1967 — The Graduate
It’s unusual for a film to define a generation. It’s even more rare when it can define each new generation of viewers. The film follows Benjamin Braddock’s (Dustin Hoffman) first summer after graduating from college. Legions of curious neighbors greet him, followed by the same terrible existential question: “what’s next?” Floundering in an uncertain future, Benjamin seeks solace in Mrs. Robinson’s cougar-like claws.
1967 — The Graduate
1968 — 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001, the magnum opus of director Stanley Kubrick’s immensely amazing résumé, is an accomplishment of the greatest kind. The picture pioneered visual effects with its use of matte paintings, miniatures, and early computer wizardry. The video depicts humanity’s trek to the heavens, beginning with our earliest ancestors, in an almost meta-fashion. Far from being a whimsical space adventure, 2001 poses harrowing questions about our origins and development, and its answers are muddled at best and terrifying at worst.
1968 — 2001: A Space Odyssey