Classics

[Seil]

There's plenty of movies out there; some good and some bad. But there are some movies that will be there forever. Referenced, parodied, vulnerable to rabid fans everywhere. These are the classics - and I'm not talking about Cassblanca, or Gone With The Wind; I'm talking about Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, Monty Python, Snakes On A Plane.

What modern movies have become classics? What are some classics that you would recommend?

The Godfather
The Original Star Wars Trilogy
Fight Club
Unbreakable
Pulp Fiction
Toy Story
The Original Planet Of The Apes
Any Monty Python Film

[Xaeta]

American Beauty
Office Space
Remember the Titans
Varsity Blues

something about American Beauty just relents to make you relax and look back. Office Space is like something you should watch occasionally just to feel relieved and have a good laugh about the bulls**t taken at work. Remember the Titans and Varsity Blues - classic and fun football movies.

[Regulus Tera]

Ratatouille (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_%28film%29): Arguably Pixar's best animated film. It just strikes every chord it needs to and has a perfect pacing.
The Lion King (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The Lion King): It's the fucking Lion King man. Even if it's a rip-off of Kimba the White Lion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimba_the_White_Lion), it succeeds in bringing the Hamlet tale to the modern audience.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_film_trilogy): Star Wars for the beginning of the XXI century.
La Vita è Bella (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_vita_%C3%A8_bella): Beautiful movie that demonstrates how we should cling to hope even in the worst of circumstances.
Amores Perros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amores Perros): It exemplifies the modern Mexican cinema in ways that I can only compare to what Gabo did for Spanish literature with Cien Años de Soledad.
21 Gramos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Grams): Continues the theme started by Amores Perros. It would be the second part of the trilogy I guess.
Babel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_%28film%29): Iñárritu's the shit. Although I hated the ending, it's good for opening the eyes of those close-minded people who live in their own bubbles.
El Laberinto del Fauno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El Laberinto del Fauno): Excellent production values that merge fairy tales and the Spanish Civil War into a project that has to be seen to be believed.
El Espinazo del Diablo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_espinazo_del_diablo): Isn't it obvious that Guillermo del Toro loves the Spanish Civil War? That doesn't make any less awesome though.
Diarios de Motocicleta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motorcycle_Diaries_%28film%29): Although it shouldn't be used as a substitute for the book, it narrates the life of the Che in such a human way you cannot help but admire the path that led to his ideals.
Y tu Mamá También (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_tu_mam%C3%A1_tambi%C3%A9n): Best road movie ever. The mindfuck at the end is unbelievable.

[Savage Thinking]

I'd like to mention Scarface. Al Pacino is absolutely golden in that movie. Also, Clerks. Just because it's motherfucking Clerks.

[Smarty McBarrelpants]

I'm confused by a lot of your lists. A "classic" movie is not necessarily a good movie (Off the top of my head I could name about 5 1939 movies that are better than Gone with the Wind) and not one that you like particularly.
It really becomes a movie that will define its generation, particularly for later viewers. So its hard to speculate exactly what will become classic but if you were it needs to be movies that shaped the way everybody thinks and thus they need to be very popular and influential.
I don't see how movies like Varsity Blues or Unbreakable will ever become classics when they are quite niche and not that well recognised.

[Regulus Tera]

I'm confused by a lot of your lists. A "classic" movie is not necessarily a good movie (Off the top of my head I could name about 5 1939 movies that are better than Gone with the Wind) and not one that you like particularly.

Well...

Snakes On A Plane.

After that I just assumed he was talking about movies that should become classic.

[Archbio]

That's really a too narrow (and kind of odd) definition of "classic", BHS. Still, I have to agree that "definitive" is probably a key word for determining what could be a classic work or not. But it can simply be definitive of a style or genre, or even, yes, niche.

Seven Samurai is a classic in any sense of the term.

PS: all movies are modern.

[Xaeta]

I just stated movies that were classic to me and I could never really tire of watching.

[Seil]

I just stated movies that were classic to me and I could never really tire of watching.

Bingo.

[Fifthfiend]

Conan the Barbarian. Action done the old way, before they came up with their fancy newfangled "plot" and "production values" and lame shit like that.

[Tiako]

The Maltese Falcon, The Searchers, Seven Samurai, Citizen Kane...

Oh you meant new movies. They are inferior! I was all excited that, hey, someone actually wanted to discuss movies made before 1970! Bleh.

EDIT: Note that I'm kind of joking here. I realized it might not be clear enough.

Also, I think a classic can't be considered so unless it has aged at least thirty years. Snakes on a Plane, for example, will be gone and happily forgotten in five. I firmly believe Fight Club will not stand the test of time, but I'm willing to admit I am probably wrong there.

All of the Coen Brothers movies will survive, as will Spielberg. Beyond that, I'm not too sure.