Adventures in the AFI Top 100

#15: Star Wars (1977)

2010-04-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Emily says:
I hadn't seen this one in a few years, and what was most striking about it tonight was how well the special effects hold up 3+ decades later. They are pretty impressive even now. The dialogue really leaves something to be desired though...

The other thing that I particuarly enjoyed was the music - it's your stereotypical John Williams, but in Star Wars it seems so fitting and original. The orchestration fits the galactic theme of the film and seems more authentic than some of the later Williams soundtracks.

I am always amused by Star Wars and "the Force" because I had a prof in college who was always reminding us that we can't reduce God to some sort of lowest common denominator "The Force." God, although not a being, is more than an ambiguous power that has both a good side and a dark side. I don't mean this in any sort of serious theological way, but it amuses me as I rewatch the film.

Paul says:

#16: All About Eve (1950)

2010-03-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, & Thelma Ritter
IMDB

Emily says:
I found the plot of this film simultaneously predictable and meandering. Margo, the aging broadway star is mean-spirited and jealous, while Eve, her young protege is equally unlikeable - her feigned innocence quickly becomes tiresome.

Marilyn Monroe appears as a young actress - she is beautiful and much less voluptuous and overtly sexual than in many films (see Some Like it Hot).

At the end of the movie, when Eve achieves stardom, a younger actress waits on her in the way she once did for Margo. When the young girl tries on Eve's dress, instead of feeling a wonderful comeuppance, it just seems overly contrived.

I enjoyed the stunning costumes and theatrics of this film, but at the same time, I found its characters unlikeable and its plot uninteresting. This is one I probably won't watch again.

Paul says:

#17: The African Queen (1951)

2010-03-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

I didn't expect much out of this film after seeing some of the Katharine Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart films later in the list. I have to say though, that Hepburn comes off as less of an airhead in this film than in Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story.

I found Hepburn's character both funny and strong, and immensely enjoyed her growth from a somewhat uptight know-it-all into a woman who enjoyed and appreciated Bogart's character. One thing I especially enjoyed was what this movie said about companionship - Bogart and Hepburn's characters learned to work together to get out of some pretty tight situations in the film, and I think that working together is a big part of love - even if it's not all that romantic.

Some of the green screen effects were really awful, but besides that this movie was a pleasure to watch!

#18: Psycho (1960)

2010-03-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Emily says:
The only thing I knew about this movie was the epic scene in the shower, when Marion (Janet Leigh) is murdered. My most vivid memory of this scene is from when I went to Universal Studios when I was about 12 and our tour talked about how this scene was made. I don't remember much about how it was made, because after they showed the scene I was so freaked out.

Although I thought the piercing string music was a little over the top in the shower scene, I really enjoyed how it added suspense to the rest of the film. I also found Norman Bates' character one who was both creepy and easy to feel sad for, which is a hard line to walk.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found out from watching this movie was that the star of this film (Janet Leigh) is the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis - whose wikipedia entry I read and discovered she is married to Christopher Guest, who is apparently a Baron. Who knew?

Paul says:

#23: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

2010-03-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
This was the movie that started it all. We watched this last summer, right after we moved to Vancouver and when Paul mentioned that it was on the Top 100 list, the idea to watch the entire list was hatched.

Watching it again, almost a year later, I enjoyed it just as much. Humphrey Bogart makes an excellent private investigator, and Mary Astor is constantly unraveling until you come to understand the layers of the plot. I think of this as a classic film noir, so it's no surprise that its often cited as the first American film of this genre.

I also love that famous line from this movie: "The stuff dreams are made of..." All this trouble over a fake falcon. Seems like a good metaphor for all of the other silly material things we spend our lives running after. Ultimately, they don't matter.

Paul says:

#24: Raging Bull (1980)

2010-03-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
Robert DeNiro was quite good as Jake LaMotta, a boxer whose anger issues infuse his marriage and affairs. Even though I found DeNiro's character impossible to like, his acting was impressive and the autobiographical nature of the film was interesting - especially seeing how the man presented in the beginning of the film as a sad and not-very-funny comedian came to this pitiful place in life.

Once again, I found the graphic violence in the film off-putting and spent many of the fight scenes looking away from the screen. Still, the violence seemed at least less gratuitous than some of Scorcese's later films.

Paul says:

#25: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

2010-03-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
There were a huge number of excellent scenes in this movie that I had completely forgotten about. I remembered the part with the Reese's Pieces and the part where ET is in the closet, but I had completely forgotten about the wonderful part when ET gets drunk and so does Elliot at school. The scene when drunk Elliot releases all the frogs is hilarious!

Perhaps the most surprising part of this movie for me this time around was how touched I was by Spielberg's depiction of Elliot's loneliness, and realistic strained family tensions around the kids' father having left the family and taken his new girlfriend to Mexico. I was struck by how well the story of an alien left behind by his ship and a little boy who is lonely could mesh together.

On another note, the version we watched was updated with a few CGI scenes (including ET taking a bath) that were quite impressive, especially in how well they meshed with the older parts of the film.

Paul says:

#29: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

2010-03-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

Emily says:

I've been looking forward to this one for a long time! Those of you who know me know that I love a good political movie - especially one that involves a "regular joe" going off to DC to teach them something (Dave, anyone?)

Jimmy Stewart's Jefferson Smith is extremely likeable and you can't help but root for him. A filibuster ends in the "good guy" prevailing over the corruption of the senate - I only wish we had those dramatic moments in the senate in real life more often.

I especially enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jeff Smith and his secretary Clarissa, who ultimately ends up helping him learn the ins and outs of the senate that help him exonerate himself. I'd watch this one again, for sure.

Paul says:

#31: Annie Hall (1977)

2010-03-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Paul says:

Emily says:
I'm usually a big Woody Allen fan, and find his sense of humor pretty enjoyable, but I didn't enjoy Annie Hall as much as I expected. I liked Annie's offbeat character, but I found it difficult to want Diane Keaton and Woody Allen to end up together. This was probably the point, but it still made watching the movie seem like a pointless task. I have to say, it was nice to have a change from the dramas, but this one wasn't as great as I expected.

#32: The Godfather Part II (1974)

2010-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for our responses to this one... we'll watch it after The Godfather Part 1

#33: High Noon (1952)

2010-03-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Paul says:

Emily says:
It was interesting to see the "real time" filmography in this one. I enjoyed the characters, the plot and Cooper's performance in this classic - much better than many westerns.

