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AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 - Page 10

post #271 of 501
12/18/07 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

cool. looking forward to hearing about the new list.

as for spacy/bacon. I attribute that to a brainfart.
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post #272 of 501
12/18/07 at 11:11pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Paleface 7 of 10
Songs list - Buttons and Bows
OARDVD 12/18/07

terrific Bob Hope/Jane Russell comedy western. The song isn't much though, one of the more lame entries on the list and it has no bearing on the film at all. it's simply a lyric interlude that gives Hope a chance to sing, badly, off pitch and out of tune the entire time because he's trying to make it sound 'country/hillbilly/folky' and failing miserably at pulling off the vocal effect.

Hope plays a dentist, Painless, Russell plays Calamity Jane. The government springs Calamity from jail to pardon and recruit her to stop someone from laundering guns to the indians, when her cover 'husband' is killed she recruits Hope, marries him while leaving him unaware of her true identity and mission. There's a lot of pratfalls, and easy going send up of the western genre, capped off by a rollicking chase climax that was quite effective. The portrayal of the Indians is problematic, but that was the era, still it's the major thing marring an otherwise excellent film.
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post #273 of 501
12/19/07 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Bright Eyes - 5 of 10
Songs list - On the Good Ship, Lollypop
OARVHS 12/19/07

Shirley Temple vehicle that's not that great. but it's better than Footloose or Beaches. the song is okay, not special or spectacular, merely representative of the songs Temple would sing. Much more appropriate as a great song she sang would be her moving rendition of Auld Lang Syne in Wee Willie Winkie, but I suppose this song is more associated with her.

Bright Eyes, like virtually every Temple film, is about finding a sugar daddy to care for the orphaned (or soon to be orphaned Temple) so that she doesn't have to worry about the Depression.

Shirley's mom is a maid for a rich family, they have a spoiled little girl a year or two older than Shirley and a crotchety, rich old grandfather that doesn't like his family. Shirley's father was an aviator who recently died. She's sort of the defacto mascot of all the pilots at the airfield, but especially to her godfather and father's best friend. Her mother is soon killed in an automobile accident and that eventually results in a custudy battle between the crotchety rich grandfather and the godfather. But never fear all will work out right in the end.
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post #274 of 501
12/19/07 at 8:42am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

thanks for the comments George, there's very few films on these lists that I actively dislike, most of them are at the very least competently made in some respect, even if I have issues with something or another in the film, there's often enough good in it to merit at least a four or a five.
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post #275 of 501
12/19/07 at 2:50pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

rollin right along, it's nice to be able to move my laptop around and watch movies while I'm working in the kitchen or doing laundry.

Jailhouse Rock - 6 of 10
Songs list "Jailhouse Rock"
OARDVD 12/19/07

The first Elvis film I've watched is actually a pretty solid musical. The script is nothing special, but the performances are solid and Elvis is somewhat charismatic. The songs are for the most part first class throughout, though the highlight is the titular tune (and the one on the list). What makes the film interesting is to see how it progresses Elvis through traditional country into the more rockabilly bluesiness that he made famous. I had to laugh though, and Elvis' character getting all upset about having his 'arrangement' for a traditional country tune stolen by the big record company for their A lister. Since Elvis based a lot of his music style off of stealing--sorry, borrowing--from the true pioneers of the sound in R&B and Soul Music it was especially ironic to see him get upset at having the trick pulled on him. But anyway the progression from prisoner, to country crooner to rocker to hollywood star was nicely done, and it was cool that the film allowed Elvis to become a grade A asshole by the end of the film, though the actual happy ending was more than a little bit of a let down.

Apparently though, Elvis was a bit of an idiot, becauses he thought going from owning his masters and 60% of the take to 7.5% of the take and having a big record company own his masters was "a deal too good to pass up," because he got a one time payoff of 750,000. Big money upfront at the time, but chump change compared to the long range view, which is why the record company offered the deal, they could see long range, and Elvis' character couldn't.

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 10 of 10
Songs list "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"
OARDVD 12/19/07

What an incredible script! I was stunned to discover that this is one of Hawks' best films, and the first Marilyn film I've seen that can really compare to Some Like it Hot. And I actually like Marilyn better in this film (still prefer SLiH overall though). Superb in absolutely every respect, but especially in the script department.

Marilyn and Jane Russell are a big time New York stage act. Marilyn's got her eye on a wealthy boy and Jane just loves a big strong man, playboys are her turnoff. Marilyn's supposed to be married and go to Paris on her honeymoon, but her future father in law has different ideas. Instead Marilyn ends up going on the trip alone, with Jane as her chaperone, and the father sends along a private detective to spy on her, and hopefully catch her in a scandal that will get the gold digger out of his son's pockets. Marilyn doesn't disappoint, she homes in straight on the owner of a diamond mine, and promptly begins to try to wiggle some sparkly largesse from him.

The film moves quite brilliantly throughout, the musical numbers are superb, with the highlight being the number on the list, although the opener, "A little girl from little Rock" is good enough to make the list as well.
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post #276 of 501
12/21/07 at 4:08am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Hair - 5 of 10
Songs list - Aquarius
OARDVD 122007

A big yawner of a film that doesn't make much sense but is primarily about how cool it is to be an asshole and have long hair. they also sing a lot. but overall a pretty ineffectual musical, though the skinny dipping part was good. I'm not sure but I think the story goes that an Oklahoma boy goes to NYC before he reports for the draft and he doesn't get further than Central Park when he's accosted and 'befriended' by a bunch of homeless free spirits. They bother a rich girl riding her horse and later crash a party at her house. she's also experimenting with pot so eventually she runs off with them as well and falls for the Oklahoma boy, they swim in a pond/lake somewhere (central park) and then he goes off to Basic training and the rest of them sort of lay around bored until they drive across the country to try to bust him off the base, only their replacement to sneak him off base, the main hippy, ends up going off to Nam in the Okie's place.

