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Looking back ten years to 2008, the current dynamics of the movie business were already well established, with Hollywood generating most of their revenues from so-called “tentpole” releases, usually superhero or fantasy franchises. Of course, broad distribution and heavy promotional support help drive box office results for these types of movies.

Cult films encompass a range of quality, genres, and periods, but share one thing: a devoted fan base that returns to them again and again. Many cult fans know the scripts of the movies they worship by heart. Good or bad, cult films also tend to be offbeat or even over-the-top. With so many cookie-cutter, formulaic movies out there, that “quirk” factor is an essential part of what keeps those viewers coming back.

In the realm of feature films today, I think it’s awfully hard to find a good comedy. Of course, everyone has their own tastes, but personally I tire fast of today’s coarse, sophomoric movies that seem to be straining really hard for a laugh.

To understand the power of “the cinema” in our past, and the comfort and escape it offered our forebears, we need only think back to the Great Depression, when many people would skip a meal to be able to afford going to the movies.

It’s astonishing how many Christmas movies are out there. Just do a Google search and your head will spin. Like movies in general, a few are fabulous, some just okay, while the rest is dreck.

“There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.”

The movie industry’s triumph in the 1930s lay in giving the public what it wanted to see. Its product was therapeutic diversion for millions of Americans who needed to get away from their troubles. By providing this crucial relief, American film reached a pinnacle of influence, at a time when most other industries were suffering severely.

After screening the chilling “Citizenfour” (2014), which details the stranger-than-fiction story of N.S.A whistleblower Edward Snowden, I started thinking about the rich vein of paranoia that movies have tapped in the past relating to surveillance.

Here are my picks for the 15 most glorious color films ever made. All are available on bluray. My advice: get them, watch them, and give your eyes a treat.