One thing that bothered me was the whole relationship between Kane (Gary Cooper) and his Quaker wife Amy. Toward the end of the movie, Amy abandons her religious convictions and shoots one of their assailants in the back. Seriously? Apparently love is more important than morals. (I know this was not the point of the film, but it bothered me all the same...)

#34: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

2010-02-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Emily says:

Although I've read the book a couple times, I'd never seen the movie before! I really enjoyed this one, especially because Scout was depicted almost exactly as I imagined her - right down to the impish grin.

One thing I noted as I watched the movie was that as a kid, the Boo Radley storyline was much more interesting to me than the court storyline. This time it was the opposite. I wonder if that is a result of the movie or that I'm an adult now.

I've long thought that Boo Radley is one of the most interesting characters in all of literature. Perhaps Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes - definitely one of the most wonderfully decent men of literature. This is a classic that I could watch over and over again - and maybe I'll make a point to re-read the book this summer too.

Paul says:

#36: Midnight Cowboy (1969)

2010-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Paul says:

Emily says:
From what I read about this movie, I didn't expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did. Jon Voight's character was compellingly pathetic and heartbreaking, while Dustin Hoffman's performance was unbelievably good. I enjoyed the progression of Voight's character from the superficial "stud" into a true friend with depth and caring.

#38: Double Indemnity (1944)

2010-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
To some extent, this was the stereotypical 1940's romantic comedy that I expected, but I found it both funnier and more interesting than expected. The couple's joint crime reminded me a bit of the antics in Bonnie and Clyde, and I enjoyed the complicating plot of the relationship between Phyllis and her daughter's boyfriend. This one was more enjoyable than anticipated!

Paul says:

#41: West Side Story (1961)

2010-02-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
My high school did a production of West Side Story when I was still there, and I think that my fellow choir members' love for this musical and incessant singing of its songs ruined my enjoyment of it.

That being said, I'd never seen the film until now, and I enjoyed it much more than anticipated. I thought the dancing was amazing, and the costumes were great - a wonderful combination of matchy-matchy you'd expect from a musical and 1960's wear (converse sneakers, skinny jeans, and cute dresses). The acting was pretty good too, and it was just overall a very pleasant surprise.

Paul says:

#43: King Kong (1933)

2010-02-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Emily says:

I expected this film to be as hoaky as all of the spoofs of it over the years, and as terrible as the recent remake, but I actually enjoyed it much more than anticipated. The special effects were pretty terrible, until you remember that it was made in 1933. The scenes in which King Kong is climbing on the sides of the skyscraper are particularly badly done, but I enjoyed them so much. The scene on top of the Empire State Building was especially iconic and fun to see in its original form.

Paul says:

#45: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

2010-01-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Emily says:

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film and the discussion that Paul and I had about it. I read this play as part of my high school curriculum, but apparently they don't do that north of the Mason-Dixon line, so Paul had never read the play or seen the movie before.

What I enjoyed the most about the movie was the classical questions of Southern class systems - the confrontations between a genteel but penniless southern belle and her brutish immigrant brother-in-law.

Vivian Leigh makes a fantastic Blanche du Bois - she embodies the character's fragility and relentless desire to be properly pleasing just the way I had imagined it from the play. I was surprised by the ending of the film. While the play ends with Stella being embraced by her abusive husband, the movie ends with her running upstairs vowing to never return. This is just one of the ways that the movie is much less troubling than the play.

Paul says:

#46: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

2010-01-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

Paul Says:

Emily Says:

This movie was creepy. I know that Kubrick's movies are always weird, but this one exceeded my expectations of creepiness. (Not a very substantive analysis on my part, but the truth). The sexual brutality and graphic violence were just too much for me to stomach. I know I am extra-sensitive to these things (thanks mom...) but seriously, it was just gross.

On the other hand I thought the treatment of using Pavlovian training on criminals to be somewhat interesting, and at times entertaining, but I wished that this movie had more to say about the nature of criminality and the appropriate response. I did find the judgment (condemnation?) of modern English society and politics entertaining, though.

#47: Taxi Driver (1976)

2010-01-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Paul says:

Emily says:

We've had a lot of sad movies lately, it seems. I enjoyed Taxi Driver - especially seeing De Niro's performance at such a young age and, of course, the phenomenal acting of the 12-year old Jodi Foster. The point that the movie tried to communicate about De Niro's purposeless existence - and the loneliness of his life was sort of interesting, but I wish his character had developed a bit more, instead of just becoming bitter over the loss of a woman. The sheer gore of the ending scenes was a bit too much to handle - I can understand why they had to make the colors more muted - in full color it would have been even harder to watch. I'm glad I saw it, but wouldn't watch it again.

#49: Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

2009-11-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

Emily says:
So... this one falls into the "Emily kept passing it up for other films because it was a kids' movie" category. Seriously, Snow White is kind of creepy though... the whole evil queen/stepmother bit, and the dwarfs...

Some scenes took me right back to childhood though - especially the "Whistle while you work" part.

Even so, looking back at this movie, you can understand how it managed to cost Disney almost $1.5 million back in 1937 (which was a small fortune back then). It took them 3 years to make the movie - and I think that it's withstood the test of time - at least for kids.

Paul says:

#51: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

2009-11-20T23:25:00.001-08:00

Emily says:

I hadn't seen this one for quite some time and enjoyed watching it again. Once you get used to Katherine Hepburn's somewhat-annoying portrayal of a Philadelphia socialite, the humor in this movie really comes out. It was fun to see both Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant alongside her, but my all time favorite character in this movie will always be the younger sister who's impish schemes never fail to make me laugh. This is one I'd watch again for sure.

Paul says:

#52: From Here to Eternity (1953)

2009-11-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

Emily says:

"From Here to Eternity" follows the relationships of Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) and Warden (Cliff Lancaster), two members of the same army company stationed in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Warden, a lieutenant, pursues a relationship with the captain's wife. Prewitt's relationship is with "Lorene," a woman really named Alma who works in a club in town as a kind of escort for the army men who visit the club.

When Alma ("Lorene") declares to Prewett that her plan is to save up some money and go back home, buy a house, join the country club and be "proper" I cringed a little bit, but her next declaration was the one that really floored me: "proper people are safe." The 1950's morality in this movie trumped any interest that I had in the development of the characters and their relationships with one another.

