GreenTeaHarbor1297
Capri
Just wanted to create this thread as a fun little discussion topic.
Also, this is just regarding your favorite movies by decade at the moment, and it's perfectly okay if your listings are subject to change. Also, if you don't know any movie from a certain decade, or any movie you like from a certain decade, feel free to skip that decade. I understand and respect that most people on this forum aren't movie buffs with an extensive James Rolfe - like knowledge of films of different eras, and that's perfectly okay - I myself don't have that extensive knowledge either, and my listings are also possibly subject to change if I watch more movies from these eras. I just wanted to make this thread as a fun discussion topic.
I'm also starting with the 1930s, since that's the first decade when talkies were standard. While I do respect the silent motion pictures of the 1890s-1920s, it is hard for me to become invested in them, and enjoy them beyond their novelty factor.
1930s
In terms of what movie from this decade I find most entertaining that I've seen, that would be the 1933 King Kong. However, in terms of what movie from this decade I have the most appreciation for, that would be The Wizard of Oz from 1939. The Wizard of Oz is certainly a timeless classic, and the colors of Oz - Particularly the pond in Munchkinland - Is still stunning to look at almost 90 years later, and I could only imagine just how stunning it was to see in 1939, when everyone was still used to black and white movies. The only reason why it's not my pick in terms of entertainment value is because it is very kiddy - And to be fair, it is primarily a movie geared towards children, and it's a great movie for children, especially for children in the 2-7 year old demographic. But my pick in terms of entertainment value is the original King Kong. The blend of live action and stop motion is very impressive especially for a film that will be a century old in seven years, and the action scenes, like the group's encounters with dinosaurs in the jungle, and King Kong's fights with various reptiles, and with him attacking New York and climbing the Empire State Building later in the film, is very entertaining to watch.
1940s
My pick for this decade is It's a Wonderful Life, from 1946.
Taking a quick detour into the topic of Christmas movies, when the topic of whether movies like Gremlins and Die Hard, and perhaps also The Godfather, Edward Scissorhands, or The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - on whether these are Christmas movies or not, one mistake I believe people make when they do consider these to be Christmas movies and put them as part of their Christmas movie lineup is, just like traditional Christmas movies like Home Alone or Elf, they'll watch these during the Christmas season, but not outside of the Christmas season, therefore imprisoning these movies into a box of "Christmas movies" that cannot be enjoyed year round, which I think is a mistake. But it's not just a mistake for those movies, but also for It's A Wonderful Life, which I honestly would put in a similar category of "Christmas movie" as those aforementioned five. Christmas plays such a minor part in the plot of It's a Wonderful Life, and the plot involves more around the life story of the main character, and it's a great story and entertaining movie that should be enjoyed and watched in any season, not just during Christmas time.
1950s
The 1951 Alice In Wonderland - Which is also my favorite 2D animated Disney movie of all time, and by far my favorite Disney movie released before the Renaissance. An honorable mention goes to Singin' in the Rain from 1952, for being such a charming musical.
1960s
My pick for this one is easy - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World from 1963. Such an entertaining movie with such a charming cast - With my favorite character being Mrs. Marcus, the mother / stepmother character played by Ethel Merman - and such an entertaining plot and hijinks, and despite being a long movie (so long it also has an intermission), it never gets boring. It is easily my pick for the decade, and it's one of of my favorite movies of all time.
1970s
For a lot of people, their pick would be one of the first two Godfather movies, or the first Star Wars movie.
But for me, my pick is Stanley Kubrick's 1971 cult-classic, A Clockwork Orange.
Granted, I will admit - This movie can get very disturbing at some parts. I also do not recommend this movie for everyone, and recommend doing research on it before watching it for the first time, if you haven't seen it already.
The reason it's my pick is because, as disturbing as the movie can get at times, the movie did leave a big impression on me, and it also made me think critically of many ethical and philosophical topics. Also, in the latter part, where Alex goes through suffering when he returns to his home community after going through the Ludovico Technique, part of me felt bad for Alex since the story is told through his lense and since I found his quirkiness, especially his love for classical music, to be very relatable, but at the same time, it was also a bit satisfying to see Alex get punished by those he wronged, due to the horrible things he had done before going through prison and the Ludovico Technique.
I also really like how artistic this movie is, and the film techniques used by Stanley Kubrick, and how these techniques would go on to influence Wes Anderson.
1980s
For this decade, my choice is not so simple.
My choice would be 1989's Back to the Future Part II - which is my favorite of the Back to the Future trilogy, but the problem is, I can't really enjoy that movie on its own without also watching the first and third movie. I prefer to watch all three Back to the Future movies collectively, instead of individually, and had the third movie released in 1989 instead of 1990, I would've picked the Back to the Future trilogy as a whole as my favorite for the '80s, since I treat all three movies as one cohesive experience. But since the third movie came out in 1990, meaning it came out in the '90s and not the '80s, I can't do that.