The Aquarius song is pretty good and a classic, the other songs were for the most part charming, but overall the most disappointing Foreman film I've seen. Blown away in every respect by Across the Universe this year, which is very similar to this film. Still, this is better than several of the other dregs of this list.
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post #277 of 501
12/21/07 at 7:15am
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Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

The Bodyguard - 2 of 10
Songs list - I Will Always Love You
OARDVD 12/21/07

What an incredibly stupid script executed very poorly. The concept isn't bad, but nothing in this film made a lick of sense. I'm not sure if Whitney Houston was also playing her characters sister or not, but sis was somehow involved, or she wasnt'--it doesn't matter because sis gets shot anyway. combined with the incredibly bad slowmo and ridiculous amount of red herrings (to add tension) and the boneheaded retarded idea that the real bad guy was one of Costner's buddies this film is just terrible all the way around. The song is even pretty annoying. oh and the way they kept the identity of the killer secret was incredibly badly done. There are 1000 dollar budget horror films that are better at executing the filmmaking it takes to shoot around a surprise.

bad, bad, bad.
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post #278 of 501
12/21/07 at 6:07pm
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Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

The Blackboard Jungle - 6 of 10
Songs list "Rock Around the Clock"
OARDVD 122107

Great Song, Good film, with fine performances, but the script is a little too unbelievable for its own good. I like Sidney Potier though, he stole every scene he was in. a breathtaking screen presence even at this young of an age.
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post #279 of 501
12/29/07 at 3:12pm
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Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Finished the Cheers list:

Sounder - 8 of 10
Cheers list 122807
MARDVD


Excellent film about a family of sharecroppers who just barely get by, but when the father is sentanced to a labor camp for stealing food the rest of the family must come together and the son must go on a journey of self discovery and enlightenment in an attempt to discover where his father has been sent to. The father returns home early due to a dynamite accident at the labor camp and the son must then set aside his desires to stay with his family and go on without them to get the education that will allow him to escape the vicious cycle of sharecropping. Fantastic performances, wonderful cinematography and a pitch perfect script. A fine film indeed and a triumph that it was nominated for Best Picture.

---------

The Pink Panther - 9 of 10
Scores list - 122907
OARDVD


Superb score and incredible comedy make this a wonderfully fun film to watch. All sorts of double crossings mistaken identities and extended Clouseau gags that are simply brilliant and hysterical. as fresh today as it was back in the day. Great great film I look forward to seeing again, hopefully with an audience.
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post #280 of 501
12/29/07 at 4:30pm

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Congratulations.
I really need to start working on seeing these films again.
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post #281 of 501
12/29/07 at 7:46pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

thanks Matt, I had hoped to knock off the Songs list before the new year but it looks like I can't find a copy of the Rose at a local rental joint or library so I'll have to wait for netlfix. still I finished the cheers, quotes passions and laughs list in 2007, which is pretty good.

Summer Stock - 9 of 10
Songs list - Get Happy
OARDVD 122907


charming musical with Garland and Kelly that's full of great songs and fabulous dance numbers and like the even better Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is entirely soundstage bound despite being a mostly exterior film.

Garland owns a farm her hands are quitting cause it isn't profitable. she finangles a tractor out of the supply depot to help out only because she's engaged to the proprietor's son. And then her little sister shows up, trailing an entire Summer Stock company, led by Kelly, hoping to use her farm and barn as rent free rehersal grounds. initially she refuses but decides to allow it when she figures on getting farm work out of them as well. Soon enough the filmmakers forget all about the farm work and focus entirely on the production. Naturally Garland falls for Kelly and the proper events occur that 'force' Garland andKelly to take over lead roles. the final show is a lot of fun and many classic numbers.



good old fashioned musical.
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post #282 of 501
12/30/07 at 2:13am

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Quote:
the final show is a lot of fun and many classic numbers.
Even if it is a bit difficult to believe they could put on a show of that size in a barn. I seem to remember the size of some numbers would test a largish theatre.
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post #283 of 501
12/30/07 at 12:11pm

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Hey Adam,

Although I haven't contributed to this thread, just wanted you to know that I've enjoyed following it and reading your comments. I'm sure there are many others out here who do the same.

Jon
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post #284 of 501
12/30/07 at 3:44pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

thanks, Jon. sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading. :p I'm apparently the only one watching.
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post #285 of 501
12/30/07 at 5:36pm

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

You're not the only one watching, but for me, it's very slow. First, there's not that many I haven't seen. The ones I haven't I've added to my "to-rent" list, but that list is now 1159 films long. All 1159 are entered into my Tivo, and if any of the ones I haven't seen (such as Way Down East or Porgy & Bess) show up on TCM, I'll be here talking about them.
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post #286 of 501
1/5/08 at 10:13pm

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

I'm going to start tracking our progress towards watching all of the AFI movies. I've added a slight twist in that I've included all movies the were in the two top 400 movie ballots as "4M" which gives us a total of 643 movies to shoot for. I'd like to say thank you to MatthewLouwrens; post #29 in this thread is what I used as a starting point for my list.

