That too is a great point but I think it mainly takes filmmakers who are unwilling to compromise their vision. People have always been hungry (at times more than others) for something "different" or more personal but it takes filmakers who are willing to fight the studio and the investors who are only interested in a return on their investment. They want to cast the widest net possible for a film. The studios back in the 70's were in deep deep trouble so maybe they were a bit more willing to take more chances as well. They were run by Cola executives who knew next to nothing and had little opinions of their own; so they threw them a little money and let these small filmakers do their thing. Today, studio execs are much more savvy. In any case before a film comes out it takes the tenacity of the filmaker, because realistically they are the only ones who really believe in the project until it comes out.

Why do Martin Scorsese's more recent films (Aviator/Gangs of New York) seem to feel less personal and have less impact (more like a standard biopic) then the movies that established his reputation (Taxi Driver/Ragin Bull/Goodfellas)? Maybe its because he has passed his prime but it could also have to do with the pressure of not disappointing his backers who are now investing hundreds of millions of dollars into him.

I'm not saying that directors like Scorsese don't want to continue to dare to make those kind of personal films but I don't think we should discount the fact that big money and economics have changed the game considerably for him. Even "small" films today have the potential to become huge moneymakers and make careers (because of movies like Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Clerks, El Mariachi) so I think it has affected the way "independent" filmakers make movies today and why studios aggressively market them.

There might be more "independent" fimmakers and more opportunities today but back in the 70's expectations to become successful and make money were much lower than it is now. Back in the 70's "independent" directors just had a bit more freedom. I'm not discounting the influence of counterculture and spirit of rebellion but somebody still had to foot the bill to make those pictures.

Reasons why i like the 50's include the post-war era where a lot of capital was available for producing visions on screen all over the world from the Soviets to U.S., even the defeated powers created great movies like Japan:
-Akira Kurosawa is in his prime: Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), Hidden Fortress (1958)
-Alfred Hitchcock in his prime: Dial M For Murder (1954), Rear Window (!954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest(1959)
-Aleksandr Ptushko king of fantasy the Russian Walt Disney: Sadko (1953), Ilya Muromets (1956), Sampo (1959)
-Brando in his prime: A Streetcar Named Desire, Wild Ones, Julius Caesar (Antony's speech the stuff of legends), On the Waterfront
-William Holden in his prime: Sunset Blvd (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Bridge on the River Kwai (1957),
-John Wayne in his prime: John Ford Cavalry trilogy, The Quiet Man, The Searchers
-James Stewart in his prime: Almost every movie he's done of the 50s
-Golden age of Classic Science Fiction. The 60's had Classic Scifi Part II but the 50's were known for scifi. Forbidden Planet, It Came From Outer Space, The Thing from Another World, Earth vs. Flying Saucers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers

more mentions:
Ben-Hur (1959), African Queen (1951), The Killing (1958), Ivan the Terrible Part II (1958), Touch of Evil (1958)

Yep the 50's was a high rolling time of imagination.

90s

1990's

duff-you may want to check out the book Movies of the 50's. I'm about to grab it and I already have the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.

The '70's are interesting because it was all about the new generation of directors reinterpreting the 1920's through '40's. But as interesting as that is to me, I'll just go to the source (20's through 40's) for my favorite films. Though really, EVERY decade has something to offer.

1930's

All Quiet on the Western Front
Frankenstein
Dracula
Public Enemy
Fugitive from a Chain Gang
King Kong
It Happened One Night
Cleopatra
The Thin Man
A Night at the Opera
Bride of Frankenstein
Modern Times
Swing Time
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Topper
Adventures of Robin Hood
Angels with Dirty Faces
Bringing up Baby
Gone with the Wind
Gunga Din
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The Roaring Twenties
Stagecoach
Wizard of Oz
Rules of the Game
M
Grand Illusion
39 Steps
Lady Vanishes

These are just the ones I have personally seen. This list is likely to be woefully lacking in the foreign film categories as I've limited exposure to older foreign films from this decade.