One final observation: it sometimes concerns me that in 1950s movies I can't tell when the characters are madly in love with one another and when they are angry with one another.

#53: Amadeus (1984)

2009-11-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

Emily says:

I liked pretty much everything about this movie. I enjoyed the characters - even the ones I didn't particularly like. I loved the music, the costumes, and the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri. It was interesting because when I read about this film before we watched it, I expected it to be ridiculously hoakey, but it was quite well done.

I really enjoy movies where the lines between "good guys" and "bad guys" are blurred and in this movie, I couldn't help but both admire and detest Amadeus. At the same time, I felt for Salieri but was disgusted by his actions at the same time. Both of these characters had so much depth, and the music and theatrics were fun to watch.

Paul says:

#54: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

2009-10-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

I had low expectations for this movie because I read the book in High School and I remember it going on and on for ages and not enjoying it whatsoever. The movie is a big improvement on the book though (or maybe if I read the book now I'd feel differently). I don't remember the book being so anti-war, but the movie does a great job showing the war-mongering of society through the schoolteacher's character. The training of the enlisted classmates and their deployment shows how the civilian mentality and the soldier mentality are totally different from one another, and how war really changes those who take part in it.

I particularly enjoyed how the filmmakers showed the passage of time in the boots passed from one dead soldier to another, the brutality of trench warfare, and the tragic ending with the butterfly. This is a movie that reminded me of how quickly we can get swept up into nationalism and militarism as humans, and even though it was made after the First World War, it is applicable today as the US fights 2 wars abroad, and I am saddened to know that the brutality of war will continue into our futures.

#55: The Sound of Music (1965)

2009-10-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

I really advocated skipping this one, because I've seen the Sound of Music about a trillion times. I probably know every word of every song in the whole movie, but Paul talked me into watching it again for the sake of the project, and I'm glad we did. I was more sensitive to the historical questions in the movie this time, and I enjoyed reading up on the real Von Trapp family on wikipedia while watching.

My mom and dad went to Austria a long time ago, where they went on the Sound of Music tour. One of my favorite parts of re-watching this movie was imagining my parents on this tour together. For those of you who know my mom and dad, you can imagine my mom's boisterous enthusiasm for the movie along with my dad's introverted lack of enthusiasm for feel-good musicals. Oh, what I would give to have been a fly on the wall for that tour.

I was surprised, by the way, to find out that the remnants of the family live in Vermont now, where they run what seems to be an overpriced vacation destination. Strange.

#56: MAS*H (1970)

2009-10-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

I thought MASH lent itself better to a TV show format than to this feature-length film. Even though I enjoyed the characters I know and love from the TV show, the plot was at best meandering and perhaps better described as non-existent. It had its funny moments, and was fun to watch since it shows some of the origins of the TV show, but I'd pick the show (at least the first few seasons) over the movie any day.

One perk of watching the movie is that now I will always picture the dentist's suicide scene from the movie when I hear the song - the last supper, the earnest words of the characters as they pretend to say goodbye to the dentist as he commits suicide (by taking a sleeping pill - unbeknownst to him) - so hilarious.

#57: The Third Man (1949)

2009-10-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

This British film-noir about an American who arrives in Venice to find that his friend who invited him has recently died is a satisfying mystery with a good plot twist at the ending. I enjoyed watching the main character, Holly Martins, a pulp fiction writer, be misunderstood to be a great American author.

I wasn't crazy about Martins' love-interest, Anna Schmidt, and found her character to be a bit lacking, and I'm not sure exactly why this movie made it onto the AFI's list since I'm pretty sure it is British, but it was fun to watch and a great mystery film.

Paul says:

#58: Fantasia (1940)

2009-10-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

This movie has another funny "Dad story." When I was in elementary school, my dad took me and Gracie to see this movie. I'm not sure why we wanted to see it, and I'm not sure why he took us, but about 20 minutes into the movie my dad was taking a nap and my sister and I were complaining. Shortly thereafter we left. Upon watching it again (and most of it for the first time), I marveled at how obtuse it is. I mean this in the nicest way towards Mr. Walt Disney. Often I think of Disney as this man who wanted to make a ton of money by having kids' marketing empire, but Fantasia is just the opposite. It's artistic and not commercial. In fact, by pretty much all counts, Fantasia was a commercial failure pretty much until Fantasia 2000 came out. Not a movie for kids, but I really enjoyed the music, the animation, and of course Mickey as the Sorcerer's apprentice is always wonderful!

Paul says:

#59: Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

2009-10-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Emily says:

So, this is one of those iconic movies that everyone has heard of and always talks about. I'd never seen it before, and honestly, I didn't think it was really worth all of the hype. James Dean plays a good angsty teenager and all, but I just didn't think this movie was anything all that special.

It is very sad how James Dean died right after this movie was filmed, and tragic how young he was. I do think that it would have been interesting to see where his acting career had gone if his fate had been different, but this movie just didn't live up to the hype.

#60: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

2009-10-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDB

Emily Says:

Oh man, this movie took me back to my childhood. The first time I saw this movie I had never heard of the "ark of the covenant" in those terms and I didn't know much at all about anthropology as a field of study. Harrison Ford's college professor meets rough relic-hunter Indiana Jones is the perfect poster-boy for this field. He's flying all over the world, excavating interesting ancient sites, and fighting off bad guys.

There are so many epic scenes in this movie! The boulder, the really bad claymation of the faces melting off, the evil pet monkey, and the bar scene with the liquor just to name a few. And the music! Not to mention how dreamy Harrison Ford was in his younger days.

I don't think that my fondness for this movie is all nostalgia - this one is good over and over again, and not just for its role in the history of cinema. It's just fun to watch.

#61: Vertigo (1958)

2009-10-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Starring: James Stewart and Kim Novak

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

IMDB

Emily Says:

I know that I was supposed to enjoy the psychological intrigue, plot twists, and wonderful music score of this Hitchcock classic, but the whole time we were watching it I just couldn’t get over the 1950’s gender role stereotypes. We have Scottie, who in the beginning seems like a nice enough fellow until he becomes fixated on saving his former classmate’s wife. Madeline’s compulsion with her dead grandmother is interesting until her spineless clinging to Scottie gets old. Later, after Madeline’s death, when it is revealed that Scottie’s classmate paid Judy to impersonate his wife, Scottie’s new interest in Judy grows creepier and creepier as he tries to transform Judy into the now-dead Madeline.

