Pop Culture · Editorial deck
Movie Classics
Directors, decades and the films that defined them
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- 01Cinema before 196012 cards · ~2 min
- 02New waves and classics, 1960–197914 cards · ~2 min
- 03Cinema, 1980–199928 cards · ~5 min
- 04Cinema since 200020 cards · ~3 min
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01This 1942 wartime romance set in French Morocco.IDENTIFY
Casablanca (1942)Casablanca is a 1942 wartime romance that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Casablanca (film) ↗02This filmmaker directed Casablanca (1942).RECALL
Michael CurtizCasablanca is a 1942 wartime romance that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Casablanca (film) ↗03This 1941 drama following a powerful newspaper tycoon.IDENTIFY
Citizen Kane (1941)Citizen Kane follows the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate and is frequently cited among cinema's greatest achievements.
Share this card ↗Source: Citizen Kane ↗04This filmmaker directed Citizen Kane (1941).RECALL
Orson WellesCitizen Kane follows the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate and is frequently cited among cinema's greatest achievements.
Share this card ↗Source: Citizen Kane ↗05This 1939 epic romance set during the American Civil War.IDENTIFY
Gone with the Wind (1939)Gone with the Wind is an epic Civil War-era romance that held box-office admission records for decades.
Share this card ↗Source: Gone with the Wind (film) ↗06This filmmaker directed Gone with the Wind (1939).RECALL
Victor FlemingGone with the Wind is an epic Civil War-era romance that held box-office admission records for decades.
Share this card ↗Source: Gone with the Wind (film) ↗07This 1939 musical fantasy about a girl swept to a magical land.IDENTIFY
The Wizard of Oz (1939)The Wizard of Oz is known for its transition from sepia-toned Kansas into vivid Technicolor Oz.
Share this card ↗Source: The Wizard of Oz (1939 film) ↗08This filmmaker directed The Wizard of Oz (1939).RECALL
Victor FlemingThe Wizard of Oz is known for its transition from sepia-toned Kansas into vivid Technicolor Oz.
Share this card ↗Source: The Wizard of Oz (1939 film) ↗09This 1952 musical comedy about Hollywood's shift to sound.IDENTIFY
Singin' in the Rain (1952)Singin' in the Rain satirizes Hollywood's transition from silent film to sound.
Share this card ↗Source: Singin' in the Rain ↗10This filmmaker directed Singin' in the Rain (1952).RECALL
Gene Kelly and Stanley DonenSingin' in the Rain satirizes Hollywood's transition from silent film to sound.
Share this card ↗Source: Singin' in the Rain ↗11This 1958 psychological thriller about obsession and fear of heights.IDENTIFY
Vertigo (1958)Vertigo introduced the dolly zoom, a camera technique later widely imitated.
Share this card ↗Source: Vertigo (film) ↗12This filmmaker directed Vertigo (1958).RECALL
Alfred HitchcockVertigo introduced the dolly zoom, a camera technique later widely imitated.
Share this card ↗Source: Vertigo (film) ↗13This 1960 horror thriller centered on a roadside motel.IDENTIFY
Psycho (1960)Psycho's motel shower scene remains one of the most analyzed sequences in film history.
Share this card ↗Source: Psycho (1960 film) ↗14This filmmaker directed Psycho (1960).RECALL
Alfred HitchcockPsycho's motel shower scene remains one of the most analyzed sequences in film history.
Share this card ↗Source: Psycho (1960 film) ↗15This 1962 epic based on a British officer's role in the Arab Revolt.IDENTIFY
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)Lawrence of Arabia is celebrated for its widescreen desert cinematography and epic scale.
Share this card ↗Source: Lawrence of Arabia (film) ↗16This filmmaker directed Lawrence of Arabia (1962).RECALL
David LeanLawrence of Arabia is celebrated for its widescreen desert cinematography and epic scale.
