THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971)

Cloris Leachman won an Oscar for her performance in this drama about teenagers in what Roger Ebert called “a town that should not exist.”

CHINATOWN (1974)

The definitive neo-noir, a movie I love, now inextricably linked with the crimes of its director.

BLAZING SADDLES (1974)

Mel Brooks takes a western pastiche and pushes the boundaries of comedy about racism. Oh, and it’s super funny.