12 Angry Men (1957) – M T H C
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) - 4M
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - M T H Q C
42nd Street (1933) - Sg Q 4M
8 Mile (2002) - Sg
9 to 5 (1980) - L Sg
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 4M
A Christmas Story (1983) - 4M
A Face in the Crowd (1957) - 4M
A Letter to Three Wives (1949) - 4M
A Man for All Seaons (1966) - 4M
A Night at the Opera (1935) – M
A Raisin in the Sun (1961) - 4M
A Star is Born (1937) - 4M
A Star is Born (1954) - 4M
A Woman Under the Unfluence (1974) - 4M
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) - L
Ace in the Hole (1951) - 4M
Adam's Rib (1949) - L 4M
Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938) - T H Sc 4M
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The (1939) - Q
African Queen, The (1951) - M P C
Airplane! (1980) - L Q 4M
Alien (1979) - T H 4M
Aliens (1986) - H
All About Eve (1950) - M H Q
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - M
All That Jazz (1979) - 4M
All the King's Men (1949) - 4M
All the President's Men (1976) – M T H C
Amadeus (1984) - M
American Beauty (1999) - 4M
American Graffiti (1973) - M L
American in Paris, An (1951) - M P Sg
American President, The (1995) - P
Americanization of Emily, The (1964) - 4M
An Affair to Remember (1957) - P 4M
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - 4M
Animal Crackers (1930) - Q
Animal House (1978) - L Q
Anna Karenina (1935) - P
Annie Hall (1977) - M L P Sg Q
Apartment, The (1960) - M L P
Apocalypse Now (1979) - M Q
Apollo 13 (1995) - Q C 4M
Around the World in 80 Days (1956) - 4M
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - L
Arthur (1981) - L Sg
As Good As It Gets (1997) - 4M
Atlantic City (1980) - 4M
Auntie Mame (1958) - L Q
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) - 4M
Aviator, The (2004) - 4M
Awful Truth, The (1937) - L P 4M
Babe (1995) - C 4M
Babes in Arms (1939) - 4M
Back to the Future (1985) - 4M
Badlands (1973) - 4M
Ball of Fire (1941) - L
Bambi (1942) - H 4M
Bananas (1971) - L
Band Wagon, The (1953) – Sg 4M
Bank Dick, The (1940) - 4M
Barefoot in the Park (1967) - P 4M
Bataan (1943) - 4M
Batman (1989) - H 4M
Beaches (1988) - Sg
Beau Geste (1939) - 4M
Beautiful Mind, A (2001) - C
Beauty and the Beast (1991) - P Sg 4M
Beetlejuice (1988) - L
Being John Malkovich (1999) - 4M
Being There (1979) - L
Ben-Hur (1926) - 4M
Ben-Hur (1959) - M T Sc C
Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946) - M C
Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - L 4M
Beyond the Forest (1949) - Q
Big (1988) - L 4M
Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) – Sg
Big Chill, The (1983) - Sg 4M
Big Parade, The (1925) - 4M
Big Sleep, The (1946) - H 4M
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) - C
Birds, The (1963) - T 4M
Birth of a Nation, The (1915) - M
Black Stallion, The (1979) - C
Blackboard Jungle (1955) – Sg 4M
Blade Runner (1982) – M T
Blazing Saddles (1974) - L 4M
Blood Simple. (1984) - T
Blue Velvet (1986) - T H 4M
Body Heat (1981) - T P
Bodyguard, The (1992) - Sg
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - M T P H Q
Boogie Nights (1997) - 4M
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) - 4M
Born Yesterday (1950) - L
Boys Town (1938) - H C 4M
Boyz n the Hood (1991) - 4M
Braveheart (1995) - T C 4M
Brazil (1985) - 4M
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) - P Sg 4M
Breakfast Club, The (1985) - 4M
Breaking Away (1979) - C 4M
Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957) - M T C
Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) - P
Bright Eyes (1934) - Sg
Bringing Up Baby (1938) - M L P
Broadcast News (1987) - L 4M
Broadway Melody, The (1929) - 4M
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - 4M
Broken Blossom (1919) - 4M
Bull Durham (1988) - L 4M
Bullitt (1968) - T 4M
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - M T H Sg
Cabaret (1972) – M Sg
Cabin in the Sky (1943) - 4M
Caddyshack (1980) - L Q
Caine Mutiny, The (1954) - 4M
Camille (1936) - P 4M
Cape Fear (1962) - T H
Captains Courageous (1937) - C
Carmen Jones (1954) - 4M
Carrie (1976) - T 4M
Casablanca (1942) - M T P H Sg Q(x6) C
Casino (1995) - 4M
Cat Ballou (1965) - L 4M
Cat People (1942) - 4M
Cavalcade (1933) - 4M
Chariots of Fire (1981) - C 4M
Cheat, The (1915) - 4M
Chicago (2002) - Sg 4M
Children of a Lesser God (1986) - 4M
China Syndrome, The (1979) - T
Chinatown (1974) - M T H Q Sc
Cimarron (1931) - 4M
Cinderella (1950) - 4M
Citizen Kane (1941) - M Q
City Lights (1931) - M L P H C
City Slickers (1991) - L
Cleopatra (1963) - 4M
Clockwork Orange, A (1971) - M T H
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - M T C
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) - C
Color Purple, The (1985) - C 4M
Coming Home (1978) - P 4M
Conversation, The (1974) - 4M
Cool Hand Luke (1967) - H Q C 4M
Court Jester, The (1956) - L
Cover Girl (1944) - Sg
Crash (2005) - 4M
Crowd, The (1928) - 4M
Dances with Wolves (1990) - M C
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) - 4M
Dark Victory (1939) - P C
David Copperfield (1935) - 4M
Day At The Races, A (1937) - L
Day The Earth Stood Still, The (1951) - T C 4M
Days of Heaven (1978) - 4M
Days of Wine and Roses (1963) – Sg 4M
Dead Poets Society (1989) - Q C 4M
Deer Hunter, The (1978) - M T
Defiant Ones, The (1958) - C 4M
Deliverance (1972) - T 4M
Destry Rides Again (1939) - 4M
Dial M for Murder (1954) - T
Diary of Anne Frank, The (1959) - C 4M
Die Hard (1988) - T H 4M
Diner (1982) - L
Dinner At Eight (1933) - L
Dirty Dancing (1987) - P Sg Q
Dirty Dozen, The (1967) - T
Dirty Harry (1971) - T H Q 4M
Do the Right Thing (1989) – M Sg
Doctor Zhivago (1965) - M P
Dodsworth (1936) - 4M
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - T Q 4M
Double Indemnity (1944) - M T P H
Dr. No (1962) - H Q
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - M L Q
Dracula (1931) - T H Q
Driving Miss Daisy (1989) - C 4M
Duck Soup (1933) - M L
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - M T Q Sc C
East of Eden (1955) - 4M
Easy Rider (1969) - M Sg
El Cid (1961) - 4M
El Norte (1983) - 4M
Elmer Gantry (1960) - 4M
English Patient, The (1996) - P 4M
Erin Brockovich (2000) - H C 4M
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 4M
Exorcist, The (1973) - T H 4M
Fame (1980) - Sg C
Fantasia (1940) - M
Fantastic Voyage (1966) - 4M
Fargo (1996) - M L H
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) - L 4M
Fatal Attraction (1987) - T H 4M
Father of the Bride (1950) - L
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - 4M
Few Good Men, A (1992) - Q
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - C 4M
Field of Dreams (1989) - Q C 4M
Fight Club (1999) - 4M
Finding Nemo (2003) - 4M
Fish Called Wanda, A (1988) - L
Five Easy Pieces (1970) - 4M
Flashdance (1983) - Sg
Footloose (1984) - Sg
Force of Evil (1948) - 4M
Forrest Gump (1994) - M Q C
Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, The (1921) - 4M
Frankenstein (1931) - M T Q
Freaks (1932) - 4M
French Connection, The (1971) - M T H
