1964: My top 10 movies from 50 years ago (with caveats)

Dr. Strangelove

It was easy for me to commemorate films from 10, 20, 30, even 40 years ago but I wasn't sure that I could pull this one of. It's not that I haven't seen plenty of 1960s cinema, I have, but just not this particular year.

There were some very iconic movies released in 1964, and I'll get to some of those in a moment. That said, I still haven't seen some of the most beloved movies of '64, like My Fair Lady and the original Pink Panther. So like so many top 10 lists, this one is definitely subject to change/evolution.

Having recently watched and re-appraised the little-seen indie masterpiece Nothing But a Man, I realized I did have 10 favorites to focus on.

It was an usual era for mainstream film. Cinema was inching away from the stifling conservatism of the 1950s but Hollywood had not yet be upended by the so-called movie brats of the late '60s.

10) Seven Days in May - This talky Cold War thriller stars two of my all-time favorite classic Hollywood stars -- Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. Lancaster was a great leading man who wasn't afraid to play against type as a villain, which is the role he fills here in a compelling look at what an attempt at a coup d'etat, right here in the United States, could look like.

9) Zorba the Greek - Anthony Quinn gives his most iconic performance in this quirky character study about an amiable vagabond who has an unquenchable zest for life, which rubs off on his stuffy British companion, played by Alan Bates. This episodic film is totally driven by Quinn's charisma with the help of a charming Greek-influenced score by Mikis Theodorakis.

8) A Hard Day's Night - Even if you're not a Beatles fan, and who isn't, you should be able to appreciate this movie musical, which captures the Fab Four at the peak of their adorableness. This incredibly fast paced, sugar rush of a movie is an innovative piece of editing but it also beautifully portrays what made The Beatles both irreverent and timeless. Each member of the band gets a moment to shine and the soundtrack is full of landmark songs.

7) Nothing But a Man - As I've written before, this small independent film gets the black experience of the 1960s better than most films of its era. Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln give touching, understated performances as a blue collar couple trying to survive in the South with the shadow of white bigotry and intolerance hovering over them.

6) The Killers - This remake of a terrific 1946 noir film was originally intended to be the first ever big budget made-for-TV movie, but it was deemed too violent and wound up on the big screen. Lee Marvin has a ball in a star turn as a badass assassin and Ronald Reagan (in his last film role) is actually pitch perfect as the heavy. Despite some dated rear projection problems, this movie has plenty of style and the ending is dark and compelling.

5) The Naked Kiss - Director Sam Fuller's audacious parable about Communist paranoia is a wild B-movie delight. From the opening shot, of a beautiful woman removing her wig to reveal a bald head, you can tell this is not your typical 60s-era "women's picture". A hooker with a heart of gold tries to relocate to a small town so she can start a new life, but it turns out old fashioned Americana ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Goldfinger

4) Marnie - This complex Hitchcock film has been rediscovered in recent years as one of the legendary director's most underrated masterpieces. 'Tippi' Hedren plays a compulsive thief with a sordid past and Sean Connery plays the man who's looking to "tame" her. On first viewing, the movie may seem dated and just a little bit absurd, but the film has a lot of interesting things to say about memory and gender. And it's ending, which is supposed to look happy, is actually incredibly dark.

3) A Fistful of Dollars - The first of Sergio Leone-Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns has all the elements of their celebrated collaborations. It's cynical and brooding, with plenty of blood and violence. This is a view of the West as an unforgiving, conniving place, where there are no real heroes. Eastwood announces himself as a major star, and even with opening credits, Leone establishes himself as a director with a signature style who has panache to spare.

2) Goldfinger - It may not be the best James Bond film (in my opinion, that's Skyfall) but it is certainly the most iconic. This film features one of the series' best villain, greatest henchman and a bevy of beautiful women to boot. Connery is at the peak of his appeal in this movie, mastering the character's brashness and savvy. This is the Bond film that turned the series into a global phenomenon and even 50 years later, it's easy to see why.

1) Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubrick's pitch-black dark comedy is routinely mentioned among the greatest films of all time and its satire of Cold War paranoia is definitely sublime. A dream cast featuring Peter Sellers (in multiple roles) and George C. Scott (showing real comedic chops) has a blast playing pompous men who hold the fate of humanity in their grasp. This movie is chock full of brilliant dialogue and has a distinct visual look that has inspired every doomsday-themed film since. The image of Slim Pickens riding on top of a nuke as he screams triumphantly is one of the most unforgettable moments in movie history,