Buzz
Some films entertain us. Some films move us deeply. A rare few leave a lasting impression. And then there are those that fundamentally transform filmmaking itself.
Whether through the introduction of groundbreaking techniques, sparking a new trend in filmmaking, or making a subtle shift in how movies are made, certain films will be remembered for changing the course of cinema history.
Here are 10 films that, in their own unique ways, revolutionized filmmaking for good.
10. The Film That Resurrected 3D Cinema
There was a time when 3D films were seen as nothing more than a novelty. Moviegoers would don cardboard glasses with one red lens and one blue, which, for some odd reason, were square-shaped.
Most films were predominantly in 2D, with a few scenes occasionally given a painted 3D effect during post-production. This method was costly and didn't excite audiences enough to make them forget how ridiculous they looked wearing the glasses. However, everything changed in 2009 with James Cameron’s Avatar.
IMAX had been experimenting with 3D techniques since the mid-1980s, and a few movies and documentaries had dabbled with the format. Disney also ventured into 3D, but none of these films left a significant mark on the industry.
In 2004, Cameron directed the documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, using his patented Reality Camera System. He and Bill Paxton explored the wreckage of the Titanic (the actual ship, not the movie set), capturing it in eerie 3D. While the film was more of a novelty, the real Titanic did resemble its film counterpart in a chilling way.
But with Avatar, 3D cinema truly came into its own. Though it was an expensive undertaking, the returns were staggering, and it became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The story of a man's struggle between aiding his employer in exploiting a planet of blue-skinned inhabitants living in harmony with nature or escaping the chains of oppression (and his own wheelchair) struck a universal chord with audiences. After all, we've all faced moments of such dilemma.
The movie's success led to the revival of 3D in filmmaking, prompting nearly every action blockbuster to release both 2D and 3D versions, effectively doubling their earnings. However, in recent years, audiences for 3D films have started to dwindle, leaving the reason unclear—whether it's because cinemagoers now view 3D as a gimmick or because they aren't willing to pay a premium for 3D seats. Is Avatar 2 on the horizon?
9. This is Real Footage
From the world's priciest film to one of the most affordable. The Blair Witch Project was created with just $10 and a nickel that the director discovered wedged between couch cushions. Of course, it was slightly more than that, but not by much.
Armed with inexpensive cameras, no script, unpolished actors, and a lot of audacity, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez revolutionized the film industry. Or more specifically, they transformed the horror genre.
'Found-footage' wasn't a new technique. It had been utilized in literature for years, but its cinematic debut is believed to be in Cannibal Holocaust, a film that lives up to its unsettling name.
The Blair Witch Project isn't exactly a cinematic gem. It's not even a standout in the horror genre. Yet, it did feature an ingenious marketing strategy. When it was showcased at The Sundance Festival, the actors were listed as either Missing or Deceased. No glamorous red-carpet experience for them.
The official movie website showcased Missing Person's posters and pleas for help, making it one of the first films to employ a viral marketing tactic. The film also carried a disclaimer warning the audience that what they were about to watch was real footage. Of course, it wasn't.
However, this fabrication played a pivotal role in The Blair Witch Project's enormous commercial success and set the stage for the next decade, during which nearly every horror film would revolve around a group of kids with a camera and an urban legend that no one had ever heard of.
And you know, while the kids might not make it out unscathed, the camera will, tragically, always survive.
8. The Very Last Installment (Part 1)
Franchises with multiple installments can be extremely profitable, and one effective way to keep the revenue flowing is by splitting the final movie into two parts.
When the cinematic phenomenon that is Harry Potter first hit theaters with The Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, the end of the saga felt like a distant prospect. Yet by 2010, the young actors were looking too mature for their school uniforms. As the conclusion neared, the final book was split into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part One). Wait, but there were 7 books—so, 7 films, right? The studio had other plans.
The studio's reasoning was that they wanted to properly adapt the lengthy book, which had several unresolved threads that, in fairness to the audience, needed to be neatly wrapped up.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the $2.5 billion worldwide gross, DVD sales, streaming rights, or merchandising. No, it was all about making sure the fans were satisfied. The poor Hogwarts students had to shave their beards and put on those uniforms for yet another year.
Since the success of Harry Potter, numerous franchises have adopted the tactic of milking one last payday from a movie series. Whether you think it’s a wise move likely depends on which side of the cash cow you’re on. We prefer the front end.
7. The Summer Monster Movie
In 1975, the monster movie that defined summer blockbusters was unleashed off the shores of Amity Island. That movie was Jaws, and it forever changed the summer movie season.
Directed by Steven Spielberg in his directorial debut, the film had two powerful elements. First, the unforgettable score by John Williams, which is still iconic after 45 years, and secondly, the fact that the Great White shark terrorizing the beach was rarely seen. This was because the mechanical shark was a disaster, and Spielberg knew it. He cleverly opted for shark POV shots, frantic legs, and eerily still water hiding the monster’s presence.
With Williams’ haunting score as the backdrop, Jaws delivered two things: the summer monster blockbuster and the realization that the unseen monster is far scarier than the one you can actually see.
6. The Sequel
When a film becomes a massive success, it's only natural for studios to want to milk it for all it's worth. Many studios even assess the potential for sequels before acquiring the rights, as the success of the first movie often guarantees the sequel will follow suit.