Share this card ↗Source: Lawrence of Arabia (film) ↗17This 1968 science fiction epic about human evolution and AI.IDENTIFY
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)2001: A Space Odyssey is noted for its scientifically grounded depiction of spaceflight.
Share this card ↗Source: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) ↗18This filmmaker directed 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).RECALL
Stanley Kubrick2001: A Space Odyssey is noted for its scientifically grounded depiction of spaceflight.
Share this card ↗Source: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) ↗19This 1972 crime saga following a Mafia family.IDENTIFY
The Godfather (1972)The Godfather follows the Corleone crime family and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: The Godfather ↗20This filmmaker directed The Godfather (1972).RECALL
Francis Ford CoppolaThe Godfather follows the Corleone crime family and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: The Godfather ↗21This 1975 thriller about a great white shark terrorizing a beach town.IDENTIFY
Jaws (1975)Jaws is widely credited with establishing the modern summer blockbuster.
Share this card ↗Source: Jaws (film) ↗22This filmmaker directed Jaws (1975).RECALL
Steven SpielbergJaws is widely credited with establishing the modern summer blockbuster.
Share this card ↗Source: Jaws (film) ↗23This 1977 space opera launching a galaxy-spanning saga.IDENTIFY
Star Wars (1977)Star Wars introduced visual-effects techniques that reshaped the film industry.
Share this card ↗Source: Star Wars (film) ↗24This filmmaker directed Star Wars (1977).RECALL
George LucasStar Wars introduced visual-effects techniques that reshaped the film industry.
Share this card ↗Source: Star Wars (film) ↗25This 1979 war drama set against the Vietnam War.IDENTIFY
Apocalypse Now (1979)Apocalypse Now transposes Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness into the Vietnam War.
Share this card ↗Source: Apocalypse Now ↗26This filmmaker directed Apocalypse Now (1979).RECALL
Francis Ford CoppolaApocalypse Now transposes Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness into the Vietnam War.
Share this card ↗Source: Apocalypse Now ↗27This 1981 adventure introducing an archaeologist hero.IDENTIFY
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced Indiana Jones and launched a long-running adventure series.
Share this card ↗Source: Raiders of the Lost Ark ↗28This filmmaker directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).RECALL
Steven SpielbergRaiders of the Lost Ark introduced Indiana Jones and launched a long-running adventure series.
Share this card ↗Source: Raiders of the Lost Ark ↗29This 1982 story of a boy who befriends a stranded alien.IDENTIFY
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the top-grossing films of the 1980s.
Share this card ↗Source: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↗30This filmmaker directed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).RECALL
Steven SpielbergE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the top-grossing films of the 1980s.
Share this card ↗Source: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↗31This 1982 science fiction noir set in a rain-soaked future city.IDENTIFY
Blade Runner (1982)Blade Runner adapts a Philip K. Dick novel into a noir vision of a future Los Angeles.
Share this card ↗Source: Blade Runner ↗32This filmmaker directed Blade Runner (1982).RECALL
Ridley ScottBlade Runner adapts a Philip K. Dick novel into a noir vision of a future Los Angeles.
Share this card ↗Source: Blade Runner ↗33This 1985 comedy centered on time travel between decades.IDENTIFY
Back to the Future (1985)Back to the Future's time machine is famously built from a modified DeLorean sports car.
Share this card ↗Source: Back to the Future ↗34This filmmaker directed Back to the Future (1985).RECALL
Robert ZemeckisBack to the Future's time machine is famously built from a modified DeLorean sports car.
Share this card ↗Source: Back to the Future ↗35This 1989 drama exploring racial tension over one hot day.IDENTIFY
Do the Right Thing (1989)Do the Right Thing unfolds across a single sweltering day in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
Share this card ↗Source: Do the Right Thing ↗36This filmmaker directed Do the Right Thing (1989).RECALL
Spike LeeDo the Right Thing unfolds across a single sweltering day in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
Share this card ↗Source: Do the Right Thing ↗37This 1990 crime drama chronicling decades inside organized crime.IDENTIFY
Goodfellas (1990)Goodfellas is based on a nonfiction account of a real mob associate's life.
