Memeing Classic Movies: Top Films From Before The 1970s For Memes

Since the beginning of modern filmmaking, movies have led to inside jokes shared by millions. When the internet developed and turned its attention towards more recent films, Thanos snapping away all of humanity distracted us from the nostalgic meme formats of the past we'd forgotten. Every once in a while, however, a pre-1970s movie makes a mysterious reappearance in a meme, and the rewards in likes and karma are undeniable. Though they were created before the online era began, these three movies were made to be memed.

Doctor Strangelove (1969)

Doctor Strangelove (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) is a Cold-War-Era dark comedy and a cult classic. In this Stanley Kubrick movie, a deranged military general believes the USSR has fluoridated the American water supply, thus impurifying his “precious bodily fluids” and leading to some rather personal issues when it comes to courting women. His solution is to launch an all-out nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, and the rest of the U.S. government scrambles to recall dozens of bombers before a world-ending “doomsday device” is mistakenly detonated.

Because this film highlights the logical flaws in conspiracy theorists, any scene with General Ripper is great to use for making fun of anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, and more — in the modern world, the possibilities are endless.

In fact, the scene in which Ripper explains his theory of corrupted "bodily fluids" has become a meme on its own, though it’s more obscure than others due to the age of the movie from which it originates. Plus, every once in a while, we have a scare about a potential World War III, and Dr. Strangelove memes make a stylish reappearance in response, so you really can’t go wrong by watching this one.

Godzilla (1954)

Godzilla is probably the most interesting franchise in existence. This does not mean it’s the best franchise, nor is it the worst. As if you were watching a car speed into the side of a bank, every Godzilla movie, beginning with this film in 1954, will leave you morally confused, unsure who to root for and amazed by the spectacle of crumbling buildings. To summarize, this classic movie involves a giant radioactive lizard wreaking havoc on Japan. The monster then goes on to star in 36 movies (so far), both as the hero and the antagonist, battling everything from humans to aliens to giant flying balls of pollution.

The nostalgia factor means anyone born before the early 2000s has grown up watching Godzilla at least some point during their life. This movie, as well as the rest of the early ones, have also become famous from YouTube movie review channels. These critics love Godzilla because the movies themselves can’t be pinned down as "good" or "bad," but rather as extremely bizarre. Because of this legacy, many types of memes exist revolving around the franchise.

We all know Godzilla Had a Stroke, but did you know about Godzilla is About to Attack Your City or the Godzilla Dance? This movie is easily exploitable for memes, and it’s also a fun watch once you get used to seeing the giant rubber suit.

Citizen Kane (1941)

This movie is a classic by Orson Welles. It examines the circumstances surrounding the last words of Charles Foster Kane, an ordinary, lonely man who later became a politician and faced adversity in the process. In one famous scene, Kane claps (very aggressively, and for an uncomfortably long time) in a quiet opera theater, sparking a meme and reaction GIF known as Citizen Kane Clapping, which has been recreated numerous times in the modern era (most notably by Shia LaBeouf in 2014).

There is another distinct reason Citizen Kane makes great memes — because the movie itself has become a meme, particularly within the wider community of movie fanatics. The general consensus is that Citizen Kane simply exists, unseen and forgotten until your Hinge date makes you watch it with him to prove he’s sophisticated. Despite a 100 percent "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is really just something you’d leave on the TV to distract your dogs while you’re gone. But if you’re gifted with a great attention span, this is an incredibly well-written movie that’s been preserved by the U.S. government for its cultural significance, and it’s well worth a watch. If you don’t make it to the end, you can always make memes about it like the rest of us now that you understand the context.

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