Movie #112: The Sound of Music

Movie #: 112
Movie Title: The Sound of Music
Year Released: 1965

Director: Robert Wise
Notable Cast: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn, Charmian Carr

Short Description: A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #40
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #82
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/30/2016

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: Other than the ridiculous exaggerations from Julie Andrews' Maria and Christopher Plummer's Captain von Trapp about when they fell in love with each other (she was afraid of him and he detested her when they claimed it happened), the actual story in The Sound of Music is pretty good. It's the music that killed it for me. I have no problem with musicals or songs in movies, but the specific songs in The Sound of Music are too blah for my taste. It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why I feel that way, I just do. There are other musicals I'd rather watch than see this again.

Movie #113: All About Eve

Movie #: 113
Movie Title: All About Eve
Year Released: 1950

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Notable Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill

Short Description: An ingenue insinuates herself in to the company of an established but aging stage actress and her circle of theater friends. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #28
IMDB.com: #96
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/29/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: Not since I watched Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at #184 have I experienced a movie that contains such biting and sharp dialogue as All About Eve. There are scenes, much like in Virginia Woolf, that made me stare wide eyed and slack jawed before exclaiming "wow" at their conclusion. Bette Davis as Margo Channing unquestionably owns the screen in those moments and bravo to her. As the movie progressed I couldn't help but wonder if Anne Baxter's Eve Harrington had plotted from the very beginning to ascend to the level of stardom you find her at by the end of the movie or if circumstances along the way, such as Margo's ego causing her trouble and opening a door for Eve, molded Eve's plans into something more realistic than a seemingly unobtainable dream. The movie was very well written in that regard.

Movie #114: It Happened One Night

Movie #: 114
Movie Title: It Happened One Night
Year Released: 1934

Director: Frank Capra
Notable Cast: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly

Short Description: A spoiled heiress, running away from her family, is helped by a man who is actually a reporter in need of a story. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #46
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #78



Date Watched: 5/28/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: Most notable about It Happened One Night is that Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert have excellent on screen chemistry. Clark sells being street wise and a cleaver very well as Peter Warne and Claudette plays an independent yet naive Ellie Andrews to a T. With only two recurring supporting characters of any relevance it was up to those two to carry the movie and they did so admirably. My only complaint is, of course, the two fall in love and end up together, which is far too predictable even considering late obstacles in the movie that make you think that might not be how it ends. Still, enjoyable up to the last telegram.

Movie #115: Ghostbusters

Movie #: 115
Movie Title: Ghostbusters
Year Released: 1984

Director: Ivan Reitman
Notable Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts

Short Description: Description: Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #23

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on FlickChart.com's list. It’s also the last movie that appears on only one of the seven lists I used to compile the top 251 movies.



Date Watched: 5/26/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: Ghostbusters is so beloved by some that I find it hard to criticize it without fear of making people mad. My intent isn’t to rip on the movie and cause that reaction; rather, only to say that I find it to be just good and not spectacular. It’s disappointing that the viewer has to wait until near the end of the movie to finally see all four Ghostbusters together since Winston isn’t part of the team until half way through. Also, I wanted to see more of the Ghostbusters fighting the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, not only because that’s the most comical monster in movie history, but because the fight with it and Gozer is too hurried. Clocking in at one hour and forty-five minutes means there was room for a longer climax without overdoing it.

Movie #116: The Grapes of Wrath

Movie #: 116
Movie Title: The Grapes of Wrath
Year Released: 1940

Director: John Ford
Notable Cast: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Russell Simpson, Shirley Mills, John Qualen, Eddie Quillan

Short Description: A poor Midwest family is forced off of their land. They travel to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #23
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on AFI.com's list.



Date Watched: 5/25/2015

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: I look forward to someday reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning book this movie was adapted from. I can only hope it’s more exciting of a read than the movie was, though. I waited and waited for something to grip me while watching, but it never did. It was almost like the cast was sleepwalking through their performances. Jane Darwell is the only one I felt displayed any conviction, almost like she thought she was actually Ma Joad. On top of that, the production value sorely lacked at times. Early in the movie you see Henry Fonda as Tom Joad and John Carradine as Jim Casy walking down a road, but even childlike observation can tell you they’re on a soundstage given the blatantly obvious echo of voices, the lack of clouds moving in the sky, and only foreground trees moving when a strong wind picks up. I expected so much more overall from a supposed classic.

Movie #117: The Philadelphia Story

Movie #: 117
Movie Title: The Philadelphia Story
Year Released: 1940

Director: George Cukor
Notable Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey

Short Description: When a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #44
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #81



Date Watched: 5/24/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)

Rationale: The Philadelphia Story sadly took quite a while to get going. The second half was far more interesting than the first half, likely because the characters were opening up more and not being so stiff. It didn’t take much effort to be able to telegraph how the movie would end, which is disappointing, but getting to that point once the story and characters became appealing was still fun.