So instead, my pick for this decade is Kiki's Delivery Service from 1989. This was one of the earliest films from Studio Ghibli, and the whole plot and premise of this movie is just so endearing and charming. I also loved hearing Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara at the end, a song I first heard from an anime called Tamayura (which came out way after, I'm just stating that's where I heard it first).
1990s
My pick for this decade, which is also my second favorite movie of all time, is The Mask, from 1994.
Main reason for this pick is this movie did speak to me on a deep philosophical level, with the mask being the tool that opens the wearer's deeper id, the deeper part of themselves they keep locked away to put on a socially acceptable image. Also, the comedy of this movie is Jim Carrey at his best, as he uses more cartoony humor in this movie, which is amplified by the CGI used for the facial animations, and the cartoony humor I think holds up way better than the toilet and childish humor used in some of his other movies - Not saying those are bad, but the humor in those definitely doesn't hold up as well as in The Mask.
An honorable mention goes to The Nightmare Before Christmas from 1993, which is my favorite Disney movie of all time, and one I definitely hope gets made into a Broadway musical.
2000s
For me, my pick for this decade is 2009's Coraline - My third favorite movie of all time, and my favorite animated movie of all time. An honorable mention goes to 2005's Corpse Bride - Both of these movies being, in my opinion, stop motion masterpieces that I even think surpassed The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is saying a lot since as I said above, the Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney movie of all time.
2010s
My favorite from this decade, and also my favorite movie of all time, is The Grand Budapest Hotel from 2014. I first saw this in theaters with my family when I was 16, and to my teenaged self, this movie was such a breath of fresh air after the bombardment of superhero films and dystopian films based on young adult novels in the 2010s. Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustav was beyond charming and entertaining to watch, and he should've gotten an Academy Award for his performance in this movie. Tony Revolori as the lobby boy Zero also complemented Monsier Gustav's charm perfectly. The supporting cast also did a wonderful job, and Dmitri and Jopling were great villains as well. I also how the movie handles a dark plot like a murder mystery so playfully and comedically as well. I also love the film techniques used by Wes Anderson to keep the action interesting, and ensure there's never a boring moment. Such a masterpiece, was such a breath of fresh air when I first saw it in 2014, and it's become my favorite movie of all time, and easily demolishes the competition in terms of being the best movie of the 2010s, at least in my opinion.
2020s
To Be Determined, especially since this decade is still not even 2/3 of the way over yet. For now, I guess my choice would be Inside Out 2 from 2024, but it's still ultimately too early for me to make a call.
But anyways, that's my list. What about yours?
Let me know in the comments below.
Also, this is just regarding your favorite movies by decade at the moment, and it's perfectly okay if your listings are subject to change. Also, if you don't know any movie from a certain decade, or any movie you like from a certain decade, feel free to skip that decade. I understand and respect that most people on this forum aren't movie buffs with an extensive James Rolfe - like knowledge of films of different eras, and that's perfectly okay - I myself don't have that extensive knowledge either, and my listings are also possibly subject to change if I watch more movies from these eras. I just wanted to make this thread as a fun discussion topic.
I'm also starting with the 1930s, since that's the first decade when talkies were standard. While I do respect the silent motion pictures of the 1890s-1920s, it is hard for me to become invested in them, and enjoy them beyond their novelty factor.
1930s
In terms of what movie from this decade I find most entertaining that I've seen, that would be the 1933 King Kong. However, in terms of what movie from this decade I have the most appreciation for, that would be The Wizard of Oz from 1939. The Wizard of Oz is certainly a timeless classic, and the colors of Oz - Particularly the pond in Munchkinland - Is still stunning to look at almost 90 years later, and I could only imagine just how stunning it was to see in 1939, when everyone was still used to black and white movies. The only reason why it's not my pick in terms of entertainment value is because it is very kiddy - And to be fair, it is primarily a movie geared towards children, and it's a great movie for children, especially for children in the 2-7 year old demographic. But my pick in terms of entertainment value is the original King Kong. The blend of live action and stop motion is very impressive especially for a film that will be a century old in seven years, and the action scenes, like the group's encounters with dinosaurs in the jungle, and King Kong's fights with various reptiles, and with him attacking New York and climbing the Empire State Building later in the film, is very entertaining to watch.
1940s
My pick for this decade is It's a Wonderful Life, from 1946.
Taking a quick detour into the topic of Christmas movies, when the topic of whether movies like Gremlins and Die Hard, and perhaps also The Godfather, Edward Scissorhands, or The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - on whether these are Christmas movies or not, one mistake I believe people make when they do consider these to be Christmas movies and put them as part of their Christmas movie lineup is, just like traditional Christmas movies like Home Alone or Elf, they'll watch these during the Christmas season, but not outside of the Christmas season, therefore imprisoning these movies into a box of "Christmas movies" that cannot be enjoyed year round, which I think is a mistake. But it's not just a mistake for those movies, but also for It's A Wonderful Life, which I honestly would put in a similar category of "Christmas movie" as those aforementioned five. Christmas plays such a minor part in the plot of It's a Wonderful Life, and the plot involves more around the life story of the main character, and it's a great story and entertaining movie that should be enjoyed and watched in any season, not just during Christmas time.
