AFI's top 100 films, 2007 edition

Parent Cafe
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<p>Well, now I’m glad I didn’t watch the American Film Institute’s updating of their “100 Greatest Films” last night. I’ve got no problem with their pick for the greatest film ever (Citizen Kane) or with their top 5 (Casablanca, Godfather, Raging Bull and Singing in the Rain, though I wouldn’t put these last two quite so high). But these are the films that fell off the list:</p>

<p>“Dr. Zhivago,” “The Birth of a Nation,” “From Here to Eternity,” “Amadeus,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “The Third Man,” “Fantasia,” “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Stagecoach,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “An American in Paris,” “Wuthering Heights,” “Dances With Wolves,” “Giant,” “Fargo,” “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “Frankenstein,” “Patton,” “The Jazz Singer,” “My Fair Lady,” “A Place in the Sun” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” </p>

<p>What? I’m just about apoplectic. Of these, I can’t imagine leaving off The Third Man, Stagecoach, Manchurian Candidate, American in Paris, Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, Fargo, and A Place in the Sun. Especially The Third Man - there’s a masterpiece for you. These were replaced, in part, by:The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Saving Private Ryan, Titanic,The Sixth Sense, Nashville, Sullivan’s Travels, Cabaret, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and The Shawshank Redemption.</p>

<p>I like all those films except for Titanic, but which one is better than The Third Man? I guess Titanic took Dances with Wolves’ spot as “big moneymaking overproduced epic that we just couldn’t leave off the list.” Ooooh - now I’m mad.</p>

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<p>Here’s a link to the current list:
<a href=“http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-top100movies,0,4608631.htmlstory?coll=orl_mezz[/url]”>http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-top100movies,0,4608631.htmlstory?coll=orl_mezz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Happy to see that Vertigo shot up to the top 10!</p>

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<p>I can see an argument for all of those movies, with the exception of “Stagecoach,” being on the bubble. Even “The Third Man.”</p>

<p>The disappointment comes from seeing the AFI knocking them out for “Sixth Sense,” “Cabaret,” and “Nashville” (well the latter is a posthumous nod to Robert Altman, so I’m assuming it was a way to acknowledge his death and falls under the category of “Not-top-100-standing-on-its-own-but-good-enough-to-qualify-as-a-lifetime-achievement-award.” “Sullivan’s Travels,” a fine movie (not a film, just a movie) is one of those “spotlight” films that the AFI wants to call attention to. And why not? It’s about a filmmaker…so that’s understandable enough that it’s not appalling.</p>

<p>“Shawshank” and “Private Ryan” should be entrenched on this list, but the others you mention are bubble entries that can come and go to circulate things and keep people – like you! – interested in the AFI list for years to come.</p>

<p>Nobody wants to create a list that everybody says, “Yeah, well that’s obvious!” They want you to talk about it – to CARE about it – at the water cooler and on message boards and anywhere else you go to connect with other people. That spreads the word about the list, steepens its relevance, and – in this case – makes you and others feel passionate and invested in the same thing that they care about. By that measure, I’m thinking this list is a success.</p>

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<p>A Place in the Sun sacrificed for Titanic??? Blasphemy.</p>

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<p>Hmmm. I read the list and had serious doubts about the top 10 or so. I think they need to categorize the list into sections like moral conflicts, American values, family conflicts, comedy, etc.</p>

<p>By the way, I have tried to sit through “The 3rd Man” several times with no success. I am an emphatic Orson Welles fan but have never seen “Citizen Kane.” Of Welles’ films, I prefer “The Stranger” and “Revulsion.” As for Paul Newman’s films, I wouldn’t vote for “Butch Cassidy…” as a great film. Rather, consider “Cool Hand Luke” or “Hud,” now there’s great filmmaking.</p>

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<p>FYI … as a Netflix customer I find the AFI lists a great way to find movies to add to my queue … best movies, best comedies, best lines, best villans, etc. It is interesting to argue about the list but more importantly to me, the lists bring visibility to a lot of great movies.</p>

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<p>O.K., I’ll bite. Lake’s own top films (not a complete list, LOL).</p>

<p>The Searchers
Dinner at Eight
Public Enemy
Double Indemnity
Fantasia
The Apartment
The Caine Mutiny
The Maltese Falcon
The Fortune Cookie
North by Northwest
Rear Window
In the Heat of the Night
The Graduate
Cool Hand Luke
Lawrence of Arabia (technically a British film, not American)
Dr. Strangelove
Ben Hur
Godfather II
Unforgiven
Sleeper
Elmer Gantry
Star Wars</p>

