We had an interesting debate yesterday over the AFI’s new (or old, as some might say) list of their Top 10 films in 10 classic genres.
There was a lot of groaning over the choices made by the AFI members, who seems to value the old and classic versus the new and perhaps just as good.
So instead of complaining about their lists, I thought we could just choose our own winners in each genre. Or maybe just pick a few films that we’d put at the top of a few of these genres, which are:
SciFi, Westerns, Animation, Romantic Comedies, Sports, Mystery, Fantasy, Gangster, Courtroom Drama and Epic.
That leads us to the official, BOLDED Friday Question:
Pick a few genres from the above list and name the movie you’d put at the top of each.
I’m not going to go crazy, but here is a few I’d go with:
SciFi – Yes, I’d stick with AFI’s choice of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I can’t help it, I still think it’s one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen.
Fantasy – I’d move Lord of the Rings to the top, although I agree a bit with the Wizard of Oz being number one. It’s just that Peter Jackson’s film was so brilliant and wonderful, I just have to go with it here.
Epic – This category is weird, because Titanic is in it, but is that really an “epic” movie? Either way, I think Band of Brothers deserves to AT LEAST be in this category and it COULD be up there at #1. I know it’s not really “a movie” but that’s only because it was too long to be in theaters. *grin*
So what about you guys? I’m highly curious what films you’d rank #1 in these various genres.
Sci Fi: 2001, was so good watched 2010
Western: High Noon if nothing else for the song
Epic: Lawrence of Arabia great movie, good soundtrack too
Best Animated Movie: Nightmare Before Christmas, the first movie me and the wife saw together
Best Fantasy: The Two Towers
Best Mystery: The Marathon Man (? Mystery)
Romantic Comedy: revised Stranger Than Fiction
Sports: A troika of Kingpin, White Men Can't Jump and Vision Quest
Gangster: On the Waterfront
Court room drama: Erin Brokovich, so I'm a girl
Okay… just a few options…
Romantic Comedy: When Harry Met Sally
Sports: Hoosiers
Epic: Braveheart
Courtroom Drama: A Few Good Men
SF: Gattaca. I know it's a weird choice and there are a lot of other very deserving, very good, much more popular movies in this genre, but this one I can watch over and over again, it raises a lot of interesting ethical and philosophical questions, and I think it's the best directed SF film I've ever seen. Plus, Michael Nyman's score is so sparse and moving, it's almost like another character in the film.
Animated: The Incredibles. Until I've seen Wall-E and judged, I think it's the best of the Pixars and best overall. Unless Aardman's next feature-length film doesn't feel as padded as Wererabbit.
RomCom: Joe Vs. The Volcano. I was totally going another way on this, but then I couldn't decide between Tracy & Hepburn flicks or Philadelphia Story…so I just went modern.
Sports: 1. Rocky, 2. Bull Durham, 3. Brian's Song, 4. Bad News Bears 5. White Men Can't Jump. Almost gave the five-slot to Slapshot or Tin Cup.
Mystery: Memento, Chinatown, and Vertigo are battling for number one.
Fantasy: Oz
Gangster: Godfather II
Courtroom Drama: (This should never have been one of their genres. Terrible selection.) A Few Good Men
Epic: Lawrence of Arabia, Gandhi might be my second choice.
Sci Fi: Star Wars – A New Hope (it set the stage for everything that followed) & Blade Runner as tied for first
Western: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (I haven't seen but a handful of westerns)
Epic: Schindler's List
Best Animated: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (nothing beats hand-drawn)
Best Fantasy: Wizard of Oz (incredible for its time)
Best Mystery: Rear Window
Romantic Comedy: The Princess Bride
Sports: Rocky
Gangster: Goodfellas
Court room drama: To Kill A Mockingbird
The flying monkeys scared the sh** out of me
I was going to put Planet of the Apes, but I thought that everyone would cry foul…
Damn dirty apes. I had a General Zod? action figure.
I love you Dr. Zauis (the POA Musical)
Animation: Beauty and the Beast
Romantic Comedy: The Philadelphia Story
Western: The Searchers (tough call)
Sports: Hoosiers
Mystery: The Maltese Falcon
Fantasy: It's A Wonderful Life (Ana's gonna kill me for not picking Oz – tough call really)
Sci-fi: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Gangster: The Godfather
Courtroom Drama: To Kill A Mockingbird
Epic: Braveheart (I think I might be penalizing Gone With The Wind because I've seen it so many times and I don't think Saving Private Ryan fits in this category).
Mike, Band of Brothers was incredible, but it's closer to a series than a movie. Not sure it could ever compete – wouldn't be fair.
I love the Few Good Men pick! I would have chosen the same.
Joe Vs. The Volcano? Really? Wow…
Like the other choices, especially Memento
I agree Jason, but it was so good, I think it gets forgotten when people talk about epic war movies, etc.
And it shouldn't, because it's better than 99% of all war movies out there.
I've tried, but I've never been able to sit through Gone With the Wind…maybe I can now that I have mellowed a bit.
I know. It came out of the blue. I was going to say Philadelphia Story or Desk Set, which is my fav Tracy&Hepburn…then my brain yelled at me to pick Joe. Very odd, and I'm not sure I'd pick it tomorrow. But today…it feels right.
It might feel right, but it's sooooo wrong….
Joe vs the Volcano over the Princess Bride?
I'm not saying it's right or makes sense, but today…yeah. I'm sticking with it for now.
I know it's crazy.
Frankly my dear I don't give a damn about that movie
Thats just crazy President Luthor talk right there, thats what that is!!! =)
I LOVE Gattaca. Great Pick! And Memento would be one of my tops for Mystery too!
Here's some picks-
Animation: Sleeping Beauty
Romantic Comedy: Sabrina, Love Actually.
Mystery: Memento, I also love weird ones like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Vanilla Sky but that's just me
Sci-fi: Gattaca.
Epic: I adore Gone With The Wind, also Life is Beautiful, Empire of The Sun, Gladiator and The Pianist.
Fantasy- Does Anchorman or Ferris Bueller count? haha. I love It's a Wonderful Life.
Epic: Gladiator. Best movie ever made.
Yeah, that is a good pick…not sure about best movie ever made, but it was great