The Movies

The episode explores the crowd-pleasing titles of the 80s, such as "The Empire Strikes Back," "E.T.," and "The Breakfast Club." In the Eighties, stars like Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Eddie Murphy explode on the screen. Aliens, time travelers, ghosts, and road warriors share the cineplex with troubled teens, battered boxers, classical composers, and career girls.

The episode explores beloved films such as "Jurassic Park," "Titanic," and "Pulp Fiction." As America falls for stars like Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, and Will Smith, masters like Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Jane Campion, and the Coen Brothers direct some of their best-loved work. A robust independent film movement introduces directors like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Singleton, and David Fincher.

The episode explores popular films of the 2000s, such as "Harry Potter," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Moulin Rouge." As the new century begins, beloved books and comic-book crusaders become box-office gold, musicals and cartoons win audiences and Oscars, coarse comedies and epic dramas showcase Hollywood's biggest stars, and a new generation of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds finds its voice.

The episode explores the films of the 70s that pushed the medium of movie-making, such as "The Godfather," "The Exorcist," and "Jaws". Directors become masters of the medium as Spielberg, Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas and other filmmakers create a New Hollywood that pushes the medium of movie-makingng to its apex, just as a new generation of movie stars like Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, and Pam Grier light up the screen.

The episode explores the popular films of the 60s, such as "West Side Story," "Bonnie and Clyde," and "The Graduate." The Sixties are a decade of change off-screen and on. Classic musicals and epics featuring luminaries like Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor make room for meaningful masterpieces from filmmakers like Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Nichols and stars like Redford, Newman, and Poitier.

The episode explores the most iconic films from the 1930s through the 1950s, such as "King Kong," "Casablanca," and "A Star is Born." During this time, Hollywood studios create the most iconic and beloved films of all time, and America falls in love with the movies as stars like Bogie, Brando, and Marilyn became icons.