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<p>As far as I’m concerned, Nashville absolutely belongs on the list. It’s one of the ten or twelve films that could be my favorite ever, depending on the day. Citizen Kane, on the other hand . . . I’ve watched it a few times, and I understand its historical significance, but I just didn’t feel that impressed on a visceral level. I wouldn’t argue that it’s a bad film at all, but as perpetual #1 I think it’s terribly overrated.</p>

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<p>LakeWashington</p>

<p>Go to the AFI web site - they also have lists by category.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.afi.com%5B/url%5D”>www.afi.com</a></p>

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<p>I think I’d pick “The Magnificent Ambersons” over “The Third Man”.</p>

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<p>What about “Dude, Where’s My Car?”</p>

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<p>

I’d pick “The Magnificent Ambersons” AND “The Third Man.”</p>

<p>Agree completely with you, frazzled. “Raging Bull” in the top 5? I don’t think so. They dropped “The Manchurian Candidate”? Maybe all the Lincoln allusions were too subtle.</p>

<p>Some of these just aren’t very good films. Outside of the realism of the Normandy landing scene, “Saving Private Ryan” doesn’t deserve to be on any “best” list. For starters, Hanks, though an endearing actor, was all wrong for the lead as written. And “Shawshank Redemption,” is hardly a great film, mawkish and even offensive in King’s reliance on his stock “magical negro” character. As King adaptations go, Kubrick’s “The Shining” (there’s that magical negro again) is a much better film; it didn’t make it but at least “Dr. Strangelove” did. “Titanic”? An insult of a movie by all measures save special effects. “The Sixth Sense”? A well-constructed film tarnished by all the subsequent Shyamalam dreck, especially the plagiarized “The Village.” “Star Wars”? Bah. “Lord of the Rings”? I guess AFI doesn’t mind gaping plot holes (Bill the Brave Pony?). “Sound of Music” should carry a warning for diabetics. “Forrest Gump”? Stupid is as stupid does.</p>

<p>The list is heavy on current popular directors like Stone and Scorsese and Hollywood insiders. How else to explain Bogdanovich and Pakula? Is there any Spielberg film other than the execrable “A.I.” that didn’t make the list? Ford, Hitchcock got passing notice, Wilder a few and thank God “Sunset Boulevard,” Chaplin a couple, a few Coppola (but no longer the stellar “Patton” which he wrote). No Lubitsch? von Sternberg? Hawks except for (the delightful) “Bringing Up Baby”?</p>

<p>OTOH, I like to see the recognition for Preston Sturges although I would have preferred “The Palm Beach Story.” At least they picked the best Marx Brothers’ film. If you’re going to pick a Disney, “Snow White” is a good choice but “Fantasia” a better, riskier film.</p>

<p>Box office and video rental receipts are (obviously) part of AFI’s recipe for excellent film fare. I recommend Turner Classic Movies as an antidote.</p>

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<p>Ughh - Titanic? That overproduced dreck should never had won the Oscar over the much superior LA Confidential (but then again, the AA was always political anyways).</p>

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<p>Just to put things in perspective for the next anniversary, no one I know has heard of any of the movies on the list except for Toy Story and The Wizard of Oz and The Sixth Sense and Lord of the Rings. (I’m 15 years old.) It really is annoying whenever they tell me about some movie they saw, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and say it was the best movie they’ve ever seen. </p>

<p>Where will all the good movies disappear to when my generation takes over? I feel like hyperventilating right now. Forget it Jake. It’s Chinatown.</p>

<p>They coulda had class. They coulda been contenders. But they had to go and like American Pie.</p>

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<p>

Snoopyiscool, I think I love you. </p>

<p>Carry on.</p>

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<p>There’s an even worse atrocity on the list than Titanic: Easy Rider.</p>

<p>If the list were “most influential” movies, I could go along with Easy Rider, because it had great impact in reorienting movies to the “youth market”.</p>

<p>But, it is one of the most vapid movies ever made, essentially without redeeming value (except for Nicholson). Put it on your Netflix queue. It’s virtually unwatchable.</p>

<p>After watching it a year or so ago, I actually have it as strong contender for Worst Movie Ever Made…athough Joy Ride still gives it a solid run for its money.</p>

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<p>Mudder, I like the cut of your jib. And you’re right about Preston Sturges. Did AFI include “The Great McGinty.”</p>

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<p>No, go to your local multiplex. There I guarantee you’ll find the Worst Movies Ever Made.</p>

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<p>I would think a 15-year-old would have used, “Forget it Nick. It’s Sandford.”</p>

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<p>?</p>

<p>I would have to say I have no idea who Nick is or where Sandford is located. Is that a good thing? Then again, I am very atypical.</p>

<p>EDIT: Ahh, Hot Fuzz. I wanted to see that movie. But no one I know has any interest in British comedies, no matter how funny. I’m telling you, The Core is like gospel to them.</p>