Actually, the best socio-political movies were made in the 30's and 40's, before being a liberal in the movie business was a quick ticket to appear in front of a committee.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Grapes of Wrath, The (1940)
Of Mice and Men (1939)

Aw heck, why not just list every movie based on a Steinbeck novel. There was also the "Dead End Kids", who played a gang of street kids to America's conscience before they took up slapstick as "The Bowery Boys". Their original movie was from a play by Lillian Hellman, who was a radical liberal.

I think the years after the Depression left a lot of people wondering what went wrong and how it could be fixed. Beside the pure entertainment were a lot of movies with a social conscience. I don't think any movie decade after WWII had these kinds of soul-searching movies about money, ambition, and social justice.

That might be the reason McCarthy was so afraid of them.

Anything by Sam Peckenpah is the direct progenitor of any of Quentin Tarantino's works, and I would even deem Sam the grandpapa of the graphic slasher films of today. Once people like Wes Craven saw Sam's early splatter jobs, the door was opened for more and more of it. On the other hand, "Psycho" probably opened the door as well. Even though its horror was implied (although in an obvious way), it was still a step up from previous efforts of horror and suspense.

For my money, this wasn't a good thing at all, because I prefer my suspense to be, well, suspenseful.

Pretty much every movie made by Ridley Scott, actually. Watch Bladerunner. Then watch Black Rain. VERY similar cinematography.

And the gritty future thing kinda started, IMHO, with Soylent Green.

I would add Clockwork Orange to the list.

A villain who's only motivation is the joy of being a villain.

American History X.

HOW this thread went two pages without AHX being mentioned frightens and confuses me. For shame.

I think Romper Stomper came before AHX though. I really enjoyed both.

Did Deliverance pave the way for male-on-male rape scenes a la Pulp Fiction?
Either way, both made me feel ill.

Now let's you just drop them pants.

Forbidden Planet.

from what i understand, that had a big impact on science fiction. a great movie, as well.

If you read the book, you tend to get more of the idea that Alex is actually the victim, rather than the villain.

But that's really just making excuses for him.