Best Year In Film?

Best Year In Film?

What's the best year in film? Many critics would argue that 1939 is the best year in American film, but that doesn't take into account the emergence of world cinema; and my own personal taste.
In this ranking I will weigh historical importance slightly more than I do in my reviews, but it will still reflect my own personal opinions on the quality, importance, entertainment value, etc. of the films. In other words, this won't be a mere synthesis of opinions on the film canon.

Rules:

Up to 12 films will be chosen to represent each year.

Each year will be evaluated according to the following criteria: artistry, historic importance, emotional impact, entertainment value, breadth (does the year's list of films represent a wide range of my interests?), and intangibles.

No year beyond 2000 will be considered, it's too recent to reasonably evaluate.

imdb.com is the official source for all year of release information.

Years will be matched against each other in a playoff style system with chronological seeding (i.e., 16 earliest films vs. 16 most recent films).

Years are only evaluated upon the films that represent that year, so an awful film that was released during a certain year will not count against that year (this is to negate the "grease" factor - bad films bringing down an otherwise good year). Conversely, a year with more than 12 great films won't receive greater consideration, this is in an attempt to level the field for the earlier years for which there are fewer entries.

How to view this page:

The tables below are separated into the five rounds leading to the championship.

Click on the "vs." link to view that particular matchup.

The year in red is the winner of that matchup.

Each matchup gives the list of the movies considered for each year, a categorical comparison table, and a written analysis of the matchup.

Round One

1931	1939	1944	1950	1954	1962	1964	1969	1975	1979	1984	1986	1988	1991	1994	1998
vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.
1933	1941	1948	1953	1957	1963	1967	1974	1976	1981	1985	1987	1989	1992	1995	1999

Sweet 16:

1933	1948	1954	1967	1975	1984	1989	1994
vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.
1939	1950	1962	1969	1981	1987	1992	1999

Elite 8:

1939	1954	1981	1989
vs.	vs.	vs.	vs.
1950	1967	1987	1999

Final Four:

1939	1987
vs.	vs.
1967	1999

Championship Round:

1967

vs.

1999

Champion:
1999

Round One Matchups

1931
City Lights
Little Caesar
M
Public Enemy
Svengali
Tabu: A Story Of The South Seas

1933
Baby Face
Duck Soup
Gabriel Over The White House
Invisible Man
King Kong
Testament Of Dr. Mabuse

Comparison:

Artistry	1931
Emotional Impact	1931
Entertainment Value	1933
Breadth	1931
Historic Importance	1931
Intangibles	1933

Analysis:

1933 wins, but not by much. it has the edge in entertainment and personal taste mostly because of its two stars: duck soup and gabriel over the white house.

both years have important films, but i gave the slight historical importance edge to 1931 because it has two warner gangster pictures, a chaplin feature, a flaherty/murnau collaboration, fritz lang's best film, and a filmed story of a character who became part of our language (svengali).

1931 also has three films with an emotional impact in city lights, svengali and tabu. 1993's gabriel over the white house, though, is probably the best of all the films in this regard.

while both years feature some good films, i don't foresee them going too far. a mere six films per year will hardly stand up to the years that have 10-12.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1933 vs. 1939

1939
Beau Geste
Dark Victory
Destry Rides Again
Gone With The Wind
Goodbye Mr. Chips
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Roaring Twenties
Rules of the Game
Stagecoach
Wizard of Oz

1941
Citizen Kane
Devil And Daniel Webster
High Sierra
Lady Eve
Maltese Falcon
Sullivan's Travels
Suspicion

Comparison:

Artistry	1939
Emotional Impact	1939
Entertainment Value	1939
Breadth	1939
Historic Importance	tie
Intangibles	1939

Analysis:

a first round meeting of behemoths. it's tough to see citizen kane, lady eve, maltese falcon and sullivan's travels on a losing team, but that's where they are. 1939 is a behemoth in american cinema in part because of some of the films above. everyone knows about gone with the wind, mr. smith goes to washington, wizard of oz and goodbye mr. chips, but beau geste, dark victory and destry rides again are also big time highlights from the year. rules of the game is considered the greatest film of all-time by many scholars, but not me. it and gone with the wind are good films and worthy of my list, but i don't rate them as highly as many. in fact, getting through gone with the wind is a laborious effort, but i respect it from a technical standpoint.

1941 sees the birth of two auteur giants - preston sturges, who finally got to strike out on his own, and orson welles. citizen kane and sullivan's travels have both appeared on many top ten lists before, and for good reason. citizen kane is the benchmark for all films ans sullivan's travels is a human picture about the power of cinema and comedy. of course the year also features the talents of greats like bogart, stanwyck and henry fonda. i suspect that 1941 has more to offer, but i just haven't tapped into it yet. so, for now, 1939 gets the victory.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1939 vs. 1933

1944
Double Indemnity
Laura
Lifeboat
Murder, My Sweet
To Have And Have Not

1948
Bicycle Thief
Big Clock
Call Northside 777
He Walked By Night
Louisiana Story
Rope
Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Comparison:

Artistry	1948
Emotional Impact	1948
Entertainment Value	1944
Breadth	1948
Historic Importance	1948
Intangibles	1944

Analysis:

1944 has only five pictures to represent it, but they're a great five. double indemnity defines noir, lifeboat is one of hitchcock's claustrophobia films, and to have and have not is the first film that ever made me fall in love with an actress onscreen. lauren bacall is luminous and alluring and powerful and sexy and all those other things you want a woman to be.