That is weird.

Have you checked out those books I mentioned?

1970's, only the 60's are close because of films like Faces and Point Blank. I won't list the films that shows why the 70's is BY FAR the best for me but I will just say one film.... Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.

That is strange.

It shifts from 50s or 60s for me a lot, but the early 60s greats (1960-64) are kind of overspill from the atomic 50s high time of energy and ideas. I think that you should like all the shlocky films your favorite decade too, all the creature features, juvenile delinquent crime exploitation, and fantasy matinees of the 50s are great!

1970's

80's.

ESB
ROTJ
Indiana Jones
The Lethal Weapon
Naked Gun
BTTF
They Live
Terminator

etc...

1970s by far.

I may have to revise my vote to the 40's. I'm digging to many film noirs from that period right now.

Nearly two years after this thread was first started, I feel confident in stating that (barring the unforeseen occurring in the next three and a half years years) we are undoubtedly currently in the middle of what will end up being the WORST decade in American film history.

I don't think it is too premature to say that...

Oh i agree with you wholeheartedly. I thought the same 2 years ago and from the looks of it, still do. Only 3.5 years left.

50s is my favorite because not only do i like its great and good films, i love its not as highly regarded stuff too. 40s and 30s are my 2nd and 3rd favorites respectively. The 60s i like a couple of its good stuff but not a fan of its shlocky stuff that much.

11 million opinions on the IMDBs Top 250 Films provides the following statistics:

2000s Count 77
1990s Count 73
1980s Count 50
1970s Count 46
1960s Count 62
1950s Count 71
1940s Count 44

This is only a measure of the top 250 as voted on by IMDB registered users.

My read on this is the generation of users familiar with the internet have an influence on this outcome.

I think the 70's ... the emergence of Scorsese (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull right at the end?) and Coppola (Godfather, Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now). And pop culture movies - Jaws. Star Wars. Superman

You mentioned several movements in world cinema in your breakdown of these decades, but you completely skipped over foreign cinema in your discussion of the 1960's. Most importantly you have the French New Wave where guys like Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer, etc. were cranking out one classic film after another (400 Blows, Contempt, Jules and Jim, etc.). Fellini was doing what I feel to be his best work as he started to slip into surrealism (La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2). Ingmar Bergman made some of the strongest films of his career (the faith trilogy, The Virgin Spring, Persona). Robert Bresson made Au Hasard Balthazar and Mouchette. Arguably the best Cassavetes film came out of the 60's (Faces). Sergio Leone revolutionized the western with his Dollars trilogy and Once Upon a Time in the West, paving the way for Peckinpah's finest film, The Wild Bunch in 1969. Andrei Tarkovsky made two towering masterpieces in the 60's with Ivan's Childhood and Andrei Rublev. Kubrick made what many consider to be his finest films in this decade with Dr. Strangelove and 2001 (not to mention Lolita and Spartacus). I could go on and on with examples of why the 60's are so great and in my opinion should be ranked right alongside the 50's and 70's if not higher than both of them.

Re: What is your favorite decade in cinema?
 

I'll bump my little thread ... to say that the 40s most likely are objectively equal to the 70s in terms of intelligent movies.

Re: What is your favorite decade in cinema?
 

I just voted--without realizing that this thread was last opened before the bump long before I became a member here.

Re: What is your favorite decade in cinema?
 

What did you vote

Re: What is your favorite decade in cinema?
 

1970's was a POP CULTURE GOLDMINE!

Not only movies, but also TV and MUSIC and VIDEO GAMES!!!

-Sesame Street was still psychedelic

- Six Million Dollar Man, Three's Company, Little House on the Prairie

- Saturday Night Fever soundtrack

- Jaws, Star Wars, Grease, Rocky, Godfather, Superman: The Movie

- ATARI 2600, Space Invaders, Asteroids

Re: What is your favorite decade in cinema?
 

Yeah, the 70s was the best.