You might assume that sequels are a contemporary trend, but that’s not the case. The first known sequel, The Fall of a Nation, was directed by Thomas Dixon Jr. in 1916. It came out just one year after DW Griffith's monumental The Birth of a Nation, and only a few years after the release of the first-ever full-length feature film.
So, while sequels are likely here to stay, The Fall of a Nation didn’t last. No known copies exist today, though new and inventive sequels continue to emerge.
The first sequel to surpass its predecessor at the box office was From Russia With Love, which earned $8 million more than the previous Bond film, Dr. No.
The Return of The Jedi holds the distinction of being the first third installment of a trilogy to be considered superior to the first two, with critics agreeing that it surpasses both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Interestingly, it grossed the least of the three films and was the only one not to win an Oscar.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day deserves a special mention in the sequel's history for its pioneering use of the colon to add a new subtitle to an established franchise. This innovation sparked a trend in which colon-based titles became a staple, appearing in nearly all the Avengers movies and the famously convoluted Die Hard: With a Vengeance.
5. The Film That Killed Hand-Drawn Animation
Toy Story holds the distinction of being the first feature-length film created entirely through computer animation. Released in 1995 by the small, independent studio Pixar, it was a groundbreaking movie—innovative, witty, and beloved by audiences. It’s become one of the most cherished animated films of all time, which is wonderful.
However, Toy Story also marked the beginning of the end for traditional hand-drawn animation. Despite their early opposition to Pixar’s approach, Disney eventually embraced the advantages of computer animation. Though they fought to keep the traditional methods alive, their final hand-drawn movie, Winnie the Pooh, was released in 2011.
Before that, Disney had already begun incorporating more computer technology into their animation process, with every Disney movie since 1990 utilizing their Computer Animated Production System to some extent.
Does it really matter? Probably not. While it's always sad when progress leads to the downfall of a long-standing industry, Toy Story and all the films that followed were still the result of the hard work of artists, writers, and actors.
Toy Story didn't win over millions of hearts just because of its computer animation. What made it truly special was the heartwarming friendship between a cowboy and an astronaut.
4. The First Remake
Sometimes, a film is simply so fantastic that you want to see it again, but with a new twist.
For Cecil B. DeMille, it seemed more like a mission to perfect his creation. In 1914, he directed The Squaw Man, a story about a British gentleman wrongly convicted of a crime. Seeking a fresh start in the American West, he rescues a 'tribal princess' from an outlaw. They fall in love, have a child, and live happily for years, until evidence of his innocence surfaces. Conveniently, his wife dies, and their son is sent away for his own safety, allowing him to return to England and reclaim his 'real' life.
Not a film that has aged particularly well, perhaps, but DeMille seemed to have a special fondness for it, as he remade it just one year later and gave it a new life as a talkie in 1931.
The first film was a modest success, grossing $20,000. The second film doubled that amount, but the third one ended up losing $150,000. A fourth version was never made.
3. Call That A Costume?
The Lord of the Rings gave us a lot to remember. It introduced hobbits, elves, and dwarves, and made sure we knew they were definitely not the same. Who would've guessed? It also gave us a fresh perspective on New Zealand, hours of sore butts with 3-hour-plus films, and Andy Serkis in a motion-capture suit, portraying Gollum.
Although motion capture experiments had been happening for some time — with Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) being one of the first examples — it wasn’t until The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) that real-time motion capture became a reality.
The motion capture suit has given birth to a multitude of films featuring actors in peculiar outfits and has secured Andy Serkis a career where his face remains largely unseen.
2. Dialogue Is Optional
Most screenplays are made up of dialogue and stage directions, but Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey seemed to make one of these optional.
The film became particularly notable for its lengthy stretches of complete silence. The first and final 20 minutes of the movie are entirely devoid of dialogue, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere for the viewer.
The silence wasn’t the only challenge — Kubrick also minimized music, especially during the rare moments when dialogue did occur, robbing the audience of typical sound cues to understand what they should be feeling or what was happening.
The technique is unsettling, which might explain its recent use in the suspense/horror film, The Quiet Place. Despite this, very few filmmakers opt for this approach, as stripping away dialogue and music demands exceptional direction to hold the audience’s attention. When executed well, though, the result is striking.
1. The Footnote
Certain films leave a lasting impression on cinema, while others fade into the background. The Muppet Movie, for instance, may be considered a mere footnote in the grand scheme of film history.
If you’re a fan of The Muppets, you probably loved The Muppet Movie. But if not, you might have thought, ‘It’s just a film about puppets trying to make it big in Hollywood.’ Nothing groundbreaking, right?
But the moment the credits began to roll, The Muppet Movie became a pioneer, as it was the first film to feature a post-credit scene. In this case, Animal was seen shouting at the audience to ‘Go Home!’
This created a trend in films where additional scenes after the credits roll are completely separate from the main story. These scenes either tease the next part of a franchise or provide a funny moment for those in the audience who stick around, ignoring the staff with trash bags waiting to clean up before the next showing.
Fans of Avengers: End Game nearly revolted after enduring a marathon three and a half hour movie spanning 23 films. They sat through the credits, only to discover that this film, unlike others, didn’t have a post-credit scene. Instead, they were left with a single, irritating sound. Thanks for nothing.
