AFI Top 100 61-70

I have never seen a Preston Sturgis film nor has anyone else younger than 60. I am sure he was important in his day, but come on. Even Ebert doesn't have a link because he knows no one is interested.

Now this is a great movie. The film that put Lucas on the map still holds up great. This was rerun on HDNet recently and I found it more entertaining than most of the movies I have seen in the past year. There really is no plot just an arrangement of scenes. The story is really moved by the soundtrack. It captures the end of the innocence in America before baby boomers started complaining about everything. The movie is very well cast not just for the stars but for how good they are in their roles. I mean Ron Howard basically is playing the template for Richie Cunningham. This also started the nostalgia business in America. I have a unproven theory that can't be reneged that every generation since the early 70's is focused on bringing back pop culture from a period 15-20 years earlier. This can't be disproven because it is true.

Hunh? When did this movie start to get love? I think that Bob Fosse the man is much more interesting than any of his movies. While this is a decent film it doesn't deserve to be on this list. It should be discounted also for putting Joel Grey and Ben Vereen on the pop culture radar and appearing in just about everything for the next 15 years. I will never understand their appeal. When I was little they would be the type of Muppet Show host that would just ruin the episode for a 6 year old.

This is one of my favorite dramatic films. I will show some bias here. It stars William Holden in his last great role. I really like Mr. Holden. The story is so fascinating today because most of it is true. Just watch Bill O'Reilly without thinking of this film, or better yet watch the "The Daily Show". Paddy Chayefsky wrote this screenplay and he was one of the few people to be able to express a point of view during the studio era. This screenplay was his last hurrah. One quick note about this is when I had Flyers season tickets 10 years ago they would play clips of Howard Beale telling everyone to get up out of there seats and go to their window and yell "Let's Go Flyers!!". I always liked that. A secret bonus in this film is Faye Dunaway is topless. I highly recommend this film to everyone.

This movie plays slower now. The lead actors look very old in this film also. I will have to show my Kate Hepburn angst here to as she is quite bossy and annoying. I really think that Bogey would have just tossed her overboard in real life and went about his business. I do like the cinematography, and the off set backstory lead to a good Eastwood film, "White Hunter, Black Heart".

I have waxed poetic about this film on another list:

I know what you are thinking "Shawn this is another 3 movies", I still consider it one movie. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is the best action movie for 10 year olds ever made. Nazis are the best movie villains ever. "Raiders" played for over a year at the Petite 3 in my hometown. I saw the movie 5 times in the theater. We went on the one year anniversary because it was so good. I took my German immigrant grandmother and great-grandmother to see it. My grandmother was upset that the Nazis were portrayed so badly. Go figure. The second is just OK. The third is very good with Sean Connery giving a wonderful comedic performance, along with Denholm Elliot. Again Nazis are the villains. They are fantastic.

That dealt with the whole trilogy. This movie is just the best action movie of it's time. Written as an ode to movie serials it is far better in scope and execution. If I met someone of my generation who didn't like this movie I would never trust them. That is how good it really is.

Apparently I am as I have never seen this. George Segal has had a weird career and I really liked Richard Burton when he was on "The Fall Guy". I do believe that this is probably the only man that train wreck Elizabeth Taylor really loved. I haven't seen the play either.

I was a sophmore in college when this came out and saw it with some high school buddies. They totally missed the message of this film. They thought it was just your typical western. It is much more. It really is the last Western. Eastwood basically puts his "Man with no Name" character to bed. The supporting players are first rate; Hackman, Harris and Freeman. Hackman is especially good. I think if I were to be an actor I would want his career. He has worked steadily for 40 years and the quality of his work is usually good.

This film, more than "The Wild Bunch", really places a cod on the Hollywood Western.

Don't get me wrong. "Tootsie" is funny, I really like Bill Murray as Dustin Hoffman's roommate; but is it funnier than "Caddyshack"? Hell No!!! The drama isn't that dramatic. The comedy isn't as funny as "Airplane". Why does everyone think this is great? This is one of those movies that people just assume is good because of the principals involved, but isn't it just a better executed "Just One of the Guys"?

The first 50 minutes of this film is, disturbingly, one of my favorite movies of all time. Once the interrogation starts it gets a little slower but the combination of the soundtrack and setting for the first 40% is intoxicating. This film was banned in Britain until the late 80's, that is awesome. The Droogs are very scary as is the use of Beethoven, who knew an organ could be so frightening. I must let my bias be known as I absolutely love modern architecture and furniture, especially from the 50's and this movie is absolutely dripping with the kind of urban renewal done post war. I sometimes think the look of this movie has much more to do with my opinion than the actual film. If you have never seen it, I encourage you to watch it, if just for the mis-en-scene.