My sister came over this weekend for a quick visit and that made me happy for two reasons: 1) I got to see my sister, of course, and 2) because the friend she brought over gave me a really good idea, or at least I hope it's a good idea. She mentioned that a friend of hers (that is to say, a friend of my sister's friend.... this can get confusing) was making his way through the list of top 100 films of all time. A light bulb went off. This is something I've always wanted to do, make my way through the top 100 films of all time. However, I did foresee a problem: Which list do I consult? There are hundreds of lists out there that attempt to quantify the best films. And with the great variety of styles and tastes, it's hard to judge one film against another. For example, a couple of years ago I thought Inglorious Bastards and Up were the best movies of their year, but really, how can the two be compared? I also thought about going the route Roger Ebert takes, listing "Great" movies without any resorting to a numbered scale.
But, I remembered that I wasn't the one making a list; I'm the one going through the list and watching what many consider to be the best films ever. This comforted me and shortened the list of potential lists to consider considerably. I decided on the American Film Institute's list of 100 films. While I make my way through that monstrous list, I'll start making a list of my own (no numbered) of my favorite films and directors. After all, aren't all lists no matter how objective just a list of "favorites"?
Here's AFI's 2007 (the latest) List of 100 Best Films: I've indicated the films I've already seen. 34 out of 100 isn't all that bad, but I still have quite a few to go.
But, I remembered that I wasn't the one making a list; I'm the one going through the list and watching what many consider to be the best films ever. This comforted me and shortened the list of potential lists to consider considerably. I decided on the American Film Institute's list of 100 films. While I make my way through that monstrous list, I'll start making a list of my own (no numbered) of my favorite films and directors. After all, aren't all lists no matter how objective just a list of "favorites"?
Here's AFI's 2007 (the latest) List of 100 Best Films: I've indicated the films I've already seen. 34 out of 100 isn't all that bad, but I still have quite a few to go.
| # | MOVIE | YEAR |
| 1 | CITIZEN KANE (Deserves this spot for many reasons!) | 1941 |
| 2 | THE GODFATHER | 1972 |
| 3 | CASABLANCA | 1942 |
| 4 | RAGING BULL | 1980 |
| 5 | SINGIN' IN THE RAIN | 1952 |
| 6 | GONE WITH THE WIND | 1939 |
| 7 | LAWRENCE OF ARABIA | 1962 |
| 8 | SCHINDLER'S LIST (A soul-moving portrait by a truly great director) | 1993 |
| 9 | VERTIGO (My favorite Hitchcock film of the one's I've seen so far) | 1958 |
| 10 | THE WIZARD OF OZ (This one just keeps working its magic, generation after generation) | 1939 |
| 11 | CITY LIGHTS (Poignant and hysterical, what physical comedy should be like) | 1931 |
| 12 | THE SEARCHERS | 1956 |
| 13 | STAR WARS (Brings out the latent fanboy in me) | 1977 |
| 14 | PSYCHO (Great, although the feminist in me prefers Julianne Moore's performance as the sister in Van Sant's remake better) | 1960 |
| 15 | 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Slow, brilliant, intellectual exploration of our journey through time and space) | 1968 |
| 16 | SUNSET BLVD. | 1950 |
| 17 | THE GRADUATE | 1967 |
| 18 | THE GENERAL | 1927 |
| 19 | ON THE WATERFRONT | 1954 |
| 20 | IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (The sentimental holiday favorite. I dare you to watch this movie and not produce at least a few tears) | 1946 |
| 21 | CHINATOWN | 1974 |
| 22 | SOME LIKE IT HOT (Hysterical) | 1959 |
| 23 | THE GRAPES OF WRATH | 1940 |
| 24 | E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (See comment for It's a Wonderful Life) | 1982 |
| 25 | TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD | 1962 |
| 26 | MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON | 1939 |
| 27 | HIGH NOON | 1952 |
| 28 | ALL ABOUT EVE | 1950 |
| 29 | DOUBLE INDEMNITY | 1944 |
| 30 | APOCALYPSE NOW (Tense, beautifully photographed) | 1979 |
| 31 | THE MALTESE FALCON | 1941 |
| 32 | THE GODFATHER PART II | 1974 |
| 33 | ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Wonderful performances. That nurse haunts my dreams) | 1975 |
| 34 | SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (The first full-length animated film and still one of the best in family entertainment) | 1937 |
| 35 | ANNIE HALL | 1977 |
| 36 | THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI | 1957 |
| 37 | THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES | 1946 |
| 38 | THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE | 1948 |
