Submit one or two films for each category with a few thoughts about each one. If you can’t fill all the categories out, that’s okay. We can’t either.
Animation
Romantic Comedy
Courtroom Drama
Epic
Mystery
Gangster
Fantasy
Sci-Fi
Sports
Western
Obscure Classics 
July 5, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Fantasy – For me the 1933 King Kong just stands out as the best in this catagory. S tight story with special effects that were so way ahead of it’s time that they still hold up today. I also find it amazing that they made Kong so sympathetic and so endearing.
Gangster – A tough catagory to pick just two. I love the gangster genre. The Godfather 1 & 2 are just epic. It’s all been said before. Brillant script, wonderful acting. Two masterpieces. I am also a big fan of Goodfellas, White heat, Bonnei and clyde and jsut about every other film on the list except for DePalma;s Scarface (1983). Hightl overrated and probalby only on the list because of it’s popularity. There are just so many others. Where’s The Roaring Twenties, The Apshalt Jungle, Donnie Brasco, Angels With Dirty Faces?
Science Fiction – Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Just a great film about comformity and being forced to fit in or else.
Westerns – another tough catagory – but first what is Cat Ballow doing in the top 10? An okay film but one of the greatest western? Duh! Also, Butch Cassidy – I love the film but……. where’ s Rio Bravo, Johnny Guitar or Dead Man or so many others. The best on the list I would have to go with The Searchers and The Wild Bunch. Ford was just at the top of his game in The Searchers – a brillant complex film. The Wild Bunch just changed the western as much as Leon’s film did. here I just love the study of these men who knew their way of life was coming to an end. the were outlaws but they still had a code that they live by and died by.
Sports – this is just a strange catagory. The Hustler and Caddyshack in the same list? Anyway my two favorites are Raging Bull and The Hustler. Two greats works . The Hustler is just one of my favorites with Newman as the ultimate anti-hero. Pure cool!
Mystery – Impossible to pick. Today I’ll say Rear Window and The Maltese Falcon. Tomorrow It probably would be Vertigo and Chinatown. But then there’s The Third Man and North by Northwest. Oh yeah, what about The Ususal Supects and Laura?
Romantic Comedy – This catagory is probably the worst of all. Sleepless in Seatle? Harold and Maude? Moonstruck? When Harry…? Come on! Just to name a few of the missing that deserve to be on the list more than those just mentioned are Woman of the Year, I Was A Male War Bride, No Man of Her Own and any of The Thin Man movies!!! But with what we have on the list I go with Chaplin’s City Lights, my favorite Chaplin film. a real treasure and Annie Hall. Two brilliant neurotic romantic comedies perfect for a Sat. nite.
Courtroom Drama – 12 Angry Men and Anatomy of a Murder. Both are wonderfuly constructed and some great acting. Not a dull moment with either one.
July 9, 2008 at 5:35 am
How can you say that Scarface is overrated? Scarface has to be the best gangster movie there. Theres a reason why Scarface is so popular. I know James Cagney’s white heat and public enenmy are good but its no Scarface. And I believe that The Godfather is an overrated movie you didn’t really have to guess that it was going to be ranked #1. Though its a great movie but I think today’s audience will find Scarface more exciting and appealing. The Western sucked and they missed the obivous one Sergio Leone’s the Good, Bad and the Ugly.
July 29, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Are you saying that Scarface has to be the best because it is so popular? Since when does quality equate to popularity? You’ve got to do better than that.
The reason for DePalma’s Scarface being so popular has more to do with the over the top violence and the over the top acting by Al Pacino. I generally, like DePalma work but this was not one of his best.
As for Leone’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Well, maybe it was not on the list because it is an Italian film and the list was confined to American films.
July 29, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Hey, this is me under a different name. I think that the popularity of a film should definitely be taken account. Afterall people make movies for the enjoyment of people. So really the people should have a say. In that case a movie like Citizen Kane probably wouldn’t be ranked the best movie in the world because half of the general population probably have never seen it. I didn’t say Scarface was better because its more popular. I said that Scarface is a better movie than Public enemy, White Heat and that is why its so popular. If a movie like Scarface can impact a culture. If every black african american and teenage boy idolizes Tony Montana. Then you would rank Scarface higher than a movie like White Heat starring James Cagney. Afterall who’s every boys hero? If a movie can make an impact on a culture like Scarface can then it deserves to ranked much higher. I’ve seen all the gangster movies on the list because I’m a movie bluff. But the general population have never even heard of James Cagney.
(The reason for DePalma’s Scarface being so popular has more to do with the over the top violence.) I believe the overtop violence is the reason why people even watch gangster films. Afterall, we want to see blood, bad words, guns, suits, nudity right? Thats what make a gangster film great. The reason why people watch gangster movies is because people want to fantasize about the life of gangster. A life filled with thrills, women, money, and unfortunately wackings. The only reason why Public Enemy, White Heat, Angels with Dirty Faces, the Godfather don’t have that much violence, bad words, is because they were made in a time when those things were restricted.
