I'm about to start something pretty intense.

I'm about to start a project to watch (up to) ten movies, from each year, from 1920 until I finish the project (probably 2030?). Here's a link to the Wordpress site I started to keep track/write reviews/thoughts/etc., if you're interested in following with me:

http://journeythroughthehistoryofcinema.wordpress.com

I'd love suggestions, if anyone has some, to add to the years where I have less than ten movies. Keep in mind I'm only picking movies I haven't already seen (with some exceptions, like The Red Shoes, which it's been so long since I've seen that I really want to re-watch it). The only other rule I had was one film max per director per year (which I have only broken once, in 1939, but I mean...c'mon) and that I wanted to include every Best Picture winner that I have yet to see.

Edit: Almost done putting the list together and decided I want to do one double feature a decade. I've already got the 30s (Stagecoach/Young Mr. Lincoln), 90s (Waterworld/Cutthroat Island), and the 00s (Traffic/Erin Brockovich), but would love suggestions for the rest. Thematically or pairing two films from the same director. Just remember they have to be from the same year.

 

Subbing bc I think I can give you some recs to bulk up the silent era.

 

Look like you are building up a great list, many films on there I love myself. Noticed you haven't started the year 1985 so if you haven't seen it give To Live and Die in L.A. by William Friedkin a shot. I'm doing my own kind of movie marathon thing at the moment as well, trying to watch at least a film a day for this year.

 

Oh weird I guess I didn't upload the right, most recent list. I'm up to 2011, and yes, To Live and Die in L.A. is on there.

 

Yay, great choice. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

If you like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, beefing up your 20s will be quite easy

 

Cool idea, I'll try to contribute

 

I do, problem is ive seen most everything.

 

What would be helpful suggestion-wise?

 

A few recommendations for pre-1930s films:

La coeur fidele (Jean Epstein, 1923)
True Heart Susie (D.W. Griffith, 1919)
Variety (E.A. Dupont, 1925)
Two Days (Grigori Stobovoi, 1927)
The Fall of the House of Usher (Jean Epstein, 1928)
The Wind (Victor Sjostrom, 1928)
The Docks of New York (Josef von Sternberg, 1928)
Lonesome (Paul Fejos, 1928)

 

The Docks of New York is crazy good. Have you seen The Crowd?

 

The Docks of New York is amazing. So much raw emotion in the images. von Sternberg was a master. I have seen the crowd, though if I recall correctly it was a few years back on my laptop while waiting for a flight, so I'm obviously due for a rewatch. I remember being quite fond of it based off that viewing though.

 

I feel like those two and Sunrise are a good indicator of what we might have seen if The Jazz Singer had just waited one or two more years. The level of creativity and artistry in some of those final silent films was really stunning.

 

Alright, current double features:

1920s: The Docks of New York / The Last Command (Josef von Sternberg)
1930s: Stagecoach / Young Mr. Lincoln (John Ford)
1940s:
1950s:
1960s:
1970s:
1980s:
1990s: Cutthroat Island (Renny Harlin) / Waterworld (Kevin Reynolds)
2000s: Erin Brockovich / Traffic (Steven Soderbergh)
2010s:

Help me fill this in! These are all from the same year, but I think it's ok as long as they're from the same decade.

 

You should watch Bertrand Bonello's films House of Tolerance (2011) and Nocturama (2016) if you haven't seen them.

 

House of Tolerance is on the list.

 

Alright guys, the list is done. I'm going to set it in stone because otherwise I'll be perpetually changing it over the next ten years. Let me know what you think.

 

I've seen 451 of these and pretty much all of them, with a couple exceptions, are at least worth watching. There are plenty I'm not wild about and would sub for something else, but for the most part, I feel like I should have seen them.

 

Yeah the list is not necessRily just "the best movies." Sometimes I picked misfires/big movies etc just to give me a more well rounded view of that year in movies.

 

Also for the double features I basically just ended up going with directors with two movies in the same year because it's just easier.

 

I also kind of fell of with genre fare in the 60s, would love more weird/horror/etc recommendations. TOtally fine switching things up

 

Ishtar is a solid pull on that front. Significantly better than its reputation.

 

I just listened to the most recent flop house and they seem to agree with you until it becomes an action movie.

 

Some thoughts on 60s stuff I don't see on the list that could mix it up a bit. I figured I'd throw out a ton because I assume you've seen a bunch. Left out stuff I assume you've seen like West Side Story, The Apartment, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, etc.:

Ones I love:
A Raisin in the Sun
La Notte
Birdman of Alcatraz
Hud
The Haunting
Love with the Proper Stranger
The Night of the Iguana
A Hard Day's Night/Help! (both awesome in different ways)
Woman in the Dunes
Father Goose
The Shop on Main Street
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming
Tokyo Olympiad
In the Heat of the Night
Ice Station Zebra
Monterey Pop

Ones I like:
The Cool World (not a lot of American movies directed by women in the '60s)
Le Trou
Lola
Targets
The Fireman's Ball
The Best Man
High School
The Masque of the Red Death
The Moon Spinners (Disney trying to do Hitchcock)
Cleo from 5 to 7
Beach Party (if you're trying to cover all angles, gotta have a beach movie, and this is better than the more famous Beach Blanket Bingo)
Subarnarekha (aka The Golden Thread)
Barefoot in the Park
Two for the Road

Ones I am not insanely huge on, but could mix things up a bit:
Primary
Seconds
Never on Sunday
Il Posto
The Housemaid
The Mark (just insane something with this subject matter got made in '61)

 

I've got a few reviews up so far!