41. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadass Song (1971)
Influential, how? Black cinema finds a voice.
Dedicated to “all the Brothers and Sisters who have had enough of The Man”, Sweet Sweetback's... is the first 'blaxploitation' flick.
It's a full-frontal attack on honky hegemony as hero Sweetback fights and fucks his way through corrupt white cops and lurid whorehouses.
Black Panther Huey P Newton praised it as “the first truly revolutionary black film.”
Money shot: Handcuffed Sweetback beating up a couple of racist rozzers.
42. Pink Flamingos (1972)
InfluentIal, how? Time to get gross.
Taboos are obliterated as fat tranny Divine stamps (and pisses) all over common decency in John Waters’ no-budget shock-pic.
Critics fumed (“one of the most vile, stupid and repulsive films ever made” spat Variety, reaching for the smelling salts) as this outrageously camp attempt to show the forbidden featured turd-gobbling, sphincter-puckering and a sex act involving a live chicken.
It's an anarchic vom-com that makes the Farrelly Brothers’ gross-outs look like something from CBeebies.
Money shot: Divine munching dog shit. The poodle poops, she scoops – for real.
43. Deep Throat (1972)
Influential, how? Porn goes mainstream.
Deep Throat was the movie that legitimised porn, a swinging hardcore sex film that became a crossover hit.
It quickly became a cultural watershed – changing the way America talked about sex forever.
More than just the movie that made blowjobs into dinner-party chatter, it stripped the seedier side of the porno industry bare for everyone to gawp at.
Money shot: Lovelace making like a turkey...
For an extended look at Deep Throat, see this feature in the latest issue of Total Film Magazine.
44. Mean Streets (1973)
Influential, how? Plugging the jukebox.
Shot with style and swagger, Scorsese’s breakthrough film blazed with rock’n’roll energy, rebooting the sound of cinema. At last, popular - not just classical - music could score a movie.
“For me,” Marty reckoned, “the whole movie was ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and ‘Be My Baby’.”
He sourced many of the songs from his own collection, bringing a personal stamp with an era’s rock-noise.
Try imagining Trainspotting or Reservoir Dogs without it.
Money shot: Johnny Boy’s slo-mo, hot-wired entrance, propelled by The Stones’ “crossfire hurricane”.
Comments
avoidz
Apr 3rd 2009, 14:41
Great article; one of your best. Thanks!
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filmgeek27
Apr 5th 2009, 10:58
Great feature. I have to admit to not buying the magazine for a few months now (I've just been clicking on to the website) but after that I'm going to go out and get this issue
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waldolydecker
Apr 17th 2009, 9:44
Oops! Your "Room at the Top" still is in fact a scene from Clouzot's "Les Diaboliques", starring Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot - another influential film, no doubt. How could you forget "Rebecca", "Laura", "Singin' in the Rain", etc. Your list is interesting however, but quite a few of the contemporary titles quoted are worthless and will be forgotten in 10 years from now. Wanna bet? See you in 2019!
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WisdomPersona
Apr 17th 2009, 14:40
For the most part, a great list. However, why choose "Mean Streets" as the film that 'plugged in the jukebox'? "American Graffiti" had far more pre-recorded songs, and was released three months earlier. What gives?
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horrorfilmx
Apr 17th 2009, 17:43
Interesting article, but you mention that "Star Wars revolutionised CG visual effects". Star Wars had no CG visual effects, at least not until Lucas redid it decades later. That's why the original Star Wars looks so much more real than all the CGI junk that followed it, and why a generation raised on video games considers it "dated" and "cheesy" --- because they have to grounding in reality any more.
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futureman
Apr 18th 2009, 4:02
Good article but s didn't Superman bring about synergy? They completed a whole series of movies before the first Batman. I was also surprised there was no mention of the movies that influenced the sequel.
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Apathygrrl
Apr 18th 2009, 18:11
I'm actually surprised to find that the original King Kong isn't on your list.
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daveman14
Apr 19th 2009, 2:02
Great list but I'm surprised you left off Trip to the Moon by Melies as it is the first narrative film in history.
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Asterix
Apr 19th 2009, 3:03
Awesome article, but..... Why "Cableguy" (1996) and not "Back to the Future" (1985) (a family movie - the most influential travel time movie)? Why "Batman" (1989) and not "Superman - the movie" (1978) (You can believe a man can fly!...perfectly - the first comic book adaptation of all time)? And, where's the Godfather?????????
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grantmccall
Apr 19th 2009, 4:14
I'm quite surprised that the first feature film ever made isn't in this list: The story of the kelly gang - It's an Australian film, 60 minutes in length.It precedes "Birth of a nation" by 9 years. Oh well, us Aussies usually get left out of most important lists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_the_Kelly_Gang
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grantmccall
Apr 19th 2009, 4:15
I'm quite surprised that the first feature film ever made isn't in this list: The story of the kelly gang - It's an Australian film, 60 minutes in length.It precedes "Birth of a nation" by 9 years. Oh well, us Aussies usually get left out of most important lists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_the_Kelly_Gang
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heidavey
Apr 19th 2009, 20:08
You're first film is 7 years too late - "Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge" is widely regarded as the first film, that was followed by "Roundhay garden scene" both in 1888 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343112/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0392728/
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Jawsphobia
Apr 22nd 2009, 16:26
In the Blade Runner blurb, neon noir, looks more like a typo of the proper term neo-noir than a play on words. And although Blade Runner has some neon in it it is not wall-to-wall at all.
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ciaraosullivan
Aug 17th 2012, 17:10
I'm surprised that you left out Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
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ciaraosullivan
Jun 13th 2013, 14:11
No mention of Le Voyage dans la Lune?
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