Spike Lee's Essential List of Films for Filmmakers

As seen by felinologist

You are viewing felinologist's version of this list. You can view your version too.

Spike Lee's Essential List of Films for Filmmakers's icon

An official iCheckMovies list (adopted from Filmista).

Favorited 154 times, disliked 3 times, added to 231 watchlists.

This is the list that Spike Lee distributes to his graduate students at NYU every year.

Spike says: "I've Been A Professor At The NYU Graduate Film For The Past 15 Years.The 1st Day Of Every Class I Hand Out My List Of Films That I Feel You Must See If You Want To Make Films. Please Look At This List And See What You Might Have Missed. As I Tell My Students If You Want Your Film "Game" To Be Tight You Must Have Seen Great Movies, World Cinema, It Just Can't Be Hollywood Films. Educate Yourself. Learn. Grow. Evolve. Make Great Films.

Peace, Onward And Upward,

Spike Lee."

Source

Remove ads

Pssst, want to check out the Spike Lee's Essential List of Films for Filmmakers list in our new look?

Filter

  1. 33 -1

    The Last Detail

    1973, in 4 top lists Check
  2. 84 -8

    Empire of the Sun

    1987, in 9 top lists Check
  3. 10 -

    Ultimo tango a Parigi

    1972 — a.k.a. Last Tango in Paris, in 19 top lists Check
  4. 29 -1

    Patton

    1970, in 13 top lists Check
  5. 89 -8

    An American in Paris

    1951, in 18 top lists Check
  6. 28 -1

    La nuit américaine

    1973 — a.k.a. Day for Night, in 19 top lists Check
  7. 81 -8

    Dirty Pretty Things

    2002, in 2 top lists Check
  8. 80 -8

    Kung fu

    2004 — a.k.a. Kung Fu Hustle, in 11 top lists Check
  9. 64 -8

    In the Heat of the Night

    1967, in 17 top lists Check
  10. 54 -8

    Mean Streets

    1973, in 22 top lists Check
  11. 52 -8

    Orfeu Negro

    1959 — a.k.a. Black Orpheus, in 8 top lists Check
  12. 11 -

    Ace in the Hole

    1951, in 21 top lists Check
  13. 67 -8

    White Heat

    1949, in 15 top lists Check
  14. 71 -8

    Roma città aperta

    1945 — a.k.a. Rome, Open City, in 23 top lists Check
  15. 87 -8

    Days of Heaven

    1978, in 19 top lists Check
  16. 21 -1

    La strada

    1954, in 21 top lists Check
  17. 4 -

    Ran

    1985, in 25 top lists Check
  18. 75 -8

    Dog Day Afternoon

    1975, in 23 top lists Check
  19. 23 -1

    8½

    1963, in 35 top lists Check
  20. 73 -8

    Chinatown

    1974, in 31 top lists Check
  21. 24 -1

    Cidade de Deus

    2002 — a.k.a. City of God, in 22 top lists Check
  22. 63 -8

    District 9

    2009, in 10 top lists Check
  23. 79 -8

    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop...

    1964, in 37 top lists Check
  24. 91 -8

    Ladri di biciclette

    1948 — a.k.a. Bicycle Thieves, in 36 top lists Check
  25. 77 -8

    Paths of Glory

    1957, in 26 top lists Check
  26. 27 -1

    Les quatre cents coups

    1959 — a.k.a. The 400 Blows, in 26 top lists Check
  27. 2 -

    Rashômon

    1950 — a.k.a. Rashomon, in 34 top lists Check
  28. 76 -8

    Singin' in the Rain

    1952, in 37 top lists Check
  29. 78 -8

    Spartacus

    1960, in 19 top lists Check
  30. 88 -8

    The Wizard of Oz

    1939, in 37 top lists Check
  31. 57 -8

    Casablanca

    1942, in 39 top lists Check
  32. 62 -8

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    1975, in 35 top lists Check
  33. 35 -2

    À bout de souffle

    1960 — a.k.a. Breathless, in 29 top lists Check
  34. 83 -8

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind

    1977, in 23 top lists Check
  35. 22 -1

    La dolce vita

    1960 — a.k.a. La Dolce Vita, in 22 top lists Check
  36. 51 -8

    Los olvidados

    1950 — a.k.a. The Young and the Damned, in 25 top lists Check
  37. 30 -1

    Mad Max

    1979, in 13 top lists Check
  38. 31 -1

    Mad Max 2

    1981 — a.k.a. The Road Warrior, in 14 top lists Check
  39. 69 -8

    M*A*S*H

    1970, in 21 top lists Check
  40. 36 -2

    West Side Story

    1961, in 22 top lists Check
  41. 92 -8

    Miracolo a Milano

    1951 — a.k.a. Miracle in Milan, in 8 top lists Check
  42. 46 new

    The Hurt Locker

    2008, in 13 top lists Check
  43. 34 new

    The Piano

    1993, in 14 top lists Check
  44. 56 -8

    Apocalypto

    2006, in 2 top lists Check
  45. 37 -2

    Stranger Than Paradise

    1984, in 14 top lists Check
  46. 94 -8

    Zelig

    1983, in 7 top lists Check
  47. 32 -1

    La battaglia di Algeri

    1966 — a.k.a. The Battle of Algiers, in 29 top lists Check
  48. 55 -8

    Raging Bull

    1980, in 34 top lists Check
  49. 6 -

    Vertigo

    1958, in 42 top lists Check
  50. 25 -1

    The Godfather

    1972, in 42 top lists Check
Remove ads
Show all 94 movies

Last updated on Jan 22, 2014; source