Movie #121: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Movie #: 121
Movie Title: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Year Released: 1939

Director: Frank Capra
Notable Cast: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell

Short Description: A naïve man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn't back down. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #26
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/18/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: If you’re ever looking for Americana personified in a film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is it. While I refuse to believe that, especially today, naïvely innocent patriotism can tackle corruption in government, the message that’s presented about fighting for what’s right and standing up for what you believe in against all odds is honorable. The filibuster scene is a legendary piece of cinema history and doesn’t disappoint whether you’re a high school student watching it for the first time in civics class or a cynical 30-year-old watching it for the first time in many years as part a movie project. Bravo, James Stewart.

Movie #118: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Movie #: 118
Movie Title: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Year Released: 1986

Director: John Hughes
Notable Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey

Short Description: A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the principal thinks of that. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #88
FilmCrave.com: #90
FlickChart.com: #49



Date Watched: 5/22/2016

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: Similar to The Breakfast Club I hoped that a second viewing many years after I had first seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would change my opinion and make me think better of it. Guess not. I don’t get how this movie is considered to be a comedy like it’s pigeonholed into. Ferris breaking the fourth wall and directly addressing the viewer directly would have been more impactful if Matthew Broderick had an ounce of charisma while doing it and, while not part of Ferris’ story, I wish viewers would have been privy to the fallout of Cam’s father seeing his car destroyed after being subjected to whining from Cam throughout the movie about how negative his father’s reaction to them taking the car would be, even before it was destroyed. That’s quite a missed opportunity in my opinion. Glad I never have to watch this again.

Movie #119: Slumdog Millionaire

Movie #: 119
Movie Title: Slumdog Millionaire
Year Released: 2008

Director: Danny Boyle
Notable Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanay Chheda, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala

Short Description: A Mumbai teen reflects on his upbringing in the slums when he is accused of cheating on the Indian Version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #25
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on Ranker.com's list.



Date Watched: 5/21/2016

Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)

Rationale: I adore Slumdog Millionaire. It’s not for everyone and there are a couple parts that aren’t pleasant to watch, but this is one of my favorite movies from the last 10 years. The writing is amazing and the acting, especially from the kids, is phenomenal. There’s not a thing I would change and not really anything I can criticize. I will say that even though The Dark Knight was my favorite movie from 2008 and should have been at least nominated for Best Picture, I have no problem at all with Slumdog Millionaire winning like it did in such a deserving fashion without The Dark Knight in contention.

Movie #120: Avatar

Movie #: 120
Movie Title: Avatar
Year Released: 2009

Director: James Cameron
Notable Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore

Short Description: A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #73
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #54
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/20/2016

Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)

Rationale: Avatar is quite possibly the most visually astounding movie of all time and a large screen to watch the movie on is absolutely needed to fully appreciate what you’re seeing. James Cameron and his team created an entire world bursting with plants, animals, and a human-like species that rivals not only what your wildest dreams, but at times what’s even real within our world. My only knock on Avatar is that the overall plot doesn’t seem super original (a group of people wants something and will force another group out of the way to get it, only to be resisted). The manner and imagination in which Cameron wrote the movie, though, helps to make up for the recycled theme. I’m excited to see the sequels that are currently being written.

The Halfway Point

After three years and four months I'm finally to the halfway point of watching the top 251 movies of all time, albeit much later than I initially wanted. 126 movies have been watched, 125 movies are left to go (hopefully) by the end of 2016.

The back half of the top 251 movies had some rough spots that were hard to power through, but movies that I never thought would be good and movies I'd never even heard of that I ended up loving are what's making this fun. While I don't regret starting this project, in retrospect I should have given myself more time to complete the goal because life happens and arbitrary deadlines for things like movie projects need to be flexible, thus why I'm two years behind schedule.

Thank you to those who have been reading from the very beginning and thank you to those who have started reading along the way. I appreciate everyone that takes the time to support my effort. I'm proud that I've gotten this far and do not plan on stopping until I'm 100% done.

-Greg

Movie #122: High Noon

Movie #: 122
Movie Title: High Noon
Year Released: 1952

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Notable Cast: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Jr.

Short Description: A marshall, personally compelled to face a returning deadly enemy, finds that his own town refuses to help him. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #27
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/17/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)

Rationale: Probably the best part of High Noon was that, other than his wife of literally an hour and a half, no one came to help the marshal in the end. The entire town essentially abandoned him in his fight against four outlaws and I was glad for that. Not because I didn’t like the marshal, but because it was a plot point that stuck to its guns. There wasn’t a happy moment were the townsfolk realized they were wrong in leaving the marshal to fight by himself; rather, it made the showdown at the end seem like it had real stakes as he fought while outnumbered. It’s unfortunate the showdown at the end was as short as it was because more would have been nice after a long, slow buildup to it.

