James Dean's Harrowing Lead Performance Anchors the Haunting Rebel Without a Cause

All these years later, the ripple effects of Rebel Without a Cause are still reverberating throughout pop culture. Nicholas Ray's 1955 movie is one of those features whose influence on cinema as a whole really can't be overstated. Whether it's the costume worn by protagonist Jim Stark (James Dean), certain lines of dialogue, or just the way Stewart Stern's screenplay depicted teenage angst, Rebel Without a Cause is still influencing our world in 2020. Having finally watched it for the first time, it's not hard to see why. Rebel Without a Cause doesn't feel like a relic from a bygone era, it still feels as fresh and relevant as ever.

West Side Story Mostly Holds Up Today As Superb Musical Filmmaking

By 1961, the golden age of Hollywood musicals was in high swing as numerous musicals scored major box office success and secured countless prestigious awards. This was a period of glory for the genre that lasted roughly from the 1950's to 1960's and perhaps its highest point came in 1961, when West Side Story came out and became a pop culture phenomenon that ended up scoring a Best Picture Oscar win as well as creating numerous tunes that have become iconic over the years. Thankfully, watching West Side Story today reveals that this is one highly-famous musical from the past that manages to (mostly) hold up, unlike, say, Grease (though that Grease soundtrack is still amazing).