Picks Of The 60's

I may as well warn everybody now, the 60's was one of the best decades for war films, and my picks are probably going to represent that. So, if you're not a fan of the war genre, or war in general, then you're probably going to think my picks suck balls. I'm sorry if you're one of those people, because some of the best films ever created are films depicting war, and you are simply missing out. I'm a massive war fan though. It all started from a very young age, as it does with many people, with a primary school friend. Visiting his house, i became infected with the aviation bug. He introduced me to "Memphis Belle" and plastic model kits (they hung from his bedroom wall as though in combat), and that was it. I went to my first airshow when i was around 6, and i've continued to visit them when possible ever since. I could answer 9/10 questions in depth on the major air battles of the Second World War, and most questions on the ground battles from both the ETO and PTO. And yet, even after all these years, i'm still learning. A short story i'm currently working on is based on and around an Essex airfield during WW2. Anyway, i'm well off topic now. People who don't have much knowledge on WW2, shame on you. You couldn't go far wrong by watching many of the films i'm going to list, or by reading one of Stephen E. Ambrose's books.

The list itself was actually quite difficult to compile, as the 60's were just a very good year for movies. Some films deserve to be on the list, but didn't make it because of my love for war movies. Anyway, on with the show. Here are my favourite movies from the swinging 60's, in no particular order.

1. The Battle Of Britain (1969, Guy Hamilton).
2. Oliver (1968, Carol Reed).
3. The Longest day (1962, Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki).
4. The Great Escape (1963, John Sturges).
5. The Guns Of Navarone (1961 J. Lee Thompson).
6. Bullitt (1968, Peter Yates).
7. Bonnie And Clyde (1967, Arthur Penn).
8. Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961, Blake Edwards).
9. The War lover (1962, Phillip Leacock).
10. Cool Hand Luke (1967, Stuart Rosenburg, Screenplay Don Pierce and Frank Pearson).
11. The Jungle Book (1967, Wolfgang Reitherman).
12. Mary Poppins (1964, Robert Stevenson, Screenokay Bill Walsh).
13. Sink The Bismarck (1960, Lewis Gilbert).
14. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968, Norman Jewison).
15. Wait Until Dark (1967, Terrence Young).
16. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968, Ken Hughes).
17. Where Eagles Dare (1968, Brian Hutton).
18. Vixen (1968, Russ Meyer).
19. Psycho (1960, Hitchcock).
20. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Kubrick).

I feel like i should have put The Apartment in the list, but instead i'm going to give it an honourable mention. My absolute top favourites from this list are Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Great Escape (do you see a pattern here?). I also recommend Wait Until Dark very highly, i only saw it recently and wasn't sure what to expect, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and it works very well on the screen. Go and watch these movies!