I generally, like DePalma work but this was not one of his best. Scarface is DePalma’s best film that he ever made. Scarface is basically what DePalma is known for. You can’t tell me you liked the Untouchables or Carlitos Way better.
As for Leone’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Well, maybe it was not on the list because it is an Italian film and the list was confined to American films. I think your right on this one. Buts its a shame if thats true. Everybody loves The Searchers but that movie is boring as hell. Yeah I know there is a lot of metaphors of life in that movie. But it still doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly is the better movie. And the more American movie. Plus Clint Eastwood is in it and who could be more American than him.
July 29, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Oh and could you tell me how Bonnie and Clyde is a gangster film? I was very suprised when they put that there. Also I believe Serigo Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America should have been in the top ten. And I was wondering do you consider the following movies as gangster films? Because some people do. (Kill Bill, On the Waterfront, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction)?
July 29, 2008 at 10:33 pm
(Oh and could you tell me how Bonnie and Clyde is a gangster film? I was very suprised when they put that there. Also I believe Serigo Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America should have been in the top ten. And I was wondering do you consider the following movies as gangster films? Because some people do. (Kill Bill, On the Waterfront, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction)?)
Bonnie and Clyde were rural outlaws like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Ma Barker. When you think of gangster films you think of the big city, Mafia, Las Cosa Nostra, The Purple Gang, etc. In the late 1950’s and in the late 60’s and early 70’s there were a series of films on these rural outlaws ( Machine Gun Kelly, Dillinger, Boxcar Bertha, Bloody Mama) so I guess you can lump them together as kind of a sub-genre of the gangster film. What category would you put it in? Crime Movies, Thriller?
Once Upon in America is great but Italian. Not my rules AFI’s
First, I have to say I have not seen Kill Bill, so I cannot talk about it. As for the others I don’t think I would consider any of these gangster films per say though some have characters or elements in them that relate to the gangster genre. The most obvious are On the Waterfront and Raging Bull. Brando’s brother “Charlie” is a small time hood and in Raging Bull, LaMotta was surrounded by mob figures but these films have other things on their minds other than just the mob world so I would not call them gangster films. Pulp Fiction is a kind of a modern twist of the genre. It cetainly has the elements of a gangster film. Hit men, murder, a gangster’s wife but yet it’s almost a real dark dark comedy. I don’t see how anyone could consider Taxi Driver a gangster film. Where?
July 29, 2008 at 11:12 pm
(Hey, this is me under a different name. I think that the popularity of a film should definitely be taken account. Afterall people make movies for the enjoyment of people. So really the people should have a say. In that case a movie like Citizen Kane probably wouldn’t be ranked the best movie in the world because half of the general population probably have never seen it.)
A valid point. I just think that popularity should have nothing to do with whether a film is considered great or not. Not that a film can’t both both. WIth the AFI, people do have a say and when taken to the extreme there is the People Choice Awards too (ooooh!) Let’s go to the Sports category for a minute. I love Caddyshack, funny stuff, but it is a terribly made film, flatly directed. Should Caddyshack be considered one of the best sports movies?
Maybe one of the most popular, yeah, but best? Come on! There is a difference.
(If a movie can make an impact on a culture like Scarface can then it deserves to ranked much higher. I’ve seen all the gangster movies on the list because I’m a movie bluff. But the general population have never even heard of James Cagney.)
Again, a valid point about Scarface’s impact on culture. I don’t deny it, I just don’t think too much of it (the movie). As for the “general population” not knowing who Cagney is well we must have a genration gap here. My generation knows Cagney and Bogart very well from TV and reportory movie theater showings (something that died out with the introduction of home video). Today, most young people, except for a few movie buffs like yourself, don’t watch B&W movies or anything before 1985 or so. Therefore, if you have a young generation voting with a limited knowledge of the field what can you expect? They can only vote for what they know.
(The reason why people watch gangster movies is because people want to fantasize about the life of gangster. A life filled with thrills, women, money, and unfortunately wackings. The only reason why Public Enemy, White Heat, Angels with Dirty Faces, the Godfather don’t have that much violence, bad words, is because they were made in a time when those things were restricted.)
Totally agree.
Scarface is DePalma’s best film that he ever made. Scarface is basically what DePalma is known for. You can’t tell me you liked the Untouchables or Carlitos Way better.
I like some of DePalma’s more onscure films like Blow Out, Obsession, Greetings. I think I am one of the few people who really liked Femme Fatale.
(As for Leone’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- Well, maybe it was not on the list because it is an Italian film and the list was confined to American films. I think your right on this one. Buts its a shame if thats true. Everybody loves The Searchers but that movie is boring as hell. Yeah I know there is a lot of metaphors of life in that movie. But it still doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly is the better movie. And the more American movie. Plus Clint Eastwood is in it and who could be more American than him)
the G The B & The U is a great film. EAstwood is iconic. I watch it once a year as I do The Searchers. I do find it hard to believe you find it boring. How so?
