"Raging Bull" (1980)

Rank on the AFI List: #4

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1. It stars Robert De Niro.
2. It was directed by Martin Scorsese.
3. It's based on a true story about a self-destructive boxer.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Considered the 4th greatest film in American history, the storyline itself was a bit peculiar.  What I mean is, I expected this movie to either be centered around historically significant events or people, or to hold some sort of universal moral about life.  Neither the story nor any of the characters really conveyed any of this.

Instead, I watched a movie about a boxer I had never heard of with such self-destructive tendencies that this was by no means a fun experience.  It was gritty and real in such a way that I wanted this to be a purely fictional story.

However, from a film-making standpoint, "Raging Bull" is incredible.  Which leads right into the next section...

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
This is an incredibly well-made film.  In fact, "Raging Bull" kept reminding me of "Citizen Kane" with its technical style.  Everything about how it was put together seemed deliberate, stylish, and sharp.  My wife also commented afterward that the contrast between the black and the white added a sense of glitziness, which added some appropriate contradiction to the mood of the story itself.  It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, winning two (Best Actor - Robert De Niro, and Best Film Editing).

Complaints
Along with the awkward-and-seemingly-unnecessary sexual scene in the first half, I could not buy the fact that Vickie was supposed to be 15 years old at first.  I don't care if the actress was only 20 years old when this was filmed.  She looked and talked like she was pushing 30, and I could not get around that in any of the scenes with her as a teenager.

LET ME SUM UP...
Not a wonderful story, but technically speaking, this is an incredibly well-made biopic film.  As a movie-watching experience, I'd rate this only 5/10, but I have to give it some major points for how well it was put together.

MY RATING: 8/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 90

"City Lights" (1931)

Rank on the AFI List: #11

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1) It stars Charlie Chaplin.
2) According to AFI, it's the #1 greatest romantic comedy ever.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Once I watched The Gold Rush and learned I was a Charlie Chaplin fan, I've been looking forward to seeing "City Lights".  Not only is it the highest rated Chaplin film on the AFI List, but the American Film Institute also says it's the greatest romantic comedy ever.  Needless to say, there was quite a bit of hype going into this, and my wife and I were both excited to finally watch it.

Unfortunately, that hype made this film a bit of a disappointment to both of us.  Unlike "The Gold Rush" and Modern Times, there was no particular scene or gag that really stood out to me (the shot gun struggle, the dinner rolls, and the cabin in "The Gold Rush", and the feeding machine in "Modern Times" were all terrific).  Yes, the suicide attempts and the boxing scenes were funny, but I laughed more during his other movies.

I was also expecting more in the end upon first viewing.  It's definitely a romantic story throughout the film, but as a first watch, I felt underwhelmed at how it ended.  HOWEVER, during my search for a video clip to add to this post, I found the final scene on YouTube and watched it again.  With the hype no longer there, I have to admit that the ending IS extremely good (particularly the subtleties in the acting) and really "makes" the whole story.  By simply watching the ending one more time, I've bumped the entire movie up from a Kind of Liked It rating to a Liked It.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I pretty much just talked about it, but the story is about as sweet and beautiful as it gets.

Complaints
Again, there was no one particular scene or moment that really stood out to me as hilarious, which was a little disappointing.

LET ME SUM UP...
The #1 romantic comedy in American film history, according to AFI.  It wasn't the funniest Chaplin film, but it's definitely a very sweet and romantic story. 

MY RATING: 6/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 89

"The Wild Bunch" (1969)

Rank on the AFI List: #79

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it's a Western and stars William Holden.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Finally!  After a horrendous streak of watching 9 consecutive films on the AFI List for the first time and not liking ANY of them (and in several cases hating them), "The Wild Bunch" ended up actually being good (pardon my excitement, but after such garbage as Duck Soup, A Clockwork Orange, and The Last Picture Show, I was getting very worried that all the remaining films on the list would be disappointments).

"The Wild Bunch" is a great film.  It's intense, a bit graphic, and it has an interesting story.  Coincidentally, part of the plot reminded me of The Bridge on the River Kwai, which also stars William Holden (an actor whom, had I not bothered with this Quest, I wouldn't even know about but is now one of my favorite actors).

(Side note: I'm quite certain that the makers of Three Amigos were greatly influenced by this movie.  There are a LOT of similarities, even though one is a serious, epic drama and the other is a comedic spoof.)

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
For one thing, "The Wild Bunch" really seemed to be more than just a Western.  In fact, I'd classify it as an epic Western.  It almost felt like I just got done watching Lord of the Rings because the story and adventure seemed so "big".  In addition, it had some great action sequences and was very well acted.  I also think its storyline about aging at a time the world is transitioning into a new era has a universal element that many can relate to (e.g. getting older, the world passing you by, etc.).  It received 2 Academy Award nominations (Best Musical Score and Best Original Screenplay), and I'm surprised it wasn't at least nominated for Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Director.

