I love lists! I always have. In my earlier adult years, I
used to stay up just so I could watch David Letterman’s Top Ten List. I have
also always loved movies. I can remember creating a list of my favorite movies
about 10 years ago and I still have it somewhere on my laptop. Over the years
I have developed a large DVD collection mostly made up of movies from my
favorite’s list. The internet has been a God-send to me as it has a
treasure-trove of top 100 movie lists.
For example, in 1998, in celebration of the cinema centennial,
the American Film Institute (AFI) unveiled “100 Years…100 Movies” where they
released a list of the 100 greatest movies of all time, choosing from a list of
over 400 nominated movies. In 2007, for the 10th anniversary the
list was updated. You can find the list here https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/.
In 2014 the Hollywood Reporter submitted its list of 100 Favorite Films. I like this list better as it seems to be more comprehensive
especially in its embrace of modern action movies and blockbusters (mostly
missing from the AFI list). The Hollywood Reporter list also has the advantage
of being published 7 years after the AFI 10th Anniversary List so it
includes several more recent films. You can find that list here https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/100-best-films-ever-hollywood-favorites-818512.
The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) also has a list created
in 2012, but updated in 2017. This list is similar to the AFI list and tends to
skew toward older films. You can find that list here https://www.imdb.com/list/ls055592025/.
In 2018, Empire Online asked readers to pick the best films
ever made. Choosing between those submissions the magazine came up with their
list of the 100 Greatest Movies – “a list of cult classics, brilliant
blockbusters, and everything in between.” Since this list was nominated by the
fans and not the critics, it includes several selections you won’t find on
other lists i.e Princess Bride, Arrival, Lost in Translation etc. This list
also skews much more toward films released in this century. You can find that
list here https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies-2/.
Two other lists I often consult are James Berardinelli’s
All-Time Top 100 at https://www.reelviews.net/specials/james-berardinelli-s-all-time-top-100
and John Nolte’s list of 165 best movies, which can be found here https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2017/12/24/the-165-greatest-american-movies-ever-made-150-165/.
With nothing better to do with my time I have considered creating my own Top 100 list of Jim’s favorite movies. However, I realized there are many great movies I have not yet seen. So, I have embarked on an effort to watch as many movies as I can in order to create my own list. With that in mind, I thought I would share my experience as it happens, so, I am posting reviews of the movies I am watching as I go. Just remember, my tastes may not be yours and since it is MY list...well you know what I mean. With that in mind, I will try to follow a similar format for each review.
In reviewing each film, I will provide a YouTube video of the official movie trailer (if one exists), a brief plot summary
and links to more information regarding facts about the movie, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB scores, and a list of awards and honor.
Additionally, I will discuss what's to like and not to like about the movie, memorable scenes, quotes, and characters, and a discussion of the movie's world view. Lastly, I will include a summary of what I think about the movie, plus a score on a 1-10 scale.
So here we go. I hope you enjoy the ride.
