9. Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat tells the story of an anthropomorphized cat studying at NYU who claims he thinks about becoming a poet but really just wants to smoke weed and hit on chicks. Needless to say, director Ralph Bakshi deftly captures the shallowness of young, urban academics who are more concerned with their own status than the things they study. As the first animated film to receive an X-rating from the MPA, Fritz also confronts viewers with many things they might not want to see, but probably should.
A list like this is never complete — what would you add? Also check out our previous features like #MonthofScorsese and a look into how The Alienist recreates 1890s New York City.
Tim Brinkof is a journalist based in New York City. He studied film and literature at NYU, and has published work on art and culture in outlets like PopMatters, High Times, History Today and The New York Observer.
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