The scenes in which Scottie oversees Judy’s transformation by buying her clothes and having her hair redone were hard for me to watch as I began to wonder more and more how this movie sought to define “love.” Judy allows Scottie to transform her into a dead woman’s effigy because she “loves” him, and it is his “love” that makes him want to do so. As the movie drew to an end and Judy plummeted to her Madeline-like death, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Well if she hadn’t let him turn her into a dead woman, this wouldn’t have been a problem.” To me this movie was more a sad commentary on 1950’s gender stereotypes than the psychological thriller it was intended to be.

Paul Says:

This is the first of a number of Hitchcock films that make it onto this list. I didn't catch his obligatory cameo in this one, but I'm sure it's there. I'd never seen this film before, but really enjoyed at least the first hour or so. It's haunting and intriguing watching Jimmy Stewart follow around this woman who is the wife of his former classmate (although how he was ever a police detective is beyond me, with all his stealth skills he may as well be wearing a goddamn cowbell). The first climactic scene in the bell tower with the iconic zooming shots down the stairwell is really well-done and truly tragic. The man who emerges is broken and despondent and draws our pity, but from here on out it just gets weird. The character becomes obsessive and downright creepy, continuing to wander around the places where he had seen the woman he fell in love with. The reveal of the plot twist that follows is sudden and awkward - completely lacking subtlety, as Jimmy finds the girl he fell in love with who was actually pretending to be someone else so the rich husband could get away with murder. The obsession at this point goes from mildly creepy to full-on off-putting as our hero begins to mold her into exactly the woman he though died. Finally, he figures it out and revisits the scene of the crime. Maybe it's just me, but this closing scene seems forced, and the ending is abrupt. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it just struck too many off notes in the last half hour.

Rating: 7.5/10

#62: Tootsie (1982)

2009-10-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack, Geena Davis
Director: Sydney Pollack
IMDB

Emily says:
There are sort of two types of movies on this list: films that are historic and films that are timeless. This is one of those films that is timeless. 27 years later, this film is dated by the music, clothes, and hairstyle, but watching Dustin Hoffman cross dress as a woman and try to get Jessica Lange to fall in love with him is timeless.

I imagine that in 1982, the question of what it means to be a strong woman was at the forefront of many minds, and Dustin Hoffman's Dorothy reminds us of how far women have come and how lucky girls are today to be able to grow up in a culture that defines womanhood countless times more broadly than it once did.

Paul says:

#63: Stagecoach (1939)

2009-10-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Starring: Claire Trevor, John Wayne
Director: John Ford
IMDB

Emily says:

I enjoyed this more than the other John Wayne film we've watched so far on the list. The characters were easy to relate to, and as they try to escape Geronimo and are stuck together, its enjoyable to see how they develop beyond their initial stereotypes. There are some decent action scenes and by and large it was a pretty good film.

Paul says:

#64: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

2009-10-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr, J. Patrick McNamara
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDB

Emily says:

I was disappointed in this one. I just couldn't get into the plot and it moved a little bit too slow for me. I didn't find the characters very interesting and I just wasn't very attentive during this one. So, I don't have much to say about it.

Paul says:

#65: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

2009-10-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Ted Levine
Director: Jonathan Demme
IMDB

Emily says:
Anthony Hopkins is downright creepy in this movie, which is all I could remember about it when we started watching it. The first time I was too creeped out to really appreciate the film - especially Jodie Foster's performance as the young FBI agent, and Ted Levine as "Buffalo Bill."

This movie is actually better the second time around. I wasn't distracted by how creepy it all was and was more able to focus on the excellent plot and characters. Still not sure if I'd want to watch it over and over again, but an excellent work for sure.

Paul says:

#66: Network (1976)

2009-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty
Director: Sidney Lumet
IMDB

Emily says:

This one was definitely a winner in my book. Peter Finch is hilarious as Howard Beale, the angry television host who prompts everyone to share in his lament: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore." The depiction of the corporate television industry paired with the off-beat shows that succeed - especially the "Ecumenical Liberation Army" series is just hilarious. My favorite twist is when the CEO character leads the outrageous Howard Beale to believe that he is some sort of higher power. All in all how outrageous this movie is just makes it more fun to watch!

Paul says:

#67: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

2009-10-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury
Director: John Frankenheimer
IMDB

Emily says:

I'd never seen this movie before, but I really enjoyed all the twist and turns in this film about an American soldier (played by Frank Sinatra) who is awarded a metal of honor. As the film goes on, we learn of how he has been manipulated by communists in Manchuria. Its fun to put the puzzle together as you hope that Sinatra's character can be liberated from the mind games that have been played on him. This is one that I'd watch again for sure.

Paul says:

#68: An American in Paris (1951)

2009-09-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Nina Foche
Director: Vincente Minnelli
IMDB

Emily says:

I was excited about this movie. I knew a little bit about it - "I Got Rhythm" and whatnot - and for the most part I enjoyed it. There wasn't much plot - just a straight up musical romance with a romantic triangle that happens to be set in beautiful Paris. Gene Kelly was quite good and there were some really nice moments. And of course the music! The Gershwin was beautiful as always in this film.

The only thing is, I'm not sure who came up with the idea to have a 30+ minute dance sequence at the end. While it was very beautiful, I really felt like I was watching Fantasia after the first 10 minutes or so, and after 20 I was bored.

Paul says:

#69: Shane (1953)

2009-09-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Palance, Ben Johnson
Director: George Stevens
IMDB

Emily says:
So, this movie would have been just fine - good even - if it hadn't been for the child actor who incessantly talked with his whiny voice through the whole film. "Shaaaane, Shaaaane."

The story of a gunman turned good who helps a group of homesteaders keep their land is not bad, and the fight scenes are quite entertaining, but let me return to the whiny voiced child, who made watching the film almost unbearable.

This one wasn't worthy of the list in my opinion.

Paul says:

#70: The French Connection (1971)

2009-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Schneider, Tony Lo Bianco, Frederic de Pasquale
Director: William Friedkin
IMDB

Emily says:

I was really excited for this one - it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun - narcotics police trying to catch drug trafficers traveling between the US and France. But... I fell asleep about 15 minutes into it and slept through the rest... maybe I'll have to watch it again sometime - but for now you'll have to see what Paul has to say about it.

