Thursday, June 21, 2007

AFI's Top 100 Films -- Part Two

The American Film Institute has updated its "One Hundred Best Films" list. A decade ago, they announced the tabulation of top films, and now the Big List is freshened with a few changes:

Older films that did not make the cut on the 1998 list broke into the top-100 this time, led by Buster Keaton's 1927 silent comedy "The General" at No. 18. Others included 1916's "Intolerance" (No. 49), 1975's "Nashville" (No. 59), 1960's "Spartacus" (No. 81), 1989's "Do the Right Thing" (No. 96) and 1995's "Toy Story" (No. 99).

Citizen Kane again takes the top spot. Animated features hold down exactly two positions: Snow White at #34 and Toy Story at #99.

Lists like the AFI's "Hot 100" are always a little silly. Trying to decide "best" or "second best" is like trying to decide which flavor of Ben and Jerry's ice cream is the most tasty. You get a hundred different palates, you'll get a hundred different answers. I happen to be crazy about How Green Was My Valley, which beat Citizen Kane for Best Picture in 1941. I'll concede that Kane is the more ground-breaking and memorable picture, but the John Ford flick Valley doesn't even show up on the AFI roster.

And only two animated features out of a hundred slots? I'd think the number would be higher than that...

4 comments:

Michael J. Ruocco said...

It's a shame that both Pinocchio & Fantasia were bumped off the list.

Anonymous said...

What? No Happy Gilmore??

Anonymous said...

I agree.

"Pinocchio" belongs on that list!

Jeff Massie said...

Steve's link to the Top 100 lists is now blocked behind a subscription firewall. Here's another link.

This year's list has the same number of animated features as the '97 list. "Fantasia" dropped off the list, "Toy Story" was added; "Snow White" is the only cartoon on both lists.

Most of the glaring omissions from the '97 list have been corrected -- there are now films from Preston Sturges, Buster Keaton and Fred Astaire movies included.

But I agree with Floyd -- omitting "Pinocchio" was stupid.

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