Last week, the American Film Institute aired their annual countdown program. This year’s topic was the top ten films in ten different genres. Most of it was fairly predictable and decidedly tame, but a few of the choices demand to be ridiculed. Take their “Westerns” line-up. Who in his right mind thinks that the mildly amusing spoof Cat Ballou (1965) is among the top ten of Hollywood westerns? The list managed to ignore at least three of the genre’s masterworks, My Darling Clementine (1946), The Gunfighter (1950), and Ride the High Country (1962), rendering the results a joke. I mean, really, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is one of the top ten westerns? Have you seen it lately? And what about Dial M for Murder (1954) as one of the all-time best mysteries? It’s not even anywhere near the top ten of Hitchcock movies! I realize that I’m only taking the AFI’s bait and ranting about a meaningless and disposable event, but, with all the wonderful movies in our past, it’s disappointing to see most of the same movies getting all the attention.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Mark Kirby // Jun 25, 2008 at 7:46 am
I only skimmed the lists, long enough to notice that three of MY all-time Top Ten movies (THE WIZARD OF OZ, BULL DURHAM, and MOONSTRUCK) made some AFI lists, and I agree that these lists are usually subjective and hence, not the final word. But still I think it’s about time for the AFI to knock it off–they’re really having to start to reach for things to list. Best villains? Great. My all-time favorite, Margaret Hamilton in OZ, came in at #4. Best quotes? Neat. My choice, Bette Davis’ “Fasten Your Seat Belts…” was #9. But making lists then making lists from these lists? Give it a rest, AFI.(By the way if anyone is wondering, the remaining films in my Top Ten list are BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, STAGE DOOR, A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, CALAMITY JANE, THE BISHOP’S WIFE, THE HEIRESS, and YOU CAN COUNT ON ME. )
Mark
2 John DiLeo // Jun 25, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Hi Mark,
I know, what is the AFI going to do next year and the year after that? We live in such a list-crazy world, and I’m sure that at the AFI right now they are madly trying to figure out something for next year. But what? And why do I have a horrible feeling that I’ll be watching?
I like your favorite movies, especially that they make such an eclectic group. THE HEIRESS is a just about perfect screen adapatation of a play, and I’m wild about Linda Darnell and Paul Douglas in A LETTER and especially Ginger in STAGE DOOR. And BROKEBACK is certainly a modern classic and a lasting tribute to the talent and promise of Heath Ledger.
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