10 . if.... (1968)

Lindsay Anderson is one of the most underrated satirists in film history as his trilogy of films following Mick Travis (if...., O Lucky Man! and Britannia Hospital) all have an undercurrent of jet black humour and pointing out the foibles and utter stupidity of some major British institutions. In the case of if...., Anderson targets the public school system and, with Malcolm McDowell making his film debut, before he shot to fame in A Clockwork Orange, had an actor...

When it comes to classic genre films which are 'essential viewing', there isn't a definitive list, but, in 1999, Empire released a Special Collector's Edition supplement called The Greatest Horror Films Ever, which is a really good 'beginners guide' to horror. In it, there are 50 films in different categories of films, which I'll list here.

Creature Features
Frankenstein
Nosferatu
Dracula (1931)
The Mummy
The Bride of Frankenstein
Cat People...