Share this card ↗Source: Goodfellas ↗38This filmmaker directed Goodfellas (1990).RECALL
Martin ScorseseGoodfellas is based on a nonfiction account of a real mob associate's life.
Share this card ↗Source: Goodfellas ↗39This 1991 thriller pairing a trainee agent with an imprisoned killer.IDENTIFY
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)The Silence of the Lambs is one of only a few films to win all five top Academy Awards.
Share this card ↗Source: The Silence of the Lambs (film) ↗40This filmmaker directed The Silence of the Lambs (1991).RECALL
Jonathan DemmeThe Silence of the Lambs is one of only a few films to win all five top Academy Awards.
Share this card ↗Source: The Silence of the Lambs (film) ↗41This 1993 adventure about a theme park of cloned dinosaurs.IDENTIFY
Jurassic Park (1993)Jurassic Park's dinosaurs were a landmark achievement in computer-generated visual effects.
Share this card ↗Source: Jurassic Park (film) ↗42This filmmaker directed Jurassic Park (1993).RECALL
Steven SpielbergJurassic Park's dinosaurs were a landmark achievement in computer-generated visual effects.
Share this card ↗Source: Jurassic Park (film) ↗43This 1993 drama about a factory owner who saved Jewish workers.IDENTIFY
Schindler's List (1993)Schindler's List is shot mostly in black and white and depicts the Holocaust through one factory owner's actions.
Share this card ↗Source: Schindler's List ↗44This filmmaker directed Schindler's List (1993).RECALL
Steven SpielbergSchindler's List is shot mostly in black and white and depicts the Holocaust through one factory owner's actions.
Share this card ↗Source: Schindler's List ↗45This 1994 comedy-drama following its title character through decades.IDENTIFY
Forrest Gump (1994)Forrest Gump digitally inserted its lead character into archival historical footage.
Share this card ↗Source: Forrest Gump ↗46This filmmaker directed Forrest Gump (1994).RECALL
Robert ZemeckisForrest Gump digitally inserted its lead character into archival historical footage.
Share this card ↗Source: Forrest Gump ↗47This 1994 crime drama telling interwoven stories out of order.IDENTIFY
Pulp Fiction (1994)Pulp Fiction interweaves several crime stories told out of chronological order.
Share this card ↗Source: Pulp Fiction ↗48This filmmaker directed Pulp Fiction (1994).RECALL
Quentin TarantinoPulp Fiction interweaves several crime stories told out of chronological order.
Share this card ↗Source: Pulp Fiction ↗49This 1995 animated adventure about toys that come to life.IDENTIFY
Toy Story (1995)Toy Story was the first feature film made entirely with computer animation.
Share this card ↗Source: Toy Story ↗50This filmmaker directed Toy Story (1995).RECALL
John LasseterToy Story was the first feature film made entirely with computer animation.
Share this card ↗Source: Toy Story ↗51This 1997 romance set aboard the doomed ocean liner.IDENTIFY
Titanic (1997)Titanic held the record for worldwide box-office earnings for more than a decade.
Share this card ↗Source: Titanic (1997 film) ↗52This filmmaker directed Titanic (1997).RECALL
James CameronTitanic held the record for worldwide box-office earnings for more than a decade.
Share this card ↗Source: Titanic (1997 film) ↗53This 1999 science fiction about a simulated reality.IDENTIFY
The Matrix (1999)The Matrix popularized the bullet-time effect, a slowed-time rotating camera technique.
Share this card ↗Source: The Matrix ↗54This filmmaker directed The Matrix (1999).RECALL
the WachowskisThe Matrix popularized the bullet-time effect, a slowed-time rotating camera technique.
