In the past, I’ve offered my opinion on the novels and the poems that may be the most important to encounter before attending a university. Well, after Friday’s workshop, where I was treated with the following YouTube video, I got thinking…
… This far removed from the Eighties, are today’s students going to have a familiarity with the movies frequently alluded to by teachers and university professors? So, while this is not a list of the greatest movies ever made, nor is it a list of my favourites, here (with a focus on the 1980s) is a list of movies that students should watch in order to understand the cinematic allusions sure to grace any good university lecture. For the record, here are my Top 100 Movies to Watch Before University; what are yours?
- (1939) Gone With the Wind
- (1941) Citizen Kane
- (1942) Casablanca
- (1946) It’s a Wonderful Life
- (1959) Ben-Hur
- (1960) Psycho
- (1961) Breakfast at Tiffany’s
- (1962) To Kill a Mockingbird
- (1964) My Fair Lady
- (1964) Mary Poppins
- (1965) The Sound of Music
- (1967) The Graduate
- (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey
- (1972) The Godfather
- (1974) Chinatown
- (1974) Blazing Saddles
- (1975) Jaws
- (1975) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- (1976) Rocky
- (1977) Slap Shot
- (1978) Grease
- (1978) Superman
- (1979) Apocalypse Now
- (1980) Blues Brothers
- (1981) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
- (1981) Chariots of Fire
- (1981) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
- (1982) E.T.
- (1982) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- (1982) The Man from Snowy River
- (1982) Blade Runner
- (1982) The Dark Crystal
- (1982) Tron
- (1983) Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
- (1984) The Karate Kid
- (1984) Ghost Busters
- (1984) Police Academy
- (1985) The Goonies
- (1985) Ladyhawke
- (1985) The Jewel of the Nile
- (1985) Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
- (1985) St. Elmo’s Fire
- (1985) The Breakfast Club
- (1985) Back to the Future
- (1986) Ferris Beuller’s Day Off
- (1986) Pretty in Pink
- (1986) Stand by Me
- (1986) Top Gun
- (1986) Aliens
- (1986) Crocodile Dundee
- (1987) Wall Street
- (1987) Dirty Dancing
- (1987) Planes, Trains & Automobiles
- (1987) Spaceballs
- (1987) Some Kind of Wonderful
- (1987) James Bond: The Living Daylights
- (1987) The Princess Bride
- (1987) Robocop
- (1987) The Untouchables
- (1987) Good Morning Vietnam
- (1988) Bull Durham
- (1989) Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
- (1989) Dead Poet’s Society
- (1989) Batman
- (1989) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
- (1989) Steel Magnolias
- (1989) Major League
- (1989) Lethal Weapon 2
- (1989) When Harry Met Sally
- (1989) Field of Dreams
- (1990) Goodfellas
- (1990) Ghost
- (1990) Edward Scissorhands
- (1990) Pretty Woman
- (1990) Total Recall
- (1991) What About Bob?
- (1991) Silence of the Lambs
- (1991) Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- (1992) Wayne’s World
- (1992) A Few Good Men
- (1992) Reservoir Dogs
- (1993) Jurassic Park
- (1993) Groundhog Day
- (1993) Schindler’s List
- (1994) Forrest Gump
- (1994) Shawshank Redemption
- (1994) The Lion King
- (1994) Pulp Fiction
- (1995) Pride & Prejudice (A&E)
- (1995) Braveheart
- (1995) Toy Story
- (1995) The Usual Suspects
- (1995) Heat
- (1996) Jerry Mcguire
- (1997) Titanic
- (1997) Good Will Hunting
- (1998) Saving Private Ryan
- (1999) The Matrix
- (1999) The Sixth Sense
- (2001) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
