It's 1961! Cold War tensions are at a fever pitch, the anti-colonial movement is rising, and in theaters, the French New Wave is at its peak. In Hollywood, moviegoers are getting their first looks at Audrey Hepburn's little black dress - and their first listen to the musical genius of (the late, great) Stephen Sondheim. Around the world, great directors like Luis Buñuel and Akira Kurosawa are making some of their most treasured classics. But which one film of 1961 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the man with no name, unceremonious fight scenes, great animal actors, the absence of shadows, Last Supper parodies, Henry Mancini, actors in brownface and yellowface, the greatness of Rita Moreno, and the best strategy for winning at Nim - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1961.
The nominees are Breakfast at Tiffany's, Last Year at Marienbad, Viridiana, West Side Story, and Yojimbo. Who wins the Moonlight?