Top Movies Of 1968

From Sergio Leone, starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Rated PG-13

Once Upon a Time in the West is a 1968 spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale and Charles Bronson. The film follows the story of a mysterious stranger (Fonda) who arrives in the town of Flagstone and works to undermine a ruthless railroad tycoon (Bronson) who is trying to take control of the region. Along the way, the stranger comes into contact with a former prostitute (Cardinale) who is looking to avenge her husband’s murder, as well as a bandit (Jason Robards) with a complex history of his own. As the story unfolds, the stranger’s true identity and motivations become clearer, leading to a gripping finale in which the forces of good and evil do battle. Featuring stunning cinematography, inventive music, and a compelling narrative, Once Upon a Time in the West is a classic of the genre and one of Leone’s most acclaimed films.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Rated G

2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film written and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The film follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient computer Hal after the discovery of a mysterious black monolith affecting human evolution. The film deals with themes of existentialism, human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life. It is renowned for its scientific accuracy, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous imagery. The film is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made.

From Roman Polanski, starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer
Rated Approved

Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 horror film directed by Roman Polanski. It tells the story of a young couple, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, who move into an apartment building with a sinister past. After becoming pregnant, Rosemary begins to suspect her husband and their strange neighbors of conspiring to use her unborn child for a Satanic ritual. Despite her mounting terror, Rosemary is too powerless to escape the clutches of the cult and eventually gives birth to the devil’s child. The film is widely regarded as one of the best horror films of all time, and its themes of paranoia and religious cults remain relevant today.

From Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Rated G

Planet of the Apes is a 1968 science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and Linda Harrison. The film is set in a future in which humans have been enslaved by intelligent apes. Astronaut George Taylor (Heston) crash-lands on the planet and meets a small group of human survivors struggling to survive against their ape oppressors. After a series of adventures, Taylor and the humans discover the truth behind the ape civilization, that it was once human. Together they must face the challenge of overthrowing their masters and restoring freedom to the planet. The film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup and is widely recognized as an influential classic of science fiction cinema.

From D.A. Pennebaker, starring Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar, Country Joe McDonald
Rated Not Rated

Monterey Pop is a documentary film directed by D.A. Pennebaker that captures the three-day Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The festival, which was held in northern California, was the first major music festival in the United States and featured a line-up of iconic musicians such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, The Who, and the Mamas and the Papas. The film is an immersive and vibrant experience that showcases the music, the atmosphere, and the spirit of the festival. It is an important document of the rise of popular music in the 1960s and a unique look at the stars that defined the era.

From George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman
Rated Not Rated

Night of the Living Dead is a classic 1968 horror film directed by George A. Romero. The movie follows a group of strangers who are forced to take refuge in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse to escape the onslaught of a hoard of flesh-eating zombies. With the dead rising from their graves, the survivors must work together to find a way to survive the night and stay alive. As tensions rise and the living dead close in, the group must fight for their lives under increasingly dire circumstances. The film is an iconic look into the world of horror, and is widely considered to be the birth of the modern zombie film.

From Gene Saks, starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler, Herb Edelman
Rated Passed

The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy-drama film directed by Gene Saks and written by Neil Simon. Based on Simon's 1965 stage play of the same name, the film follows two recently divorced men—the neat, uptight Felix Ungar (Jack Lemmon) and the slovenly, easy-going Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau)—who decide to live together, even though their personalities clash. Together, the two men learn to accept and even enjoy their differences as they find themselves caught up in a series of comedic situations. The Odd Couple is considered a classic and has been remade several times in numerous languages and formats.

From Franco Zeffirelli, starring Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, Milo O'Shea
Rated PG

Romeo and Juliet (1968) is a classic romantic tragedy directed by Franco Zeffirelli. It is an adaptation of the 1597 play written by William Shakespeare. The film follows the two young star-crossed lovers, Romeo Montague (Leonard Whiting) and Juliet Capulet (Olivia Hussey). The two families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are in a bitter feud, which results in a number of conflicts between their respective children. The young lovers are unable to keep their feelings for each other a secret and soon their romance blossoms. But, their love is forbidden and they struggle to find a way to be together. The movie culminates with a tragic ending when Romeo kills Juliet's cousin and then takes his own life in an attempt to be reunited with her in death.

From Brian G. Hutton, starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark
Rated M

"Where Eagles Dare" is an action-packed World War II movie directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. The film follows a group of Allied soldiers led by Major John Smith (Burton) and U.S. Ranger Lieutenant H.M. Schaffer (Eastwood) as they embark on a dangerous mission to infiltrate a Nazi stronghold in the Alps and rescue a captured American general. With the help of a beautiful German agent, they must battle both the Nazis and the treacherous terrain to complete their mission. Along the way, they uncover a far-reaching Nazi conspiracy that could threaten the entire Allied campaign. In the end, they succeed in their mission, but not without a cost.

From Mel Brooks, starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars
Rated PG

The Producers is an American satirical comedy film from 1967 directed by Mel Brooks. It follows Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), who are two down-on-their luck Broadway producers. When Bloom is auditing Bialystock's books, he discovers that they could make more money with a flop of a show than with a hit. With this in mind, the two set out to find the worst play ever written, "Springtime for Hitler", and the worst director they can find. However, the show is a massive success and they must now find a way to make it fail. The Producers is a hilarious comedy that pokes fun at the Broadway industry and the lengths people will go to make money.

From John Cassavetes, starring John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Lynn Carlin, Seymour Cassel
Rated R

Faces is a 1968 American independent drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes and starring John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Seymour Cassel, and Gena Rowlands. The film follows a recently separated middle-aged couple who each struggle to find a new life and cope with their loneliness. The husband, Richard, is a successful businessman who is drawn to the vibrant nightlife of Los Angeles, while the wife, Maria, is a lonely housewife looking for companionship and meaning in her life. As the two grapple with their feelings of alienation and confusion, they are both forced to confront the realities of their situation. With its raw and improvisational style, Faces paints a vivid portrait of the struggles of modern life and the human struggle to find love and connection in a world of alienation and disappointment.

From Carol Reed, starring Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed
Rated G

From George Dunning, starring Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon
Rated G

From William Wyler, starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis
Rated G

From Peter Yates, starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn, Don Gordon
Rated M/PG

From Ralph Nelson, starring Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney
Rated M

From Norman Jewison, starring Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, Jack Weston
Rated Approved

From Ken Hughes, starring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill
Rated G

From Roger Vadim, starring Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea
Rated PG