Spike Lee's Essential List of Films for Filmmakers

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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

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  1. 71 -8

    Roma città aperta

    1945 — a.k.a. Rome, Open City, in 23 top lists Check
  2. 69 -8

    M*A*S*H

    1970, in 21 top lists Check
  3. 8 -

    Bonnie and Clyde

    1967, in 28 top lists Check
  4. 84 -8

    Empire of the Sun

    1987, in 9 top lists Check
  5. 39 -2

    The Maltese Falcon

    1941, in 27 top lists Check
  6. 83 -8

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind

    1977, in 23 top lists Check
  7. 85 -8

    Cool Hand Luke

    1967, in 13 top lists Check
  8. 40 -2

    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

    1948, in 25 top lists Check
  9. 3 -

    Yôjinbô

    1961 — a.k.a. Yojimbo, in 19 top lists Check
  10. 29 -1

    Patton

    1970, in 13 top lists Check
  11. 42 -2

    Midnight Cowboy

    1969, in 22 top lists Check
  12. 64 -8

    In the Heat of the Night

    1967, in 17 top lists Check
  13. 70 -8

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    1962, in 18 top lists Check
  14. 75 -8

    Dog Day Afternoon

    1975, in 23 top lists Check
  15. 27 -1

    Les quatre cents coups

    1959 — a.k.a. The 400 Blows, in 26 top lists Check
  16. 21 -1

    La strada

    1954, in 21 top lists Check
  17. 22 -1

    La dolce vita

    1960 — a.k.a. La Dolce Vita, in 22 top lists Check
  18. 7 -

    North by Northwest

    1959, in 30 top lists Check
  19. 94 -8

    Zelig

    1983, in 7 top lists Check
  20. 49 new

    Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro...

    1974 — a.k.a. Swept Away, in 3 top lists Check
  21. 23 -1

    8½

    1963, in 35 top lists Check
  22. 24 -1

    Cidade de Deus

    2002 — a.k.a. City of God, in 22 top lists Check
  23. 6 -

    Vertigo

    1958, in 42 top lists Check
  24. 17 -

    Lawrence of Arabia

    1962, in 40 top lists Check
  25. 2 -

    Rashômon

    1950 — a.k.a. Rashomon, in 34 top lists Check
  26. 16 -

    The Bridge on the River Kwai

    1957, in 32 top lists Check
  27. 56 -8

    Apocalypto

    2006, in 2 top lists Check
  28. 46 new

    The Hurt Locker

    2008, in 13 top lists Check
  29. 73 -8

    Chinatown

    1974, in 31 top lists Check
  30. 12 -

    Some Like It Hot

    1959, in 35 top lists Check
  31. 18 -

    On the Waterfront

    1954, in 32 top lists Check
  32. 57 -8

    Casablanca

    1942, in 39 top lists Check
  33. 77 -8

    Paths of Glory

    1957, in 26 top lists Check
  34. 79 -8

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

    1964, in 37 top lists Check
  35. 54 -8

    Mean Streets

    1973, in 22 top lists Check
  36. 15 -

    Raising Arizona

    1987, in 9 top lists Check
  37. 55 -8

    Raging Bull

    1980, in 34 top lists Check
  38. 31 -1

    Mad Max 2

    1981 — a.k.a. The Road Warrior, in 14 top lists Check
  39. 89 -8

    An American in Paris

    1951, in 18 top lists Check
  40. 5 -

    Rear Window

    1954, in 31 top lists Check
  41. 63 -8

    District 9

    2009, in 10 top lists Check
  42. 30 -1

    Mad Max

    1979, in 13 top lists Check
  43. 10 -

    Ultimo tango a Parigi

    1972 — a.k.a. Last Tango in Paris, in 19 top lists Check
  44. 36 -2

    West Side Story

    1961, in 22 top lists Check
  45. 78 -8

    Spartacus

    1960, in 19 top lists Check
  46. 91 -8

    Ladri di biciclette

    1948 — a.k.a. Bicycle Thieves, in 36 top lists Check
  47. 88 -8

    The Wizard of Oz

    1939, in 38 top lists Check
  48. 76 -8

    Singin' in the Rain

    1952, in 37 top lists Check
  49. 62 -8

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    1975, in 35 top lists Check
  50. 26 -1

    The Godfather Part II

    1974, in 32 top lists Check
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Last updated on Jan 22, 2014; source