Freshman, The (1925) - L 4M
From Here to Eternity (1953) - M P
From Russia With Love (1963) - 4M
Fugitive, The (1993) - T 4M
Full Metal Jacket (1987) - T
Funny Girl (1968) - P Sg(x2) Q 4M
Fury (1936) - 4M
Gandhi (1982) - H C 4M
Gaslight (1944) - T
General, The (1927) - L M
Gentleman's Agreement (1947) - 4M
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – Sg 4M
Ghost (1990) - P Sg
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947) - P
Ghost Busters (1984) - L 4M
Giant (1956) - M
Gigi (1958) - P Sg 4M
Gilda (1946) – Sg 4M
Gladiator (2000) - H 4M
Glory (1989) - C 4M
Godfather, The (1972) - M T Q Sc
Godfather: Part II, The (1974) - M H Q
Going My Way (1944) – Sg 4M
Gold Rush, The (1925) - M L
Goldfinger (1964) - T H Sg Q 4M
Gone with the Wind (1939) - M P Q(x3) Sc C
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) - L
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) - 4M
Good Will Hunting (1997) - 4M
Goodbye Girl, The (1977) - P 4M
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) - H 4M
Goodfellas (1990) - M
Graduate, The (1967) - M L P Sg Q(x2)
Grand Hotel (1932) – Q 4M
Grapes of Wrath, The (1940) - M H C
Grease (1978) - P Sg 4M
Great Dictator, The (1940) - L 4M
Great Escape, The (1963) - T 4M
Great Ziegfeld, The (1936) - 4M
Greatest Show on Earth, The (1952) - 4M
Greed (1925) - 4M
Groundhog Day (1993) - L 4M
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) - M P C
Gun Crazy (1950) - 4M
Gunfighter, The (1950) - 4M
Gunga Din (1939) - C 4M
Guns of Navarone, The (1961) - T
Guys and Dolls (1955) - Sg
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) - 4M
Hair (1979) - Sg
Halloween (1978) - 4M
Halloween (1978) - T
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) - 4M
Harold and Maude (1971) - L P C 4M
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - 4M
Harvey (1950) - L
Heartbreak Kid, The (1972) - L
Heiress, The (1949) - 4M
High Noon (1952) - M T H Sg Sc C
His Girl Friday (1940) - L
Holiday Inn (1942) – Sg 4M
Hoosiers (1986) - C 4M
Horse Feathers (1932) - L
Hotel Rwanda (2004) - C 4M
Hours, The (2002) - 4M
How Green Was My Valley (1941) - 4M
How the West Was Won (1962) - Sc
Hud (1963) - 4M
Hunchback of Notre Dame, The (1939) - P
Hustler, The (1961) - 4M
I Am a Fugitive From a Chan Gang (1932) - 4M
Imitation of Life (1959) - 4M
In Cold Blood (1967) - 4M
In the Heat of the Night (1967) – M H Q C
Insider, The (1999) - 4M
Intolerance (1916) – M
Intruder in the Dust (1949) - 4M
Invasion of The Body Snatchers (1956) - T 4M
It Happened One Night (1934) - M L P
It's a Gift (1934) - L
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) - L 4M
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - M P H C
Jailhouse Rock (1957) - Sg
Jaws (1975) - M T H Q Sc
Jazz Singer, The (1927) - M Q
Jerk, The (1979) - L
Jerry Maguire (1996) - P Q(x2) 4M
Jezebel (1938) - P
Joy Luck Club, The (1993) - 4M
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) - 4M
Jungle Book, The (1967) - 4M
Jurassic Park (1993) - T 4M
Karate Kid, The (1984) - C
Kid, The (1921) - 4M
Killing Fields, The (1984) - C 4M
King and I, The (1956) - P Sg 4M
King Kong (1933) - M T P Q Sc
King of Comedy, The (1983) - 4M
Knute Rockne All American (1940) - Q
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) - 4M
L.A. Confidential (1997) - 4M
Lady and The Tramp (1955) - P 4M
Lady Eve, The (1941) - L P 4M
Lassie Come Home (1943) - H
Last Emperor, The (1987) - 4M
Last Picture Show, The (1971) - M
Last Tango in Paris (1972) - P 4M
Last Temptation of Christ, The (1988) - 4M
Laura (1944) - T Sc 4M
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - M T H Sc C
League of Their Own, A (1992) - Q
Leaving Los Vegas (1995) - 4M
Lethal Weapon (1987) - 4M
Life of Emile Zola, The (1937) - 4M
Lilies of the Field (1963) - C
Lion King, The (1994) - Sg 4M
Little Big Man (1970) - 4M
Little Caesar (1931) - H Q 4M
Little Colonel (1935) - 4M
Little Foxes, The (1941) - H 4M
Local Hero (1983) - 4M
Longest Day, The (1962) - 4M
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - M
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - 4M
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) - Q 4M
Lost Horizon (1937) - 4M
Lost In America (1985) - L
Lost in Translation (2003) - 4M
Lost Weekend, The (1945) - 4M
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) - P
Love Me Tonight (1932) - Sg
Love Story (1970) - P Q 4M
Madame Curie (1943) - C
Magnificent Ambersons (1942) - 4M
Magnificent Seven, The (1960) - T Sc
Maltese Falcon, The (1941) - M T Q
Man Who Knew Too Much, The (1956) - Sg
Man Who Would Be King, The (1975) - 4M
Manchurian Candidate, The (1962) - M T H
Manhattan (1979) - L P 4M
Marathon Man (1976) - T H Q
Mark of Zorro, The (1940) - H 4M
Marty (1955) - P 4M
Mary Poppins (1964) - Sg 4M
MASH (1970) - M L Sg
Matrix, The (1999) - T 4M
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) - 4M
Mean Streets (1973) - 4M
Medium Cool (1969) - 4M
Meet John Doe (1941) - C
Meet Me In St Louis (1944) – Sg(x2) - 4M
Melvin and Howard (1980) - 4M
Memento (2001) - 4M
Midnight Cowboy (1969) - M Sg Q
Mildred Pierce (1945) - 4M
Million Dollar Baby (2004) - 4M
Miracle of Morgan's Creek, The (1944) - L 4M
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - C 4M
Miracle Worker, The (1962) - C
Misery (1990) - H
Missing (1982) - 4M
Mission, The (1986) - Sc
Mister Roberts (1955) - 4M
Modern Times (1936) - M L
Mommie Dearest (1981) - H Q
Monkey Business (1931) - L
Moonstruck (1987) - L P Q 4M
Morocco (1930) - P 4M
Moulin Rouge (2001) - Sg 4M
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) - L
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) - L C 4M
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - M H C
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - L
Mrs. Miniver (1942) - C 4M
Muppet Movie, The (1979) - Sg
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - M H
My Darling Clementine (1946) - 4M
My Fair Lady (1964) - M P Sg
My Man Godfrey (1936) - L 4M
Mystic River (2003) - 4M
Nashville (1975) – M Sg
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) - 4M
National Velvet (1944) - C
Naughty Nineties, The (1945) - Q
Navigator, The (1924) - L
Network (1976) - M Q
New York, New York (1977) - Sg
Night at the Opera, A (1935) - L
Night of the Hunter, The (1955) - T H 4M
Night of the Living Dead (1968) - T 4M
Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984) - H
Ninotchka (1939) - L P 4M
Norma Rae (1979) - H C
North by Northwest (1959) - M T
Notorious (1946) - T P 4M
Now, Voyager (1942) - P Q 4M
Nutty Professor, The (1963) - L
Odd Couple, The (1968) - L
Officer and a Gentleman, An (1982) - P Sg C
Oklahoma (1955) - 4M
Oliver! (1968) - 4M
Omen, The (1976) - T
On Golden Pond (1981) - P Q Sc C 4M
On the Beach (1959) - 4M
On the Town (1949) - Sg
On the Waterfront (1954) - M H Q Sc C
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - M H C
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) - H 4M
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) - 4M
Ordinary People (1980) - 4M
Out of Africa (1985) - P Sc 4M
Out of the Past (1947) - 4M
