"Rocky" (1976) - PREVIOUS VIEWING

Rank on the AFI List: #57

Synopsis (according to AFI):
No one believes a loser like Rocky Balboa can go the distance. When world heavyweight champ Apollo Creed wants to fight an "unknown," Rocky gets his shot in the ring and at love. "Yo, Adrian!"

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I think it's funny that I grew up seeing Rocky II, III, IV, and V, but I never saw the original.  And I have to say that this is a major reason I was apprehensive to see this.  Sure, the other Rocky movies are fun, especially for a guy, but they are no gems of filmmaking.  So when I learned this won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977, I was shocked.  I also figured that meant this one would be the most boring out of the entire franchise.

While it's certainly the least action-packed of the Rocky movies, it actually turns out to be the best one, too.  The sequels, more or less, are all about Rocky overcoming great odds to beat the "unbeatable" opponent in the ring, but this centers more around Rocky overcoming a life of struggle.  As the tagline says, "His whole life was a million to one shot."

I give major props to Sylvester Stallone, too.  He wrote the screenplay and played the lead role.  The fact that most of his career had him type-casted as an action star with pretty shallow roles makes "Rocky" all the more impressive of a film.  It's got a ton of heart and gentleness, and is acted very well.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Sports movies often get shunned of critical acclaim because they're formulaic, predictable, and a bit cookie-cutter.  "Rocky" may very well have been the first true underdog sports story that the cookie-cutter is shaped from.  It was also a very well done movie in general.  Sure, it may be a bit predictable, but this underdog story is one of the best I've ever seen,  And along with winning the Academy Award for Best Picture (in which it beat out three other films on the AFI List that year: "Taxi Driver", All the President's Men, and Network), it also won Best Director, Best Film Editing, and was nominated in seven other categories that year.

Complaints?
It sometimes moves a bit slow.  Plus, there's one scene with Rocky and Adrian that seems almost like Rocky is about to take advantage of her, even though it's trying to show how Rocky helps her come out of her shell.  In any case, it's borderline uncomfortable.

LET ME SUM UP...
Hands down the best Rocky movie, and one of the best underdog films I've ever seen.  It moves a little slow sometimes, but the story - not the action - is the focus and takes time to develop.  It leads to a great, climactic ending that takes me from liking this movie to loving it.

MY RATING: 8.5/10

"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)

Rank on the AFI List: #98

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it was some sort of patriotic musical.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This movie certainly had patriotism and music, so I was mostly correct in what I knew about it.  However, I didn't realize that this was essentially a biography picture of George M. Cohan.  I had no idea who George M. Cohan was, but he was evidently a singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, writer, and actor, and he "owned" Broadway in the early 20th century and is considered the father of American musical comedy.  I'm a bit embarrassed I didn't know any of this already.

Also, a couple songs George Cohan wrote were inspiration for the US military through World War I and World War II, leading him to receive a special Congressional Medal of Honor.  Neat.

I think I've established that George Cohan was quite a guy.  As for the film itself, my wife and I weren't that into it because - as I mentioned earlier - we didn't know who George M. Cohan was and didn't really have any interest in knowing more about him.  Don't get me wrong, it was a very well-done musical, and James Cagney did an outstanding job playing the lead role, but the content would almost be like if you made a movie about "Aunt Ruth".  I don't know your Aunt Ruth, and I don't really have much interest to learn about her life.  If I had to watch the movie, I'd think "hey, good for Ruth!" but I wouldn't be super excited with learning more about her.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Well, it is the AMERICAN Film Institute's Top 100 List, and this is the most patriotic film I've seen yet.  It's also a tribute to (apparently) one of the greatest entertainers and creative minds in the history of live theatre, and it's one of the sharpest-made musicals I've seen.  It deservedly won three Academy Awards for Best Music, Best Sound, and Best Actor for James Cagney's performance (check out the video below to see the scene where he tap dances down a flight of stairs...crazy!).

Complaints?
For some reason, the first scene with George Cohan and the President didn't really seem to be acted all that well.  Fortunately, that was the only time I didn't think Cagney's performance was stellar, as he was excellent in every other scene.

LET ME SUM UP...
Good musical with a very patriotic feel.  It's got classic American songs in it which makes it fun, but unless you know who George M. Cohan was and you want to know more about his life, it might not be the most riveting story.  But it's a decent film, nonetheless.

MY RATING: 5.5/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 80

"Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid" (1969) - PREVIOUS VIEWING

Rank on the AFI List: #73

Synopsis (according to AFI):
The chemistry of Newman and Redford redefined the buddy movie.  Goldman's script follows Butch and Sundance as they rob banks from the Old West all the way to Bolivia, making heroes out of anti-heroes.  The movie's key song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head is a fun counterpart to the actual plight of our friends.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I really don't get the appeal of this movie.  Yes, Newman and Redford had great chemistry, and yes, there are some funny parts, but other than that....?

