I will admit I am a wee bit more excited about this list than the book list. I'm sure that makes me look not as intellectual, but I don't really give a rat's ass. Wow! That was way too vulgar for comparing books and movies. I compiled my list based on three websites., AFI, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. I started with Netflix to see how many of these I could stream. I got through the first 30 and found 3 streatable. Not great. So I went to Amazon Prime which gave me a whopping two more. I was thinking I would have to subscribe to Netflix DVD service when I remembered...Hello, I have access to a ton of DVDs through the library AND THEY ARE FREE. So I searched the first 5 movies on the list and between the two libraries I go to in Parker and Highlands Ranch, they were all there. Yea! Here's to being cheap.
2/12/17 I will admit this list has been a bit daunting to me. I don't really want to watch all of the movies from these first lists, because they are often critically acclaimed and not actually any good to watch or entertaining in the slightest. It's very much like the list of 100 greatest books. Maybe great in terms of literary substance, but not because anyone really enjoyed reading them. I found the list of Box Office Top 100, which is the last website and it looks like it is more in line with what I am looking for. I think I am going to look over the list of movies topping the box office, but adjusted for inflation so I can get a flavor of now and then. But they will be things that lots of people paid actual hard-earned dollars to go see. At the moment it is 10:40 and I really should not spend any more time of this.
http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies100.pdf
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls055592025/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/
http://www.filmsite.org/boxoffice.html
12 Angry Men-8/24/16
2001: A Space Odyssey - 8/14/16
African Queen - 8/26/16
All Quiet on the Western Front - 8/20/16
Amadeus - 2/1/2017
An American in Paris - 7/20/16
Boyhood - 2/1/2017
Fantasia - 2/2/17
Laura - 2/12/17
Sunset Boulevard - 7/16/16
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - 7/18/16
The movies to the left are what I've watched since starting this goal. I've had a hard time because I just didn't want to watch all of them. The first list, much like the list of greatest books, was created by film buffs who care more about the artistic quality and historical significance of the movie than in its actual enjoyability. I found the list of top grossing movies adjusted for inflation. These are movies people actually paid hard earned money to see. That I can relate to and think will be a better representation of what I am looking to accomplish in this goal. The list is below.
7/11/16 OK, I'm not going to lie. There are more than 100 movies listed here. I did that so if I just can't bring myself to watch a particular movie, I can have a wee bit of wiggle room. I'm only talking four extra. Some of these I really want to watch with the family. We'll see if I can convince them.
7/13/16 Thought I'd take advantage of some time to myself this evening and watch one of these movies. It had to be from Amazon, Hoopla or Netflix so I could stream it. Sunset Boulevard was the winner. Several of the movies from Amazon looked better or at least seemed more intriguing, because let's face it, I dad no idea what Sunset Boulevard was about. Those movies seemed like something Jeremy might watch with me, like Platoon. I've only watched half of Sunset Boulevard so far. It's not moving very fast, but I'm enjoying trying to be a film critic. I'm going back to my French film class to try to remember what makes a great film, great. Can't be just because it's old. There has to be some lasting quality about it. I'll pin it down before it's over.
7/16/16 Finished Sunset Boulevard tonight. I have to say I saw it coming but maybe that was the point. The leading lady was an actress from the silent movie age. She was very rich,but once the movies went to sound she was no longer a hot commodity. She had grown older and lived in a fantasy world. At first I just thought the actress was way overdoing it with all the over emphasized gestures and facial expressions, but then I realized that is probably how they had to act in silent films. You could only communicate through expression and gestures. The ending was a bit of a turn because we are led to believe the leading man is going to stay with Norma Desmond and choose a life of wealth and leisure at the expense of his true worth and meaning. But then he turns around and starts to leave revealing he never had any real intention of selling his soul. All in all it was a good film.
7/18/16 Streamed The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" from Amazon last night and watched with Kaleb. It was a silent movie and I don't think I have ever watched a silent film all the way through. The angles of the shots and sets were so strange. They were obviously trying to mimic something in real life such as light shining through a window. They used paper with painted window panes on it against a wall. Comical and yet smart. It reminded me very much of how things are done in the theater. It seemed very art deco or avante guarde, which I'm sure are two polar opposites and I am too ignorant to know it.
What was funny was I started to fill in dialogue along the way. Just made it up. Trying to be funny. Kaleb of course was having none of it. When I would insert dialogue that did not match the scene, he would correct me. The dialogue I was proposing was not possible. This of course made it even funnier to me. My suggestion at the end of the movie is that we should take a day and use silent movie expressions and gestures. Kaleb was having none of this idea either. Totally overdone and dramatic use of the eyes and hands is not in his wheelhouse.
