100 Greatest Movies.

[Toothpick]

Has anyone watched all 100 greatest movies?

If not you are welcome to join me. I am using AFI’s list which I have attached. 1 file is the 10th Anniversary which is updated with new movies and re-arranged list. The other is the original list I guess.

So the way I‘m doing it is rather than do 1 thru 100 or 100 back to 1, I will be doing the top then the bottom. So 1, then 100, then 2, then 99, then 3, then 98, etc etc. Sandwiching the list. Seeing how there are some movies that didn’t make both lists I will use go through the 10th Anniversary list first. Then circle back to the old list and watch any movies not on the new list.

As I watch I’ll report back here with a little review and my thoughts.

For those that have seen these movies please do not post spoilers. Or if you must put them in the spoiler brackets.

Happy film watching!

 

[Toothpick]

#1 - Citizen Kane (1941)

I thought it was boring really. Shouldn’t be #1 considering some of the other movies on the list are more entertaining and tell a better story. It could be that it is just an older movie and my tastes are more…new school. But it lacked excitement. But IDK, I guess back in 1941 there wasn’t much excitement they could put in movies and get away with it.

#100 - Ben-Hur (1959)

As I said in the Last Movie Watched thread - how this is #100 and Citizen Kane is #1 is shocking. Wouldn’t bother me if they switched places. The chariot race at the end was excellent. I didn’t mind that it is almost 4 hours long either. It did well to hold your attention. Of course it would only be half as long if there wasn’t a 2 hour overture at the beginning of the movie. Seriously didn’t think that would ever end. I’m not a religious guy but really didn’t mind that aspect at all because the movie was just that good.

 

[luvmysuper]

A quick look over both lists has me totally confused. There are some films in the top 20 that absolutely ought to be swapped with some in the bottom 20 or so.
But, bear in mind that generally, professional "critics" who rate some of the films are complete idiots.
I give you the Rotten Tomatoes scoring for the recent Black Adam film. While it's no top 100 by any means, it is entertaining.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics score: 39%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 89%

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, almost universally recognized as having killed the Star Wars franchise is rated as follows:
Rotten Tomatoes Critics score: 91%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 42%

 

[Rudy Vey]

One great movie is missing in this list: Kingpin

 

[Alum Ladd]

White Heat - 1949 James Cagney
Ace In The Hole - 1951 Kirk Douglas

Just two masterpieces to my thinking that are missing. Both too edgy maybe. Both are as fresh as when they were made.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

#1 - Citizen Kane (1941)

I thought it was boring really. Shouldn’t be #1 considering some of the other movies on the list are more entertaining and tell a better story. It could be that it is just an older movie and my tastes are more…new school. But it lacked excitement. But IDK, I guess back in 1941 there wasn’t much excitement they could put in movies and get away with it.

Citizen Kane is one of those movie buff/film school types of movies. I agree, it certainly lacks excitement and modern cinema entertainment, but a lot of what makes it significant is understanding the filming techniques, production, movies before and after, and the overall story. I'm pretty sure it didn't even make much money from its initial release, and it wasn't until years later that it really started being considered such a masterpiece. I can't remember how much I actually liked RKO 281, but it's a historical drama that helps to understand the production issues Orson Welles delt with while making Citizen Kane.

 

[Eric_75]

Key Largo is not on the list?

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Also, to add to what Phil touches on above, some of these critics are nothing more than critics. Some of them are so involved in their own pretentious observations that they can't see the wood for the trees.

Sometimes films ratings can be based off of popular excitement as well. I find it absurd that Lord of the Rings made the revised list. I remember it being added to the list when it was a fairly new movie. I think the film series has beautiful cinematography (and maybe makeup and costumes), but that's about the only thing going for it. They're all riddled with cliches and incredibly redundant story arcs.

 

[Toothpick]

Redundant story arcs is what people love though. It probably only made the list because it was so hugely popular and adding it to the list gave AFI a little bump in popularity and views. “LotR is finally on the list!!”.
The most absurd amount of redundant story arcs comes from The Walking Dead though. I quit watching because it became the same story, just different characters.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I try to stay away from popular modern entertainment for the most part. I'm very familiar with The Walking Dead, but haven't seen a single full episode. A lot of immediately popular movie and TV shows remind me of modern pop music. Taylor Swift sells an insane amount of albums, and yes, some of her stuff can be catchy at times, but it's all recycled crap with very little substance and depth. It's not doing anything new or innovative, and it's only progressing the business of music, not the art itself. I think I might be just rambling now though. Ha

 

[Eben Stone]

No matter how much I disagree with the contents and order of those lists, there is one thing I can absolutely agree with, and that is there have not been any good movies created since 2003 (Kill Bill going down in my personal history as the last movie worth watching more than once).