Outlaw Josie Wales, The (1976) - 4M
Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943) - 4M
Paleface, The (1948) - Sg
Palm Beach Story, The (1942) - L
Paper Chase, The (1973) - C
Paths of Glory (1957) - 4M
Patton (1970) - M H
Phantom of the Opera, The (1925) - T 4M
Philadelphia (1993) - H Sg C 4M
Philadelphia Story, The (1940) - M L P
Picnic (1955) - P
Picture of Dorian Gray, The (1945) - T
Pillow Talk (1959) - P 4M
Pink Panther, The (1964) - Sc 4M
Pinocchio (1940) - Sg C 4M
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - 4M
Place in the Sun, A (1951) - M P
Places in the Heart (1984) - C
Planet of the Apes (1968) - T Q Sc 4M
Platoon (1986) - M T
Player, The (1992) - 4M
Poltergeist (1982) - T Q
Poor Little Rich Girl, The (1915) - 4M
Porgy and Bess (1959) - P Sg 4M
Poseidon Adventure, The (1972) - T
Postman Always Rings Twice, The (1946) - P 4M
Pretty Woman (1990) - P 4M
Pride of the Yankees, The (1942) - H Q C 4M
Princess Bride, The (1987) - P
Private Benjamin (1980) - L
Producers, The (1968) - L Sg 4M
Psycho (1960) - M T H Q Sc
Public Enemy, The (1931) - H 4M
Pulp Fiction (1994) - M T
Queen Christina (1933) - 4M
Quiet Man, The (1952) - P 4M
Raging Bull (1980) - M T
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - M T H
Rain Man (1988) - C 4M
Raisin in the Sun, A (1961) - C
Raising Arizona (1987) - L
Rambling Rose (1991) - 4M
Random Harvest (1942) - P
Ray (2004) - C 4M
Rear Window (1954) - M T
Rebecca (1940) - T H 4M
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) - M
Red River (1948) - 4M
Reds (1981) - P 4M
Requiem for a Dream (2000) - 4M
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) - 4M
Richard III (1912) - 4M
Right Stuff, The (1983) - C 4M
Risky Business (1983) – Sg 4M
Road to Morocco (1942) - L Sg 4M
Rocky (1976) - M T H Sg Q C
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The (1975) - 4M
Roman Holiday (1953) - P 4M
Rose, The (1979) - Sg
Rosemary's Baby (1968) - T 4M
Roxanne (1987) - P
Rudy (1993) - C
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) - 4M
Rushmore (1998) - 4M
Sabrina (1954) - P
Safety Last! (1923) - T 4M
Salt of the Earth (1954) - 4M
Sandpiper, The (1965) - Sg
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) - 4M
Saturday Night Fever (1977) - 4M
Saving Private Ryan (1998) – M T C
Scarface (1932) - H 4M
Scarface (1983) - Q
Scarlet Empress, The (1934) - 4M
Schindler's List (1993) - M H C
Seabiscuit (2003) - C
Searchers, The (1956) - M
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) - C
Sense and Sensibility (1995) - P 4M
Sergeant York (1941) - H C 4M
Serpico (1973) - H C
Seven Year Itch, The (1955) - L 4M
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) - 4M
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - 4M
Shadows (1959) - 4M
Shaft (1971) - Sg
Shakespeare in Love (1998) - P 4M
Shall We Dance (1937) - Sg
Shampoo (1975) - L
Shane (1953) - M H Q C
Shawshank Redemption, The (1994) – M C
She Done Him Wrong (1933) - L Q 4M
Sheik, The (1921) - P
Sherlock, Jr. (1924) - L 4M
Shining, The (1980) - T H Q 4M
Shop Around The Corner, The (1940) - P
Shot In The Dark, A (1964) - L
Show Boat (1936) - Sg
Shrek (2001) - 4M
Sideways (2004) - 4M
Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) - M T H Q
Silkwood (1983) - H C
Silver Streak (1976) - L
Singin' in the Rain (1952) - M L P Sg(x3)
Sixth Sense, The (1999) – M T Q
Sleeper (1973) - L 4M
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - P 4M
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - M H Sg
Some Like It Hot (1959) - M L Q
Song of the South (1947) - Sg
Sons of The Desert (1933) - L Q 4M
Sophie's Choice (1982) – M
Sound of Music, The (1965) - M P Sg(x3) C
Sounder (1972) - C 4M
South Pacific (1958) - Sg
Soylent Green (1973) - Q
Spartacus (1960) – M T H C
Speed (1994) - T
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 4M
Spirit of St. Louis, The (1957) - C
Splendor in the Grass (1961) - P 4M
Spy Who Loved Me, The (1977) - Sg
Stagecoach (1939) - M
Stalag 17 (1953) - 4M
Stand and Deliver (1988) - C
Stand By Me (1986) - 4M
Star Is Born, A (1954) - P Sg
Star Is Born, A (1976) - Sg
Star Wars (1977) - M T H Q Sc C
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - H 4M
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) - 4M
Sting, The (1973) - 4M
Stormy Weather (1943) – Sg 4M
Stranger Than Paradise (1984) - 4M
Strangers On A Train (1951) - T 4M
Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951) - M P Q(x2) Sc
Sudden Impact (1983) - Q
Sullivan's Travels (1941) – M L C
Summer Stock (1950) - Sg
Sunrise (1927) – M P
Sunset Blvd. (1950) - M Q(x2) Sc
Superman (1978) - H
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - H 4M
Swing Time (1936) – M P Sg
Take The Money and Run (1969) - L
Tarzan The Ape Man (1932) - H
Taxi Driver (1976) - M T H Q
Ten Commandments, The (1956) - H C 4M
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - T H Q 4M
Terminator, The (1984) - T H Q
Terms of Endearment (1983) - 4M
Thelma & Louise (1991) - T H C 4M
There's Something About Mary (1998) - L 4M
Thief of Bagdad, The (1924) - 4M
Thin Man, The (1934) - L 4M
Thing From Another World, The (1951) - T 4M
Third Man, The (1949) - M T H
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944) - 4M
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - L 4M
Thomas Crown Affair (1968) - Sg
Three Kinds (1999) - 4M
Titanic (1997) – M T P Sg Q
To Be or Not to Be (1942) - L 4M
To Catch a Thief (1955) - P
To Have and Have Not (1944) - P Q 4M
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - M H Sc C
Tom Jones (1963) - 4M
Tootsie (1982) - M L
Top Gun (1986) - Q
Top Hat (1935) – Sg 4M
Topper (1937) - L
Touch of Evil (1958) - T 4M
Toy Story (1995) - M
Traffic (2000) - 4M
Training Day (2001) - H
Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948) - M T Q
Trouble in Paradise (1932) - 4M
True Grit (1969) - H
Twelve O'clock High (1949) - 4M
Two for the Road (1967) - P 4M
Unbearable Lightness of Being, The (1988) - P
Unforgiven (1992) - M
Untouchables, The (1987) - 4M
Usual Suspects, The (1995) - H 4M
Verdict, The (1982) - C
Vertigo (1958) - M T P Sc
Victor/Victoria (1982) - L
Wait Until Dark (1967) - T
Wall Street (1987) - H Q
War of The Worlds, The (1953) - H 4M
Way Down East (1920) - P
Way We Were, The (1973) - P Sg 4M
West Side Story (1961) - M P Sg(x3)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) - T H 4M
What's Love Got To Do With It (1993) - C
What's Up, Doc? (1972) - L P
When Harry Met Sally... (1989) - L P Sg Q 4M
White Heat (1949) - H Q 4M
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) – M P
Wild Bunch, The (1969) - M T
Winchester '73 (1950) - 4M
Wind, The (1928) - 4M
Wings (1927) - 4M
Within Our Gates (1920) - 4M
Witness (1985) - P 4M
Wizard of Oz, The (1939) - M T H Sg(x2) Q(x3) C
Woman of the Year (1942) - L P 4M
Working Girl (1988) - P Sg C
Wuthering Heights (1939) - M P
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) - M Sg Q C
Yearling, The (1946) - 4M
You Can't Take it With You (1938) - 4M
Young Frankenstein (1974) - L Sg
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - 4M