1948 has another hitchcock claustrophobia film (rope), it has a cinema verite classic (bicycle thief), a semi-documentary by the great robert j. flaherty (louisiana story), a semi-anthony mann picture (he walked by night), a steward/hathaway collaboration (call northside 777), a lesser known ray milland noir (big clock) and a true gem in the treasure of the sierra madre. it's this last picture that sews up the victory for 1948.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1948 vs. 1950

1950
All About Eve
Asphalt Jungle
In A Lonely Place
Los Olvidados
Night And The City
Panic In The Streets
Rashomon
Stage Fright
Sunset Blvd.
Winchester '73

1953
Naked Spur
Pickup On South Street
Shane
Stalag 17
Tokyo Story
Wages Of Fear

Comparison:

Artistry	1950
Emotional Impact	1953
Entertainment Value	1950
Breadth	1950
Historic Importance	1950
Intangibles	1953

Analysis:

this is a tougher matchup then it may seem at first. 1953 is at a disadvantage because it has so few films, but it has the two best (shane and stalag 17) of both groups. if 1953 could steal "far country" from 1954, then 1953 would win, in spite of it having a lot fewer films.

1950 was a good year for noir. it's got asphalt jungle, night and the city, panic in the streets, in a lonely place, and sunset blvd. it's also got winchester '73 which is a dark western and the first mann/stewart collaboration. outside of the noir it's got the classic all about eve, rashomon (kurosawa's big break), an underrated hitchcock film (stage fright) and my favorite bunuel film (los olvidados).

the worst thing about this competition is seeing films like shane fall in the first round. great film, but in a lean year.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1950 vs. 1948

1954
Diabolique
Dial M For Murder
Far Country
La Strada
On The Waterfront
Rear Window
Samurai
Seven Samurai
Smiles Of A Summer Night

1957
Aparajito
Lower Depths
Night Of The Demon
Paths Of Glory
Seventh Seal
Sweet Smell Of Success
Throne Of Blood
Tin Star
12 Angry Men
Wild Strawberries

Comparison:

Artistry	1957
Emotional Impact	1957
Entertainment Value	1954
Breadth	1957
Historic Importance	tie
Intangibles	1954

Analysis:

another tough first round matchup. '54 has two hitchcock films and '57 has two by bergman and kurosawa. other directors represented in these two years include: anthony mann, kazan, clouzot, lumet, kubrick, tourneur, and ray. in other words, these are two powerhouse years.

my favorite film on the lists is 1957's paths of glory. other highlights from that year include the second film in the apu trilogy (aparajito), tin star and 12 angry men. also great, though more respectable than loved by me, are: lower depths, seventh seal, wild strawberries and throne of blood. 1957 has more breadth than the thriller-heavy 1954 in part because of the horror film night of the demon and the war film paths of glory.

1954 has one of the top five films of all-time (seven samurai) and possibly my favorite western of all-time (far country). it also has my favorite fellini film (la strada) one of the lighter and more enjoyable bergman films (smiles of a summer night) and two great hitchcock films which fall into his "claustrophobic" (as i like to call them) series.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1954 vs. 1962

1962
Brain That Wouldn't Die
Dr. No
Hell Is For Heroes
Lawrence Of Arabia
Manchurian Candidate
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Music Man
Riding The High Country
Sanjuro
To Kill A Mockingbird
Zatoichi

1963
Birds
Crisis: Behind A Presidential Commitment
Great Escape
High & Low
Kanto Wanderer
Lord Of The Flies
7up
Youth Of The Beast

Comparison:

Artistry	1963
Emotional Impact	1962
Entertainment Value	1962
Breadth	1962
Historic Importance	1963
Intangibles	1963

Analysis:

1963 should have been better. this wasn't considered in the final tally, but 8 1/2 (otto e mezzo), haunting, charade, lillies of the field, and it's a mad mad mad mad world all came out in 1963, yet aren't on the list because i just don't like them all that much. even the birds, which is highly touted by most, isn't even in my top five hitchcock films.

even though 1963 should be better based upon the hype the aforementioned films have gotten, it's still a quality year. it's got an under-known, but important, documentary that follows jfk in a critical time (crisis), it's got one of the best long films of all-time (great escape), it's got one of the lesser appreciated kurosawa films which has a great story idea (high and low), it has suzuki's finest visual effort (kanto wanderer), it has the beginning of the up series and a fukasaku film (youth of the beast). in other words, it's got a film by three of my favorite japanese filmmakers and a top 25 entry.

that said, even without a top 25 entry 1962 is the better year. it's got one of my favorite kurosawa films, an important john ford ("the master" according to kurosawa) film, a quirky horror pic (brain that wouldn't die), the first bond flick, a political thriller, an epic, one of my favorite musicals, a lesser known (and uncharacteristic) peckinpah film, the first of the zatoichi films, a literary adaptation (1963 also has one of those), and a steve mcqueen film with a good ending.

if i liked films like 8 1/2, the haunting and lillies of the field, half as much as most critics then this matchup would go to 1963. as is, though, it goes to 1962.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1962 vs. 1954

1964
A Hard Day's Night
Band Of Outsiders
Dr. Strangelove
Fistful Of Dollars
Goldfinger
Killers
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
Naked Kiss
Onibaba
Outrage
Zorba The Greek

1967
Bonnie And Clyde
Branded To Kill
Cool Hand Luke
Dirty Dozen
Don't Look Back
Fireman's Ball
Graduate
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
In The Heat Of The Night
Who's That Knocking At My Door?

