What is the Best Movie Year Ever?

[@EyebrowCinema]

What do YOU think is the best movie year ever?

[@gsawcomic]

1999!

[@eriklarson5874]

While it’s not my favorite, I have always felt like 1962 is insanely underrated as a film year. I also feel like 2023 will also age very well in this debate.

[@stryflon1433]

1939 has so many classics!

[@vik.1903]

Never really thought about it. But best decade would be 90's, then 2000's, then 70's. Something like that

[@WhatRyansReading]

1950 is up there. All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard, Rashomon, Rio Grande, Orpheus, In a Lonely Place, Winchester '73, Father of the Bride, Gun Crazy, Panic in Streets, Harvey, Disney's Cinderella, etc etc.

[@gui4816]

Freddy Got Fingered was released in 2001 I think that settles it

[@jwnj9716]

Amen.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Sometimes Daddy would like some sausage.

[@factoryofdivisiveopinions]

​@EyebrowCinema Ayo wtf?? 😂

[@Pssybart]

Only two years before The Room... a great foreshadowing!

[@jfffjl]

Wasn't released, it escaped!

[@davidbeckman7925]

Cinema history, analysis & contextualization at its finest. Another astonishing deep dive from Eyebrow. Thank you for this masterpiece of documentary writing, editing and insight. Extremely impressive in every way, tons of new-to-me movies to see (as well as watch Kwai again because hell yes). Highest recommendation.

[@mottfree1681]

EB killing it as always. Legend is almost at 100k, well deserved!

[@EyebrowCinema]

@@mottfree1681 all my self-esteem is rooted in getting my play button.

[@bartmann81]

I'm very happy that Sindey Lumet is getting more and more credit as a great and highly influential American Auteur rather than a reliable journeyman some critics viewed him for so long.

[@samuelbarber6177]

What’s interesting is Lumet himself reportedly dismissed such attention, hence why he didn’t often use the “possessory credit” (ie. “A Sidney Lumet Film”) as it’s called.

[@jcmurie]

@samuelbarber6177 He was also similar to a journeyman in that he just loved the work and always wanted to be on set or working on a film. The difference is Lumet had an artistic vision that most journeymen filmmakers don't

[@franciscoduran4618]

​@@jcmurieHe was the best of both worlds

[@ayamutakino]

directors who are labeled as journeymen but who are secretly auteurs never get the respect they deserve. they take risks and do different things yet never lost their sense of style and themes.

[@kidkangaroo5213]

Christmas came early with this video, hell yeah, dude

[@EyebrowCinema]

That's funny given I had planned this as a November video so it's technically very late lmao.

[@slc2466]

As a classic movie buff specifically into 1950's movies, I loved your pick. I personally might take 1953 first, but can't argue with the spate of great films that came out in the year you cover.

[@IrishRoo12]

An amazing video, as always. I never would have even considered 1957 as the best ever, but you plead a very strong case for it here.

[@ogome2927]

honestly as someone who’s also into bollywood cinema too 1957 has an extremely strong case for being one of the best years tbh, not just a great year for hollywood cinema but bollywood too and that alone kind of does make it an underrated and stand out year imo at least

[@bartmann81]

THE CRANES ARE FLYING is one of my all time favorites. It never fails to make me cry, which is one of the highest things a film can do.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

The movie that broke out the Soviet film internationally. A very important film that helps the 1957 argument.

[@carlwagner2049]

Great video, a borderline documentary! You've given me a ton of new titles to explore. Out of the ones you mentioned I've already seen, there were only a few I wasn't a fan of, most of them were absolute bangers and reminded me how amazing 1957 really was. Witness for the Prosecution, 12 Angry Men and A Face in the Crowd are tentpole classics for me in my film journey, each making me ask ""How was THIS made in 1957?" Just goes to show that you don't really know what an era has to offer until you dig into it, putting aside the preconceptions of the 50s being a repressive time.

[@plaidchuck]

90s were basically the 70s on steroids. Auteur directors made a come back with big studio money behind them. Dialogue and scripts became important again even for action blockbusters. And indie directors got enough money to get their projects out there

[@ayamutakino]

Sam Mendes, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, Edgar Wright, Lana & Lilly Wachowski: some of the greatest filmmakers who ever lived.

[@jcmurie]

There is no one else on KZbin doing film-centered video essays on this level. The way each section and the entire video is structured is so brilliant and perfectly illustrates your argument for why 1957 is the greatest year in film, not only for It's achievements, but for its influence as well as its display of the triumphs of the Hollywood system and the old masters. I haven't seen enough classic films to agree or disagree with your take (the only 1957 film I've seen is 12 Angry Men, which admittedly, is incredible), but you've made a compelling case for why I should seek out many of these films in particular. Thanks for all your hard work, and I look forward to seeing what you do next year

[@EyebrowCinema]

One thing I know for sure is the next video will be shorter.

[@jcmurie]

@EyebrowCinema whether it's 5 minutes or 5 hours I'll be here

[@Marmalade_Sally]

there's literally about a dozen youtube channels I can think of rn uploading regularly and dedicated to movie essays that do it much better. that's why they all have more subscribers: they're just better writers and editors. but it's cool that ur a fan. sort of like cheering on the paralympics.

[@jcmurie]

@Marmalade_Sally wow there was absolutely no need to be so rude. In fact, there was no need to say anything at all. What sets Eyebrow apart is his writing. Especially as someone who listens more than watches (because it's long and I have other stuff to do), I appreciate the work that goes into writing and structure. I love good editing and funny bits, but I'll take quality analysis over flashy entertainment any day. Not to say that there aren't channels that do both, but I personally haven't found anyone in the film space doing analysis on Eyebrow's level. Subscriber count does not necessarily indicate quality. Many of my favorite youtubers have less than 100,000 or even 10,000 subscribers, and even more have less than 1 million. It's fine to have your own opinion, but try to be nicer please, there's absolutely no need to insult anyone, and if you don't like the content then you don't have to watch

[@EyebrowCinema]

@@jcmurie don't sweat this guy. He's left over a dozen comments on this video despite saying he wouldn't watch it lmao. Real clown behaviour. I appreciate your kind words and that's what matters.

