Mini-Review: Dazed and Confused is the best of all the stoner movies, probably because it's more believable and down-to-earth. The 70's-style art direction is great, but the film transcends generations. It's the anti-teen movie, depicting the uneventful rather than life-changing drama, and that's something anyone can relate to no matter what decade you grew up in. It's no acting showcase, but the wide cast of characters is fun, and the movie is full of memorable lines. One of the best soundtracks ever, too.

Mini-Review: People knock this for its perceived conservative mindset and racism, but I don't think it embraces these as much as it considers them. Ford, maybe a bit sloppily, avoids drawing a clear line between good and evil, and Wayne's ambiguous anti-hero is a legitimate and authentic aspect of this period in American history. Beautiful photography and epic landscapes set the mythical tone. Not without flaws - the dated acting and awkward comedic relief - but for me it's an engrossing and thoughtful film.

Mini-Review: Standard character and plot devices cease to matter in Dreyer's triumph of mood and atmosphere. It has nightmarish texture, a hazy progression of macabre supernatural incidents. The reliance on intertitles and spare use of dialogue and sound effects betray the film's age, but its sinister overtones are still highly effective thanks to expressive photography and a foreboding score.