talents, have created a film that is definably ageless in its delivery of pure entertainment and rousing adventure.

3. Ran (1985) – the cinematic mastery of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa took up the ambitious task of re-imagining Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and created a historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan that philosophizes about the irrationality of war through a portrait of betrayal, greed, and a ravenous lust for power. Ran is a conglomeration of Shakespeare, the Noh Japanese dramatic style, and samurai epic that embraces its grand themes of human brutality, warfare, and suffering delivered by a director whose experience of life has sharpened his cynicism, reflection, and understanding of the world around him. Compared to his other war epic Seven Samurai, which possesses humor and robust excitement, Ran is the product of a life of struggle highlighting the world as beautifully bleak and horrifyingly unforgiving. This plunge into the abyss of hell is not Akira Kurosawa’s warning of what is to come but a deeply unsettling acceptance that madness, war, and the evil of humanity is part of the natural state of mankind. This strangely beautiful portrait of our self-fulfilling prophecy of the apocalypse is one of Kurosawa’s true masterpieces not only in cinematic excellence but also in philosophical contemplation.

2. Blade Runner (1982) –the science-fiction genre has always challenged modern perspectives by expanding our moral and philosophical considerations relating to societal structures, values, and relationships, which Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner does with perfection. This futuristic manhunt blended the ominous undertones of apocalyptic science-fiction with the darkly reflective internalizing of the noir genre successfully creating a conglomeration of contemplative ambiance and internal moral struggle. Adapted from author Phillip K. Dick’s masterpiece “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” Blade Runner puts a mirror on human nature against its creation of humanlike Androids that eventually begs the question, “What does it mean to be human?” Rarely are there films that can successfully adopt one genre but this science-fiction mystery moves seamlessly between 40s architecture and post-apocalyptic destruction shedding light on how the present can be reverted and that our future path is a morbid prediction. Ridley Scott’s masterpiece has been debated and re-edited but has never lost its timeless impact due to its thought provoking motifs, genre blending styles, and prophetic imagery.

1. Raging Bull (1980) – Director Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull is an uncompromising and brilliant expose on the life and times of boxer Jake LaMotta that becomes one of the most inspirationally ambitious subjective cinematic studies of internal conflict and tragic self-destruction. The film’s undeniably stunning power is accentuated by the gritty performances and truly daring creative technical decisions illustrating an understanding of multi-faceted characters that paradoxically amplifies our senses of empathy and personal disgust. Raging Bull also works as a study of how living a dualistic existence in the private and public forums of life can put immense pressure on a person’s perspective of humility and rationality. This Scorsese and Robert De Niro collaboration is by far their finest portrait of love, paranoia, deceit, and violence that shaped a tragic tale of the annihilation of self. Raging Bull is honest in brutality and tragic in theme but it’s Martin Scorsese’s most inventive cinematic achievement and his most poignant reflection on the blurring of private and public lives.

Honorable Mentions: Do the Right Thing, The Elephant Man, The Shining, Airplane!, The Untouchables, Raising Arizona, Hannah and Her Sisters, Kagemusha, Paris Texas, Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, The Vanishing, Missing, The Big Chill