by Kevin » Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:21 am
The following is my list and does not necessarily reflect the lists of other posters in this thread:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
Ghostbusters
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Father Goose
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Superman
Alien
Nightmare on Elm Street
Fright Night
The Shining - 1985
Godzilla 1954/1955
The 47 Ronin 1941-1942
Inherit the Wind
Those are the first 14, so let's make it an even 15:
Rocky
I was going to post another "heavy" movie (heavy as in importance), however, it's time for something else - a Heavyweight movie.
Few people realize how important Rocky was and remains to the movie industry. Rocky was written by Sylvester Stallone, and produced as an independent picture. This movie broke ground by awarding Sylvester Stallone two nominations: Best Actor and Best Writing. A new actor/writer to the scene, gets two major nominations on his first run out on an independent film. This film made history.
The film won best director, best film editing and best picture, but it's Sylvester's nominations which managed to send this Indy into the spotlight.
While independent films were common place during Charlie Chaplain's time at United Artists (an "independent" movie production company), they had begun to lose major ground in the theaters. Rocky brought that back. What more, whenever an independent film comes along, such as the Cohen Brothers, it's almost as if "Gonna Fly Now" is playing behind their drive.
Like him or not, his politics, or his attitude, Sylvester Stallone did more for the modern movie industry by refusing to give up on his Boxing picture, than any other director or producer.