Comparison:

Artistry	1967
Emotional Impact	1967
Entertainment Value	1964
Breadth	1964
Historic Importance	1967
Intangibles	1967

Analysis:

1964 has the breadth that 1967 lacks. two quality musicals, one also doubles as a family film. a quirky beatles film, two kurosawa remakes: one by leone (fistful of dollars) and one filmed by james wong howe (outrage), a noir classic in the killers, one of the best bond films, a heart-warmer in zorba the greek, a gritty spillane penned film in naked kiss and one of the funniest pictures off all-time in dr. strangelove. 1964 is probably more entertaining, but mostly because of the weight associated with so many of the films in the 1967 group.

despite all that, it's not even close. 1967 is one of the strongest contenders in the pack, only hampered by its lack of breadth. bonnie and clyde is visually compelling and produces some great characters. branded to kill is a visionary work by the great seijun suzuki. cool hand luke and the graduate are two of my favorite films, in part because of their emotional resonance. 1967 also has films of great historic importance - bonnie and clyde (gritty violence), guess who's coming to dinner (racial issues), and don't look back (documentary on one of the great songwriters of our time - dylan). it also has an early comedic milos forman film in fireman's ball. the dirty dozen and scorsese's first film (who's that knocking at my door?) are just the icing.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1967 vs. 1969

1969
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
Easy Rider
High School
Midnight Cowboy
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Salesman
Take The Money And Run
Wild Bunch
Z

1974
Ali: Fear Eats The Soul
Amarcord
Blazing Saddles
Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia
Chinatown
Conversation
General Idi Amin Dada
Godfather II
Hearts And Minds
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Towering Inferno
Young Frankenstein

Comparison:

Artistry	1969
Emotional Impact	1969
Entertainment Value	1969
Breadth	1974
Historic Importance	1974
Intangibles	1969

Analysis:

1974 is one of those years that has a lot of good films, but not enough great ones to carry it. again, many would disagree with me on this, but ali: fear eats the soul, amarcord, blazing saddles, chinatown, conversation, and towering inferno are good, strong films, but they're not great. bring me the head of alfredo garcia and general idi amin dada are probably just a step below good. young frankenstein is a step above. hearts and minds, godfather II, and texas chainsaw massacre are great, with the latter two being amongst the very best of their genre. incidentally, my 1974 list has two films by coppola, two films by mel brooks, two criterion documentaries, and four best picture nominees.

but as good as 1974's resume is, 1969 has five of the strongest films in the competition - butch cassidy and the sundance kid, easy rider, high school, midnight cowboy and wild bunch. when you throw in one of the best bond films, a good woody allen pic, and a best picture nominated greek film (z), then you get a winner.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1969 vs. 1967

1975
Barry Lyndon
Dersu Uzala
Dog Day Afternoon
Graveyard Of Honor
Jaws
Master of the Flying Guillotine
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Rollerball
Stepford Wives
Switchblade Sisters

1976
All The President's Men
Bloodsucking Freaks
Fantasm
Harlan County, USA
Network
Omen
Rocky
Song Remains The Same
Taxi Driver

Comparison:

Artistry	1975
Emotional Impact	1976
Entertainment Value	1975
Breadth	1975
Historic Importance	1976
Intangibles	1976

Analysis:

both years have a good share of character. both have critically acclaimed films alongside indie/exploitation films. one flew over the cuckoo's nest and switchblade sister or all the president's men alongside fantasm and bloodsucking freaks.

1975 has the emotional resonance of dersu uzala, one flew over the cuckoo's nest and rollerball's ending. 1976's films have just a bit more, though. the union struggle of harlan county, usa, the struggle for change in network, the underdog's triumph in rocky, and the outsider making good in taxi driver.

this is another tough first round matchup. both years have the kind of round character that can only exist in the 70s. 1975 ultimately wins not because of its best films, but because of its worst. stepford wives and switchblade sisters aren't great films, but they're better, and more interesting, than fantasm and the omen.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1975 vs. 1981

1979
Apocalypse Now
Breaking Away
Jerk
Kramer vs. Kramer
Mad Max
Manhattan
Norma Rae
Phantasm
Rocky II
Tin Drum
Zombie

1981
Blow-Out
Das Boot
Escape From New York
Evil Dead
Gods Must Be Crazy
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
My Dinner With Andre
Quest For Fire
Road Warrior
Thief

Comparison:

Artistry	1981
Emotional Impact	1979
Entertainment Value	1981
Breadth	1981
Historic Importance	1979
Intangibles	1981

Analysis:

these two years feature two of the best sequels ever - rocky II and road warrior.

it's simple - 1979 has three films that are good and/or important (apocalypse now, kramer vs. kramer, and manhattan), but not real favorites of mine. norma rae, rocky II, breaking away and the jerk round out the top of the year, but, for me, there's a big drop off after those films. btw, if you haven't seen breaking away then do yourself a favor and check it out. great use of classical music, as well as a timeless coming of age story.

1981's top films are das boot, evil dead, indiana jones and the raiders of the lost ark, my dinner with andre and road warrior. there's also the under-appreciated quest for fire and the precursor (thief) to one of the best films of the 90s (heat).