[@SamAronow]

I'd like to make a case as well for 1982. Though it might not be the _best_ movie year, I'd consider it the best possible cross-section of the transition between New Hollywood and the Blockbuster era, and the best possible evidence that the Blockbuster era was not the _demise_ of the auteur-driven New Hollywood but its natural evolution.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Anyone who makes a case for any year from the 80's can't be taken srsly, sorry.

[@SamAronow]

@@Marmalade_Sally _E.T._ _Fitzcarraldo_ _Blade Runner_ _My Favorite Year_ _48 Hrs._ _The Draughtsman's Contract_ _Poltergeist_ _Tootsie_ _The Secret of NIMH_ _The Thing_ _Tron_ _The World According to Garp_ _Sophie's Choice_ _Fanny and Alexander_ _The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas_ _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ _The Year of Living Dangerously_ _Koyaanisqatsi_ _Chan is Missing_ _Swamp Thing_

[@plaidchuck]

@@SamAronowignore him he’s just a troll

[@BrendanJSmith]

'84, '85, '87, and '89 were absolutely STACKED as well!

[@BugVlogs]

Gotta say, 2023 was a pretty damn good year for movies. There was the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Boy and the Heron, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall, Past Lives, Across the Spider-Verse, The Holdovers, The Iron Claw, Perfect Days, etc. Not saying 2023 will necessarily go down as one of the best years ever, just wanted to highlight that last year was exceptional for movies, especially compared to 2024.

[@EyebrowCinema]

As far as recent years go it definitely stands out.

[@Pssybart]

As a whole, I do think we're living in a very interesting era. It's a transitioning period that brings a lot of uncertainty, but that also makes it exciting. Not that the MCU is dead or anything, and neither are the live action Disney remakes. But their absolute dominance over the film industry is definitely fading. Meanwhile we're seeing some really impressive original independent movies and foreign films. Think of Parasite, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Tár, Robot Dreams... there's really no shortage of good films nowadays. Hopefully we might get another really good year soon.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

It's cute that you listed Poor Things and The Iron Claw as examples of artistic achievement.

[@BugVlogs]

@@Marmalade_Sally Because they are? If you didn’t like those movies, more power to you, but both of those of films were well received by critics and audiences.

[@joshboy64]

You know if you REALLY THINK about it, Batman is technically responsible for two of your longest videos this year. Great job Dan! What a way to close out the year, and you've given me a lot of great films to add to the watch list. Namely Tokyo Twilight and Bridge of the River Qwai. Merry Christmas!

[@EyebrowCinema]

Everything I do is influenced my Batman, whether I realize it or not.

[@samuelbarber6177]

14:39 gotta love a shout out for my boy, Michael Curtiz. Maybe the most underrated director of all time (in that for having directed so many classics, no one talks about him).

[@EyebrowCinema]

The Breaking Point rules so hard too.

[@badpuppy09]

"Bring on the empty horses!"

[@FLLMALL]

my phone's battery ran out just as you posted the video and I had to run home just to watch it lol. Best film channel on youtube

[@EyebrowCinema]

@@FLLMALL thank you kindly. Hope it was worth rushing back home for lmao.

[@FLLMALL]

​​@@EyebrowCinema It definetely was! By the way, I'm brazillian and Rio, Zona Norte can be found here on KZbin with english subtitles. It's not qualitywise a fenomenal copy, but older brazillian films are sadly not very well restored. It's one of the best movies Brazil ever made though, and I really recommend watching it.

[@the9thinning1]

I'm glad you're close to 100k subscribers, you deserve it

[@EyebrowCinema]