Share this card ↗Source: The Matrix ↗55This 2000 epic set among the arenas of the Roman Empire.IDENTIFY
Gladiator (2000)Gladiator is set in the arenas of the Roman Empire and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Gladiator (2000 film) ↗56This filmmaker directed Gladiator (2000).RECALL
Ridley ScottGladiator is set in the arenas of the Roman Empire and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Gladiator (2000 film) ↗57This 2001 fantasy epic opening a quest to destroy a powerful ring.IDENTIFY
The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)The Fellowship of the Ring opens Peter Jackson's trilogy, filmed largely on location in New Zealand.
Share this card ↗Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ↗58This filmmaker directed The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).RECALL
Peter JacksonThe Fellowship of the Ring opens Peter Jackson's trilogy, filmed largely on location in New Zealand.
Share this card ↗Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ↗59This 2002 drama portraying gang life in a Rio favela.IDENTIFY
City of God (2002)City of God is based on a semi-autobiographical novel about crime in a Rio de Janeiro favela.
Share this card ↗Source: City of God (2002 film) ↗60This filmmaker directed City of God (2002).RECALL
Fernando MeirellesCity of God is based on a semi-autobiographical novel about crime in a Rio de Janeiro favela.
Share this card ↗Source: City of God (2002 film) ↗61This 2007 thriller following a hitman and a hunted drifter.IDENTIFY
No Country for Old Men (2007)No Country for Old Men won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Coen brothers.
Share this card ↗Source: No Country for Old Men (film) ↗62This filmmaker directed No Country for Old Men (2007).RECALL
Joel and Ethan CoenNo Country for Old Men won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Coen brothers.
Share this card ↗Source: No Country for Old Men (film) ↗63This 2019 drama about two families divided by class.IDENTIFY
Parasite (2019)Parasite became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Parasite (2019 film) ↗64This filmmaker directed Parasite (2019).RECALL
Bong Joon-hoParasite became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Parasite (2019 film) ↗65This 2006 spy thriller rebooting a long-running franchise.IDENTIFY
Casino Royale (2006)Casino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise with a new lead actor in the role.
Share this card ↗Source: Casino Royale (2006 film) ↗66This filmmaker directed Casino Royale (2006).RECALL
Martin CampbellCasino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise with a new lead actor in the role.
Share this card ↗Source: Casino Royale (2006 film) ↗67This 2008 drama following a game-show contestant's past.IDENTIFY
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)Slumdog Millionaire is set largely in Mumbai and follows a game-show contestant's backstory.
Share this card ↗Source: Slumdog Millionaire ↗68This filmmaker directed Slumdog Millionaire (2008).RECALL
Danny BoyleSlumdog Millionaire is set largely in Mumbai and follows a game-show contestant's backstory.
Share this card ↗Source: Slumdog Millionaire ↗69This 2010 science fiction thriller built around dreams within dreams.IDENTIFY
Inception (2010)Inception is structured around nested dreams and is known for its deliberately ambiguous ending.
Share this card ↗Source: Inception ↗70This filmmaker directed Inception (2010).RECALL
Christopher NolanInception is structured around nested dreams and is known for its deliberately ambiguous ending.
Share this card ↗Source: Inception ↗71This 2016 drama telling three chapters of one man's life.IDENTIFY
Moonlight (2016)Moonlight tells its story in three chapters and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Moonlight (2016 film) ↗72This filmmaker directed Moonlight (2016).RECALL
Barry JenkinsMoonlight tells its story in three chapters and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Share this card ↗Source: Moonlight (2016 film) ↗73This 2022 science fiction comedy about parallel universes.IDENTIFY
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)Everything Everywhere All at Once swept multiple major Academy Award categories.
Share this card ↗Source: Everything Everywhere All at Once ↗74This filmmaker directed Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).RECALL
Daniel Kwan and Daniel ScheinertEverything Everywhere All at Once swept multiple major Academy Award categories.
Share this card ↗Source: Everything Everywhere All at Once ↗
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