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I think I need to stay away from this thread. Lol I used to be a huge movie buff, so it's hard for me not to have an opinion on almost every movie on the list (and probably every comment that will be made).

No matter how much I disagree with the contents and order of those lists, there is one thing I can absolutely agree with, and that is there have not been any good movies created since 2003 (Kill Bill going down in my personal history as the last movie worth watching more than once).

Have you seen any Tarantino films that he made after Kill Bill?

I'm sure if I sat here and thought about it, I could recommend a number of films after 2003, but one that immediately stands out is There Will Be Blood. It might be worth checking out if you have not yet seen it.

 

[captp]

Without making an actual count, I've seen 80+.
Remember this if you disagree with the listing; these aren't truely reviews, they're opinions. IMO, if they were reviews, all critics would agree on their objective merit.
My opinion is that Citizen Kane is the most overrated movie ever. On at least 3 tries, I could never make it past about 20 minutes; one of the most boring movies ever.

 

[Titleist]

Missing "Meet me in St. Louis", "Captain's Courageous" and "The Quiet Man" just to name a few. So, I would like to have a word with whomever assembled this list.

 

[ZJ68]

Yeah, I’d kick some of those films to the curb. Gone With The Wind is trash. The only list it needs to be on is movies no one should ever watch.

I am 100% serious I would kick 2001 and ET off that list in favor of Robocop and Starship Troopers. Both are much better sci-fi films. History will vindicate me.

I am dropping Unforgiven for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. As will anyone who has seen both films and isn’t named Clint Eastwood.

I think I would rather watch Steven Segal’s entire catalog than sit through Ben Hur, Lord of the Rings or Titanic again.

 

[Toothpick]

I think I would rather watch Steven Segal’s entire catalog than sit through Ben Hur, Lord of the Rings or Titanic again.

 

[emwolf]

Yes, I've seen the whole list. The top two (Kane & Casablanca) really deserve to be seen in a theater with a live audience. The movie on the list that never fails to suck me in is The Third Man. As near to perfect as any movie IMO. Not a single unnecessary scene. But warning, though, I recently saw it on Netflix and they had subtitles during the German dialogue. There aren't any subtitles in the theatrical version. It adds to our disorientation.

 

[CANES]

I normally hate movies. I can't sit still long enough to watch one and start thinking about cleaning off the coffee table or going into the kitchen to make lunch and miss important parts and wind up just cutting it off. I'm all for 30 minute programs. Good stuff, though- not the junk on TV now. The Waltons is my absolute favorite with All in the Family a close second.

That said, the few movies I've really liked have made this list. All time favorite is "In the Heat of the Night" coming in at 75. Spending most of my career as a policeman in a small town in the deep south, it resonates very well for me. I was the Chief at the end of my career and hired the first black full-time officer the town had ever had (8 man department). That was in 2009 or so and I think the town was chartered in 1903.

To Kill a Mockingbird was also a great movie and so was The Grapes of Wrath. The book was better for Mockingbird but the Grapes is a close one.

Apparently, I like the classics. "Tootsie" would not even be in my top 10,000.

 

[njpaddy]

No matter how much I disagree with the contents and order of those lists, there is one thing I can absolutely agree with, and that is there have not been any good movies created since 2003 (Kill Bill going down in my personal history as the last movie worth watching more than once).

I was thinking 1959s ON THE BEACH was the last great Hollywood film worth watching. At most, there were 15 or 20 of the films on those lists that I'd ever want to see again.

 

[emwolf]

Looking at the list, there are about 9 that jump out as "eh?" that I don't think should be on any list of great movies. I'm sure @njpaddy would agree that the silent era is vastly underrepresented and what is there is dominated by a single filmmaker. I always felt Streetcar was important solely for Brando, and not for the melodrama. I definitely have a soft spot for Cagney dancing, but Footlight Parade is (IMO) far superior to Yankee Doodle Dandy.