Much appreciated. Cheers.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I rated 1957 the sixth greatest year in movie history. I awarded it a perfect score of 10 based on the following list of films and based on having seen a minimum 100+ movies for every year of the cinema since I first began watching movies in the 1960s. Essentially 1957 is so close to the other top years that Eyebrow Cinema's choice is perfectly sound and the best choice I have seen online. MY FAVORITES of 1957: Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman) Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa) Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini) Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick) Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick) La Casa del angel (The House of the Angel) (Leopoldo Torre-Nilsson, Argentina) 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet) A Face in the Crowd (Elia Kazan) A Matter of Dignity (To Telefteo psemma) (Michael Cacoyannis, Greece) The Bachelor Party (Delbert Mann) On the Bowery (Lionel Rogosin) Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (Frank Tashlin) The Bridge on the River Kwai (David Lean) RUNNERS UP: The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman) Witness For the Prosecution (Billy Wilder) What’s Opera, Doc? (Chuck Jones) Yantra (James Whitney) Man on the Tracks (Czlowiek na torze) (Andrzej Munk) Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder) Funny Face (Stanley Donen) Les Girls (George Cukor) The Spirit of St. Louis (Billy Wilder) Peyton Place (Mark Robson) Kanal (Andrzej Wajda) The Lower Depths (Akira Kurosawa) The Cranes Are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov) 3: 10 to Yuma (Delmer Daves) Forty Guns (Samuel Fuller) A King in New York (Charles Chaplin) Seven Waves Away (Abandon Ship!) (Richard Sale) The Incredible Shrinking Man (Jack Arnold) A Hatful of Rain (Fred Zinnemann) The Tin Star (Anthony Mann) The Ride Back (Allen H. Miner) Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (John Huston) Le Beau Serge (Claude Chabrol) All the Boys are Called Patrick (Jean-Luc Godard) Fear Strikes Out (Robert Mulligan) Les Mistons (Francois Truffaut) Other significant or important films: The Tall T (Budd Boetticher); Il Grido (Michelangelo Antonioni); The Three Faces of Eve (Nunnally Johnson); Desk Set (Walter Lang); The Pajama Game (George Abbott, Stanley Donen); Bitter Victory (Nicholas Ray); The Wide Blue Road (Gillo Pontecorvo); Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (John Sturges); Jailhouse Rock (Richard Thorpe); Man of a Thousand Faces (Joseph Pevney); Old Yeller (Robert Stevenson); Sayonara (Joshua Logan); Silk Stockings (Rouben Mamoulian); Les Sorcieres de Salem (The Crucible) (Raymond Rouleau); The Strange One (Jack Garfein); Woman in a Dressing Gown (J. Lee Thompson); Something of Value (Richard Brooks); Stage Struck (Sidney Lumet); Night Passage (James Neilson); and LOTS of really bad but fun sci-fi monster movies. MORE: Curse of the Demon (Night of the Demon) (Jacques Tourneur); The Golden Age of Comedy (Robert Youngson); Operation Mad Ball (Richard Quine); City of Gold (Wolf Koenig, Colin Low) MORE: And Quiet Flows the Don (Sergei Gerasimov); Don Quixote (Grigori Kozintsev); Four Bags Full (Traversee de Paris) (Claude Autant-Lara); Every Day Except Christmas (Linday Anderson); Pot-Bouille (Julien Duvivier); Run of the Arrow (Samuel Fuller); He Who Must Die (Jules Dassin); Edge of the City (Martin Ritt); Mother India (Mehboob Khan); Brothers In Law (Roy Boulting); Lucky Jim (John and Roy Boulting); Snow Country (Shiro Toyoda); The Passionate Stranger (Muriel Box); Teacher’s Pet (George Seaton); An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey); The Enemy Below (Dick Powell); Night Passage (James Neilson); The Story of Esther Costello (David Miller); Time Without Pity (Joseph Losey); Band of Angels (Raoul Walsh); Operation Mad Ball (Richard Quine); Viktor und Viktoria (Karl Anton) MORE: The Man in the Raincoat (Julien Duvivier); Buye Cheng (City Without Night) (Tang Ziaodan); Pyaasa (Guru Dutt); Wolf Trap (Vlci jama) (Jiri Weiss); Le cas du Dr Laurent (The Case of Dr. Laurent) (Jean-Paul Le Chanois); Lettre de Siberie (Chris Marker); The River’s Edge (Allan Dwan); Decision at Sundown (Budd Boetticher); Nine Lives (Arne Skouen); Black River (Kuroi kawa) (Masaki Kobayashi); Barnacle Bill (Charles Frend); Jeanne Eagels (George Sidney); Absolutamente Certo (Absolutely Right) (Anselmo Duarte); Assassins et voleurs (Murderers and Thieves) (Sacha Guitry); Les aventures d’Arsene Lupin (Jacques Becker); Bakaruhaban (A Sunday Romance) (Imre Feher); Bakumatsu taiyoden (The Sun’s Legend) (Yuzo Kawashima); Berlin - Ecke Schoenhauser (Berlin - Schoenhauser Corner) (Gerhard Klein); Devushka bez adresa (Girl Without an Address) (Eldar Ryazanov); Do Ankhen Barah Haath (Two Eyes, Twelve Hands) (Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram); Dom v kotoromu ya zhivu (The House I Live In) (Lev Kulidzhanov, Yakov Segel); Les espions (Henri-Georges Clouzot); Ila ayn (Whither?) (George Nasr); Jun’ai monogatari (A Story of Pure Love) (Tadashi Imai); Los Jueves, milagro (Every Thursday, a Miracle) (Luis Garcia Berlanga); Kiiroi karasu (Yellow Crow) (Heinosuke Gosho); Musafir (Traveller) (Hrishikesh Mukherjee); Nachts, Wenn der Teufel kam (The Devil Strikes at Night) (Robert Siodmak); The Naked Truth (Mario Zampi); Ni liv (Nine Lives) (Arne Skouen); Le notti bianche (White Nights) (Luchino Visconti); The One That Got Away (Roy Ward Baker); Pavel Korchagin (Aleksandr Alov, Vladimir Naumov); Perri (Paul Kenworthy Jr, Ralph Wright); Porte des Lilas (The Gates of Paris) (Rene Clair); Sait-on Jamais (Roger Vadim); Le Seine a rencontre Paris (The Seine Meets Paris) (Joris Ivens); Si qian jin (Our Sister Hedy) (Tao Qin); Snezhnaya koroleva (The Snow Queen)(Lev Atamanov); Tiger In The Smoke (Roy Baker); Time Limit (Karl Malden); Tizoc (Ismael Rodriguez); Tohoku no zunmu-tachi (Men of Tohoku) (Kon Ichikawa); Tokyo boshoku (Tokyo Twilight) (Yasujiro Ozu); El Ultimo cuple (The Last Song) (Juan de Orduna); Urok istorii (A Lesson in History) (Lev Arnshtam, Hristo Piskov, Mikhail Romm); El Vampiro (Fernando Mendez); Die Zurcher Verlobung (The Affairs of Julie) (Helmut Kautner) There might be a couple I mentioned twice in here. Sorry. This comes from several of my lists and may have overlap. VINTAGE RATING (1957): 10 (perfect score)

[@dafilmvid9918]

WOW that are a lot of movies. Thank you very much for this many recommendations! Have a good day sir

[@davidkaiser]

I think that you also left out Edge of the City. Amazing.

[@BrendanJSmith]

What are your top 5 years?

[@franciscoduran4618]

I was thinking this year was severely lacking in animation only to be reminded that arguably the greatest animated short of all time dropped that year.

[@pokerpickles2306]

Finally someone recognises how truly exceptional 1957 was as a film year

[@Marmalade_Sally]

"Finally" like you've been waiitng for someone to say it for years lmao... like shut up dude , you didn't even think about it until you read the title today hahah

[@JAProductions494]

“The best year in film history is 1957” Me: “Of course it is, it was the year where Plan 9 from Outer Space was kind of released!” I legitimately thought that to myself whilst watching the video which meant that when you referenced it in the video, I got VERY happy. I love that movie way too much 😅 Also, on a more legitimate note, I definitely see why you think this way. I haven’t seen that many films from this year but from what I have seen… The Seventh Seal is brilliant Bridge on the River Kwai is fantastic Plan 9 from Outer Space is obviously a masterpiece 😜 And 12 Angry Men is one of my top 10 favourite films of all time There’s so many films from this year which I definitely want to watch soon though like Paths of Glory or Throne of Blood

[@Seth_M-T]

My favourite year is either 1975 or 1999. And seeing as you've already talked a lot about 1999, let me make the case for 1975: - Barry Lyndon - Jaws - Dog Day Afternoon - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Nashville - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles - Mirror - Deep Red - The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Picnic at Hanging Rock - Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom - The Man Who Would Be King - Love and Death - The Travelling Players As for the 21st century so far, I'd say the best year has to be 2019. And to be honest, 2023 was actually a really great year for films too. Definitely the best of this decade so far at least. I hope people will look back on it fondly in the future.