7/20/16 Checked out American in Paris from the Library. Beautiful costumes and Gene Kelly had quite the fine, tight ass. I'd say it was top 100 just for that.
8/14/16 Well, so far I can say I have not really enjoyed any of the movies I've watched so far. American in Paris came the closest. I can see the beauty in each film, how it was impressive when it was released, how it pushed the boundaries, how it made people think. But as for enjoyment...no. Tonight the family finished 2001: A Space Odyssey. I...t...w...a...s...s...o...s...l...o...w... Every shot took forever. There was very little dialogue. My get to the point radar went up within the first five minutes of the movie. There was a psychedelic worm hole scene that had to have been five minutes long, but it felt like 15. And wouldn't you know it, I missed the entire point of the movie. The kids and I at least had a good time making fun of it and I got a good one liner for David. "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
8/24/16 12 Angry Men was actually pretty good and i can see why it made the list. It had some interesting camera angles, lots of close-ups and Henry Fonda even looked straight in the camera at one point and you very rarely see that happen. I think for the time-frame it came out, it was really pushing the boundaries of what would be acceptable to discuss. It dealt with prejudice and bigotry and how that influences our decisions. It also addressed how we can be influenced by others and by our own desires to feel important. My favorite part is that it illustrated the effect of sticking to what you believe when it is the right thing and being able to change your mind or acknowledge when you are being negatively influenced. I liked it.
8/26/16 I think I gave up on watching some of these old movies because they usually start out a wee bit slow. Tonight I watched, The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. I'm not sure I have ever watched a movie with Bogart. He had a huge overbite, so much so that he had a bit of a lisp. And he was considered a heartthrob if I remember correctly. I guess a lisp was super sexy back then. It was interesting to see the interaction between men and women, what was appropriate and what was not. I enjoyed the movie, but I am trying to figure out why it would be considered a top 100. Was there something about it that was innovative? I'm sure they used a studio for the lake scenes, but much of it was actually filmed in Africa. Maybe that is impressive.
11/28/16 I have a great idea!!! I have started watching movies with the boys and relating them to a Bible story or moral. Maybe I can use some of the movies on this list as a springboard and kill two birds. I AM A GENIUS!!! OK in looking back over the list, It might be a bit harder than I thought, but I bet I can get a few out of it. I'm still a genius.
1/31/17 Haven't watched a movie from this list in a long time. Just looked to see if Boyhood was on Amazon or Netflix and cha-ching! Netflix scores.
2/1/17 I'm assuming this was on the list because it uses the same actors as they grow up over probably 15 years of filming, which was interesting, but I'm not sure it makes it an amazing film. Most of the movie just seemed like life. A single mom trying to do her best who makes some poor choices along the way that affect her kids and how the kids, especially the boy respond to it. Never could have watched this without working on my computer the whole time. Would have been bored to tears. I think there are some redeeming qualities about it. I can see myself in it. I can see the mom had many of the same questions and feeling I have had, which makes me wonder how many of the same feelings David has had. Does he feel the same way the boy in the movie felt about the men she dated and married? Will he drink and do drugs like the boy in the movie. He already seems a bit enamored with all of that. Maybe curious is a better word. I guess in the end the boy turns out ok. Like all of us, he is searching for meaning. The mom said in the end while looking back over her life, "I thought there would be more." The boy and a girl he meets at college sit on a hill top and ponder experiencing the moments of life. In the end, live all the moments, even the little ones to the fullest. Love them all.
2/1/17 Forever I thought the lead actor in Amadeus was Robert Downey Jr. Unfortunately, now I know the lead actor was also the lead in Animal House and many voices in animation movies. It is a 3 hour movie and actually very well done. I'm sure when I saw it when I was young I probably didn't even make it through. What an interesting way to tell the story of someone's life...through the eyes of a jealous foe.
2/5/17 Looks like my next flick on this list will be Laura. Netflix strikes again.
2/12/17 I am about half way through Laura. It's an old black and white mystery story and I haven't quite figured out why it is on the best of all times list. Maybe it was one of the first mystery or crime movies to come out. A young Vincent Price is in it and he was tall. I know I have seen him in other movies, but his height really struck me. He has a southern accent in this film which strikes me as funny. Can't ever divorce him from his villainous persona. The funniest part is when they interrogate Laura who never actually dead. They sit her down and turn on these huge bright lights in her face. Might be considered torture today. Ha! Would not consider this one of the greatest movies of all time, but obviously I am not a film buff. It was interesting and slow.