Total Seen: 216 out of 643
Edited by Greg Layton - 7/29/2009 at 04:44 pm GMT
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post #287 of 501
1/5/08 at 11:24pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

wow Greg, I don't think I need to add any more movies, but these are the films on the 10th anniversary movies nominated list I've not seen (what you designate as 4M I think).

Ace in the Hole 1951
Atlantic City 1980
Badlands 1973
Bank Dick, The 1940
Ben-Hur 1926
Boyz n the Hood 1991
Cabin in the Sky 1943
Cat People 1942
Crowd, The 1928
Days of Heaven 1978
Face in the Crowd, A 1957
Five Easy Pieces 1970
Force of Evil 1948
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The 1921
Gun Crazy 1950
Hours, The 2002
Hustler, The 1961
Insider, The 1999
Kid, the 1921
King of Comedy, The 1983
Last Emperor, The 1987
Longest Day, The 1962
Man who Would Be King, The 1975
Mildred Pierce 1945
Outlaw Josey Wales, The 1976
Poor Little Rich Girl, The 1917
Queen Christina 1953
Return of the Secaucus 7 1980
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The 1975
Stranger than Paradise 1984
Thief of Bagdad, The 1924
Twelve O'Clock High 1949
Woman Under the Influence, A 1974
Reply
post #288 of 501
1/6/08 at 12:02am