[@KennethConnally-np9it]

Some other good ones from '75: A Boy and His Dog, which heavily influenced the Fallout video games with its bizarre postapocalyptic world; The Stepford Wives, without which I doubt we would have Get Out; Terror of Mechagodzilla, last and I think one of the best of the Showa era Godzilla films; and Trilogy of Terror--specifically the final segment, which is one of the greatest things ever filmed.

[@SamAronow]

*2007: My top 30* 1. _Zodiac_ 2. _There Will Be Blood_ 3. _Superbad_ 4. _Hot Fuzz_ 5. _Ratatouille_ 6. _Grindhouse_ 7. _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_ 8. _No Country for Old Men_ 9. _Sunshine_ 10. _The Darjeeling Limited_ 11. _American Gangster_ 12. _Paranoid Park_ 13. _Death at a Funeral_ 14. _Charlie Wilson's War_ 15. _Sicko_ 16. _Before the Devil Knows You're Dead_ 17. _Eastern Promises_ 18. _My Winnipeg_ 19. _Disturbia_ 20. _The Lookout_ 21. _3:10__ to Yuma_ 22. _The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters_ 23. _Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story_ 24. _Into the Wild_ 25. _Enchanted_ 26. _I'm Not There_ 27. _4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days_ 28. _King of California_ 29. _Control_ 30. _Timecrimes_

[@SamAronow]

Yes, I've seen all of these and more (143 for the year in total). Just for fun, here's my _bottom_ 30 of 2007: 30. _Next_ 29. _I Think I Love My Wife_ 28. _Live Free or Die Hard_ 27. _Year of the Dog_ 26. _Spider-Man 3_ 25. _Alvin and the Chipmunks_ 24. _Chapter 27_ 23. _The Invasion_ 22. _Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters_ 21. _I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry_ 20. _License to Wed_ 19. _Stomp the Yard_ 18. _Why Did I Get Married?_ 17. _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_ 16. _Tranformers_ 15. _Rush Hour 3_ 14. _Good Luck Chuck_ 13. _Epic Movie_ 12. _The Number 23_ 11. _I Know Who Killed Me_ 10. _Georgia Rule_ 9. _Wild Hogs_ 8. _Norbit_ 7. _Redacted_ 6. _Postal_ 5. _Perfect Stranger_ 4. _In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale_ 3. _Bratz_ 2. _D-War_ 1. _Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour_

[@EyebrowCinema]

Real cool to see Superbad so high.

[@Hennannice]

Zodiac really is a 10/10 and I feel like people sleep on it.

[@itsnuts.9248]

@@SamAronowNah, unironically Spider-Man 3 is the goat.

[@franciscoduran4618]

Gone Baby Gone Rescue Dawn Stardust Michael Clayton Atonement Lust, Caution Eastern Promises Persepolis Sword of the Stranger Secret Sunshine (which has a performance that goes toe to toe with DDL's) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly The Mist Juno Knocked Up And I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of bangers. If it isn't the best year ever, it's arguably the best of the 21st century

[@Imagine66X]

The best part of watching Eyebrow videos is that I learn about loads of movies I’d never have ever heard of otherwise to add to my watchlist. I’ve been able to watch more than a few great movies because of his videos

[@maxis4343]

i love how you withheld the world cinema section of the video, i was waiting and waiting and when we finally got there it was well worth it. also, i certainly will brag about my own recognition of 1957 being among the best prior to seeing this video! yay me

[@plaidchuck]

1993 has gotta be up there: Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, The Fugitive, Mrs. Doubtfire, Philadelphia, Carlito's Way

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Ewww yeah don't just jump 1 year ahead to '94, the objectivley better year, and inarguably the best of that decade next to '99. Clerks, Once Were Warriors, Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Quiz Show, Natural Born Killers.... all '94 bangers. And you're putting Mrs Doubtfire up against them lmao.

[@plaidchuck]

@@Marmalade_Sallyhey Mrs Doubtfire pulled in the equivalent of 900 million today and was only second to Jurassic Park. You can’t dismiss that especially for a comedy. I’ll concede 94 was better but that just shows how strong the 90s were for movies

[@franciscoduran4618]

​@@Marmalade_SallyThe Lion King, Hoop Dreams

[@joselgarlitos6368]

What a great video! The details and information is well thought of

[@rupertpupkin1476]

Years ago, when constructing a list of all the movies I had seen I asked myself what years stood out to me as the best while a compendium of movies from all different eras was in front of me. The first and biggest that stood out was 1957 for having Paths of Glory, 12 Angry Men, and Sweet Smell of Success, all perfect or near perfect movies by my estimation. The year became burned into my mind as *the* standout year and that has been how I think of 1957 whenever I discover a movie that came out that year, even moreso when I saw Throne of Blood and others fit into that category as well. So funny to see my loosely grounded priors backed over the course of 2 hours with lots of great film recs to dive into.

[@shubhamtanwr_]

With every good film I see I feel reborn

[@Marmalade_Sally]

No you don't you overdramatic cornball lmao

[@badlula17]

A while ago I tried to awnser a similar question using my own methodology, and the awnser was 1975. The whole data and graphs is on reddit under the title: "Using letterboxd and excel to study the evolution in “quality” of best picture nominees 1927-2022" (you can't post links on yt) Glad to see you post again the video is amazing as always.

[@EyebrowCinema]

@@badlula17 i'll have to check that out. I like your approach.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Best picture nominees alone is a very limiting way to judge a year. The only way to judge is to watch a crap-ton of films from every year of the cinema.

