1/21: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick’s mind-blowing science fiction epic traces human evolution from the first tools to space exploration and computers run amok.  Kubrick’s exacting directorial style and penchant for challenging audiences are married beautifully, leading to an ending sequence that has amazed and baffled audiences since its release in 1968.  Visually stunning, with timeless effects and ship design, and use of classical music that is still referenced today, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a perfect film to see with an enthralled audience in a theater!

2/11: Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope

Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope is a film that took the world by surprise, and storm. George Lucas’s repurposing of the hero’s journey with heavy special effects, tremendous casting that made stars of unknowns, and iconic character, set, costume, and ship design helped to create the concept of the summer blockbuster and expanded how films can be marketed and merchandised.  It all comes back to this, though, a film that is still thrilling beyond the hype and cultural power that the Star Wars franchise now wields.

3/18 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

For the second film in his take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s series of novels, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers brought Gollum to vivid life through CGI and the remarkable motion capture work of Andy Serkis.  This innovative use of technology made Gollum’s character sympathetic and frightening in ways that some thought CGI couldn’t be.  It also opened the debate to when performers would be Oscar nominees for motion capture work.  The Two Towers also features the epic storytelling that made the first film a tremendous hit and the third film a multiple Oscar winner, cementing this as one of the most successful trilogies in film history.

4/22 The Matrix

In 1999, The Matrix was released, igniting a series and changing the careers of stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as putting the Wachowskis on a new level as filmmakers.  A heady mix of science fiction, martial arts, set design, and striking costuming, The Matrix is still sometimes best known for its popularizing of the “bullet time” effect, which warped time and perspective to give us a view of action scenes many had not encountered before.  Extremely entertaining and thrilling, The Matrix is a fantastic big screen experience!

5/20 Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Robert Zemeckis has been pursuing the marriage of story and special effects for much of his career.  In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, he is able to bring together traditional animation techniques, practical effects, and characters who’d rarely shared the screen before.  A take on the hard-boiled detective story, Who Framed Roger Rabbit follows Eddie Valiant’s investigation of infidelity and murder in Hollywood and Toontown.  Featuring strong performances from Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer (Roger Rabbit), and the uncredited Kathleen Turner (Jessica Rabbit), Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a wild and edgy summertime delight!

6/10 Terminator 2: Judgment Day

James Cameron has become synonymous with big budget Hollywood spectacle, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the early reasons why.  Revisiting the iconic character he created with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1984, Cameron was able to more fully realize his vision with bigger action sequences, a more operatic story, and powerful CGI usage in the creation of the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a liquid-metal Terminator.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day has a blend of practical and digital effects that keeps it a favorite amongst moviegoers today.

9/16 Mad Max: Fury Road

30 years after completing the original Mad Max trilogy, George Miller was finally able to release Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015.  Virtually a non-stop chase sequence, Fury Road uses thrilling practical effects (Miller claiming 90% of the film’s effects being practical), inventive camera work, and subtle CGI elements to realize this new saga in Mad Max’s world.  The character of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, was so powerful that she’d end up being the focus of the fifth film in the Mad Max series, released in 2024.  For many, though, Fury Road is one of the great action films due to its thrilling storytelling and high-stakes practical effects work!

10/7 A Trip to the Moon and Gojira

Georges Melies’s A Trip to the Moon (1902) is a wonderfully imaginative short film telling the story of a group of men flying to the moon and the excitement and danger encountered there.  Theatrical and innovative in its early use of special effects, A Trip to the Moon is an important and influential foundational work.  This pairs well with Gojira (1954), the first Godzilla film.  Gojira blends practical effects such as monster suits and detailed miniatures with a warning of the impacts of reckless science to tell a story that is thrilling, scary, and began a franchise that has spawned over 37 films!

11/8 The War of the Worlds (1953)

H.G. Wells’ story of interplanetary strife, The War of the Worlds, was turned into this Oscar winning (Best Special Effects) film where the effects truly are the star.  Detailing the beginning of the invasion of Earth by (presumably) Martians, The War of the Worlds brought fear through its incredible ship design, including its look, movement, and sound effects.  Wells’ book has been adapted many times, but this version of the invading ships is one for the ages!