AFI's Top 100 Movies--How Many Have You Seen?

[SonicMan46]

Ditto, Dave -- although I saw bleeding chunks of Intolerance years ago in a film history class, and own only 44.  I understand why some of the older films were included for their historical significance, but some of the newer ones puzzle me.  Titanic?  The Sixth Sense?  Forrest Gump?  Clearly, box office success weighs heavily in the ratings.

Hi David - I'm not a big 'silent movie' fan (although my son got interested in these movies when he was a teenager, so I did watch a bunch w/ him); but I agree w/ you on some of the choices (I'm sure both of us could add dozens of 'replacements') - Interestingly, I don't own any of the ones you mentioned above - Titanic was good for the special effects and the ambiance of the period but that fails to make a great film at least for me, and Susan & I really disliked Forrest Gump despite all of the hype (and also enjoyed by my usually perceptive film knowledgeable son - hmm?) - Dave

[mszczuj]

80. And a half of Intolerance.

[DavidRoss]

Hi David - I'm not a big 'silent movie' fan (although my son got interested in these movies when he was a teenager, so I did watch a bunch w/ him); but I agree w/ you on some of the choices (I'm sure both of us could add dozens of 'replacements') - Interestingly, I don't own any of the ones you mentioned above - Titanic was good for the special effects and the ambiance of the period but that fails to make a great film at least for me, and Susan & I really disliked Forrest Gump despite all of the hype (and also enjoyed by my usually perceptive film knowledgeable son - hmm?) - Dave

Agree that Titanic's art director did a great job--and so did Frances Fischer...otherwise, it stank like a slaughterhouse in 100° heat.  That the public loved this movie only confirms that democracy is a terrible idea, tolerable because all the other options are even worse!

Forrest Gump was a terrible disappointment, turning a brilliant, laugh-out-loud funny satirical novel into a defanged snoozefest with no more bite than a Hallmark card advertisement.

They try to add modern films in order to make it interesting to everyone. But it is hard to rate newer films and it's hard to predict which ones will ultimately make such a list over time. While some films are instant classics, others take time to sort out. Incidentally, two of the three films you named won Best Picture, so they shouldn't be total surprises even if you didn't like them.

AFI undermines its own credibility with such sops to mass taste.  It's not at all hard to predict that a movie like Titanic will soon find itself on the trash heap of history, whereas innovative and brilliantly realized movies like Do the Right Thing will continue to command an audience decades hence.

[DavidW]

It's not at all hard to predict that a movie like Titanic will soon find itself on the trash heap of history,

That would be a false prediction... it's being re-released in the theaters soon.

[Sergeant Rock]

I've seen 90. The films I haven't seen:

DO THE RIGHT THING
INTOLERANCE
SCHINDLER'S LIST
RAGING BULL
SUNRISE
NETWORK
TAXI DRIVER
FORREST GUMP
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Sarge

[Lethevich]

The films I haven't seen:

DO THE RIGHT THING
INTOLERANCE
SCHINDLER'S LIST
RAGING BULL
SUNRISE
NETWORK
TAXI DRIVER
FORREST GUMP
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Dude, even I have seen half of those

[DavidRoss]

That would be a false prediction... it's being re-released in the theaters soon.

Get back to me in a few decades.  Really great movies like Casablanca (1942), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Citizen Kane (1941) continue to find new and appreciative audiences after 70 years.  Chances are better that California will vote Republican next year than for Titanic to be more than a footnote in history long before 2067 arrives. 

[DavidRoss]

I've seen 90. The films I haven't seen:

DO THE RIGHT THING
INTOLERANCE
SCHINDLER'S LIST
RAGING BULL
SUNRISE
NETWORK
TAXI DRIVER
FORREST GUMP
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Dude, even I have seen half of those

Dude! The ones in italics are all either great films, significant films, or both.  Better start streaming!

[Drasko]

81. Haven't seen

THE GRAPES OF WRATH
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
KING KONG
INTOLERANCE
NASHVILLE
DUCK SOUP
NETWORK
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
FORREST GUMP
TITANIC
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
12 ANGRY MEN
THE SIXTH SENSE
SWING TIME
SOPHIE'S CHOICE
DO THE RIGHT THING
TOY STORY

[Sergeant Rock]

Dude, even I have seen half of those

  I know, it looks appalling. But I have good reasons for deliberately avoiding most of them....well, personal reasons anyway.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Dude! The ones in italics are all either great films, significant films, or both.  Better start streaming!

I'm aware of their critical reputations and have read much about them. But with the possible exceptions of Network and Taxi Driver, I have no interest in seeing them.

Sarge

[Renfield]

I've seen just over 30, in their entirety, the earliest being Gone With the Wind; the rest distributed roughly evenly across the years.

Spot the serious cinephile, heh.


Though many of the remaining 68 (to be precise) I've just not found the time for, yet: for instance, 2001 is one of only two post-Spartacus Kubrick movies I've not seen. However, there's ca. 20 titles in there that are entirely unfamiliar (e.g. Yankee Doodle Dandy).

[SonicMan46]

That would be a false prediction... it's being re-released in the theaters soon.

Hi David - that's a depressing announcement for me - 

[SonicMan46]

I've seen 95 of them.

Annie Hall
Shane
Forest Gump (I will never watch this.)
Titanic ( I will never watch this.)
Sophie's Choice

Hi Philo - I'm assuming that the listing above are the ones you've not seen?  my 2 recommendations would be Annie Hall & Shane - Annie Hall is one of our favorite films; I'm in a Jewish-Catholic marriage and the film was released early in our relationship - we literally laugh our 'asses off' when watching this movie, even after many years!

[Renfield]

Wait, that's 32. I have seen Annie Hall, I was just strangely not counting it.

[SonicMan46]

Thanks. I've never seen a Woody Allen film because I can't imagine me liking that sort of humor, but I'll definitely look into that.

Shane was the only film I had never heard of on the list.

Annie Hall won many Oscars including the 'Best Film', best 'Actress' (the wonderful Diane Keaton), & 'Best Director' (Woody Allen) - we still love this film but it helps to personally relate to the characters which we do - please rent and hope that you enjoy!

Shane (1953) w/ Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, & Van Heflin - this is for those who like western gun slinger films of this era, so may influence your choice? I love Jean Arthur (especially in her films from the earlier years - this one was her last one; she actually lived in my town for a while); also, Brandon De Wilde (1942–1972) was the kid in the film, a favorite of my wife - he died young in an accident. 

[DavidW]

Hi David - that's a depressing announcement for me - 

I don't know if it's because it's Titanic or because it begins the era of rereleasing old movies in 3d in order for the studios to try to make cash while exerting as little effort as possible.

[DavidW]

Shane is one of my favorite westerns.

[ibanezmonster]

12, unless there are one or two which I missed.


btw, no Kurosawa? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!!! 

[Conor71]

I've seen 62 of the films on the list