It was like watching a grown-up version of hide and seek (the "grown-up" part meaning it moves a bit slowly and there's not much sound), and much like other films on this list made in the late 60s (Easy Rider and Bonnie & Clyde in particular), I did not like the overall style of how this flowed.

However, like I said, there were some funny moments.  For example, the best part of the film - the dynamite scene - made me laugh out loud.  I have included this clip at the bottom of the post if you want to check it out.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I don't know.  My wife and I just don't understand why this is considered a great movie.  I'd say it was a generational thing because my mother was the first person to recommend that I see this (that was before I began My Quest), but a friend of mine who is 2 weeks younger than me also thinks this is a great film and tells me that I just don't get it.  Furthermore, this was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four of them, not to mention 11 nominations and 17 wins from other film and art institutions.  Again I say, I just don't get it.

Complaints?
Along with what I've already mentioned, the song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is really annoying.  How did that win so many awards??

LET ME SUM UP...
There are some funny moments and lines, and great chemistry between the two leads.  However, I'm just not a fan of this style of film, and it's a bit too slow and quiet.  The reasons why this film is so great are apparently over my head, so I'll give it an extra point in my rating simply due to my ignorance.

MY RATING: 5/10

"Duck Soup" (1933)

Rank on the AFI List: #60

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1) It's a Marx Brothers movie.
2) Because it's a Marx Brothers movie, I would probably not like it.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Well, I was 100% correct about what I already knew about the movie.  It was indeed a Marx Brothers film, and I indeed did not like it.  Their humor is so horribly lame, corny, and ridiculous that it's not funny but stupid.  And this is coming from a guy who loves the "Ace Ventura" movies...

However, there was something about it that I liked.  What is that?  You'll have to keep reading to find out...

I did learn something new watching this that I didn't pick up when watching A Night at the Opera.  And that would be that Harpo Marx is a jerk.  Apparently his role was to employ sight gags and physical comedy, but he always did it at the expense of others.  I suppose one could argue that the people he picked on were jerks and deserved it, but there was no evidence of that until Harpo started burning their hats or cutting off their cigars and jackets.  In other words, Harpo started it.

Actually, to be fair, I need to admit the following: Groucho is a pretty big jerk, too.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
As with the other Marx Brothers movie on the AFI List, "A Night at the Opera", I have no flippin' clue why this is even considered to be an average movie, let alone one of the best ever made.  Seriously??  It's supposedly a groundbreaking political satire because of its focus on dictatorship and war right when Mussolini and Hitler were coming to power.  But come on!  The plot for Marx Brothers' films tend to be nothing more than trivial vehicles to give the comedy team a platform to say cheesy lines and perform stupid stunts.  I just can't picture them thinking "let's do a film that cleverly satirizes politics and the possibility of war and makes fun of today's political environment."  It seems much more likely that they thought "Hey, we have some more jokes to tell!  What haven't we done yet?  I know!  We'll make Groucho the leader of a country!"

Complaints:
The Marx Brothers in general.  I do not like them.  Also, the best joke in the whole movie (the mirror gag) wasn't even original!  Charlie Chaplin did it 17 years earlier in 1916's "The Floorwalker".

LET ME SUM UP...
The Marx Brothers are not funny.  However, as I mentioned above, there was something I liked about this film.  What is that?  It's only 68 minutes long...

MY RATING: 1.5/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 79

"Goodfellas" (1990) - PREVIOUS VIEWING

Rank on the AFI List: #92

Synopsis (according to AFI):
This gangster film for modern day is based on the true story of Henry Hill, played by Liotta, who dreamed as a kid of becoming a member of the glamorous mob who ran his New York City neighborhood.  De Niro and Pesci are members of the family he ascends to, until he breaks the code and eventually falls from grace.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This is a very well done movie.  It contrasts with "The Godfather" in that "The Godfather" focuses on the decision-makers while "Goodfellas" centers on the guys who carry out the dirty work.  So in a sense, "The Godfather" has a somewhat glamorous view of the mob lifestyle, but "Goodfellas" has a gritty and oftentimes downright awful portayal of what it's like to be part of a mob family.

There were two scenes that stuck out to me as impressive filmmaking.  One is when Liotta pistol-whips a guy (it's a horrible scene, but from a filmmaking standpoint, it's quite impressive).  The other scene (my favorite in the film) is when Liotta and his date enter a night club from the back, walk through a maze of busy hallways and kitchens, and eventually arrive at the dining area and sit down at a table right up front.  What's so impressive about it?  It was one continuous shot, and it went on for over 3 minutes (these are referred to as "tracking shots", and they are really cool when you realize how much effort goes into shooting them).  Click here to check it out!

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
From a movie-making standpoint, "Goodfellas" is exceptional.  From the film editing and cinematography to the screenplay and acting, this is a very well-done movie.  Joe Pesci (who won the lone Oscar for this film for Best Supporting Actor) was terrific at being a horrible and angry person with a very short temper (in fact, Pesci's character in the very first scene really disturbed my wife).  The content of the film was also interesting in that it took a lifestyle that is often glamourized in film and took a close look at just how "real" (and unglamorous) it can be.  All in all, "Goodfellas" was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Film Editing, and it stands as the quintessential modern-day gangster film.

