AFI Lists

[Gemini Cricket]

AFI released a summary of top ten lists. What do you think? Have you seen them all?

ANIMATION
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. Bambi (1942)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. Fantasia (1940)
6. Toy Story (1995)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
8. Shrek (2001)
9. Cinderella (1950)
10. Finding Nemo (2003)

FANTASY
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4. King Kong (1933)
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
7. Harvey (1950)
8. Groundhog Day (1993)
9. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
10. Big (1988)

GANGSTER
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Goodfellas (1990)
3. The Godfather Part II (1974)
4. White Heat (1949)
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
8. The Public Enemy (1931)
9. Little Caesar (1930)
10. Scarface (1983)

SCIENCE FICTION
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
4. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
7. Alien (1979)
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
10. Back to the Future (1985)

WESTERN
1. The Searchers (1956)
2. High Noon (1952)
3. Shane (1953)
4. Unforgiven (1992)
5. Red River (1948)
6. The Wild Bunch (1969)
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
9. Stagecoach (1939)
10. Cat Ballou (1965)

SPORTS
1. Raging Bull (1980)
2. Rocky (1976)
3. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
4. Hoosiers (1986)
5. Bull Durham (1988)
6. The Hustler (1961)
7. Caddyshack (1980)
8. Breaking Away (1979)
9. National Velvet (1944)
10. Jerry Maguire (1996)

MYSTERY
1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Chinatown (1974)
3. Rear Window (1954)
4. Laura (1944)
5. The Third Man (1949)
6. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
7. North By Northwest (1959)
8. Blue Velvet (1986)
9. Dial M for Murder (1954)
10. The Usual Suspects (1995)

ROMANTIC COMEDY
1. City Lights (1931)
2. Annie Hall (1977)
3. It Happened One Night (1934)
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
5. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
6. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
7. Adam's Rib (1949)
8. Moonstruck (1987)
9. Harold and Maude (1971)
10. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

COURTROOM DRAMA
1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
3. Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
4. The Verdict (1982)
5. A Few Good Men (1992)
6. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
7. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
8. In Cold Blood (1967)
9. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
10. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

EPIC
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
3. Schindler's List (1993)
4. Gone With the Wind (1939)
5. Spartacus (1960)
6. Titanic (1997)
7. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
9. Reds (1981)
10. The Ten Commandments (1956)
Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7461953.stm)

[Gemini Cricket]

I've seen them all except Little Caesar.
I was disappointed that more Pixar films were not listed.

[innerSpaceman]

Wow, I've seen all but a few of those.

I'm as happy they picked Fellowship of the Ring for Fantasy films as I am disgusted they chose The Lion King for Animated films. I've seen all 20 in those categories.

I've seen all but two of the Ganster films, never having seen either version of Scarface.

Considering they're not my favorite genres, I'm surprised to have missed only two of the Westerns (McCabe & Mrs. Miller -and- Cat Ballou), and one of the Sports films (Pride of the Yankees).

Some of those "science fiction" choices are questionable (Um, Back to the Future is a comedy, and huh, Terminator 2 over Terminator???). But I've seen all of them.

Ditto, all of the Courtroom Dramas, all of the Romantic Comedies, all of the Mysteries, and all of the Epics.



Hmmm, I feel pretty cinemeducated.

[Alex]

I saw the Animation part of the show (it was the first genre). The list is such a joke that I decided it was best I not keep watching. Snow White is brilliant for the genre it created but it is not even in the top 10 animated films over the last 70 years.

Though Disney must have enjoyed the handjob.

And while I don't necessarily disagree with most of the selections, it is a bit odd that youngest #1 is 28 years old. The second youngest is 36 years old.
Has there really only been one top 10 science fiction film in the last 23 years? Three out of the 10 genres reached their pinnacle in the 1930s apparently.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Most of these lists seem pretty accurate to me but I can't help but nitpick on the following.

Snow White, the first animated film, is also the best ever made? Hmm. Somehow I find that hard to swallow. It is possibly worthy of the list, but the best?

Tom Hanks' Big in 10th for Fantasy? I love that movie, but, really? How about the original Superman film? Do they count that as Sci-Fi? Hell, I'd put in The Neverending Story or even Willow...

I love that Harold and Maude made the romantic comedy list. :)

Ok, no more excuses, we need to watch more movies.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

...and huh, Terminator 2 over Terminator???). I thought it was common knowledge that T2 way surpasses the original. :p The first one has not aged well at all.

[innerSpaceman]

Sorry, don't agree. But T2 is a kick-ass movie.


Perhaps the list is not of the "best," but of the films with the most impact. In which case, inclusions like Snow White, Lion King and Titanic make perfect sense.

[Gemini Cricket]

I loved T2. The first Terminator... not so much.

I can't believe Toy Story is so high up on the list and Incredibles is not up there at all. Yuk.

