I've been hesitant to post anything on here, however, I do like ranking things so I thought I'd give this a try. I have been hooked from the first time I heard about this podcast and am glad that I have been able to follow along since the first episode. I have always loved movies for as long as I can remember. I have also tried in the past to go through the AFI's top 100 films all the way back to when Netflix made you request a DVD in the mail. How time flies... Anyways, I just finished the last episode on Duck Soup and it brought back the memories of when I requested Netflix to send me that DVD and how excited I was to watch it. So, without further ado, my list (and I will add a brief explanation as to why I ranked it in that particular spot):
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (First Indiana Jones movie and just the sense of adventure that comes with it makes it so watchable over and over. Iconic is the only word to describe it)
2. Apocalypse Now (I've been a military war movie buff ever since I was young and I remember watching this movie and just knowing while I was watching it that it was a masterpiece)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick and his crazy attention to detail and knowing that everything on the screen is there for a reason...and racking your brain to know the reason)
4. The Shawshank Redemption (For years I would say this was my favorite movie of all time. I just liked the feel that the movie gave me. It's hard to describe but three things that always stick with me and bring out emotions: the tunneling scenes, making it out in the rain and reaching up to the sky, and when Red is searching in the field with the brick fence)
5. Ben Hur (The spectacle and the story...I don't think there's anything else to say)
6. Singin' In The Rain (Legends on screen and flawless dancing and of course singin')
7. Taxi Driver (I just remember watching this and for the first time getting a sense of the gritty nature of the film and that's how I think of the 70's, gritty)
8. High Noon (Everything about this movie plays out real. More of a metaphor for people's true nature and you get a sense of a higher message with this movie)
9. Duck Soup (The mirror scene is still stuck in my memory all these years later and just the whole craziness of this film is epic)
10. Platoon (Serious Charlie Sheen and a sense of reality in a movie. I loved it)
11. The African Queen (Bogart and Hepburn in color, nothing more to say)
12. Psycho (I still get creeped out in two instances, when Norman gets tackled while in his mother's clothes and when you find out the mother is actually dead sitting in the chair)
13. Double Indemnity (Classic film noir, I just love these types of films)
14. The Wizard of Oz (Just a classic and brings back memories from childhood and revisiting it gives you more of a grim sense of reality)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Epic adventure with an all star cast)
16. King Kong (I just remember seeing this a long time ago and just thinking that this film has influenced the genre in countless ways)
17. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Reeses Pieces are still my favorite candy....and phone home, classic)
18. Citizen Kane (Admittedly, I have never really liked this movie and I believe it to be highly overrated. However, I can't ignore how it has influenced cinema and it's not a bad movie)
19. Titanic (James Cameron's version of a Michael Bay film, how can you not love it?)
20. All About Eve (Like all of these, it registered an emotion and a memory. I just remember this film having a lot going on and it kind of being tongue in cheek with it telling a story but also giving it's contemporaries a wink)
21. The Sixth Sense (Seeing the ending on the first view...)
22. Swing Time (Honestly, didn't watch it but will be getting around to it soon, however, as you'll see in the following that there's a reason it ranks in this spot)
23. The French Connection (Giving it a rewatch I am asking myself what is so special about it? I love Gene Hackman, don't get me wrong but nothing popped out to me to say "oh, that's groundbreaking or special")
24. The General (Still need to get around to watching it but I'll be honest, I have never really wanted to watch a silent film...)
25. Bonnie And Clyde (I was excited to watch this movie, I really was. But, I honestly did not like this movie. How Estelle Parsons got an academy award is the most baffling thing ever. All she did was scream. Gene Hackman and Warren Beatty, whenever they get on screen together just get loud and yell. I can't tell you how quickly I went from excited to constantly looking to see how much time was left with it. I will say, the ending was probably the best part of the movie in terms of eliciting emotions and being iconic and same with the shootout scene and the hideaway and ensuing car chase)
I hope my list prompts some discussion and maybe even a few agree with me with some of the movies. I am very excited to see Paul and Amy's list and see if they ordered there's close to mine but something tells me it won't even be close haha.