Paul says:

#71: Forrest Gump (1994)

2009-09-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
Director: Robert Zemeckis
IMDB

Emily says:

I wasn't looking forward to this film because for some unknown reason, this was the movie of choice at my Middle School and High School to show when there was a substitute. Because of that I'd seen in about a thousand times.

One thing I realized, though, when we watched it was that I had only seen the entire film a few times - and this time I watched it I had a greater appreciation for all of the time periods, movements, famous events, etc. that Forrest was a part of. What an interesting idea for a movie - I really enjoyed it this time.

Paul says:

#72: Ben-Hur (1959)

2009-09-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Starring: Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd
Director: William Wyler
IMDB

Emily says:

"Ben Hur" was delightful to watch! The only thing I remember about this movie from my childhood is that I tried to watch it with my mom one time, and it was unbelievably long... so I wasn't actually too excited about it when we started watching it, but I ended up really enjoying it!

I have to mention the chariot race - so epic. It was as fun to watch now as it was when I was a kid - I remember that. What I really liked this time though, was the way they wove events from the New Testament into a story that was primarily about the Roman Empire's culture. I don't think most Christians think about the socio-historical context of the New Testament and Ben-Hur raises these questions - even if sometimes it might not be accurate (or maybe it is - who really knows!). I'd watch this one again for sure!

Paul says:

#73: Wuthering Heights (1939)

2009-09-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Starring: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Director: William Wyler
IMDB

Emily says:

I was really surprised to find out that Paul didn't read Wuthering Heights in high school. I did, and I sort of enjoyed it, but the creepiest parts of the book sadly didn't make it into the movie (like Heathcliff's crazy coffin so that his body could co-mingle with Cathy's after death).

Okay, about the movie though - it wasn't a faithful adaptation of the novel, but I think they took some good stuff out that helped to make the plot more coherent. It had some of the classic overacting and drama of a romantic-period film, but it was pretty good (and much quicker than reading the book in 10th grade).

Paul says:

#74: The Gold Rush (1925)

2009-09-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain
Director: Charlie Chaplin
IMDB

Emily says:

So, we've watched a LOT of Charlie Chaplin on this list, but this is my absolute FAVORITE. While the depression-era fate of the "Little Tramp" was just sad in "Modern Times" & "City Lights," his character is refreshingly funny in "The Gold Rush." The normal Charlie Chaplin antics are mixed with almost Saturday-morning-cartoon-like scenarios - a house nearly falling off a cliff, a huge snowball rolling down a mountain, a bad guy falling over a cliff to his death. For some reason, this one was funny to me in a way that the others weren't. I'm glad I watched it, even if I was dreading "another Charlie Chaplin film" when we started it.

Paul says:

#75: Dances with Wolves (1990)

2009-09-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene
Director: Kevin Costner
IMDB

Emily says:

I wasn't expecting to - but I loved every minute (all 181) of it. Costner's character is easy to relate to, grows and develops over the movie's course, and is surrounded by other characters that are intriguing. The wolf was probably my favorite character though - so sweet. And I was pleasantly surprised by the soundtrack - which was beautiful. I may even devote another 3 hours to watching it some other time.

Paul says:

#76: City Lights (1931)

2009-09-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Virgina Cherrill
Director: Charlie Chaplin
IMDB

Emily says:

I enjoyed Chaplin's drunken debauchery with the millionaire in this film, and the sweet love story between the tramp and the blind girl. I'm just tired of Chaplin films though - maybe "Modern Times" wore me out, and I know that Chaplin was an important figure in silent film - and that this movie was made when silent film was in decline - but I just wasn't thrilled by this one. Good to watch for its place in film history, but I most likely won't watch it again.

Paul says:

#77: American Grafitti (1973)

2009-09-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith
Director: George Lucas
IMDB

Emily says:

This movie was a lot like Grease only without music or much of a plot. That might be a little harsh - and I know it was the first movie the depicted the "new american teenager" or something like that, but I was really just not impressed with it. If I had it to do over again, I'd pass on this one.

Paul says:

#78: Rocky (1976)

2009-09-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Director: John G. Avildsen
IMDB

Emily says:

I'd never seen Rocky and wasn't expecting much from a boxing movie but I heartily enjoyed this one. The theme song, Sylvester Stallone, and of course the training montages - so wonderful. I'm glad that an inspirational sports movie made it into the Top 100 - its an important American Film Genre. This movie is not just an inspirational sports film though - it's funny and heartfelt, well-acted, and well made overall. It was fun to watch.

Paul says:

#79: The Deer Hunter (1978)

2009-09-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Starring: Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
IMDB

Emily says:

Many of you know my penchant for films about the Vietnam War (which is weird, since I don't like violent films overall), and this one was no different. I loved seeing Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and most of all Meryl Streep in this movie - they were so young! The characters were interesting, even if they weren't always likable, and the movie explored one of my favorite topics - how war changes people. Ultimately a bond of friendship triumphed in the end, giving the movie a fulfilling ending without erasing the brutality of the characters' experiences. I'd watch this one again.

Paul says:

#80: The Wild Bunch (1969)

2009-08-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sanchez, Ben Johnson
Director: Sam Peckinpah
IMDB

Emily says:

The story and the acting in this movie are impressive, especially William Holden, but what really makes this movie is how well done the action sequences were. The movie looked more like it was made in the last 10 years than in the 60's. I really enjoyed this one - especially the high quality action sequences.

Paul says:

#81: Modern Times (1936)

2009-08-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
Director: Charlie Chaplin
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

#82: Giant (1956)

2009-08-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Dennis Hopper
Director: George Stevens
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

#83: Platoon (1986)

2009-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Starring: Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Mark Moses, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen
Director: Oliver Stone
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

#84: Fargo (1996)

2009-08-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Starring: William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Frances McDormand
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

The quintessential dark comedy. This movie is hilarious, just never in a laugh-out-loud funny kinda way. I don't even know what to say about this film. I'm very fond of it though

#85: Duck Soup (1933)

2009-08-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

Starring: Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo Marx
Director: Leo McCarey
IMDB

Emily says:

This movie was terrible. No substance. I'd never actually seen more than a clip from a Marx Brothers film before, so at least I have had that cultural experience, but seriously, if they couldn't find a better Marx Bros film to put on the list, I'm not even sure if it deserved being included in the list.

Paul says:

Unfortunately, this was exactly what I expected it to be. Cheap jokes and slapstick. We can't even give it credit for political satire. None of it is even that deep. Fortunately it was pretty short, so we didn't have to put up with a full 2 hours. Seriously, my biggest takeaway here is that Hawkeye Pierce from the MASH TV show does a good Groucho Marx. I can't even identify the rest of them. The Marx brothers are dumb, the supporting cast is dumber, I'm done talking about this movie.

Rating: 5/10

#86: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

2009-08-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

Starring: Charles Laughton, Clark Gable
Director: Frank Lloyd
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

I honestly didn't take a whole lot away from this film. That sounds weird because I liked it quite a bit. It's well-done and well-acted (I feel like I'm saying that a lot, but it's true) and has a lot of likable characters (and easy-to-dislike characters too). Seriously, it's hard to say why, but I just don't have anything to say. Sorry.

Rating: 8/10

#87: Frankenstein (1931)

2009-08-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff
Director: James Whale
IMDB

Emily says:

Paul says:

It's interesting to see this movie after having seen it parodied so much in popular culture. (that's the case with many of these films really) Now I just want to go back and watch Young Frankenstein again, seems fitting, no? This movie definitely deserves it's place on the list though, as a true classic and trailblazer in film. It does manage to get you to sympathize with the Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, in spite of their obvious respective shortcomings. Also, apparently German girls can't swim in 2 feet of water. Who knew? Admittedly, part of me does wonder what the scientific purpose of all the sparking Jacob's Ladders in the background is. Can the monster only be resurrected in an ozone-saturated environment? Who knows?

#88: Easy Rider (1969)

2009-08-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
Director: Dennis Hopper
IMDB

Emily says:

This is one of my dad's all time favorite movies, and I have to say that I enjoyed our conversation about it way more than the film itself. The movie's not bad, its definitely indicative of its time - a period piece about free love that features a drug deal, a commune, and a semi-creepy drug induced mardi gras experience in New Orleans.

The soundtrack was unbelievably good, as was much of the filming, but the ending was abrupt and a sad commentary on the close-mindedness of the South in the 1960's.

By far, the best part of this movie was the conversation I had with my dad afterwards about how his family was living in a suburb of Paris in 1969 when this movie came out and how he would take the Metro down into Paris to see this movie over and over again with some friends from school. You had to be 16 to see the movie and my dad was only 12 so he had a fake ID to get in. He told me about how he had a friend who worked in the school ID office at the American School in Paris who got it for him.

A period piece maybe, but the soundtrack alone is enough reason to watch this one - even if you don't have a dad to walk with you down memory lane. Thanks, Dad!

Paul says:

What is this movie about? Seriously? The first hour or so is pretty good, although not much happens. The characters transported some cocaine and made a bunch of money and now want to go from California to New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras. There are a lot of really pretty shots of a very pretty Peter Fonda in front of various very pretty scenery on the way through the American West. At some point they run into an alcoholic Jack Nicholson who joins them for the ride. They get to New Orleans and have some sort of crazy drugged out sex adventure, and then I feel like they just didn't know how to end the movie so they killed everybody. Really, this comes out of left field. It's a great road movie, with lots of good shots of shenanigans on the highway and a good soundtrack, but I suspect that I was too sober to get the full experience out of this movie. Maybe some mind-altering chemicals would've helped, who knows.

Rating: 7/10

#89: Patton (1970)

2009-08-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
IMDB

Emily says:
I had no expectations coming into watching this film, and for that reason I don't think that I was terribly disappointed by it. My knowledge of World War II history leaves something to be desired, and so sometimes I was confused as to what was going on in the film. That being said, there are some beautiful scenes in the film. I wish more attention had been paid to a more comprehensive plot for a less-educated viewer (unfortunately a category I fit into).

Paul says:
Honestly? I was somewhat disappointed by this film. Films that strive to commit to film specific historical events, even if well-executed, somehow lack something. (don't get me wrong, this is preferable to over-dramatizing a "based on a true story" type of film - see Pearl Harbor) This film is well-acted, well-shot, has some absolutely beautiful battle scenes, and really gives a feel for the characters involved. By the end of the film I think Patton is a brilliant sonuvabitch and kinda like him. That being said, any time that I think of George C. Scott as a military figure, the first image that comes to my mind is from Dr. Strangelove. Go figure.

7.5/10

#90: The Jazz Singer (1927)

2009-08-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Starring: Al Jolson
Director: Alan Crosland
IMDB

Emily says:
I completely understand why this movie is on the list: it was one of the first to feature synchronized sound. And I think that is about the best reason for it to be on the list.

The relationship between the main character and his mother is somewhat creepy, and the acting is over the top. When the singing comes along, more than being wowed by the technology, you're a little creeped out by how he's singing to his mom.

Paul says:
This is a very interesting entry on this list. This is one of the very first films to feature synchronized sound, which it only has in a couple scenes. (honestly, it's a little creepy when it does) The plot is relatively formulaic, with the main character being the son of a Jewish Rabbi whose destiny is to become the cantor at the local synagogue, but all he wants to do is sing jazz. The actors are decidedly silent-era and overacting is rampant. In particular the mother tries so hard to look earnest that I'm worried she's gonna pull a facial muscle. The music is pretty good, and the end is touching. (inevitably the father falls ill before the most important holiday of the year, the son returns home and takes up the mantle he's abandoned, forsaking his career) I can see why this movie is on this list, and it's not because it's a great movie (although it's not bad), but it does represent a landmark in cinematic history and that's gotta count for something.

Rating: 6.5/10

#91: My Fair Lady (1964)

2009-08-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway
Director: George Cukor
IMDB

Emily says:

I really enjoyed this movie. Eliza Doolittle is spunky and fun. The music is enjoyable. The costumes fabulous. Audrey Hepburn is okay - but she's no Julie Andrews. The lack of change in Henry Higgins' character irks me (see Paul's post below) and the ending seems a little contrived - but its a musical after all! It's fun to watch and I just wish that Julie Andrews had played Eliza in the movie as well as on stage!

Paul says:
Here we continue our theme of musicals that were not nearly as bad as Paul thought they would be. There are some birlliantly funny scenes and clever lines/lyrics. The thing that bugs me here is that at the end of the movie the protagonist - the likable poor street-dwelling Eliza Doolittle - goes back to Prof. Henry Higgins in spite of the fact that he's shown no remorse for being cold, cruel, and demeaning towards her. He doesn't deserve her, and she doesn't deserve him for completely separate reasons. Other than that, I honestly have no complaints - quite a surprise really.

Rating: 8/10

#92: A Place in the Sun (1951)

2009-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Starring: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere
Director: George Stevens
IMDB

Emily says:

In my opinion this film definitely didn't deserve to make this list. The characters were unlikable and the plot meandering and slow. It took everything within me not to turn it off halfway through. Bad all around.

Paul says:

Due respect, I did not enjoy this film. It was painful to watch. I didn't like the main character. He was an idiot. He gets some of your sympathy early on as the lost scion of the wealthy Eastman family, but quickly squanders that by leading along two girls at once not wanting to disappoint either. Seriously. It's painful thinking about because it just wasn't enjoyable. I don't know how else to put it. I don't even want to talk about it anymore.

Rating: 4/10

#93: The Apartment (1960)

2009-07-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
Director: Billy Wilder
IMDB

Emily says:

I didn't expect much out of this film but utterly enjoyed it! I loved how the main character supplemented his income by renting out his apartment to co-workers and then got in over his head. I could totally relate to the character's inability to say no - even when in got him in trouble.

I thought the romance in the film was incredibly well done. Shirley MacLaine played the part wonderfully, and the development of confidence by both characters as they grow to care about each other was really nice. Too often in films like this, two spineless characters just form a co-dependent union that is unsatisfying, but the romance of these two helps them to become better characters.

This movie is both hilarious and touching. Probably my second favorite on the list (as of #51).

Paul says:

What a pleasant surprise this film was. I had no idea what to expect from it, but loved what I got. The main character is an office flunky who doesn't know how to say no to anybody. His bosses all use his apartment to carry on affairs behind their respective wives' backs. The whole thing spirals downhill and he's left almost shut out of his own apartment. My favorite part is probably the disapproving neighbors who think the main character is an unapologetic playboy. The end ultimately is very touching. Few films can pull of humor this well and still manage to be poignant. This is one, and I heartily approve.

Rating: 9/10

#94: Goodfellas (1990)

2009-07-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero
Director: Martin Scorsese
IMDB

Emily says:

This movie was great! I thought Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta were all excellent in this film. The characters are easy to relate to, invest in, and carry your interest throughout the film. Liotta's childhood dream of being in the mob starts the film off on a note that makes you love the characters, in spite of the terrible things that they will do later in the film. As they scam, steal, kill, and cheat, you love them in spite of it - mostly, I think, because like Liotta's character, there's a little bit of each of us that thinks organized crime is awesome.

Paul says:
Seriously, how many mob/heist films has Robert De Niro been in? Are there any in the last 20 years that he hasn't? I recently watched Casino too, and I swear this is the same movie, but that's fine. It's an entertaining film. Joe Pesci is suitably over-the-top as the guy with the Napoleon complex, Ray Liotta's scratchy voice for the narration strikes just the right tone, and his character is great. De Niro plays a somewhat smaller role, but does a good job with it. The most underappreciated here is probably Lorraine Bracco as the neurotic leeching wife. (I came to appreciate her as the incomparable Dr. Melfi in The Sopranos, how impressive is it that she's played both sides in mob cinema spectacularly?) The movie is pretty fast-paced, with a satisfying body count. It's really just unfair to American mob films though, since they have to measure up to The Godfather, an impossible task.

Rating: 8.5/10

#95: Pulp Fiction (1994)

2009-07-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Uma Thurman
Director: Quentin Tarantino
IMDB

Emily says:

Usually I'm not a big Quentin Tarantino fan because I'm too sensitive to gory violence. I put my squeamishness aside, however, for this movie (mostly because Paul loves it so much) and it wasn't so bad. There's no plot, but I enjoyed the way that the short segments related to one another, it was fun to see John Travolta in his part, and I thought that Samuel L. Jackson was hilarious. By and large, pretty good - save for the needless graphic violence that I still don't much care for. I won't be seeing Tarantino's other films any time soon, but I survived (and even sort of enjoyed) this one.

Paul says:

Oh man, this might be my favorite film about nothing. There's no plot to speak of, we follow a loosely intertwined set of characters through a number of short narratives, and the dialog is clever, the characters are caricatures, the situations are funny, the directing is good, and so much more. This is a great film to sit down and watch whenever, it doesn't require a lot of investment, and it's good every time. I don't know what else to say but that I really want Samuel L. Jackson's wallet.

Rating: 9/10

#96: The Searchers (1956)

2009-07-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles
Director: John Ford
IMDB

Emily says:

Now, you have to remember that I am not the Western-lover that Paul is - I've seen some good Westerns but I wouldn't count this as one of them. I thought it was terribly long, one dimensional, and lacking characters in whom you could invest enough to merit the length of the film. Most of all, I didn't think the landscape looked at all like the Northwest part of Texas it was meant to be set in and this continually irked me throughout the film. This one wouldn't have made the list if it had been me deciding.

Paul says:

As someone who's seen a lot of Westerns with Eastwood and not a lot with John Wayne, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, they each have their own style and make for very different movies. This movie was certainly ranging and epic in scale, and there are a lot of beautiful scenes, but in the end there was a lot of wandering around in various landscapes. There's a pseudo-happy ending, but I don't even know if that's satisfying. There are some side-plots that feel kind of contrived and cobbled together, not enough time given to make them real, too much to just ignore them. I dunno, I guess that if a Western isn't going to be terribly substantive and is just gonna be pretty, the least we can ask for is some great action or a lot of cheesy one-liners, right?

Rating: 7/10

#97: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

2009-07-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Starring: Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant
Director: Howard Hawks
IMDB

Emily says:
After watching Katherine Hepburn as a mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner it was fun to see her here as a much younger actress. She's unbelievably beautiful and hilarious in this film - and Cary Grant's straight man is fun to watch alongside her silly, playful character.

I have to admit, this one doesn't have a ton of substance, but the silly antics of the characters as they try to capture the missing leopard are much fun to watch - a fine example of a comedy.

The scene at the very end with the collapsing dinosaur is a personal favorite - Grant's love for Hepburn in spite of her antics is a heart warming ending to a hilarious film.

