… 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?

1. (1939) Gone With the Wind
2. (1941) Citizen Kane
3. (1942) Casablanca
4. (1946) It’s a Wonderful Life
5. (1959) Ben-Hur
6. (1960) Psycho
7. (1961) Breakfast at Tiffany’s
8. (1962) To Kill a Mockingbird
9. (1964) My Fair Lady
10. (1964) Mary Poppins
11. (1965) The Sound of Music
12. (1967) The Graduate
13. (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey
14. (1972) The Godfather
15. (1974) Chinatown
16. (1974) Blazing Saddles
17. (1975) Jaws
18. (1975) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
19. (1976) Rocky
20. (1977) Slap Shot
21. (1978) Grease
22. (1978) Superman
23. (1979) Apocalypse Now
24. (1980) Blues Brothers
25. (1981) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
26. (1981) Chariots of Fire
27. (1981) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
28. (1982) E.T.
29. (1982) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
30. (1982) The Man from Snowy River
31. (1982) Blade Runner
32. (1982) The Dark Crystal
33. (1982) Tron
34. (1983) Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
35. (1984) The Karate Kid
36. (1984) Ghost Busters
37. (1984) Police Academy
38. (1985) The Goonies
39. (1985) Ladyhawke
40. (1985) The Jewel of the Nile
41. (1985) Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
42. (1985) St. Elmo’s Fire
43. (1985) The Breakfast Club
44. (1985) Back to the Future
45. (1986) Ferris Beuller’s Day Off
46. (1986) Pretty in Pink
47. (1986) Stand by Me
48. (1986) Top Gun
49. (1986) Aliens
50. (1986) Crocodile Dundee
51. (1987) Wall Street
52. (1987) Dirty Dancing
53. (1987) Planes, Trains & Automobiles
54. (1987) Spaceballs
55. (1987) Some Kind of Wonderful
56. (1987) James Bond: The Living Daylights
57. (1987) The Princess Bride
58. (1987) Robocop
59. (1987) The Untouchables
60. (1987) Good Morning Vietnam
61. (1988) Bull Durham
62. (1989) Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
63. (1989) Dead Poet’s Society
64. (1989) Batman
65. (1989) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
66. (1989) Steel Magnolias
67. (1989) Major League
68. (1989) Lethal Weapon 2
69. (1989) When Harry Met Sally
70. (1989) Field of Dreams
71. (1990) Goodfellas
72. (1990) Ghost
73. (1990) Edward Scissorhands
74. (1990) Pretty Woman
75. (1990) Total Recall
76. (1991) What About Bob?
77. (1991) Silence of the Lambs
78. (1991) Terminator 2: Judgment Day
79. (1992) Wayne’s World
80. (1992) A Few Good Men
81. (1992) Reservoir Dogs
82. (1993) Jurassic Park
83. (1993) Groundhog Day
84. (1993) Schindler’s List
85. (1994) Forrest Gump
86. (1994) Shawshank Redemption
87. (1994) The Lion King
88. (1994) Pulp Fiction
89. (1995) Pride & Prejudice (A&E)
90. (1995) Braveheart
91. (1995) Toy Story
92. (1995) The Usual Suspects
93. (1995) Heat
94. (1996) Jerry Mcguire
95. (1997) Titanic
96. (1997) Good Will Hunting
97. (1998) Saving Private Ryan
98. (1999) The Matrix
99. (1999) The Sixth Sense
100. (2001) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring