AFI Countdown, Part Two

This is a series I started awhile ago, probably sometime during the summer when I actually had time to blog almost everyday. To refresh everyone’s memory, the American Film Institute has a countdown of the 100 Greatest Movies every June on CBS. The first year I caught it they were focusing on love stories. Other years have been comedies, thrillers, quotes, songs…you get the picture. This series I started for my blog is counting down the movies I have actually seen myself and my comments on how I liked the movie and when I first saw it, and why I watched it in the first place. I left off at number 77, which was All the President’s Men. If you would like to read the original post, it can be found HERE.

76. Forrest Gump

This is a movie that is often quoted with either, “Run, Forrest, Run,” or “Life is like a box of chocolates.” It is one that everyone knows about and is revered highly among film critics. It is something you have to see in order to get various pop culture references. In fact, there are many historical references in the movie itself. I believe Mrs. Berg, my AP U.S. History teacher mentioned it in class once for an extra credit opportunity to watch the movie and write down every historical event that takes place within Forrest’s lifetime. It is well done in that regard I must say. (I never did do the extra credit.)

72. The Shawshank Redemption

I saw this movie in English class freshman year of high school. Mrs. Wagner was the teacher and I remember having to get our parents to sign a permission slip to watch the movie because it was rated R and most of us were 14 or 15 at the time. I don’t remember in what context we watched it, but I liked it. It is one of those movies in which the ending surprises you a bit and after thinking about it for awhile, you see what was happening throughout the rest of the film to foreshadow the conclusion.

71. Saving Private Ryan

I think I have seen this movie a couple of times. Once on TV maybe, but for sure in my AP U.S. History class. For AP, the test we work up to is the first week in May. We spend the entire year preparing for the one big exam at the end, but school is not let out for another month. After the test was over, we spent our class time watching historical movies and working on one big power point presentation on the topic in U.S. History of our choice. (I did mine on Ellis Island, by the way.) Saving Private Ryan was the first one our class chose to view. The first 20 minutes or so was a little intense, but then again so is war. I don’t think Americans as a whole realize what goes into a war. Sure, they show footage on the news, or recreate events in movies, but in our lifetimes we haven’t had any major battles on our soil. Movies like this attempt to show what it is really like, and although it looks very realistic and highly intensive, it is nothing compared to what it must really be like.

70. A Clockwork Orange

Because of this film, I cannot think of Singin’ In the Rain the same way. I read the book by Anthony Burgess before seeing this movie. There are many differences, that I see as completely plot altering (but then again I am a writer and will always favor the book over the movie.) Seeing the movie did help me fit some things together and put a picture with what I was reading. (If you aren’t familiar with the book or movie, the main character speaks a language that he has invented and it can get a little confusing from time to time. Luckily, in the age of the internet, it is easy to find dictionaries of the very same language if you get stuck on a particular phrase. That, and Spark Notes, which is always a life saver.)

I have decided to only do four at a time for blogging purposes. No one really wants to read a mile long blog. I mentioned in my last post that I thought my list of movies I have seen will grow because I have a Netflix subscription, but alas, it has not. I need to start getting the classics to my mailbox instead of the throw away movies they make today.