8 1/2 (1963)

Italian director Federico Fellini dissects his own creative block in the 1963 classic 8 1/2. Marcello Mastroianni stars as Guido Anselmi, a troubled filmmaker retreating into memories, dreams and romantic entanglements as he struggles to get his next science-fiction epic off the ground. Widely considered one of the most influential movies about moviemaking, the surreal comedy blends autobiography with technical bravura, capturing an artist paralyzed by the demands of his producers and his own ambition.