Complaints?
Like I said in my initial post, I felt like I needed a shower and de-tox after seeing this movie.  The movie spends so much time in the gutters of life that it's not exactly fun to watch.  This isn't really a complaint, however, since this is what the movie was trying to do, but I'm just not a fan of the content.

LET ME SUM UP...
A very good gangster movie that explores the lives of those who do the dirty work for the families.  It's violent, drug-heavy, and not the most fun to watch, but it's done very well.

MY RATING: 6/10

"The Gold Rush" (1925)

Rank on the AFI List: #58

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it stars Charlie Chaplin.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This was my first Charlie Chaplin experience, and I was definitely more optimistic than my wife was before it began (I think she feared it'd be too much like a Marx Brothers film).  Fortuntely for us, it wasn't like a Marx Brothers.  In fact, it was quite funny!

I've always heard Chaplin was a great entertainer, and after seeing this movie, I can understand why.

First of all, there's a fine line in physical comedy between hilarious and corny; it's really easy to emphasize something so much that it's over the top.  Also, the silent film era practically required actors to be overly dramatic in order to convey what's going on.  Charlie Chaplin (at least in "The Gold Rush") incredibly avoids all of these pitfalls.

His gestures are strong but subtle when necessary.  His face is expressive but real.  And his comic timing is amazing.

To sum all this up: Charlie Chaplin is rightfully one of the greatest entertainers in film history.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I'm not surprised at all that a Chaplin film is on the AFI List, seeing as how he was one of the greatest entertainers ever in film.  I AM surprised, however, that there are three Chaplin films on the list.  Because of this, I have to think about why "The Gold Rush" is one of the best movies ever made besides the fact that it's a Chaplin.  Doing a little research (and watching the Bonus Features on the DVD), I learned that:
1. This is one of Chaplin's most famous films,
2. "The Gold Rush" is a contradictory film, taking an incredibly sad event like the Alaskan gold rush and turning it into a comedy,
3. There are some very impressive special effects (especially for being made in 1925),
4. The scene with the dinner rolls (included at the bottom of this post) is arguably the most famous Chaplin scene of all time, and
5. Of all the films he made, Chaplin wished to be remembered most for "The Gold Rush".

Complaints?
Actually, this is a praise about the revised version that we watched.  Chaplin revised "The Gold Rush" in 1942, adding a great musical score to it, and instead of the silent film word frames, Chaplin himself narrated and dubbed the entire movie, which really made it much easier to enjoy.  I definitely recommend watching this version if you can!

LET ME SUM UP...
Within the first ten minutes, my wife and I became Chaplin fans.  He's a great physical comic, and "The Gold Rush" includes some rather impressive special effects for being made so long ago.  It's a story that's easy to follow with great scenes that include a giant chicken, dinner rolls, and a teetering cabin on the edge of a cliff.  I now see why Chaplin is practically immortalized as an entertainer (especially since he also wrote and directed all - or at least most - of the movies he was in).  I'm now very much looking forward to watching the other two Chaplin films on the AFI List (Modern Times and City Lights).

MY RATING: 6.5/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 78

"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #16

Synopsis (according to AFI):
Struggling writer Holden hides out from car repossessors in the ancient mansion of aging silent star Swanson ("I am big. It's the pictures that got small."). He sees a lucrative break for himself when she wants to make a return to the screen, but he is unaware of the price he will have to pay.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I watched this one in my American Film class, and I thought it was decent.  This time around, I still liked it and appreciated even more its film noir style.  However, I can understand if some people don't really like this.

The first thing I think may turn some people off is Gloria Swanson's performance.  To this, I recommend watching a silent film like Intolerance right before watching "Sunset Boulevard".  This may put into context why Swanson's character is so dramatic with her facial expressions and body language.

Something else that may not play to everyone's liking is its focus on Hollywood.  For the sole purpose of understanding this film more, I found myself wishing I was a struggling actor, or writer, or director living in Tinsel Town.  This film was really made for the Hollywood crowd.

On a somewhat unrelated note...
After watching this a second time, and seeing The Bridge on the River Kwai earlier, I'm now a William Holden fan.  I like his dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Similar to Tootsie, the fact that this film is about the acting/film industry is one reason I'm sure AFI considers it the 16th best film ever made.  On top of that, most sources consider this the first movie to ever showcase the dark, unglamorous side of Hollywood, which adds to its critical acclaim.  It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning three (Best Music, Best Art Direction, and Best Writing, all of which were very much deserved).

Not really a complaint, but...
I would have loved to know more about Max.  I think his story was told enough to be effective, but he's one of the most intriguing characters to me and I ended up wanting to know more about him.

LET ME SUM UP...
Great film noir that is set in Hollywood as opposed to a detective's office.  It's #16 on the AFI List because of its well-done examination of the bowels of Hollywood.

MY RATING: 7.5/10 (0.5 lower from my previous rating)