Movie #123: Rashomon

Movie #: 123
Movie Title: Rashomon
Year Released: 1950

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Notable Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda

Short Description: A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from differing points of view. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #91
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #39



Date Watched: 5/17/2016

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: I like the concept of a movie told from differing points of view with the viewer having to piece together what’s real, but I don’t feel Rashomon did it in an exciting way. I also found the samurai’s wife, played by Machiko Kyo, to be horridly annoying. She portrayed that role in an excessively overdramatic way and her crying and screaming was ear piercing. If not for that I may have graded the movie higher because, while still not exciting, at least everything else was interesting and well acted.

Movie #124: Life is Beautiful

Movie #: 124
Movie Title: Life is Beautiful
Year Released: 1997

Director: Roberto Benigni
Notable Cast: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano, Horst Buchholz

Short Description: When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #56
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #75
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/16/2016

Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)

Rationale: I can honestly not think of a single movie that’s thrown my emotions into a rollercoaster ride like Life is Beautiful. The first half of the movie is sort of slapstick in a fun and funny way as Roberto Benigni’s character Guido tries to court Nicoletta Braschi‘s character Dora. I was especially fond of their late night stroll and the situational humor that helped her fall for him. Skip to the send half and you see Guido’s family, including their young son and his elderly uncle, being sent off to a concentration camp during WWII. Guido, being the loving father he is, builds a story and plays it out for his son that the camp being a game and they need to survive to win a prize. His drive and the length he went to to preserve his child’s innocence in the worst of times was tender and heartwarming. A true hidden gem of a movie that, while hard to watch in the second half, I’m glad to have seen.

Movie #125: The Sixth Sense

Movie #: 125
Movie Title: The Sixth Sense
Year Released: 1999

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Notable Cast: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osment

Short Description: A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #89
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #96
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #48
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/16/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: Even though I had never seen The Sixth Sense before (I know, odd right?), I was fully aware of the classic M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end so the rest of the movie wasn’t as tense and suspenseful as it should have been. Because of that I wanted to give it a 3 out of 5 being just good, not great, but I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 on the idea that the movie deserves it if you don’t know the ending going in. The acting is well done and the twist is smartly hidden in plain sight. Probably not worth a repeat viewing, but it’s a good watch once.

Recap of Movies #126-150

Adjustments

Movie #: 142
Movie Title: Shane
Original Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Adjusted Grade: 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)




My Best to Worst of #126-150

Movie #	Movie Title	My Grade
143	Django Unchained (2012)	4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
146	The Avengers (2012)	4 out of 5 (Excellent)
148	Oldboy (2003)	4 out of 5 (Excellent)
144	Scarface (1983)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
136	Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
133	Platoon (1986)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
137	The Gold Rush (1925)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
140	The Hangover (2009)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
138	Inglourious Basterds (2009)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
126	Ikiru (1952)	3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
147	This is Spinal Tap (1984)	3 out of 5 (Good)
132	Heat (1995)	3 out of 5 (Good)
128	The King's Speech (2010)	3 out of 5 (Good)
135	Bonnie and Clyde (1967)	3 out of 5 (Good)
139	Midnight Cowboy (1969)	3 out of 5 (Good)
149	Evil Dead 2 (1987)	3 out of 5 (Good)
141	Network (1976)	3 out of 5 (Good)
130	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)	2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
134	King Kong (1933)	2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
131	The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)	2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
145	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)	2 out of 5 (Fair)
127	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)	2 out of 5 (Fair)
142	Shane (1953)	1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)
150	Intolerance (1916)	1 out of 5 (Poor)
129	Andrei Rublev (1969)	1 out of 5 (Poor)

Movie #126: Ikiru

Movie #: 126
Movie Title: Ikiru
Year Released: 1952

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Notable Cast: Takashi Shimura, Miki Odagiri, Yūnosuke Itō, Nobuo Kaneko, Kamatari Fujiwara

Short Description: A bureaucrat tries to find a meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #32



Date Watched: 5/15/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: Kanji Watanabe learns he doesn't have long to live and is without friends and love from his family because of 30 years long behind a desk. After a bout of self pity he attempts to live the life he missed out on, while not telling anyone about his cancer, by temporarily going AWOL from work, spending time with a young female co-worker that brings him joy and energy, and by making it his mission to build a needed park for his community, even though the government he works for constantly tries to shoot it down. After his death, a group of co-workers sit around and discuss how great of a man Watanabe was to put in the effort he did while dying. They themselves vow to change and make an impact like Watanabe, only to revert back to their old ways the first time opportunity arises. In short, Ikiru felt very human and I dug that. We all have regrets about missed opportunities and we all say we'll change for the better. The trick is to not give up and make a difference like Watanabe.