[Disneyphile]

I don't know how they couldn't include "Labyrinth". :eek:

[Tref]

I am so tired of lists. So, let me introduce ...

My Least Favorite Lists List

10. Anything by by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace
09. or, Rolling Stone
08. or, Mojo
07. or, Empire
06. or, Entertainment Weekly
05. or, the AV Club
04. or, Local video store clerk
03. or, List found in Eichmann's pocket
02. or, Richard Nixon enemy list
and
01. AFI

[innerSpaceman]

I think our governator was way better as a bad guy. Just one of the unique pleasures of the original The Terminator. Made him a star, btw. And he never played the heavy again.




Till he was elected, that is. ;)

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I need to start some institute that just makes lists all the time...

[Boss Radio]

"The winners were chosen by actors, film-makers, critics and others in Hollywood from ballots that included 50 nominees in each genre."

I'm guessing a good half of them have never actually seen the films they voted for.

And yes, cinema peaked half a century ago.

[Kevy Baby]

The first thing that I noticed was Tombstone wasn't on the Westerns list

[Boss Radio]

I protest the omissions of Forbidden Planet, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Pillow Talk.

And Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

[Gemini Cricket]

I protest the exclusion of The Matrix.

And the exclusion of Monkeybone, Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever and Norbit.

[Morrigoon]

Princess Bride didn't make the Fantasy category but Groundhog Day did??? I call shenanigans!

[Not Afraid]

I protest the exclusion of Fanny and Alexander and Berlin
Alexanderplatz from the Epic category. I guess they aren't American, huh.

I can really tell which genres I prefer from this list. I do 100% in some and 2% in others.

[Deebs]

I protest the omission of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

I know you do. I was waiting for you to say so.

[Gemini Cricket]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

One could say it was curtains for Liberty Valance.
:D

Get it?

[innerSpaceman]

Oi, I guess you are free to make such horrible puns.

[innerSpaceman]

Hey, all of GC's distressing straitification of recent days reminds me ....



Why no Musicals genre???? Shame, shame, shame.




And, btw, Triple Homocidal Inked, Drawn and Quartered Shame on the AFI for implying "Animation" is a genre. It most certainly is not. It's bad enough that plebes and peons make this nasty error, but the AFI? What frucktards!!

[Chernabog]

Last night I saw Michael Clayton, which I thought was excellent, especially how it's a movie involving attorneys and lawsuits and evil corporations, and NO COURTROOM SCENES! Amen. I hate courtroom scenes in movies (and TV). My roommate and I cannot be in the same room watching a courtroom scene since I scream objections at the television and whatnot. But I wonder if they still consider it "courtroom drama" if there's no courtroom?

[innerSpaceman]

Nope, not a courtroom drama. Lawyer drama. Whole new category. Defies listing. Huzzah.

[Capt Jack]

The first thing that I noticed was Tombstone wasn't on the Westerns list

....but Cat Ballou was? thats just wrong IMO.

Texas across the River should beat out Cat Ballou. :p


and couldnt agree more, Tombstone should have been on that list well before more than a couple of the other westerns.

nit! *pick*
nit! *pick*

[Tom]

I found their choices of genres to be very weird. To not include either war films or horror films was just very strange.

[Kevy Baby]

I found their choices of genres to be very weird. To not include either war films or horror films was just very strange.And to not include porn either!

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Oh the upside, Tom's favorite movie and my favorite movie hit the Romantic Comedy list at numbers 1 and 9 respectively. What can I say? We're mooshy.

I've seen most of them, but I agree: genre choices, totally weird. Musicals and horror are two of my favorites, and they shouldn't have been excluded. War movies I can pretty much do without - but also, it seems like it spans westerns (sometimes) and dramas (always.)

What would your to 10 musicals be? Horror?

[innerSpaceman]

Steve's Gay Top 10 Musicals:
(in no particular order)

1. Singin' in the Rain
2. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
3. 1776
4. Scrooge
5. The Wizard of Oz
6. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
7. West Side Story
8. Victor/Victoria
9. Moulin Rouge
10. Beauty and the Beast





(There are many runners-up that would make the Top 10 on any given whim.)

[Gemini Cricket]

Oooh. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Love that one. Mountain men...

On top of its hottie hotness, the dance sequence in the barn raising scene is excellent. One of my all-time favorite scenes.
:)

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Heidi's gay-man-in-straight-woman's-body Top 10 Musicals:

1 - Singin' in the Rain
2 - Mary Poppins
3 - West Side Story
4 - The Little Mermaid
5 - The Wizard of Oz
6 - The Sound of Music
7 - All That Jazz
8 - Duck Soup
9 - Oklahoma
10 - Velvet Goldmine

Runner-ups might include Cabaret, Once (too soon to tell on that one for me), Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, but decidedly NOT Seven/Seven. I can't make my way through it!