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Quote:
I've included all movies the were in the two top 400 movie ballots as "4M" which gives us a total of 640 movies to shoot for. I'd like to say thank you to MatthewLouwrens; post #29 in this thread is what I used as a starting point for my list.
Don't do that - I don't think I have updated my list to include the most recent list yet.
Reply
post #289 of 501
1/6/08 at 7:56am

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Quote:
Originally Posted by MatthewLouwrens
Don't do that - I don't think I have updated my list to include the most recent list yet.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Maybe if I wouldn't have been so tired last night I'd have figured this out. The movies that didn't make the first top 100 list or any of the other lists but did make the second top 100 list need to be added to this master list. Here are those movies:

Intolerance (1916) - M
A Night at the Opera (1935) – M
Last Picture Show, The (1971) M
Sophie's Choice (1982) – M
Toy Story (1995) - M
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - M

(The films that appeared on a previous list before making their appearance on the 2007 top 100 list have also been updated to show an M.)

Somehow I included two of those movies and left four out. So the total amount of movies goes from 640 to 644. The moral of this story is: "Don't make lists while half-asleep."

I'm not sure if I'd consider that an exclusive list of films or a weak set of films. On one hand, they made their way to the top 100 without anything else going for them besides the strength of the film itself (no memorable quotes, songs, etc...) On the other hand, you can't compare these to something like Titanic that seemingly made every other Top ___ list before ascending into the top 100.

I'm going to go back and edit my original post to show the changes.
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post #290 of 501
1/6/08 at 8:19am

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_S
wow Greg, I don't think I need to add any more movies, but these are the films on the 10th anniversary movies nominated list I've not seen (what you designate as 4M I think).

Ace in the Hole 1951
Atlantic City 1980
Badlands 1973
Bank Dick, The 1940
Ben-Hur 1926
Boyz n the Hood 1991
Cabin in the Sky 1943
Cat People 1942
Crowd, The 1928
Days of Heaven 1978
Face in the Crowd, A 1957
Five Easy Pieces 1970
Force of Evil 1948
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The 1921
Gun Crazy 1950
Hours, The 2002
Hustler, The 1961
Insider, The 1999
Kid, the 1921
King of Comedy, The 1983
Last Emperor, The 1987
Longest Day, The 1962
Man who Would Be King, The 1975
Mildred Pierce 1945
Outlaw Josey Wales, The 1976
Poor Little Rich Girl, The 1917
Queen Christina 1953
Return of the Secaucus 7 1980
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The 1975
Stranger than Paradise 1984
Thief of Bagdad, The 1924
Twelve O'Clock High 1949
Woman Under the Influence, A 1974

Looks like you need to fire up Netflix and get to work.
The films from that list that really stick out at me as great are Badlands, Five Easy Pieces, The Hustler, and Twelve O'clock High.
Reply
post #291 of 501
1/6/08 at 9:00am

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Just another opinion:

The Kid is my vote for standout in Adam's list.
Reply
post #292 of 501
1/6/08 at 1:19pm

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Quote:
Originally Posted by george kaplan
Just another opinion:

The Kid is my vote for standout in Adam's list.

Thanks, George. I'll add that to my queue.
Reply
post #293 of 501
1/6/08 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Ace in the Hole - 9 of 10
Stars list - Kirk Douglas
01/06/07

Superb film from Billy Wilder about a reporter kicked out of the big cities for shady doings to land in Albuerquerque. a few years later he comes across a man trapped in an indian grave robbing tunnel. Tatum works to keep the man trapped to make the story bigger but doesn't count on things going wrong.

Amazing dialogue, and an incredible performance from Douglas, the best I've seen him give.
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post #294 of 501
1/6/08 at 6:07pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

The Lady from Shanghai - 10 of 10
Stars list - Orson Welles
Stars list - Rita Hayworth
01/06/07

Superb film, one of the best noirs I've seen. Femme fatale, back and forth double crossing, elderly somewhat impotent man, all the archetypes are here. top it off with the smokin hot rita hayworth and Orson Welles giving what's probably one of his best performances in a tremendously effective Irish brogue, it all adds up to a tremendously entertaining classic hollywood experience.
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post #295 of 501
1/9/08 at 11:37pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Since You Went Away - 10 of 10
Stars list - Shirley Temple
010907

While Shirley Temple may be the star this is listed for, it's Claudette Colbert who should also have this on her list, one of her finest performances, and a tremendous film to boot. Temple would only be 05 or 06 on the call sheet, so she's one of the more minor supporting roles, her performance is excellent though, not overly precocious, she's maturing as an actress as she ages rather than still doing her child star mugging.