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1981 vs. 1975

1984
28up
Amadeus
Beat Street
Blood Simple
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Karate Kid
Last Starfighter
Once Upon A Time In America
Romancing The Stone
Sixteen Candles
Stranger Than Paradise
Terminator

1985
After Hours
Back To The Future
Breakfast Club
Enemy Mine
Goonies
Lost In America
My Life As A Dog
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Ran
Re-Animator

Comparison:

Artistry	1984
Emotional Impact	1984
Entertainment Value	1984
Breadth	1985
Historic Importance	1984
Intangibles	tie

Analysis:

1985 is clearly the underdog of the two. it's up against 1984 which has epics like amadeus and once upon a time in america as well as classics like beat street, indiana jones and the temple of doom, karate kid, sixteen candles, and terminator. but 1985 is no slouch - it has 80s staples like back to the future, breakfast club, goonies and pee-wee's big adventure. it also has a comedy-horror classic in re-animator and a kurosawa epic in ran.

frankly, this is a tougher call than it should be. leone's once upon a time in america is good, but i didn't love it, the same can be said about sixteen candles and beat street. on the 1985 side, i like films like enemy mine and re-animator more than most. in the end it goes to 1984 because of second tier films which i hold dear like romancing the stone and last starfighter.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1984 vs. 1987

1986
Aliens
Down By Law
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Hannah And Her Sisters
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
Hoosiers
In A Glass Cage
Maximum Overdrive
Platoon
Sherman's March
Stand By Me

1987
City On Fire
Empire Of The Sun
Evil Dead II
Full Metal Jacket
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Predator
Princess Bride
Raising Arizona
Radio Days
Robocop
Tin Men
Untouchables

Comparison:

Artistry	1987
Emotional Impact	1986
Entertainment Value	1987
Breadth	1986
Historic Importance	1987
Intangibles	1987

Analysis:

when i looked at this matchup, i saw many films that i considered some of the best of their respective genre.

1986 - aliens is one of the best of the sci-fi genre, hoosiers is one of the best sports films, sherman's march is a great personal documentary, maximum overdrive is one of the best cheesy 80s movies, platoon is one of the better war films, and henry: portrait of a serial killer is one of the most haunting horror films.

i found the same to be true for 1987, but even more so: empire of the sun and full metal jacket are two of the finer war films, predator and robocop are two fantastic action films, evil dead II is perhaps the best of the comedy horror genre, and planes, trains and automobiles is the best comedy ever. add to those city on fire, which inspired reservoir dogs and imminently entertaining films like tin men, radio days and raising arizona; as well as a depalma tour-de-force (untouchables).

incidentally, 1986 has the underrated down by law and the almost completely unknown, but haunting, spanish horror film - in a glass cage. also, both years feature a film by woody allen and john hughes.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1987 vs. 1984

1988
Akira
Bad Taste
Big
Cinema Paridiso
Dangerous Liaisons
Decalogue
Die Hard
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Grave Of The Fireflies
Powaqqatsi
Thin Blue Line
Vanishing

1989
Back To The Future II
Batman
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover
Dead Poet's Society
Do The Right Thing
Drugstore Cowboy
Killer
Major League
Parenthood
Roger And Me
Sex, Lies And Videotape
Uncle Buck

Comparison:

Artistry	1988
Emotional Impact	1989
Entertainment Value	1989
Breadth	1988
Historic Importance	1988
Intangibles	1988

Analysis:

1988 wins the intangibles category for a few reasons: it has die hard, which is one of the three best films ever; it has two films featuring music by philip glass (powaqqatsi and thin blue line) and it has two landmark anime films (akira and grave of the fireflies).

1989 gets the edge because it has greater breadth and impact. 1988 would win with most critics because of the magna opus called decalogue as well as the highly acclaimed cinema paridiso and akira, but i didn't find either to as great as lesser-aclaimed films like the cook, the thief, his wife and her lover and parenthood. further, roger and me and dead poet's society make more of an emotional impact than just about all the films in 1988's list. indie hits drugstore cowboy and sex, lies and videotape round out the year. meanwhile, the original vanishing and jackson's bad taste round out the solid foreign films of 1988.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1989 vs. 1992

1991
American Dream
Boyz In The Hood
Delicatessen
JFK
Jungle Fever
LA Story
Once Upon A Time In China
Silence of the Lambs
Slacker
Terminator 2
Thelma & Louise
35up

1992
Baraka
Brother's Keeper
Dead Alive
El Mariachi
Glengarry Glen Ross
Malcolm X
Man Bites Dog
My Cousin Vinny
Red Rock West
Reservoir Dogs
Unforgiven
White Men Can't Jump

Comparison:

Artistry	1992
Emotional Impact	tie
Entertainment Value	1992
Breadth	1991
Historic Importance	1992
Intangibles	1992

Analysis:

neither year is exceptional, though both are strong. 1991 has one of only three films to ever win the big five (director, picture, actor, actress, screenplay) academy awards with silence of the lambs. it also has a strong best picture contender in jfk. that said, i probably prefer 1992's reservoir dogs over both. 1992's malcolm x is another oscar-type film that is high on my list. 1992 also has american classics in unfogiven and glengarry glen ross ("a-b-c: always be closing").