1950s
The 1951 Alice In Wonderland - Which is also my favorite 2D animated Disney movie of all time, and by far my favorite Disney movie released before the Renaissance. An honorable mention goes to Singin' in the Rain from 1952, for being such a charming musical.
1960s
My pick for this one is easy - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World from 1963. Such an entertaining movie with such a charming cast - With my favorite character being Mrs. Marcus, the mother / stepmother character played by Ethel Merman - and such an entertaining plot and hijinks, and despite being a long movie (so long it also has an intermission), it never gets boring. It is easily my pick for the decade, and it's one of of my favorite movies of all time.
1970s
For a lot of people, their pick would be one of the first two Godfather movies, or the first Star Wars movie.
But for me, my pick is Stanley Kubrick's 1971 cult-classic, A Clockwork Orange.
Granted, I will admit - This movie can get very disturbing at some parts. I also do not recommend this movie for everyone, and recommend doing research on it before watching it for the first time, if you haven't seen it already.
The reason it's my pick is because, as disturbing as the movie can get at times, the movie did leave a big impression on me, and it also made me think critically of many ethical and philosophical topics. Also, in the latter part, where Alex goes through suffering when he returns to his home community after going through the Ludovico Technique, part of me felt bad for Alex since the story is told through his lense and since I found his quirkiness, especially his love for classical music, to be very relatable, but at the same time, it was also a bit satisfying to see Alex get punished by those he wronged, due to the horrible things he had done before going through prison and the Ludovico Technique.
I also really like how artistic this movie is, and the film techniques used by Stanley Kubrick, and how these techniques would go on to influence Wes Anderson.
1980s
For this decade, my choice is not so simple.
My choice would be 1989's Back to the Future Part II - which is my favorite of the Back to the Future trilogy, but the problem is, I can't really enjoy that movie on its own without also watching the first and third movie. I prefer to watch all three Back to the Future movies collectively, instead of individually, and had the third movie released in 1989 instead of 1990, I would've picked the Back to the Future trilogy as a whole as my favorite for the '80s, since I treat all three movies as one cohesive experience. But since the third movie came out in 1990, meaning it came out in the '90s and not the '80s, I can't do that.
So instead, my pick for this decade is Kiki's Delivery Service from 1989. This was one of the earliest films from Studio Ghibli, and the whole plot and premise of this movie is just so endearing and charming. I also loved hearing Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara at the end, a song I first heard from an anime called Tamayura (which came out way after, I'm just stating that's where I heard it first).
1990s
My pick for this decade, which is also my second favorite movie of all time, is The Mask, from 1994.
Main reason for this pick is this movie did speak to me on a deep philosophical level, with the mask being the tool that opens the wearer's deeper id, the deeper part of themselves they keep locked away to put on a socially acceptable image. Also, the comedy of this movie is Jim Carrey at his best, as he uses more cartoony humor in this movie, which is amplified by the CGI used for the facial animations, and the cartoony humor I think holds up way better than the toilet and childish humor used in some of his other movies - Not saying those are bad, but the humor in those definitely doesn't hold up as well as in The Mask.
An honorable mention goes to The Nightmare Before Christmas from 1993, which is my favorite Disney movie of all time, and one I definitely hope gets made into a Broadway musical.
2000s
For me, my pick for this decade is 2009's Coraline - My third favorite movie of all time, and my favorite animated movie of all time. An honorable mention goes to 2005's Corpse Bride - Both of these movies being, in my opinion, stop motion masterpieces that I even think surpassed The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is saying a lot since as I said above, the Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney movie of all time.
2010s
My favorite from this decade, and also my favorite movie of all time, is The Grand Budapest Hotel from 2014. I first saw this in theaters with my family when I was 16, and to my teenaged self, this movie was such a breath of fresh air after the bombardment of superhero films and dystopian films based on young adult novels in the 2010s. Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustav was beyond charming and entertaining to watch, and he should've gotten an Academy Award for his performance in this movie. Tony Revolori as the lobby boy Zero also complemented Monsier Gustav's charm perfectly. The supporting cast also did a wonderful job, and Dmitri and Jopling were great villains as well. I also how the movie handles a dark plot like a murder mystery so playfully and comedically as well. I also love the film techniques used by Wes Anderson to keep the action interesting, and ensure there's never a boring moment. Such a masterpiece, was such a breath of fresh air when I first saw it in 2014, and it's become my favorite movie of all time, and easily demolishes the competition in terms of being the best movie of the 2010s, at least in my opinion.
2020s
To Be Determined, especially since this decade is still not even 2/3 of the way over yet. For now, I guess my choice would be Inside Out 2 from 2024, but it's still ultimately too early for me to make a call.
But anyways, that's my list. What about yours?
Let me know in the comments below.
