Was 1975 the best year ever for movies? Everybody says 1939, but you can make a very strong case that film hit its peak right here. Tarkovsky triumped with Mirror; Steven Spielberg dropped Jaws; Stanley Kubrick returned with Barry Lyndon; Dog One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest swept the Oscars; Monty Python and Rocky Horror redefined the comedy, the musical, and the cult classic - and hovering above them all is Chantal Akerman's fascinating, hypnotic Jeanne Dielman, just feted by Sight & Sound as the greatest film ever made. But of all those great movies (and more), which one best stands the ..read more

What's the best year ever for a director? Victor Fleming co-directed Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz in 1939; Ingmar Bergman released Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal in 1957; and Steven Spielberg dropped both Jurassic Park and Schindler's List in 1993. They're all contenders, but 1974 may have them all beat: not only is this the year Francis Ford Coppola finished Godfather II and The Conversation, it's also the year Mel Brooks wrapped up both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Some folks are just overachievers. Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year ..read more

It's 1973, and it's a rough time in world and U.S. history. The Vietnam War is still raging, there's a massive oil shortage, and crime is rampant - even in the White House. So it's no surprise that our top films of '73 share a sort of unease about the present, channeled into horror (The Exorcist) or cynicism (Mean Streets) or nostalgia for the past (American Graffiti). They have that much in common - but which one film best stands the test of time?  Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, emerging directors, awkward fight scenes, rock soundtracks, cursed ..read more

Some years are easier than others. This time, we're tackling 1972, a year that has always been dominated by The Godfather. But while Brando and company are likely to take gold this time, it's still a fascinating battle for second - including a resurgence of European films, which had been lacking amidst the predominance of the New Hollywood movement.  Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the greatest film scores, the craziest lead actors, the best musical numbers, and the ploddiest sci-fi flicks - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our e ..read more

The New Hollywood movement has been on the rise for the last few years, and by 1971 it's dominant. From directors like Altman, Friedkin, and Bogdanovich to actors like Bridges, Beatty and Hackman, we're now encountering all the stars that will define the industry for the next generation. But the old guard is still very much around - and standing amidst them all is Stanley Kubrick, who's back again with yet another visually striking masterpiece. But which one film best stands the test of time?  Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, small-town tumble ..read more

1970 is a transition year for world history, and the movies are no different. With the studio system era in the rear view mirror and the French New Wave past its peak, the dawn of the 70s brings a whole new generation of filmmakers to center stage. For the second year in a row, the year's top films are all made by directors we've not yet encountered - though in a couple cases, we'll encounter those directors again, and again. But which one film best stands the test of time?  Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in film, the New Hollywood movement, the Rolling Sto ..read more

The 1960s began with the rise of the French New Wave, but it ends with the dominance of the New Hollywood: a new generation of American filmmakers, inspired by their French counterparts, freed from the oppressive Hays Code, and reacting to a period of war, transformation, and social upheaval. The movies they made in 1969 were bleak, violent - and revolutionary, influencing cinema for decades to come. But which one film best stands the test of time?  Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the rise of pop music soundtracks, the kitchen sink drama, the ..read more

1968 is the year of the genre film! "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Planet of the Apes" pioneered in science fiction, "Rosemary's Baby" is a horror classic, "Night of the Living Dead" practically invented the zombie trope, and "Once Upon a Time in the West" ranks among the greatest Westerns ever made. We're also in an era of independent film, with directors like George Romero and John Cassavetes leading the way. But in a year of beloved classics, which one film best stands the test of time?  Join the braaaainy Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, realism in di ..read more

It's 1967, and the film world is about to be conquered by the New Hollywood: a new generation of young American actors and directors, influenced by the French New Wave, galvanized by tumultuous cultural and political movements, and liberated by the collapse of the stifling Hays code. This year, "the curve comes to reassert itself over the straight line," as the critic Philip Kemp said about "Playtime": norms and mores are violated, elites are exposed, marriages are exploded, weddings are disrupted, mud and blood are splattered, and structures fall. And after all that, we're left with five inde ..read more

Welcome to 1966, a year of tremendous turmoil worldwide, with the Cold War at its peak, the Vietnam War still on the rise, anti-colonial upheaval across the globe, and rapidly advancing movements for racial justice, gender equality, and sexual liberation. That's all reflected on screen too: the very best movies of 1966 all bring us into the lives of characters living through times of uncertainty, anxiety and possibility, when things have come unmoored, searching for a foundation or a sense of purpose - and sometimes failing to find it, or ruining themselves in the process. It's a heavy year ..read more