[@dogeshark204]

My favorite movie ever, Jaws, was released that year, so I don't disagree.

[@badlula17]

@@OuterGalaxyLounge oh absolutely, I was awnsering kind of a different question cause I thought it would be fun. Im the last person to go to bat for hollywood.

[@badlula17]

@@EyebrowCinema thank you. It's obviously very very flawed, but still 1957 was a big outlier.

[@adamrabern3178]

This was a great video thank you very much. I hope you continue.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Among the many assertions about this online, this is the closest video that gets it right. 1957 is one of the very great years. I have a different list, but this is one I can't argue with. My list would be, roughly ranked, best at top: 1933 1934 1939 1940 1927 1957 1946 1964 1959 1960 1950 1994 I think if you list the actual releases film for film for these years, the number of substantial classics and second-tier gems make these the strongest contenders, at least from a Euro-American perspective. But I have also considered international films as well. The greatest films of the '60s and '70s are some of the best ever made, but the amount of dreck is also very high in those decades and that brings the overall score down for me. The 1980s are also weak (In this particular claim I agree with Tarantino) and I have no 1980s year on here, though things do start to improve in 1987-1989. 1999 is strong, but not as great as 1994. 1999 is probably the last great year of the cinema. I watched at least 120 classics and notable movies from each of these years to arrive at these conclusions, and you kind of have to do that to weigh into this with any credible authority.

[@ShoxyRoxy]

Fantastic video! Your writing is as informative and poignant as ever. It's always a good day for me when Eyebrow Cinema uploads lol

[@EyebrowCinema]

The wait between this and the next upload won't be too long.

[@olliemartinelli4034]

Great to see the Cranes are flying get some love. It has some of the most innovative and visually striking sequences I have ever seen.

[@chance3611]

I watched Witness for the Prosecution after watching this video and man… what an amazing performance by Charles Laughton. I will definitely be watching Funny Face next. Thanks for such an in-depth video.

[@Roflmaolinde]

The seventh seal is hilarious! It made me very proud as a Swede that Bergman took such a prominent place in your video! Now I’m looking forward to Fanny & Alexander on Boxing Day!

[@ModernMouse]

A killer topic I remember you putting the tweet out for. I'm half way through (gotta be an adult) but I'm excited to return and finish this one out!

[@GURken]

To soviet influence I would also add a three part epic "And Quiet Flows the Don" based on a Nobel Prize winning book of the same name. It was a direct response to Stalin's death and a following Khrushchev Thaw, because Mikhail Sholokhov, author of the book, was in Stalin's disfavor and Sergei Gerasimov, director, only in 1955 decided to make such film. And because of tremendous scale that happened in a novel, it was released only in '57, marking a new era of soviet film epics. P.S. Too bad you didn't chose 1968 - that was a real banger in the USSR.

[@EyebrowCinema]

I appreciate the recommendation.

[@keremmazman3761]

I would argue for 1966. New Hollywood was starting form with films like Mike Nichols' debut Who's Afraid From Virginia Woolf, Arthur Penn's The Chase and Sydney Pollack's second feature This Property Is Condemned(co-written for Francis Ford Coppola). Another influential director for New Hollywood, John Frankenheimer, released two films that year, Grand Prix and Seconds. Antonioni made his first English language feature with Blow-Up. Some of the Old Hollywood masters were still active too; Billy Wilder made The Fortune Cookie, William Wyler made How To Steal A Million etc. Sergio Leone made one of the best westerns ever, The Good The Bad And The Ugly. There were other interasting westerns too, like Monte Hellman's two westerns with Jack Nicholson and Sergio Corbucci's Django. Just like Hollywood other countries were experiencing a new wave too. Japanese New Wave classics like The Face Of Another, Tokyo Drifter, The Pornographers and Czech New Wave classics like Daisies, Intimate Lighting, Closely Observed Trains and Pearls Of The Deep was released in 1966. British cinema released two very influential BBC productions, War Game by Peter Watkins(an extremely underrated and unique filmmaker) and Cathy Come Home by Ken Loach. Also international directors like François Truffaut and Roman Polanski made a British film that year. French New Wave was still going strong with films like Godard's Masculin-Feminin, Lelouch's A Man And A Woman, Bresson's Au Hasard Balthasar, Rivette's The Nun etc. Ousmane Sembene made his first feature, Black Girl, in 1966. Young Törless and Yesterday Girl marked the start of German New Wave. There were other great films too; Persona by Bergman, Andrei Rublev by Tarkovsky, Wings by Larisa Sheptiko, The Round-Up by Miklós Jancsó, The Hero by Satyajit Ray are some examples. There were many masterpieces across genres and countries, some representing the cinema's past while some showing glimpses of it's future.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Eww ur wrong

[@BugVlogs]

@@Marmalade_Sally Would you care to elaborate on why you feel that way?

[@davidkaiser]

The Chase was one of the great disasters of all time.

[@kostajovanovic3711]

Grow a spine, bootlicker​@@Marmalade_Sally

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Don't forget THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS - one of my Top Ten Favorite Films!!!

[@Arctic_Willow]

1895. When it all began.

[@ayamutakino]

It’s the definitive best.

[@KennethConnally-np9it]

While I'm not convinced that 1957 was the best movie year ever, it may well be the best year ever for movies with numbers in the title: 12 Angry Men, the Seventh Seal, 3:10 to Yuma, Plan 9 from Outer Space...

[@z56113]

It's either 1957 or 1960 for me. I've had 1957 ahead for years as well but I think I'm leaning more and more towards the latter. Hard call.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Ah, a fellow 1957er. 1960 is also quite good.

[@Dudewtf527]

Switch the 7 and the 5 and you have the best year ever in my opinion An incredible thriller and the first true summer blockbuster that broke Spielberg into the business A comedy that is quoted constantly by nerds and Gen Xers and shows of the best of British Humor An incredible and deserving best picture winner that shows one of the greatest actors ever at his best And a soaring history period piece with an incredibly underrated score btw

[@ArijanMiletić]

For the first few minutes I was thinking "Isn't he even going to mention 1957?" and now I am really pleasantly suprised. Glad I am not the only one who thinks it was an outstanding year for cinema, and definitely the best.