Paul says:

Sure, the movie's funny, but I don't think that I even like any of the characters by the end Cary Grant is kinda dumb and Hepburn is horribly inconsiderate. Maybe it was good in its time, and it's pretty entertaining fluff, but it's nothing more. If it were played exactly the same with no-name actors it wouldn't even come close to this list, and that's kinda a shame.

Rating: 7/10

#98: Unforgiven (1992)

2009-07-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett
Director: Clint Eastwood
IMDB

Emily says:

I enjoyed "Unforgiven," but I thought it lacked a lot of the elements that I usually enjoy in Westerns. It was an interesting film, because it had the kind of moral ambiguity that you don't usually find in westerns.

I thought that what made the film good was the quality of the acting - Gene Hackman as the sheriff v. Clint Eastwood's outlaw. Paul thought seeing Morgan Freeman in a western was weird (see below) but I thought he was excellent. I'm not much of a western connoisseur, but as a fresh take on the style, I thought this film was pretty good.

Paul says:

This movie makes me kinda sad, not because it's not a good movie - it is - but because the best of Clint Eastwood's Westerns (and the best Westerns period) are the ones directed by Sergio Leone and they won't be eligible for this list because they're not American films (there's some irony here). The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Fistful of Dollar, For a Few Dollars More, and Once Upon a Time in the West. No matter, this film is a classic to be sure, with some great larger-than-life Western characters from the stilted English Bob to Gene Hackman's braggart sheriff to Clint Eastwood's Clint Eastwood (let's be honest, that's the only character he plays). It's a little weird seeing Morgan Freeman in a Western, but that's fine. It's epic, it's violent, it has some funny moments, it's a Western, but it's just missing something, maybe if Ennio Morricone had written the soundtrack it would be ok...

Rating: 8/10

#99: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

2009-07-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton
Director: Stanley Kramer
IMDB

Emily says:
I hadn't seen Guess Who's Coming to Dinner for years. The first time I saw this film, I was probably about 10 and many of the racial issues in the film were lost on me. I remember the beginning as more of a farcical dinner party spiraling out of control than a study of race relations.

This time as I watched I was impressed that the film confronts both the racism of Joey's white parents and that of the family's black housekeeper Tillie and John's father. Tillie provides both comical relief and insight into the reality that racism is not a uniquely "white" problem.

It was fun to see Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as the parents of a young girl in love. Their ability to portray parents who were torn between their own prejudices and their love for their daughter and her happiness was impressive. While at first I was not fond of Joey, she grew on me as the film progressed, and Sidney Poitier was excellent as always.

What I liked most about the film was that while it was about a political topic, it was more than a political film. It managed to be a film that was not only about race but also about the struggles that every couple has as they introduce their new spouses to their family, and that families have as they meet one another and discover their differences and similarities. This is one I can imagine watching over and over again.

Paul says:
THIS is a really good movie. Great acting performances all around, the last movie that Spencer Tracy ever did, great social message, cleverly delivered, witty, some laugh-out-loud moments, some great characters, what's not to love? I'd never seen this film before and was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised. This movie was timely when it was made in the mid-60s but still is applicable today. The events it portrays could probably happen in some American households to this day, if not with mixed-race couples, certainly with gay/lesbian ones, and the message is the same, you don't control your emotions and who cares what anyone else says? Definitely would watch this film again.

Rating: 9/10

#100: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

2009-07-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

Starring: James Cagney
Director: Michael Curtiz
IMDB

Emily says:
I had no idea what I was getting into when we started watching this one. A period piece for sure, it is chock full of World War II era patriotism. The story, though, is compelling, and as we watched I found myself enjoying James Cagney's George Cohan.

There were so many songs in this one that I'd heard but had no idea that they were from the movie, and I didn't realize until afterwards that the film is biographical - Cohan is based on a real songwriter and producer of Broadway shows.

This isn't one that I'd watch over and over again, but I enjoyed seeing it - and think that it was a good choice to show a period of American film history.

Paul says:
Considering how much I hate musicals, this really wasn't that bad. It's a matter of principle really. That being said, the musical numbers were pretty good, and the overarching narrative wasn't completely unenjoyable. The main character was likeable even though he was kinda an asshole. There was a little bit too much flag-wacing for my taste, but it's just an artifact of its time. Like I said, knowing that it was a musical from the 40s I fully expected to hate it. I didn't, I might even watch it again.

Rating: 6.5/10

Adventures in the AFI Top 100

#15: Star Wars (1977)

#16: All About Eve (1950)

#17: The African Queen (1951)

#18: Psycho (1960)

#23: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

#24: Raging Bull (1980)

#25: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

#29: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

#31: Annie Hall (1977)

#32: The Godfather Part II (1974)

#33: High Noon (1952)

#34: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

#36: Midnight Cowboy (1969)

#38: Double Indemnity (1944)

#41: West Side Story (1961)

#43: King Kong (1933)

#45: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

#46: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

#47: Taxi Driver (1976)

#49: Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

#51: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

#52: From Here to Eternity (1953)

#53: Amadeus (1984)

#54: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

#55: The Sound of Music (1965)

#56: M*A*S*H (1970)

#57: The Third Man (1949)

#58: Fantasia (1940)

#59: Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

#60: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

#61: Vertigo (1958)

#62: Tootsie (1982)

#63: Stagecoach (1939)

#64: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

#65: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

#66: Network (1976)

#67: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

#68: An American in Paris (1951)

#69: Shane (1953)

#70: The French Connection (1971)

#71: Forrest Gump (1994)

#72: Ben-Hur (1959)

#73: Wuthering Heights (1939)

#74: The Gold Rush (1925)

#75: Dances with Wolves (1990)

#76: City Lights (1931)

#77: American Grafitti (1973)

#78: Rocky (1976)

#79: The Deer Hunter (1978)

#80: The Wild Bunch (1969)

#81: Modern Times (1936)

#82: Giant (1956)

#83: Platoon (1986)

#84: Fargo (1996)

#85: Duck Soup (1933)

#86: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

#87: Frankenstein (1931)

#88: Easy Rider (1969)

#89: Patton (1970)

#90: The Jazz Singer (1927)

#91: My Fair Lady (1964)

#92: A Place in the Sun (1951)

#93: The Apartment (1960)

#94: Goodfellas (1990)

#95: Pulp Fiction (1994)

#96: The Searchers (1956)

#97: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

#98: Unforgiven (1992)

#99: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

#100: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

#56: MAS*H (1970)