Thursday, June 19, 2008

No Top Ten Sequels?

I know, I shouldn't have bothered but I watched the latest AFI special. Capitalizing on the success of their top 100 special 10 years ago they've been scrambling for ideas to come up with for yearly specials ever since. One year it was movie quotes, another it was top stars, another it was greatest thrills. This year's was ten top tens. The ten best films in ten different categories.
Here's how stupid it was, they couldn't find a category for their own #1 film, Citizen Kane. There was no category for Jaws, Psycho, Singing in the Rain, Cabaret, Top Hat (they've never heard of musicals), Raiders of the Lost Ark, Grapes of Wrath, Bringing Up Baby, Duck Soup, or any movie made before 1930. That's not the worst, their top ten courtroom dramas included Kramer vs. Kramer (there was a short courtroom scene or two, I think, I mean honestly who remembers that movie?) but NOT Inherit the Wind. Top ten courtroom dramas and no Inherit the Wind. Unbelievable.
While there was no musicals or pure comedies category (they had romantic comedies) they had top ten sports movies. Seriously. And get this, Jerry Maguire and Caddyshack were on it but not The Natural. They also had animated films. So we get Finding Nemo but no category for Casablanca.
So really this is not just me disagreeing with the omission of Big Sleep from the mystery category or My Darling Clementine from the Westerns, these people at AFI just opened themselves up for ridicule.
I'm afraid to ask but: what will the AFI think up for next year?

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