July 30, 2008 at 3:43 am
(My generation knows Cagney and Bogart very well from TV and reportory movie theater showings (something that died out with the introduction of home video).) I’m guessing your in your 40’s or 50’s possibly.
I bet you a hundred dollars that if you ask any teenager on the street who James Cagney is they will not know. Most of the youth today probably don’t even know who Al Pacino is. Or even seen Scarface. I don’t wanna be one of those people that reminisce constantly on the good old days and hate the youth. But a lot of the teenage youth don’t know a whole lot. There are a few like me. But don’t let my youth invalid my points. Young people today like listening to rap music. I like listening to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
Don’t get me wrong The Searchers film is an amazing piece of work. The background scenry is amazing. But I believe The Searchers is an overrated film. You can’t tell me that its exciting? The movie is so boring and all John Wayne does is talk. Its racist some of the Indians are clearly white people with brown paint especially the leader. The movie doesn’t have enough gun fights like a Western should have. The movie also tries to be funny with that soldier slipping his sword and the fights but its not. Compared with the Good, Bad and the Ugly the GB&U is a much better film. Sergio Leone’s has great looking costumes. Great score music that sums up life. Gun fights. The story line is simple finding gold. The GB&U is what Americans would call a traditional American Western. The Searchers is a movie that is overrated because its a movie that has connected with a lot of other movies like a Taxi Driver,Star Wars and I believe because of this The Searchers became more famous over time because it has inspired other films. I compare the Searchers to a movie like Francis Ford Coppolas The Conversation. A movie about a loner. It is so boring. And basically a character study just like The Searchers. I’m not saying The Searchers isn’t good but its just not exciting. In fact a lot of movies could be consider extremely boring and hard to understand like (Lawrence of Arabia, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter). Well this is basically me saying what the general American audience would like. Its like comparing Scarface with the Godfather. The Godfather is the better movie. Script wise, setting wise basically everything. But because of the violence and profanity of Scarface. I would bet more people would say Scarface is the better movie. Afterall, The Godfather is very boring and depressing at times.
July 30, 2008 at 3:50 am
(My generation knows Cagney and Bogart very well from TV and reportory movie theater showings (something that died out with the introduction of home video).
Well actually the introduction of the DVD, VHS has actually made it much easiler to watch older 50’s type films. I only recently have become a movie buff. I believe the reason why most young people don’t know nothing about people like James Cagney is because they don’t visit the library much. The old movies that I’ve watch have all been from my local library. Otherwise, I would not have been able to afford to buy all those movies that I’ve watched. The library is great.
August 3, 2008 at 5:45 pm
(I’m guessing your in your 40’s or 50’s possibly.
I bet you a hundred dollars that if you ask any teenager on the street who James Cagney is they will not know. Most of the youth today probably don’t even know who Al Pacino is. Or even seen Scarface. I don’t wanna be one of those people that reminisce constantly on the good old days and hate the youth. But a lot of the teenage youth don’t know a whole lot. There are a few like me. But don’t let my youth invalid my points. Young people today like listening to rap music. I like listening to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.)
Yes I am in my 50’s.
Oh yeah, I’m sure most teenagers do not know who Cagney or even who Pacino is. Teenagers this is true of most generations only focus on the present and feel that anything before they ar born is old hat and a waste.
As they get older hopefully they will mature and learn that some things from the past are good, ust like some stuff from today is good.
Glad to hear you like Sinatra and Dino. When I was a kid my parents used to listen a radio station that played a lot of Sinatra, etc. and like most “teenager” I did not want to hear it. As I got older I realized how good these guys were.
(Don’t get me wrong The Searchers film is an amazing piece of work. The background scenry is amazing. But I believe The Searchers is an overrated film. You can’t tell me that its exciting? The movie is so boring and all John Wayne does is talk. Its racist some of the Indians are clearly white people with brown paint especially the leader. The movie doesn’t have enough gun fights like……)
Along with The Searchers, you talk about The Godfather, The Conversation and The Deer Hunter all being boring. Wow! I think what you are really saying they do not have enough action for you, that they are too much, character studies. Every movie cannot be about shootouts and being blown up. The G theB & the U is a very good film. Leone is an excellent filmmaker.
The Searchers does have some racist scenes. Wayne’s character Ethan is racist,that true. And white are playing Indians. That’s the way it was back then. Does not make it a bad film. It is just a product of its time. Ig you get the opportunity check out a film called Rio Bravo. It star Wayne and Dean Martin. Good western. Though I will warn you there a lot of dramatic diaolgue and the action is sparse until the end. You may find it boring but I highly recommend it. Also have you ever seen High Noon?
August 3, 2008 at 5:48 pm
(Well actually the introduction of the DVD, VHS has actually made it much easiler to watch older 50’s type films. I only recently have become a movie buff. I believe the reason why most young people don’t know nothing about people like James Cagney is because they don’t visit the library much. The old movies that I’ve watch have all been from my local library. Otherwise, I would not have been able to afford to buy all those movies that I’ve watched. The library is great.)
If you have access to Turner Classic Movies it is a great resouce and a modern day reportory theater right in your own home.