Movie #127: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Movie #: 127
Movie Title: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Year Released: 1937

Director: David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen
Notable Cast: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell, Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, Billy Gilbert, Eddie Collins, Moroni Olsen, Stuart Buchanan

Short Description: Snow White, pursued by a jealous queen, hides with the Dwarfs, but the queen learns of this and prepares to feed her a poison apple. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #34
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 5/9/2016

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: Thankfully top lists are subjective because not everyone has the same opinion. When it comes to Snow White I happen to be of belief that it’s not even one of the best “Golden Age” Disney movies (Pinocchio, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book are all better). I don’t mean to take anything away from the technical achievement Snow White was in being the first full-length animated feature film. If that’s all it takes, though, to be considered the best by some lists, that’s a poor reason. The animation is classic Disney and holds up well, but some of the dialog and songs don’t after 80 years.

Movie #129: Andrei Rublev

Movie #: 129
Movie Title: Andrei Rublev
Year Released: 1966

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Notable Cast: Anatoly Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolai Grinko, Nikolai Sergeyev, Nikolai Burlyayev, Irma Raush

Short Description: The life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #36
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on Empire.com's list.



Date Watched: 5/4/2016

Grade: 1 out of 5 (Poor)

Rationale: With the exception of Intolerance (technical limitations of that movie made it difficult to watch) I’ve completed all movies on my list up to this point even if I detested them. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Andrei Rublev. 25 minutes into this 3 hour 25 minute movie I made the decision to stop and not waste 3 more hours. The first 25 minutes felt disjointed because the movie is done in chapters with an epilogue and prologue that have nothing to do with the main part of the movie. After reading a synopsis I came to learn that deep metaphors are littered throughout the movie and I just don’t have the patience for an old, black and white, foreign movie with a storyline that bounces around and metaphors that aren’t easily explainable or understandable because of a language barrier or ignorance of the subject.

Movie #130: The Bridge on the River Kwai

Movie #: 130
Movie Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Year Released: 1957

Director: David Lean
Notable Cast: William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, André Morell, Peter Williams, John Boxer, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin, Ann Sears, Geoffrey Horne

Short Description: After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #36
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/30/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)

Rationale: Two very long, very drawn out parts will forever tarnish my memory of this being an otherwise decent movie. First, the entire first hour is spent arriving at the Japanese POW camp and watching Alec Guinness’s Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson stubbornly refuse to work alongside his men to build a bridge for the Japanese, even though it would improve the conditions his men were enduring. Second, I didn’t time it but the group of soldiers that are sent by the British Army to destroy the bridge spend way too much time trekking through the jungle to get there. Seemed like a gross overemphasis and considerably slowed down the second half of the movie.

Movie #131: The Best Years of our Lives

Movie #: 131
Movie Title: The Best Years of our Lives
Year Released: 1946

Director: William Wyler
Notable Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Harold Russell

Short Description: Three World War II veterans return home to small-town America to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #37
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/27/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)

Rationale: Though the plot is based around three men (Fred, Al, and Homer) returning home from war, Homer felt very unnecessary after they arrived home up until the end of film where he got married and the three soldiers reunite. All parts involving Homer during the meat of the film could have been cut down to background information and chit chat between Fred and Al without really losing anything. The majority of the film focused on Fred and Al anyway and the love Fred developed for the Al’s daughter. I found that to be much more interesting and preferable to Homer’s insecurity issues. I will admit that Harold Russell, an actual handicapped WWII vet and the actor who played Homer, was impressive with his effortless use of his real prosthetic claw hands.

Movie #142: Shane

Movie #: 142
Movie Title: Shane
Year Released: 1953

Director: George Stevens
Notable Cast: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon deWilde, Jack Palance, Emile Meyer

Short Description: A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #45
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/10/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Adjusted Grade: 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)

Rationale: Ok, enough already AFI. I'm tired of watching movies you deem as top 100 of all time. Shane was an ok movie, but considering it one of the greatest movies ever? Give me a break. I thoroughly detested the annoying kid in the movie and can't believe they wasted as much screen time as they did on him. At least I know better than to expect top of the line action from a 1953 movie because that would have been another huge disappointment. It boggles my mind how normal punches thrown in modern movies can look so real yet in movies from the '50s you can literally see gaps between the hand and someone's head during the swing. Everything else about the movie was just fine.