2/26/17 Here is my new list and I am once again going to alter this goal. The following movies are the top grossing movies of all time adjusted for inflation. In looking over the list, I have seen all but 18 of them. Since these are all great movies, I think I would use this as an opportunity for forced family fun. It wouldn't hurt me to watch these again and I would have the benefit of exposing the boys to some great classic films. I wish I had thought of doing this in the beginning. Ooh, we can have theme movie weekends. Star Wars, Raiders, Disney, Lord of the Rings, Batman, etc. I impress myself sometimes.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
The Sound of Music (1965)
E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Titanic (1997)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Jaws (1975)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
The Exorcist (1973)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Avatar (2009)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Lion King (1994)
The Sting (1973)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Graduate (1967)
Fantasia (1940)
Jurassic World (2015)
The Godfather (1972)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Grease (1978)
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
Thunderball (1965)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Jungle Book (1967)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Love Story (1970)
Spider-Man (2002)
Independence Day (1996)
Home Alone (1990)
Pinocchio (1940)
Cleopatra (1963)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Goldfinger (1964)
Airport (1970)
American Graffiti (1973)
The Robe (1953)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Bambi (1942)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Batman (1989)
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Cinderella (1950)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
My Fair Lady (1964)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Back to the Future (1985)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Superman (1978)
Tootsie (1982)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Finding Dory (2016)
West Side Story (1961)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977/1980)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Rocky (1976)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Twister (1996)
Men in Black (1997)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
M*A*S*H (1970)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Aladdin (1992)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Ghost (1990)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Duel in the Sun (1946)
The Hunger Games (2012)
9/9/17 OK, I have a POA which is a Plan of Action. Once a month the boys and I are going to have movie Friday since they get out of school early on Fridays. We are going to watch as many of these as possible and eat pepperoni pizza and popcorn and drink pepsi and I will think of other P things we can consume...oh, pigs in a blanket and popsicles. This is sounding like a positively perfect idea.
1/1/2021 Life has just changed. Kids have grown up. We have moved to the Seattle area. Kaleb has joined the army and nobody really is subject to forced family fun any longer. I am going to call this one done since I said I would watch the top 50 and even though I have missed a few under 50, I have watched way more than 50 on this list and if I watch any more it is just going to feel like a chore.
11/11/17 Ghost was the first movie I could get everyone to watch. Even roped Brian in since he was visiting. I had forgotten how cheesy the demons and angels were, but the movie was still good and the kids liked it. I was also reminded of my teenage crush on Patrick Swayze. He wasn't much of an actor, but he was nice to look at. What is interesting is as an adult, I don't find him all that good looking. I think much of my crush was based on his role in North and South. I'm sure if I watched that now, I would be amazed at the cheesiness of it as well. Yesterday, I watched Ocean's 11 with David. Too bad that wasn't on my list. I need to look at the list before we choose. I have also watched Taken with them and I don't think that s on the list either. So I am following a tradition, but it is not getting me anywhere on this task.
11/12/17 Twister was movie number two. I thought it was a super cheesy movie when I first saw it and it is, but it was a guilty pleasure. You just can't overthink this one. It has to be just for fun and laughs. I mean a cow flying across the screen twice is a bit much, but it is funny. Glad we pulled this one out second.
11/13/17 I was totally able to talk David into watching Avatar again. And I totally see why it was nominated for awards. I love the female avatar character. When she hisses and when she jumps over the top of someone to protect them, she looks fierce. I love fierce women. And even thought it was again a bit cheesy at times, it was a crowd-pleaser. Another thing I liked was the bad guy's scars running through his hair and across his face.
11/18/17 After talking with the boys, I established I already forced them to watch Jaws and Back to the Future. And in looking at the movies I already watched, I am going to cross Fantasia off the list, because I'm pretty sure I can not in good conscience force anyone else to watch it and I am sure not going to watch it again.
11/21/17 Watched Mrs. Doubtfire with the boys today and they really liked it. I have no clue how many times I've seen the movie, but it was worth sharing it with the boys. I think tonight I made an executive decision to shrink the number of movies I need to watch from 100 to 50. I feel like I am wasting my life away watching TV. I have felt like that many times before and I know I will regret it. If I have time before I turn 50, then I will come back and watch 50 more. For now, I am going to use this to connect with my family and not control my life.
I’m not sure of the date, but we tried watching Blazing Saddles and it was just way too racist and not funny anymore. My memories from childhood were obviously skewed and probably shielded since I saw the made for TV version, which who knows what was removed from that.
We also had an Avengers-a-thon, which I enjoyed and I went ahead and highlighted all the Star Wars movies because we have seen them all as a family and I can’t bare to watch them all over again. I like them enough to watch them once and even watch them again for David’s sake, but not a third or fourth or whatever time. Enough is enough there.