[@tgriffin3059]

1976-Rocky, Carrie, and The Omen. Or, if not, then 1980 and the advent of the slasher explosion.

[@blackswan4486]

I believe the shining was 1980

[@tgriffin3059]

@@blackswan4486 Yes, I believe so. I wish I could relive those days.

[@louishart6725]

Seeing as Shawshank, Pulp Fiction, Gump, and Ed Wood are on the top of my list of my favorite films of all times and Hoop Dreams is up there for one of the best documentaries 1994 would be my unscientific biased as F pick.

[@dancortes3062]

1997 was also a very strong year for films. You had Titanic, L.A. Confidential, Jackie Brown, Boogie Nights, Lost Highway, The Game, and Good Will Hunting. In 1997 Lynch, Fincher, Tarantino, and P.T. Anderson all released a film in the same year. When people usually talk about great years for film in the 1990s, 1999 or 1994 usually get mentioned and 1997 gets overlooked, which I think is a shame.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Ye, '94 and '99 were much better.

[@EddieHenderson92]

97 was a strong year but 94 and 99 were better.

[@dancortes3062]

@@Marmalade_Sally I agree that 99 was better but Gump and Shawshank are highly overrated films. I think 97 was overall better than 94 and that's coming from a guy who thinks Pulp Fiction is better than any film released in 1997.

[@cla_bla]

Great, now I have to watch all these through next year...

[@deckarde4919]

I'd argue Bergman DID peak in the 1950s. He's a fundamentally 50s filmmaker, imo. I'd say Fanny and Alexander is a movie that makes more sense as a 50's film in style and acting made with more modern tech and actors.

[@badinfluence3814]

1962 is a front runner: Lawrence of Arabia, Dr No, Lolita, Jules et Jim, The Manchurian Candidate, The Trial, Birdman of Alcatraz, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Carnival of Souls, L'Eclisse, Ivan's Childhood, Knife in the Water, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Sanjuro, To Kill a Mockingbird.

[@ShaneRob93]

Great video! I've always loved this debate, but recently I'm invested in what might be the worst year for cinema. I think you have to add some qualifiers, e.g. the beginning years don't count, anomalies likes 2020 don't count, etc. but just a normal year for cinema/the world that didn't deliver the amount of high quality films that would normally be expected and/or perhaps just a slew of straight up bad films in a single year (again, you'd have to discount the many extremely low budget films that come out every year especially since the advent of digital cameras). I don't have an answer for this btw, I do have an answer in regards to a specific country but I'm keeping that close to the chest for now.

[@EyebrowCinema]

My gut reaction might be 1929 but that's mostly by virtue of the transition to talkies. I also haven't seen enough from 29 to fully commit to this take. Definitely a fun question to ponder though.

[@Seth_M-T]

2005 was pretty awful, despite the fact that the years surrounding it were great.

[@BugVlogs]

@@ShaneRob93 1983 was a pretty bad year in my opinion

[@plaidchuck]

Worst has to be early or mid 2000s. All of the disposable comedies, over the top jingoistic movies like Pearl Harbor, or historical epics ripping off Gladiator

[@elchoya8432]

1939 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,the GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD,.

[@bacarandii]

The 21st Century has seen a dramatic decline in the overall quality of American movies for sure -- and not just since many people stopped going to theaters after the pandemic. Another commenter makes an excellent case for 1957, but years ending with "9" have a history of being exceptional ones. For me, 1959 is also hard to beat: North By Northwest, Rio Bravo, Some Like It Hot, Imitation of Life, Nazarin, Pickpocket, The 400 Blows, Suddenly Last Summer, Anatomy of a Murder, Ozu's Floating Weeds AND Ohayu (Good Morning), Hiroshima Mon Amour, The World of Apu, Odds Against Tomorrow, Room at the Top, Shadows, Black Orpheus... and Ben-Hur, if you're into biblical epics. Some people claim the '50s were the worst decade for movies. Ha! Not when it comes to producing timeless classics that we still regard as peak achievements 60+ years later...

[@EyebrowCinema]

You make a real good case. Nice to see Room at the Top get some love too.

[@ayamutakino]

fucking horeshit. paul thomas anderson, sam mendes, edgar wright, david fincher, park chan-wook, bong joon-ho, phil lord & chris miller, lana & lilly wachowski, hideaki anno, and many genuine bold risktakers like them have made some of the greatest films of the 21st century.

[@negsterarchive7911]

1957 is an incredibly thoughtful pick and I have to agree

[@samuelbarber6177]

I would say maybe 1927, because it marked a game changing shift in movies. Not just in the advent of sound, but in the advent of awards. The first Academy awards may not have been held until 1929, but the first films to win debuted in ‘27. And also… just… Sunrise, Napoleon, Wings, Chicago. Was a good year. In general, I also love the silent era, one of the greatest, most artistic and most exciting eras of film. I’m also partial to 1977, mostly because my favourite movie of all time, Star Wars, released that year.

[@EyebrowCinema]

@@samuelbarber6177 that 27 is basically the last great hurrah for the silent era's artistry goes a long way.

[@samuelbarber6177]

@@EyebrowCinema indeed. Much as I love having sound, I also kind of wish all movies were still silent.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

1927 is a solid pick.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Another great celluloid exploration video!!! Personally for me, 1982 will remain THE best year in cinema ever. Six of my Top 💯 Favorite Films of All Time - E.T., BLADE RUNNER, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE THING, PINK FLOYD THE WALL, POLTERGEIST - are from that year ALONE. Happy Holidays!!!

[@nedd.8479]

My pick for best movie year would have to be 1971, which is especially notable for how controversial a lot of its best films were (and, in some cases, still are). Just to name a few: - A Clockwork Orange - The Devils (Ken Russell's criminally underappreciated 'The Boy Friend' is also from the same year) - Straw Dogs - Harold And Maude - Wake In Fright - Klute - Punishment Park - Get Carter - The French Connection (I know it's a very anglo-centric list; the only thing bringing that year down is the relative lack of great international films)

[@TheQuirkyCharacter]

Dirty Harry?

