AFI's Top 100 Films

[Boss Radio]

Originally Posted by blueerica

While I still haven't thoroughly scanned the list, one must consider ground-breaking films, even if they don't hold up as well today. Then again, they missed such ground-breaking robot films as The Day the Earth Stood Still in favor of other movies.

The Searchers really stands as one of my least favorite movies of all time, but mostly due to my beliefs. Though it was a departure for Ford with the blurred lines, and especially for John Wayne (that is, I think, his first "bad-guy" role, except, he can't just be a bad guy, he's still glorified and not in a way that's meaningful, it's like they try to make him out like he's a good guy, which I think is pretty crappy). I still don't know why it's so high on the list. I just have to think it's even on there because it was such a departure for Wayne, in particular. (Crappy movie - makes me want to read Cormac McCarthy for that super gritty bloody stuff in which the bad are bad, even when they're good, and there isn't any fluff over it.)

Ugh, OK, I really do need to go through the list more.

The Searchers is more regarded for its technique - its craft - than its story. It is the Velvet Underground of modern cinema - a work that is at least as significant for its great influence on a generation of filmmakers.

And yes, big departure for Ford and Wayne. And that redemption scene is one of the most resonant in all of cinema.

[Alex]

Not for me. Just feels phony. Now if he'd killed her, that would resonate.

[blueerica]

Bleh... but I can see that.

The least SAG could have done for The Searchers would be to find more real Injuns...

I should stop now.

[mousepod]

I generally like this list, but I don't take it any more seriously than the kind of lists that appear over and over in places like Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone. First of all, by its very definition, it omits non-American movies. In recent years, Rules of the Game has beaten Citizen Kane in many international lists. Secondly, a list like this will have absolutely no impact on my movie watching (or rewatching) except to perhaps remind me that I haven't seen Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in a zillion years, and might be a worthwhile way to kill a couple of hours.

One thing that I do find interesting about the list is that there are many directors who make multiple appearances. Almost half of my DVD collection is organized by director, and it strikes me that there are surprisingly few great artists out there.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by cirquelover

Wow GC likes the whole list. Wait maybe he made the list, hmm

Ha. To clarify, I'd watch those films over and over. Not all are on my list.

[Snowflake]

Overall a decent list, but I'm in the camp of splitting out the list, pre-1960 and post-1960.

I'm with Alex, All About Eve, needs to be higher, I'd rank it in the top 5.

Besides, splitting the list up, I agree with the addition of foreign films, they are under-represented. I always ask myself, WHO is the AFI polling among the people in the business?

Anyway, it's a fun bit of fluff to mull over, but this harkens back to thread about popular=good, and I see a lot of popular on this list (and much of it good) at least in my august opinion.

[Not Afraid]

I'd like to see a similar list of just non-American films. Or, a combo top 100.

[Alex]

I'd be more interested in seeing the same list (top 100 American films) compiled by a foreign electorate. It would be interesting to see how the list might vary between a German group of compilers vs. Italian vs. Japanese, etc.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I'd like to see a similar list of just non-American films. Or, a combo top 100.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Strangler Lewis]

How about the top 100 underrated movies? Is such a thing conceptually possible?