 When local distributor Canyon Cinema emerged in the early 1960s, "A Movie" was one of its more well-known offerings.At its 1960 Creative Film Awards Presentation, the Creative Film Foundation gave "A Movie" an Award of Distinction, with Michael McClure describing its comedy "not [as] a free laugh but the reconstruction of human depth, achievement and emotion".It has gone on to be recognized as a landmark piece of avant-garde cinema.