Highlights in Hollywood
Movies of all genres have influenced our culture for decades as well as inspired audiences all around the world. For example, In The Wizard of Oz, we all know the red shoes, yellow brick road, and all of the beloved characters. So here are some of the most iconic movies of all time that have continued to impact film since they were released. Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles is a classic staple in cinema. It came out in 1941 and changed the way movies were made after its release.
“My favorite thing about Citizen Kane is probably how timeless it seems. For example, the way it’s shot was unlike anything that came before it, but similar to everything that came after it, so it feels like you're watching something much more recent. Also the dialogue aged surprisingly well for an 80+ year old movie,” Gabe Holt, 12, said.
Singing in the Rain is a classic movie musical treasured by film lovers. Coming out in 1952, Singing in the Rain continues to influence movies and directors today like Greta Gerwig and Damien Chazelle. Take the 2016 movie La La Land directed by Damien Chazelle. It takes direct inspiration from Singing in the Rain’s dream ballet and tap dancing sequences. Chazelle’s most recent movie, Babylon also takes inspiration from Singing in the Rain.
Technicolor movies like Singing in the Rain dominated the 50’s. However, in more recent times, raw movies about tough issues are the majority being made. For example, Moonlight, a drama indie movie made in 2016. According to IMDb, the movie is about “A young African-American man who grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.”
This movie is influential for many reasons. For one, the movie–at the time–did not have any big names associated with it and was not selling out box offices. However, it was adored by critics and eventually made it to the Oscars and won Best Picture beating La La Land.
The 2018 movie Black Panther was and still is a major movie. Even before the movie came out, audiences everywhere were immensely excited to see the movie because it was the first Marvel movie with a predominantly black cast. The film also included an amazing soundtrack featuring popular black artists like SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. Along with breaking global box office records accumulating up to 1.3 billion dollars, it also was the first Marvel movie to be nominated for Best Picture in 2019.
With that, here are some other movies worth watching that had a significant impact on Hollywood: Jaws, Titanic, The Godfather, Barbie, and Forest Gump.