1991 has plenty going for it other than its two oscar-type films. it's also got an installment of the 7up series and a good barbara kopple documentary (american dream). two solid non-english speaking films in the quirky delicatessen and the chinese epic - once upon a time in china. it also has two quality african-american films in boyz in the hood and jungle fever; both address the black condition without pulling punches. slacker is linklater's philosophical indie film. and thelma and louise and terminator 2 are both great films in their own right.

where 1992 really pulls away from 1991, though, is in its breadth of solid films. a unique documentary like baraka, a criminal justice/small town documentary in brother's keeper, an evil dead-esque horror film in an early peter jackson film (dead alive), the super low budget el mariachi (robert rodriguez's first film), a couple solid comedies that i could watch any time (my cousin vinny and white men can't jump), and an underrated noir style film in red rock west.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1992 vs. 1989

1994
Bad Boy Bubby
Clerks
Cobb
Dumb And Dumber
Ed Wood
Hoop Dreams
L'America
Last Seduction
Monster
Natural Born Killers
Pulp Fiction
Shawshank Redemption

1995
Angels & Insects
Casino
Crimson Tide
Die Hard: With A Vengeance
Get Shorty
Heat
Kicking And Screaming
Kids
Leaving Las Vegas
Se7en
Usual Suspects
Welcome To The Dollhouse

Comparison:

Artistry	1994
Emotional Impact	1994
Entertainment Value	1994
Breadth	1994
Historic Importance	1994
Intangibles	1994

Analysis:

not a very tough matchup, really. as good a year as 1995 is, 1994 is just so well-rounded and diverse that it dominates. it has three films that appear in my top 25 (pulp fiction, shawshank redemption and hoop dreams); it has all out comedies like dumb and dumber, clerks, and the monster; it has foreign films like the monster (begnini), l'america, and bad boy bubby; it has a solid sports film in cobb; an american sleeper in the last seduction; a cult film in ed wood; and a visually impressive film in natural born killers.

1995, meanwhile, has one film in my top 25 (se7en) and one more that might be there some day (heat). both kids and leaving las vegas are good films, but they're films that don't call out to be watched again like shawshank redemption or hoop dreams (which are even more emotionally rewarding). get shorty and crimson tide are good films, but they don't matchup to bottom end of the 1994 list. welcome to the dollhouse is somewhat of a cult classic and a good comedy. it beats ed wood and bad boy bubby. angels and insects is a lesser known film which elevates the year, but not enough to trump 1994. the usual suspects, casino, die hard: with a vengeance, and kicking and screaming round out the year and are all solid films. ultimately, though, the best of 1994 is better than the best of 1995 and the "worst" of 1995 is worse than the "worst" of 1994. 1994 is going to be tough to beat.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1994 vs. 1999

1998
Big Lebowski
Buffalo '66
Celebration
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
42up
He Got Game
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Pi
Ronin
Rushmore
Saving Private Ryan
There's Something About Mary

1999
American Beauty
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Blair Witch Project
Election
Insider
Magnolia
Matrix
Office Space
Sixth Sense
South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut
Wind Will Carry Us

Comparison:

Artistry	1998
Emotional Impact	1999
Entertainment Value	1999
Breadth	1998
Historic Importance	tie
Intangibles	1999

Analysis:

a very tough first round matchup. 1998 has three solid comedies (there's something about mary, big lebowski and rushmore) which together are better than office space, south park and election.

1998 also has the advantage in the breadth category with 42up, the 6th installment in the british documentary series; lock, stock and two smoking barrels, the brit grit classic; and celebration one of the first dogma 95 films out of denmark. 1999, meanwhile has only one foreign film: the wind will carry us, a very good film by abbas kiarostami (iran).

1999, though, has the advantage on my top 25 list - american movie, magnolia, matrix and office space all appear on my top 25, while, for 1998, only pi and there's something about mary appear on my top 25.

artisically 1998 has the slight edge with artsy films like rushmore, big lebowski, pi, and fear and loathing in las vegas leading the way. 1999, though isn't short on artistry - american beauty, election, magnolia, insider and the wind will carry us all have flourishes of expressiveness or subtle artistry that separate them from the pack.

historically neither really separates itself. saving private ryan is certainly a very well film that will withstand the test of time. celebration is also an important film for helping launch a film movement. meanwhile, sixth sense and blair witch project helped launch a re-emergence of the horror genre. blair witch project is also notable for its marketing scheme.

again, this was a tough matchup, but the four greats, especially the two (american movie and magnolia) that are in my top 12, help win it for 1999.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1999 vs. 1994

Sweet 16 Matchups

1933
Baby Face
Duck Soup
Gabriel Over The White House
Invisible Man
King Kong
Testament Of Dr. Mabuse

1939
Beau Geste
Dark Victory
Destry Rides Again
Gone With The Wind
Goodbye Mr. Chips
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Roaring Twenties
Rules of the Game
Stagecoach
Wizard of Oz

Comparison:

Artistry	1939
Emotional Impact	1939
Entertainment Value	1939
Breadth	1933
Historic Importance	1939
Intangibles	1939

Analysis:

not even a contest. 1939 seen by many as the pinnacle of the hollywood studio system, though i would point out that 1946 (i'm pretty sure) was the economic peak. 1933 has one of the the best films of the two years (gabriel over the white house) and the funniest (duck soup), but there isn't the consistency that is present in 1939.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1939 vs. 1950

