2023-11-30 AFI Top 100 List
Intro
The American Film Institute has a list, AFI's 100 Years... 100 American Movies, of the 100 greatest American movies of all time. The list was most recently updated in 2007. Alex and I been going through the whole list and watching each, skipping just a couple due to having seen them plenty of times before and not needing to watch them again. Linking my thoughts on each. We're going from 100 to 1.
The List
Additions
Making note of any movies I feel are missing. I would say generally the two areas I'm thinking of are either films that came after the cutoff date of the previous list that I thing could have easily ended up on the list if it was done later. Or films that work as representatives of some genre or style that I don't think the list gives enough love to.
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The Shining (1980)
Of Kubrick's many other pictures on the list, I would say Shining is the best of the bunch. It is one of my personal all-time faves. 2001 is far more technically impressive if that's what we're going by but purely from a film quality perspective, I would rank Shining higher. Kubrick is very well-featured on this list. But after thinking about it more, I'm not 100% sure what I would give the boot. Probably A Clockwork Orange. Maybe Spartacus. Only because I can't think of much it did that Ben-Hur didn't also do. Or we could just add yet more Kubrick. -
The Thing (1982)
I know Hollywood cant's stand horror and that's reflected by the near complete lack of horror on the list. So if we're going to be sane and put some on the list like they fucking goddamn deserve, the Thing seems like one of the most obvious inclusions. The great practical effects that have held up extremely well and have been the model by which all others are judged by. Alien would be another good choice if I only got one. But I would consider the Thing a more pure standalone example. Alien is good but I feel it functions best when paired as a double feature with Aliens. Also it's just this whole big franchise whereas the Thing is this nice succinct experience. -
The Matrix (1999)
Maybe I'm crazy holding it up so highly, (I am not crazy after thinking about it more) but when thinking to this general era of films and which stand out of the crowd, Matrix seems like a clear one to point to. It's influence seems obvious. -
Mulholland Drive (2001)
I don't think I'm just being biased here. Mulholland repeatedly shows up on best films of all time lists and, of Lynch's filmography, I would definitely say that it is one of the most approachable and digestible (Sorry Blue Velvet love you too). And I think it would be good to look at some of the wackier things film can do. -
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)/Grand Budapest (2014)
I really love Wes Anderson and I feel like something of his style needs to be represented. Grand Budapest is my personal fave of his, but Royal Tenenbaums is probably the more widely known/accoladed one. That or perhaps Moonrise Kingdom. I'd be fine with any of them, though I'd push for Grand Budapest. -
Harry Potter 1 (2001)
I know, I know. It is notable, though. For the same reasons Lord of the Rings is notable. LOTR and HP were the ones that started the modern concept of franchises. They're the clear and obvious successors to what Lucas started with Star Wars. To not acknowledge them is turning a real blind eye to entire eras of film. Even if nowadays I would consider most of the offshoots of HP/LOTR mediocre at best. The Marvels, the Hunger Games, the DCs, etc. etc. HP may be based off British books, but it was an American production. And there are a couple examples of that on the list already. So seems fine to put on list. -
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Don't think this one needs much justification. I have to assume if the most recent revision of the list came out just slightly later, There Will Be Blood would've been on it. -
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Same as for There Will Be Blood. Had the film came out slightly before list was made, I think would've been an obvious contender. -
The Dark Knight (2008)
This is more a maybe for me. I know it's considered one of the best films of the 2000s time period, but I haven't actually seen it in a long time. Wonder if it holds up. -
Avatar (2009)
I don't personally care about it, but it's clearly notable. James Cameron has had better stuff tho. I dunno about this one. -
Stop motion something
I noticed there was no stop motion stuff. Not sure what specifically would be a good representative. Three come to mind. Nightmare Before Christmas seems the clear one. Also Coraline (2009), perhaps? Not sure how well-awarded it was. Or the Wallace and Gromit movie (2005). I guess the technique/concept comes up in other things like Star Wars, but seems like might be worth there being a movie representative of the whole craft. I think part of it is Hollywood routinely not taking animated films seriously. So you have to be Snow White/Toy Story-level to stand out. -
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Not even like a personal favorite of mine, I've only seen it the once. But the effects were wild for this movie, it seems like it really needs to be noted. One of those "how the hell did they make this" ones that remind me of our Ben-Hurs and our Intolerances. -
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (2022)
A modern classic.