[@dj71162]

I would say either 1994 or 1999. Its not just because the standard was high and the output so diverse, but they are still a big part of pop culture, all these years later, that you can't say about 1957. Just think of all the iconic quotes from '94 and '99 that are still referenced today.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

It's cool if your a kid or teenager and haven't actually seen a movie from before the 90's. We won't judge you for it, silly. Just know when you use "quotability" as a measure of historical artistic merit, you make it really obvious that your clearly quite young. Which is fine, but just own it that's all. Talk about Pokémon or One-Piece or whatever really interest you.

[@dj71162]

@@Marmalade_Sally No, I was just saying it because that's my honest opinion. I love all of film history and would say the 70s was the strongest decade, but no specific year from it stands out as being stronger.

[@jkeegan154]

For me, it will always be 1976: Rocky Taxi Driver Network Marathon Man All The President's Men Carrie The Omen A Star Is Born Silver Streak

[@lydia1634]

Important point, the ethnicity of the kid in 12 Angry Men is never officially stated. The actor who plays him is Italian.

[@somerandomguy2696]

1999 without a doubt. Some of the best movies of all time coming from big budget studios and small independents as well as some great films from auteur legends and the arrival of new filmmakers. Eyes Wide Shut The Straight Story Fight Club Girl Interrupted American Beauty The Insider Bringing Out the Dead The Limey Go South Park: Bigger Longer Uncut Election Blair Witch Project Sixth Sense There was so much for everyone in every genre and it pains me to see how far the quality has dipped at my local multiplex. To have all of those movies playing at the same time in a theater in 1999 seems like an unrealistic dream. Only other year that would come close would be 1974 at the peak of New Hollywood.

[@plaidchuck]

I dunno, great movie year but American Beauty aged pretty badly and Go was a tarantino rip off(fun, but a rip off)

[@somerandomguy2696]

@ very much agreed. Though American Beauty is a weird cultural touchstone that’s feels nostalgic in a way and thematically irrelevant now in our post 9/11 world (and Spacey is also a creep which makes the subject matter that much more uncomfortable). Go is a fun ripoff for sure but also a really interesting time in Doug Liman’s career from indie director with Swingers and soon to be big studio guy with the Bourne Identity.

[@ayamutakino]

@@somerandomguy2696 It is genuinely fucking bullshit that a sexually abusive creep and a toxically masculine icon worshipped by assholes who stopped having good movies after OHMSS have messed up film critics’ minds and ruined the perception of one of the greatest film directors who ever lived, a true artist who has a risk-taking, ambitious, deeply personal, visionary filmography. American Beauty is great.

[@ayamutakino]

@@plaidchuckIf you’re a Bond fan who has no love for cinema, of course you would think American Beauty aged poorly.

[@BrendanJSmith]

The answers are 1939, 1940, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1974, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2002, and 2004.

[@ayamutakino]

2002 had Road to Perdition and Punch Drunk Love: two of the greatest films ever made. Insane that this isn’t considered the best year because of those movies alone.

[@DiogoMatheus-pj8bx]

2019 is good year too

[@thegrimelite]

Agreed! As a film lover who watches movies from all geographical regions and all decades, I'd have to agree that 1957 is all around the best year for film. Really good analysis :)

[@davidkaiser]

I enjoyed this presentation quite a bit. I am a 1962 fan myself--I don't think there's any year that can top the top 25 American films from that one. This makes a good case for 1957--but to my amazement, it ignored what to me is one of the top five films from that year: Martin Ritt's Edge of the City with Cassavetes, Poitier, and Jack Warden. You can find a free copy to stream right here on youtube right now. He should have included it in the section featuring 12 Angry Men. Check it out.

[@GatsbyMyself]

1994. Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Schindlers List, Philadelphia, Dumb and Dumber, Tombstone, The Piano, Leon the Professional and many more. Happy Holidays!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

1994 is the best year of the 1990s, not just for the more famous movies, of which there are quite a few, but for the endless number of indie gems and for some of the last really good European art films, and some of the greatest movies to come out of the Hong Kong golden age.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Schindler's List and The Piano are 1993. Do better.

[@EddieHenderson92]

Some of the movies that you mentioned are 1993.

[@BAJZERTproductions]

I am only eight minutes into this video and I’m reminded of a thought I had when last viewing A Face in the Crowd: the confluence of a dying studio system and the pressures of changing dynamics within entertainment and the world lead to some absolute fucking bangers. Shout out to THIS era of Hollywood, Classical Japanese cinema, the Euro art house and beyond. Anyways back to the video lol

[@gumbycat5226]

When you ask the question, which is the best year, it is important to state the criteria by which you will evaluate each year. 1957 was my year of birth😊 My favourite year was 1964. My criterion is, which year had the most films that changed your life? For me it was two movies in particular, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady. It was also the definitive year for James Bond with Goldfinger, the year in which Blake Edward’s and Peter Sellers peaked, with A Shot in the Dark, the year Stanley Kubrick finally became his latter self with Dr Strangelove.

[@forecheckbackcheckpaycheck]

good to see another one pick 1964. Damn fine films

[@deteon1418]

Yes! Yes! Yes! I have long thought that 1957 is one of the best cinema years ever.

[@mrwoodandmrtin]

Not a single year, but the decade between 1976 and 1986 was the most fun time for the kind of films that fired up our imaginations.♨

[@robroy6374]

1980-1989 for me.

[@GrandArchPriestOfTheAlgorithm]

What do you mean with best year? Because it sems to be taken with a TNG* mindset, I.E you only look at the best of the best. Instead of looking at the average, or bad ones. It seems to me the real question here is: Which year had the best top 15? *TNG vs DS9 is a non-debate, mostly because there’s a really simple compromise: TNG’s best episodes are better than DS9’s best episodes, but DS9’s average episode is better than TNG’s average episode. Everyone seems to be ok with that statement.