1948
Bicycle Thief
Big Clock
Call Northside 777
He Walked By Night
Louisiana Story
Rope
Treasure of the Sierra Madre

1950
All About Eve
Asphalt Jungle
In A Lonely Place
Los Olvidados
Night And The City
Panic In The Streets
Rashomon
Stage Fright
Sunset Blvd.
Winchester '73

Comparison:

Artistry	1950
Emotional Impact	1950
Entertainment Value	1948
Breadth	1950
Historic Importance	1950
Intangibles	1950

Analysis:

1950 has more important films, but 1948 has more enjoyable ones. in the end, though, 1950 has three more films than 1948 and that makes up for any heaviness, or lack of pure entertainment, it may have.

highlights from 1950 include: los olvidados, asphalt jungle, night and the city, rashomon and winchester '73. all about eve and sunset blvd. are also classics.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1950 vs. 1939

1954
Diabolique
Dial M For Murder
Far Country
La Strada
On The Waterfront
Rear Window
Samurai
Seven Samurai
Smiles Of A Summer Night

1962
Brain That Wouldn't Die
Dr. No
Hell Is For Heroes
Lawrence Of Arabia
Manchurian Candidate
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Music Man
Riding The High Country
Sanjuro
To Kill A Mockingbird
Zatoichi

Comparison:

Artistry	1954
Emotional Impact	1954
Entertainment Value	1954
Breadth	1962
Historic Importance	1954
Intangibles	1962

Analysis:

1962 has great breadth and benefits from some underappreciated films like riding the high country and the brain that wouldn't die. 1962 also has one of the few great musicals, a well-filmed hollywood epic, the first bond film, a great literary adaptation, the first zatoichi film and one of the best sequels ever.

1954, though, still has the films that are both better by my standards and by those of the critics. having films by greats like hitchcock, fellini, kurosawa and bergman certainly doesn't tarnish this year's standing. incidentally, it also has two films (on the waterfront and seven samurai) i consider as influenced by grapes of wrath.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1954 vs. 1967

1967
Bonnie And Clyde
Branded To Kill
Cool Hand Luke
Dirty Dozen
Don't Look Back
Fireman's Ball
Graduate
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
In The Heat Of The Night
Who's That Knocking At My Door?

1969
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
Easy Rider
High School
Midnight Cowboy
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Salesman
Take The Money And Run
Wild Bunch
Z

Comparison:

Artistry	1967
Emotional Impact	1969
Entertainment Value	1969
Breadth	1969
Historic Importance	1967
Intangibles	1967

Analysis:

i've thought about this matchup even before concocting this silly showdown. two years separated by only one year, both of which have several films that are highly respected, as well as loved by yours truly.

1969 has five solid "A" movies - butch cassidy and the sundance kid, easy rider, high school, midnight cowboy and the wild bunch. 1967 has four solid "A" movies - bonnie and clyde, cool hand luke, and the graduate. looking strictly at that fact i am tempted to give the edge to 1969, but as is often the case with these tight matchups, i prefer to look at the bottom of the list to help determine the winner.

the four other films from 1969 are one of the better bond films, a greek best picture nominee, a quirky woody allen film, and a solid documentary about bible salesmen.

the six other films from 1967 are an ambitious seijun suzuki yakuza film, a siegel directed war film, a documentary on bob dylan, an early milos forman comedy, a race classic and the first scorsese film.

all that considered, this matchup is won on the slimest of margins by 1967. another viewing of "z" might reveal more than when i saw it the first time and could be enough to make 1969 the victor. of course the same could be true for fireman's ball or any other film from either film, seen or unseen. but for now, the strength of dirty dozen and branded to kill wins it for 1967.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1967 vs. 1954

1975
Barry Lyndon
Dersu Uzala
Dog Day Afternoon
Graveyard Of Honor
Jaws
Master of the Flying Guillotine
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Rollerball
Stepford Wives
Switchblade Sisters

1981
Blow-Out
Das Boot
Escape From New York
Evil Dead
Gods Must Be Crazy
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
My Dinner With Andre
Quest For Fire
Road Warrior
Thief

Comparison:

Artistry	1975
Emotional Impact	1975
Entertainment Value	1981
Breadth	1975
Historic Importance	1981
Intangibles	1981

Analysis:

both are good years, but neither are amazing. both years have a few top notch films, but leave a little something to be desired on the bottom end.

1975 has some under-appreciated films which make it more attractive - films like barry lyndon, dersu uzala (both under-seen films by great directors), graveyard of honor, master of the flying guillotine, and switchblade sisters. 1981 takes the prize, though, because i enjoy its bottom end films more.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1981 vs. 1987

1987
City On Fire
Empire Of The Sun
Evil Dead II
Full Metal Jacket
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Predator
Princess Bride
Raising Arizona
Radio Days
Robocop
Tin Men
Untouchables

Comparison:

Artistry	1984
Emotional Impact	1987
Entertainment Value	1987
Breadth	1987
Historic Importance	1984
Intangibles	1987

Analysis:

several classics in these two years. '84 has a couple cult classics in beat street and stranger than paradise and a couple unlikely favorites of mine in the last starfighter and romancing the stone. my favorite films from the year, though, are terminator and the second installment of the indiana jones trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy).

