“Two counterculture bikers travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of America.” Easy Rider is probably one of the most accurate representations of the line drawn between the culture and the counterculture in America in the 1960s and 1970s. Given, I was not alive during this era to show that this is true. I do, however, know plenty of people who were alive … Continue reading 84. Easy Rider (1969)
“A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies.” First, let me say that I cannot watch a film with Groucho Marx in it and not think of Robin Williams’ impression of him as the genie in Aladdin. Quick and clever; those two words describe this entire film. It is definitely … Continue reading 85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
“A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.” I had never watched this film before and I was, in no way, prepared for what I was about to watch. This was one of those movies that I became more interested in the longer that I watched it. Right from the very beginning, … Continue reading 86. Platoon (1986)
“A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.” Have you ever just needed to write something so badly because you were so excited about it? Because that is currently me with this film. It’s nearly 2 am and I have to be at work in 8 hours. … Continue reading 87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
“While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard “Baby.”” “Screwball Comedy” is definitely the right term to describe this film. It’s the one of two Hepburn/Grant matchups on AFI’s list and it is definitely a good one. I knew literally nothing about this film, aside from … Continue reading 88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
“A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.” First, let me say that I tried really hard to not let my dislike for M. Night Shyamalan to get in my way of watching this film and giving it a proper grade. Second, let me say that I have watched this film before and I … Continue reading 89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
“A performer and gambler travels to New York City to raise the $25,000 he needs to marry his fiancée, only to become entangled with a beautiful aspiring dancer.” Remember that time Fred Astaire performed a dance number while in Blackface and it made me deeply uncomfortable? Because I sure do. This film, this musical, is pretty much your standard musical for the time period … Continue reading 90. Swing Time (1936)
“Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live in Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie’s narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions.” Let me begin by saying that I was … Continue reading 91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
“Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.” After watching this film once, it is very easy to see why it has made AFI’s list of 100 Greatest Films. From the writing to the casting, it’s a wonderful film. All films begin with an idea and a script. And this film’s script is good. It’s based on the true story … Continue reading 92. Goodfellas (1990)
“A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.” This film took me almost a week to watch. And that’s not because it’s long or anything like that. It’s because I feel asleep multiple times during the first forty or so minutes of the film, finally just paused it, and left it up on my … Continue reading 93. The French Connection (1971)