[LSPoorEeyorick]

By the way, as I was researching that list, I discovered that Aaron Sorkin, of all people, is adapting Sondheim's Follies for film, due 2009. Weird!

[Boss Radio]

People...

Nathan Detroit, Sky Masterson, Nicely Nicely and the Guys of the Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York are protesting their exclusion from any musical list: straight, gay or other.

The Dolls too.

This I cannot allow.

[Crazybirdman]

I never did like Fantasia, but I'm willing to accept that I'm alone on that one. But Shrek? I think it relies on too many pop culture references to stay funny forever.

[Crazybirdman]

Princess Bride didn't make the Fantasy category but Groundhog Day did??? I call shenanigans!

I concur! (and will refrain from quoting the hell outta that film :) )

[Chernabog]

What? No Goonies? No Clash of the Titans? ;)

[innerSpaceman]

But Shrek? I think it relies on too many pop culture references to stay funny forever.
I'd say that's true of its sequels, but what the original references a thousand times more often than modern pop culture is classical age storybook tales. And so I think it will remain as timeless as those.










As for not liking Fantasia .... well, I hope you end up in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead. ;)

[Tom]

War movies I can pretty much do without

Perhaps, but war films are one of the most significant and well-defined genres throughout the history of film. To leave them off this list is ludicrous.

[Boss Radio]

I agree with Tom.
And I love Stripes.

[Snowflake]

Amamzingly, I've seen everything on the original list GC published, except, Jerry Maguire (I've seen endless clips of show me the money, does that count?)

I retired my AFI membership this year, I think the AFI is really just full of BS. I know they do good, the Silver Theater in Silver Spring shows some good films, and they are so full of themselves. These endless lists are irritating me beyond measure, especially when the AFI voters list absolute crap on the top of the heap.

Okay, how did I get infected with the curmudgeon?

[Snowflake]

(There are many runners-up that would make the Top 10 on any given whim.)

Snowflake's Gay Top 10 Musicals:
(in no particular order)

1. Singin' in the Rain
2. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
3. The Band Wagon
4. Swing Time
5. The Wizard of Oz
6. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
7. Footlight Parade
8. An American in Paris
9. The Little Mermaid
10. Guys & Dolls

I would have to add The Gang's All Here, if for no other reason, the insane Busby Berkeley/Carmen Miranda extravaganza The Lady in the Tutti Fruiti Hat.

[Not Afraid]

You're not gay if Cabaret isn't on your list. You're not a card carrying hag, either.

[Snowflake]

You're not gay if Cabaret isn't on your list. You're not a card carrying hag, either.

I guess with that I've been properly spanked. ;)

[innerSpaceman]

Alas, Cabaret is very far down on my runners-up list. I guess I need to watch it again ... it's been a long, long time (like, um, the original release long time).

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Princess Bride didn't make the Fantasy category but Groundhog Day did??? I call shenanigans!Seriously.

People...

Nathan Detroit, Sky Masterson, Nicely Nicely and the Guys of the Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York are protesting their exclusion from any musical list: straight, gay or other.

The Dolls too.

This I cannot allow.I love me some Guys and Dolls and I've seen a few productions, but the movie version was rather crappy. There's one they need to remake.

What? No Goonies? No Clash of the Titans? ;)You wink, but I would totally put both of those up there!

[Boss Radio]

I'm including it based on the strength of the work - the movie version may not be the best, but Sinatra is perfect as Nathan, even though he wanted to be Sky, and Nicely Nicely...Did very Nicely Nicely, thank you very much.

It's the dude-friendly musical.

Plus, Nathan Detroit dodged getting married to Adelaide for just about as long as I stalled Melissa, so I totally relate to his character because we both got collared in the end.

[Boss Radio]

Alas, Cabaret is very far down on my runners-up list. I guess I need to watch it again ... it's been a long, long time (like, um, the original release long time).

Maybe it's because you fear Liza's gigantically enourmous head and terrible singing. And the fact that she shamelessly stole Keely Smith's hairstyle.

[€uroMeinke]

I think I need to watch Cabaret again

[LSPoorEeyorick]

You know, much like I'm wouldn't put Guys and Dolls on the list simply based on the strength of the very-good material (because, among other things Marlin Brando is just BAD!) I wouldn't actually put Cabaret on a list of best stage musicals because of the strength of the film (because I think the material is actually much weaker than any number of other musicals.) But come to think of it, my list of best stage musicals ever would be very different than my movie musical list, and I'm not sure very many of the flicks would be on it. Movie musicals notoriously miss the boat (see Sweeney, Mame, Guys and Dolls, Phantom, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc) or the great stuff doesn't get adapted.

[Crazybirdman]

not one movie from the Mighty Duck trilogy made the sports list?:D