1987 has three films which were once considered my favorite of all-time: robocop, predator and planes, trains and automobiles. you also have to appreciate the comic horror film - evil dead II, the classic fantasy yarn - the princess bride and one woody allen's best - radio days.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1987 vs. 1984

1992
Baraka
Brother's Keeper
Dead Alive
El Mariachi
Glengarry Glen Ross
Malcolm X
Man Bites Dog
My Cousin Vinny
Red Rock West
Reservoir Dogs
Unforgiven
White Men Can't Jump

Comparison:

Artistry	1992
Emotional Impact	1989
Entertainment Value	1989
Breadth	1992
Historic Importance	1989
Intangibles	1989

Analysis:

in the last round 1989 did some giant killing in that it took down the year that produced one of the three best films of all-time: die hard. in fact, of the years in which my top six films were released, 1988 was the only one that didn't make it to the second round.

1989 wins by a slim margin because it has the two most enjoyable and enduring films of the two years - uncle buck and back to the future II. if not for those two this would be a dead heat.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1989 vs. 1999

1994
Bad Boy Bubby
Clerks
Cobb
Dumb And Dumber
Ed Wood
Hoop Dreams
L'America
Last Seduction
Monster
Natural Born Killers
Pulp Fiction
Shawshank Redemption

Comparison:

Artistry	1994
Emotional Impact	1999
Entertainment Value	1994
Breadth	1994
Historic Importance	1994
Intangibles	1999

Analysis:

boy oh boy. time to separate the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, time to get down to the nitty gritty, etc. this is a tough matchup. unlike most years, both these years have three films that are certifiably great. films that reside on my top 25 and will for a long time to come. for 1994: pulp fiction, shawshank redemption and hoop dreams. for 1999: american movie, magnolia, the matrix and (recent top 25 inductee) office space.

in the foreign film category, 1994 has the clear advantage. 1999 has one foreign film and 1994 has three, all of which are worthy of listing.

both years have a biography that makes the list (cobb and ed wood for 1994 and insider for 1999), both have a great documentary (hoop dreams vs. american movie), and both have solid comedies (dumb and dumber, monster, clerks vs. austin powers, election, office space, south park). 1999 has two landmark horror flicks. 1994, though, gets points for its underrated films: bad boy bubby, last seduction, and monster and the sole sports movie - cobb. 1994 has probably the most quotable film of the last 20 years, but 1999 has office space which is also proving itself to be an eminently quotable film.

if you look at the categorical breakdown you see that 1994 has a 4-2 advantage. in the previous round i stated that 1994 would be a tough year to beat. here's what it comes down to, though, 1999 just has too much firepower. my least favorite film on the list is probably austin powers or the wind will carry us, yet i like both of them enough to own them. in fact, i own every film on the 1999 list. whereas i don't own three of the films on the 1994 list. 1994 may have the best film of the two years (pulp fiction), but even it and hoop dreams aren't enough to overcome the epic, emotional power of magnolia, the range of american movie, the insanity of election and office space, the depth and cool factor of the matrix and the artistry of american beauty. 1994 would probably win with most critics because of the importance of pulp fiction, ed wood, and clerks, but i just like the films in 1999 more.

also, not that this was considered, but i should point out that fight club, a film that has received an "A" from me in the past, also came out in 1999, but it didn't make my cut because of the 12 film limit.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1999 vs. 1989

Elite 8 Matchups

1939
Beau Geste
Dark Victory
Destry Rides Again
Gone With The Wind
Goodbye Mr. Chips
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Roaring Twenties
Rules of the Game
Stagecoach
Wizard of Oz

1950
All About Eve
Asphalt Jungle
In A Lonely Place
Los Olvidados
Night And The City
Panic In The Streets
Rashomon
Stage Fright
Sunset Blvd.
Winchester '73

Comparison:

Artistry	1939
Emotional Impact	1939
Entertainment Value	1939
Breadth	1939
Historic Importance	1939
Intangibles	1950

Analysis:

1950 takes the intangibles category because it has my favorite bunuel film, the film to make kurosawa a star in america, and perhaps the best mann/stewart collaboration (winchester '73). other than that, 1939 takes the cake. everyone knows it to be one of the best years in film history and it certainly holds its own in this matchup.

both years have films with james stewart and bette davis.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1939 vs. 1967

1954
Diabolique
Dial M For Murder
Far Country
La Strada
On The Waterfront
Rear Window
Samurai
Seven Samurai
Smiles Of A Summer Night

1967
Bonnie And Clyde
Branded To Kill
Cool Hand Luke
Dirty Dozen
Don't Look Back
Fireman's Ball
Graduate
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
In The Heat Of The Night
Who's That Knocking At My Door?