[@EyebrowCinema]

Interesting point. It would be intriguing to try and average out some sort of score, though getting an average would also mean really diving deep into a year's releases to get as accurate an account as possible.

[@DesignatedMember]

​​@@EyebrowCinemaIMDB offers such a breakdown as a basic feature. It will give you an average score year-by-year (as long as you have seen more than 11 films from that year). I have about 4900 films rated on the site. 1984 tops it for me with a 6.39 rating from 60 movies. Not an obvious pick for best year by any means. (Once Upon a Time in America, Terminator, Amadeus, Temple of Doom... Paris, Texas being the most well-known cinematic standouts) But it averages high on the strenght of the B-movie excellence of that year bringing home a lot of 7s and 8s. (Fucking Trancers was released that year! Dry hair is for Squids!).

[@hairsstandonend]

Paths Of Glory is maaaaybe my favorite Kubrick film. And Kubrick is maaaybe my favourite director. The bar scene always makes me well up.

[@corbinmarkey466]

I keep an ever growing and perpetually incomplete list of all my favorite movies, organized by year and decade. And wouldn't you know it, 1957 is the most represented year I have in the 50's.

[@michaelhurley3171]

1939 and it will never be equaled!

[@chrisj.9882]

Another great film from 1957: Don Kikhot, a Russian retelling of Cervantes's Don Quixote story. It's hard to get a hold of, but it's absolutely fantastic.

[@rid71k]

This guy is a treasure

[@krosewall]

nice work! would've liked to hear a bit more about noirs that came out that year.

[@Tolstoy111]

“Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter” is another distinguished 1957 film.

[@Rudykawa]

People usually forgets 4 months 3 weeks 2 days when talking about 2007. Best movie from that year.

[@taylora5224]

The last 3 strip technicolor film came out in 1955. The “technicolor” used in 1957 used similar processes to Eastman Kodak.

[@AkhileshSingh-hy3nc]

1960 : Psycho, L'Avventura, Peeping Tom, La Verite, Rocco and His Brothers, Virgin Spring, La Dolce Vita, Spartacus, The Apartment, Eyes Without a Face, The Fugitive Kind, The Goddess (Devi), Breathless, Inherit the Wind, Cruel Story of Youth, The Bad Sleep Well

[@AardvarkDK]

Tokyo Twilight is such a strange Ozu film. If someone were to tell me that it was actually directed by Naruse, I'd find it very easy to believe.

[@cl8804]

what film is the clip immediately after the seventh seal and paths of glory at 4:40?

[@aidanphr1446]

funny face

[@cl8804]

@@aidanphr1446 tyvm

[@MosesWine]

Wait. Have I been saying Ranown wrong all this time? Never heard it pronounced "Ranon". I may need to revisit Forty Guns because I seem to be the only one who thinks its just OK. The ending really did not work for me. Great video as always. One of your best yet actually!

[@DwRockett]

8:02 not sure if I have ever seen the use of a title card be quite as effective, or quite as funny, as this moment here lmao

[@EyebrowCinema]

lmao thank you.

[@kidchameleon9572]

For me, easily 1999. We get diverse classics from fight club to office space, and movies that changed cinema as a whole like the matrix or the sixth sense. Even the best picture winner that year wasn’t bad. Although American Beauty often gets overlooked as there are so many legendary films in 1999. And since he’s the one who got me into this channel, Kevin smith made his best movie that year: Dogma. And the crazy thing is, he’s far from the only one!

[@ayamutakino]

Sam Mendes never gets the respect he truly deserves. Kevin Spacey and James Bond ruined his reputation and thanks to those assholes, film critics deeply misjudged this true artist (on the same level as David Fincher, Edgar Wright, The Coen Brothers, Denis Villeneuve, etc) as a hack.

[@fredo1070]

1987 - RoboCop, Predator, Lethal Weapon, Dirty Dancing, Princess Bride, Wall Street, The Untouchables, Full Metal Jacket, Fatal Attraction, The Last Emperor. But that is offset by Ishtar, Superman IV Quest for Peace and Jaws the Revenge.

[@EyebrowCinema]

I am a modest Superman IV defender so I endorse this year.

[@patrickc3419]

EVER is hard, but what comes to mind is basically the entire decade of the 70s.

[@robderiche]

glad to hear my lobbying for 1974 is gaining traction… Big obvious classics plus then-young filmmakers like Carpenter, De Palma, and Tobe Hooper starting to make their mark… Godfather 2 Chinatown The Conversation Blazing Saddles Young Frankenstein Dark Star Phantom of the Paradise Zardoz A Woman Under the Influence Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Texas Chainsaw Massacre Black Christmas Female Trouble

[@charlieodyssey7437]

Shoutout to 1973. Exorcist, Day of the Jackal, Long Goodbye. The winner isn’t that bad either! 1976, too

[@mickey4355]

My answer has always been 1991. A gold mine of great hits and hidden gems.

[@Marmalade_Sally]

Ewww said no one ever.

[@kostajovanovic3711]

​@@Marmalade_Sallywrong again

[@Liam_Mellon]

2012 > 2016 >2019 Of all the years of the 2010s, why would you give a shoutout to 2019 when there are plenty of better and more obvious choices

[@thetalentof]

1999 if I was pushed to take one year's entire filmography to a desert island.

[@robertfaulkner1824]

The year I graduated high school… no shortage of bangers. 99 that is

[@joeypascarelli7304]

Can't forget about the giant claw that's from fifty seven too

[@stephenbecker5936]

1986. Aliens, Platoon, The Fly

[@ayamutakino]

Every year is the best movie year.

[@LyraFay12]

I'm suprised that you didn't mention that some Looney Tunes premieres such as Fritz Freleng's Three little bops and Chuck Jones' Ali Baba Bunny or Old Yeller?!

[@bensneb360]

To me 2022 is the best… because that was when I released my first feature film, but to be fair it’s the best until I release my next film lol

[@erikbihari3625]

Only one who thought Audrey Heapburn looked like Hailee Steinfeld when upon that ladder? Tell!

[@jlg5967]

1928,the last effective year of silent cinema.