So, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) recently released a list called “Most Influential Classic Movies.”  There are some flicks that you’ve probably heard of, such as Star Wars and Gone with the Wind, and some you’ve probably never seen, like Battleship Potemkin.  It’s damn near impossible to limit the movie influence universe to just 15 movies, but we all think the list is fairly decent. Though The Passion of Joan of Arc didn’t make the cut, and that gave us pause.  Some of the most beautiful and influential acting / cinematography ever.

How did these movies make the list?  The list makers are “movies that shaped the cinema and the audiences that viewed them.”  In other words, films that knocked young directors out of the ballpark when they were young, and influenced their later movies.  These are films that Francis Ford Coppola loved, movies that Spielberg loved, that Peter Jackson loved.  In their youth.  Interesting.

Our hypothesis is, then, that it takes about 20 years before we can consider a movie influential.  THAT is the average length of the feedback loop for younger people to actually make movies influenced by the films they saw when they were younger.  Yes, we’re eyeballing that estimate.

Let’s try a little thought experiment, then, shall we?  Imagine that the year is 2029.  Think of all the people that were, in 2009, between the ages of 10 and 20 (give or take), and are now 30-40.  Now imagine that those 10-20 year olds are by 2029 film directors.  What “recent” movies (between the release of Star Wars and today) did they see that transformed the way they thought about movies?  In other words, what will make the list of most influential movies of the past 30 years for future directors?  Or, if you think there hasn’t been a movie in the past 30 years that will later be considered influential, what the heck happened to film???

Post responses in the comments!  We look forward to hearing from you.

- Mr. Fluffy

Hat tip to Film School Rejects, who seemed to COMPLETELY miss the point of the TCM list.  We love you guys anyway.