Comparison:

Artistry	1967
Emotional Impact	1967
Entertainment Value	1954
Breadth	1954
Historic Importance	1967
Intangibles	1967

Analysis:

1954 has one film in my top 25 (far country, which is currently #25) and 1967 has two in the top 15, including one that is consistently in the top 3. both years have a disappointing film, though. 1967 has don't look back, which is certainly good, but not as great as billed. 1954, meanwhile, has the good first installment of the samurai trilogy, but the trilogy as a whole isn't spectacular.

in the end, i have to go with 1967 because its best films are closer to my heart and because it's a more battle-tested year. that is, i've seen the films from 1967 more than those from 1954.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1967 vs. 1939

1981
Blow-Out
Das Boot
Escape From New York
Evil Dead
Gods Must Be Crazy
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
My Dinner With Andre
Quest For Fire
Road Warrior
Thief

1987
City On Fire
Empire Of The Sun
Evil Dead II
Full Metal Jacket
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Predator
Princess Bride
Raising Arizona
Radio Days
Robocop
Tin Men
Untouchables

Comparison:

Artistry	1987
Emotional Impact	1987
Entertainment Value	1987
Breadth	1987
Historic Importance	1981
Intangibles	1987

Analysis:

not a very tough matchup. 1981 was a solid year for film, but 1987 features three movies that have all been in my top five at one point and several others that are quite enjoyable or important for some reason. the knock on both years is that they don't have much emotional resonance, as they are comprised more of comedies and action/adventure flicks. the heaviest pictures are the war films: empire of the sun, full metal jacket, and das boot.

1981 gets the historic importance category because it has the first evil dead and indiana jones films, as well as the much-quoted my dinner with andre. while i personally consider 1987 an important year, the films that were released that year aren't of real historic importance, though city on fire did inspire reservoir dogs.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1987 vs. 1999

Comparison:

Artistry	1999
Emotional Impact	1989
Entertainment Value	1999
Breadth	1989
Historic Importance	1989
Intangibles	1999

Analysis:

1989 is more historically important because it signaled the emergence of soderbergh (sex, lies and videotape) and michael moore (roger & me) as well as the beginning of the batman franchise. it also has a slightly greater breadth than 1999 because it's got two non-american films, a documentary, a comic book film, a sports film, some action, some drama, some comedy, some fantasy...

what it comes down to, though, is the simple fact that 1999 has four of my favorite 25 films - american movie, magnolia, matrix and office space. these films are all near, or at, the top of their genre and have withstood repeated viewings. american movie, is the most viewed movie since i started keeping track in late 1999 (12 times in that span, though die hard holds the real record with something like 40+ viewings in my lifetime).

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1999 vs. 1987

Final Four Matchups

1939
Beau Geste
Dark Victory
Destry Rides Again
Gone With The Wind
Goodbye Mr. Chips
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Roaring Twenties
Rules of the Game
Stagecoach
Wizard of Oz

1967
Bonnie And Clyde
Branded To Kill
Cool Hand Luke
Dirty Dozen
Don't Look Back
Fireman's Ball
Graduate
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
In The Heat Of The Night
Who's That Knocking At My Door?

Comparison:

Artistry	1939
Emotional Impact	1967
Entertainment Value	1939
Breadth	1939
Historic Importance	1939
Intangibles	1967

Analysis:

i own more films from 1967 so that probably means something. 1939 wins the comparison chart, but loses the matchup mainly because i don't like stagecaoch, gone with the wind and rules of the game as much as i'm supposed to. if i held any of those films as highly as most film critics then 1939 would be the winner here.

1939 doesn't have any films in my current top 25, but i could see mr. smith goes to washington being there one day. i also love destry rides again (though i've only seen it once) and i can't turn down the wizard of oz. both these years were ones i thought of as soon as i asked myself the question that prompted this page: what's the best year in film? and their appearance in the penultimate round confirms this earliest suspicion that they would be strong contenders. perhaps a year from now i will have seen dark victory, beau geste, destry rides again, or stagecoach another time or two and they will push 1939 into the winner's circle. until then, though, 1967 wins a berth in the championship.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1967 vs. 1999

1987
City On Fire
Empire Of The Sun
Evil Dead II
Full Metal Jacket
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Predator
Princess Bride
Raising Arizona
Radio Days
Robocop
Tin Men
Untouchables

Comparison:

Artistry	1999
Emotional Impact	1999
Entertainment Value	1987
Breadth	1987
Historic Importance	1999
Intangibles	1999

Analysis:

1987 was the surprise of this tournament. when i conceived the tournament i thought of three years - 1999, 1967 and 1939 - which left room for one year in the final four. 1987 is a solid year with some very entertaining films. there are eight films that i place in the "could watch anytime" category - evil dead 2, ptaa, predator, princess bride, raising arizona, radio days, robocop and tin men. 1999 has "only" six in this category - american movie, austin powers, election, matrix, office space and south park. i think that this is what actually ends up winning it for 1999, though. while 1987 has some great, fun films, it doesn't have the emotional impact and depth that 1999 has.

in this way 1999 has a greater range, though not a greater breadth. 1987 wins the breadth category because of the different genres and types of films it has - a few "period" films in radio days, the untouchables and tin men, a futuristic action film in robocop, a fantasy film in the princess bride, a comic horror film in evil dead II, etc.

NEXT ROUND MATCHUP - 1999 vs. 1967

Championship Matchup

1967
Bonnie And Clyde
Branded To Kill
Cool Hand Luke
Dirty Dozen
Don't Look Back
Fireman's Ball
Graduate
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
In The Heat Of The Night
Who's That Knocking At My Door?

Comparison:

Artistry	1967
Emotional Impact	1967
Entertainment Value	1999
Breadth	1999
Historic Importance	1967
Intangibles	1999

Analysis:

and then there were two...old school meets new school in the finale. in my heart i guess i'm just more of a new school kinda guy because what this matchup comes down to is that i find 1999 more entertaining and just as deep. both years are obviously great, but 1999 has 12 films that i could watch at pretty much any time. incidentally, fight club was also released in 1999, but was left off the list because of the 12 film limit.