| 39 | DR. STRANGELOVE (The more you watch this one, the funnier it becomes, and after all it's Kubrick) | 1964 |
| 40 | THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Impossible not to sing along. Julie Andrews is sublime) | 1965 |
| 41 | KING KONG | 1933 |
| 42 | BONNIE AND CLYDE | 1967 |
| 43 | MIDNIGHT COWBOY | 1969 |
| 44 | THE PHILADELPHIA STORY | 1940 |
| 45 | SHANE | 1953 |
| 46 | IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT | 1934 |
| 47 | A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE | 1951 |
| 48 | REAR WINDOW (Quite possibly the perfect suspense thriller) | 1954 |
| 49 | INTOLERANCE | 1916 |
| 50 | THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (The second film on this list that transforms me into a giddy fanboy) | 2001 |
| 51 | WEST SIDE STORY | 1961 |
| 52 | TAXI DRIVER (Dark, depressing, brilliant performances) | 1976 |
| 53 | THE DEER HUNTER | 1978 |
| 54 | M*A*S*H | 1970 |
| 55 | NORTH BY NORTHWEST | 1959 |
| 56 | JAWS (Still mesmerizing and outshines most of the blockbusters its success inspired) | 1975 |
| 57 | ROCKY (A great feel-good, underdog movie) | 1976 |
| 58 | THE GOLD RUSH | 1925 |
| 59 | NASHVILLE | 1975 |
| 60 | DUCK SOUP | 1933 |
| 61 | SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS | 1941 |
| 62 | AMERICAN GRAFFITI | 1973 |
| 63 | CABARET (Great music, great dancing, art direction, and of course Liza Minelli working those lungs of hers) | 1972 |
| 64 | NETWORK | 1976 |
| 65 | THE AFRICAN QUEEN | 1951 |
| 66 | RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (I so wanted to be an archeologist when I first saw this movie. Hell, I still do whenever I watch it now) | 1981 |
| 67 | WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? | 1966 |
| 68 | UNFORGIVEN | 1992 |
| 69 | TOOTSIE | 1982 |
| 70 | A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Strange, disturbing, funny, definitely not for everyone) | 1971 |
| 71 | SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (Brutal opening, beautifully filmed, proved that Schindler's List wasn't a fluke) | 1998 |
| 72 | THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (Another great feel-good movie) | 1994 |
| 73 | BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID | 1969 |
| 74 | THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Anthony Hopkins will always be Hannibal Lecter for me, and he is one of the reasons why this film is stomach-clenching-almost-to-the-point-of-puking tense) | 1991 |
| 75 | IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT | 1967 |
| 76 | FORREST GUMP (Wonderful movie that chronicles the 60's like no other film I've seen before) | 1994 |
| 77 | ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN | 1976 |
| 78 | MODERN TIMES | 1936 |
| 79 | THE WILD BUNCH | 1969 |
| 80 | THE APARTMENT | 1960 |
| 81 | SPARTACUS | 1960 |
| 82 | SUNRISE | 1927 |
| 83 | TITANIC (Wasn't sure about this one at first, but it's technical execution and the fact that Cameron got so much right is enough to overlook its other flaws) | 1997 |
| 84 | EASY RIDER | 1969 |
| 85 | A NIGHT AT THE OPERA | 1935 |
| 86 | PLATOON | 1986 |
| 87 | 12 ANGRY MEN | 1957 |
| 88 | BRINGING UP BABY | 1938 |
| 89 | THE SIXTH SENSE (A beautiful look at overcoming traumatic experiences that plays well, even better, after you know the secret) | 1999 |
| 90 | SWING TIME | 1936 |
| 91 | SOPHIE'S CHOICE | 1982 |
| 92 | GOODFELLAS | 1990 |
| 93 | THE FRENCH CONNECTION | 1971 |
| 94 | PULP FICTION (Resists categorization, funny, touching, and all together genius) | 1994 |
| 95 | THE LAST PICTURE SHOW | 1971 |
| 96 | DO THE RIGHT THING | 1989 |
| 97 | BLADE RUNNER (I'm still wondering how I feel about this one, although it has one of the best sci-fi worlds I've ever seen) | 1982 |
| 98 | YANKEE DOODLE DANDY | 1942 |
| 99 | TOY STORY (Started the CGI animation movement and is still one of the best, just like Snow White) | 1995 |
| 100 | BEN-HUR (I saw this in class in the seventh or eighth grade I think, don't remember it all that well) | 1959 |
Awesome idea Tony! I'd love to do this one day myself. Maybe soon. A few comments:
ReplyDelete1) How can you say anything good about Van Sant's Psycho? It was an abomination!
2) Disagree about Titanic. It's a sinker! :p
3) Can't believe you've never seen Goodfellas! That movie is like a fine wine. I enjoy it more and more.
Haha! Mel, I just really love Julianne Moore, and I really appreciated her tougher approach to the character. I understand how you feel about Titanic, but after I wrote a paper on three of Cameron's films, including Titanic, I really began to appreciate the film much more. And as for Goodfellas, I haven't't watched any of the classic gangster films. I really don't know how I missed them these past twenty-nine years.
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