A WWII homefront epic, Since You Went Away beautifully details the small everyday story of those left behind when the men went off to fight. Claudette Colbert is Mrs. Hilton, She has two daughters, 18 and 13, and the film opens as she returns home from seeing her husband off at the train station. The family must learn to pull together and plug onwards, while fighting off the advances of her husband's best friend, still infatuated with her (Joseph Cotton) and her eldest daughter while that same daughter becomes a nurses' aide and falls in love with an unexpected soldier, and the youngest daughter (Temple) teaches their new retired colonel border how to be a softer person than his military stoicism allows. superb from start to finish with impeccable cinematography, a tremendous score and superb performances across the board (with one of the more perfect scripts of the era) since you went Away is emotionally powerful and instantly iconic. Why this isn't mentioned in the same breath with Casablanca and Mrs. Miniver and The Best Years of Our Lives is anyone's guess but the film is absolutely of that caliber and quality. Outstanding.
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post #296 of 501
1/10/08 at 6:42am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Flashdance - 8 of 10
Songs list - Flashdance... what a feeling!

101008 - OARDVD

of all the dirty dancing esque films/songs on this list, Flashdance is the best. incredibly sexy. jaw dropping lighting and camerawork and just all sorts of eye candy. The dancing is also phenomenal, and the editing outstanding. The performances are also excellent, and surprisingly the script has only one cringe worthy moment but is otherwise high caliber, more in the vein of Saturday Night Fever than the cornyness of Dirty Dancing.

The soundtrack is also excellent, and while the nominated song was a highlight, the other dances in the film were superior to the final one.

Overall a surprisingly and highly enjoyable little flick.

Adam
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post #297 of 501
1/10/08 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Tragedy of Othello: Moor of Venice - 6 of 10
Stars list - Orson Welles
011008

 I think my quibbles are mostly with Othello being an idiot, but that's more or less to do with the play than the actual production. Welles isn't great in this role, the blackface makeup is poorly done and terribly inconsistent and the character doesn't seem quite suited to him, he seems uncomfortable in the role, and it's impossible to believe Desdemona and he were ever in love, there's no chemistry between them--though this could just be a poor choice of leading lady. Iago is fairly well done.

this film has a striking amount in common with Andrei Roublev in the style of the production and the way it was shot and looks. The angles and minimalist production design give it the sparse feel of Russian silents and Seventh Seal, perhaps this is to hide it's low budget, but it was often awkward to watch, it felt hobbled. Good but not great.
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post #298 of 501
1/11/08 at 1:52am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Cover Girl - 6 of 10
Songs list "Long Ago and Far Away
011108 OARDVD

Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelley are the stars of this musical. Hayworth is a starlet on the make, and Kelly is the guy who's training her and getting her there. She auditions for a contest to be the June Bride cover girl for Vanity magazine and doesn't initially win until after the boss see's her show. It turns out she's the granddaughter of the showgirl he almost married (though she doesn't know that) so she's in. Then it's a question of whether or not she remains loyal to her love and origins or if her head is turned by the Broadway producer who wants to steal her away to the big show (and for himself). Plot wise it's pretty standard musical romance beats, the songs are never better than above average, including the listed song. The color photography is unremarkable, and the staging is the sort of thing that Singin in the Rain so effectively mocks.
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post #299 of 501
1/11/08 at 4:20pm
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Sorry, Wrong Number - 8 of 10
Stars list - Barbara Stanwyck
011108

 Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Barbara Stanwyck's incredibly annoying horrible spoiled brat of a bitch gets killed!!! without that ending this film would not be nearly as good. basically she's stuck in the bed and cries on the phone screaming at people who are trying to help her. Thankfully, most of the film is those other people telling their part of her husband's story. And it's all in Stanwyck's head that she's a helpless invalid so she has no excuses. So good to see characters like that killed.
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post #300 of 501
1/19/08 at 3:58am
Thread Starter 

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

This is the last film on the regular top 100 AFI lists I've not seen. so I've pretty much seen them all now. I've still not seen The Mission and How the WEst Was Won from the scores mini list, but I'll get to those soon.
The Rose - 7 of 10
Songs list "The Rose"

Bette Midler stars as a Janis Joplin esque rocker whose insane schedule has worn her down to the point of total collapse and exhaustion. She's not as good as she once was and since she's off the drugs there's no relief. she needs a break, and her manager/promoter won't give her the hiatus she needs to recuperate, he wants to push her and bleed her until she dies (because after all she's under contract) or goes crazy, if necessary.

She gets told off by an uppity country singer for covering one her songs and she runs away, steals his driver and promptly starts to fall in love with the driver, Houstan, who's an AWOL sergeant that's served more than his fair share in Vietnam. he's the anchor she needs and she starts to regain herself and is able to finish out at least half of the tour, culminating in a return to her hometown. Because the writers desperately need some plot, Midler is a pretty nasty vicious bitch with no control of the awful things that come into her head, so she continually drives away houstan every time he comes back to her. Finally she's alone and broken and begging for help (after her manager tried to manipulate her just a little too far) and the ultimate ending Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
dying on stage
is not all that surprising or shocking. what is shocking is how terrific a performance Midler turns in. superb from start to finish but more than a little overkill in the hystrionics department. The Rose is too over the top. Mysteriously, while Midler does the Janis shrieky 'singing' thing through most of the songs in the film, the credit song (which I presume is the one on this list) is in her usual style, and probably the weakest song of the lot. Some of her Janis style covers of classic blues numbers are absolutely superb and much more deserving of recognition than the lackluster number included at the credits intended more as a radio cross promotion than any sort of cohesive expression of something in the film.

The song is one of the most forgettable on the list, but the movie is pretty good. Puts a Streisand's Star is Born to shame, but doesn't come close to being as grand as Coal Miner's Daughter.
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