Complaints
For being made in 1969, it sure seems like one of the goals of this film was to shock the audience with its graphic nature.  And while I feel the violence did add to the overall atmosphere, the nudity was gratuitous and unnecessary (there were quite a few topless women, and I'm not just talking about the shot that opens with a close zoom in of a baby breastfeeding).

LET ME SUM UP...
An intense, graphic, and epic Western, "The Wild Bunch" is an interesting look at America at a time when the Old West started to morph into the Industrial Age.  I liked this one quite a bit.

MY RATING: 8/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 88

"Blade Runner" (1982)

Rank on the AFI List: #97

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1) It stars Harrison Ford
2) It's a sci-fi thriller from the 80's

LET ME EXPLAIN...
For some reason, I had been looking forward to watching this one ever since I began My Quest.  The above info is really all I knew about it, so I guess its similarities to "Star Wars" intrigued me.

Then the movie began, continued, and ended, and I was left utterly disappointed.  This is a weird movie.  There's not a lot of action in it, and as my wife eloquently described it, it's more like an 80's melodrama in space.

The main storyline had giant holes that left me lost and not really caring about any of the characters, and the sub-story was bizarre and a bit uncomfortable to watch.  It seems like this film was trying to say something, but I wasn't doing cocaine in the 80's when I watched it, so its point was lost on me.  (Important note: the trailer included in this post makes the film look a LOT more interesting and exciting than it actually is.)

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Apparently there hadn't been a movie like this before.  The atmosphere of this futuristic, dystopian reality was so new and different that "Blade Runner" stands out in film history....that's the only thing I can think of for answering this question, despite the fact that I wasn't really impressed by any of it.  It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.

Complaints
Practically no action (in a sci-fi film!), no real depth to the characters (though it seems like this film was trying to give them depth), and THE MUSIC!!  It's like I was watching a soap opera Atari video game.

LET ME SUM UP...
Slow-moving, bizarre sci-fi movie from the 80's that leaves a lot to be desired.

MY RATING: 1/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 87

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #20

Synopsis (according to IMDB.com)
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I absolutely love this movie.  I'm one of those people who gets choked up watching it, and I'm so glad I finally got around to watching it for the first time back in college.  It's a story full of compassion, selflessness, sacrifice, and life.  Real life.  Not some Hollywood version of life's fulfillment being found in your plans coming to fruition, but in realizing the blessings found in life no matter what direction life goes.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
See above.  This movie is so great at depicting what real life is like.  Plans fall through.  Sacrifices have to be made.  Life gets tough (I realize I'm a 29-year old with no kids, so I can't really speak on this yet from experience, but I hear things).  People pass away.  Relationships change.  Anyone can see themselves in George Bailey's shoes and relate, so this film does an amazing job at striking a chord that can resonate with anyone.  It's also wonderfully acted by everyone, especially Jimmy Stewart (his prayer in the bar always stands out to me as superb acting).  This film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and - were it not for The Best Years of Our Lives coming out that same year - would have been the top film of 1946.

Complaints?
A lot of older films have some awkward acting moments (e.g. North by Northwest), and this film is no exception.  Nevertheless, "It's a Wonderful Life" is simply too great of a film to mark it down for something that's simply a sign of the times.

LET ME SUM UP...
One of the greatest films ever.  It's a heart-tugging tear-jerker that is the best example of "life" I've seen on film.

MY RATING: 10/10 (no change from my previous rating)

"King Kong" (1933) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #41

Synopsis (according to IMDB.com)
A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
The story is well known, and there have been a couple remakes of this, so I won't bother at all with the story.  I just want to say that there's something about the visual "effects" that I think is really neat.  Perhaps it's the style of effects way back in 1933, I don't know, but the stop-motion animation of Kong and the other creatures is a major reason I really like this movie.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
This film really seems like it could be considered the first "movie blockbuster".  To try to explain, think of the big action movies that come out every summer: the action, the adventure, the over-the-top explosions or creatures.  Now imagine that type of movie coming out back in 1933.  That's "King Kong".  It starts off setting the stage and introducing characters quietly, but once the action gets introduced, it's virtually non-stop until the end.  And just like a lot of those summer blockbusters nowadays, it's a fun time if you don't take it too seriously.

Complaints?
My wife and I felt one actor in particular wasn't that great in this movie.  However, we disagreed on which actor was bad.  I thought it was the "hero" actor, and she thought it was the director.  Take your pick, but that's really the only thing I can mention here.  This is a great movie.

LET ME SUM UP...
Great movie with a "summer blockbuster" (circa 1933) feel.  If you like action movies and classic film, I'd be shocked if you haven't already seen this and liked it.

MY RATING: 8/10 (No change from my previous rating)

"Toy Story" (1995) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #99

Synopsis (according to AFI)
Well, AFI decided to reformat its website since my last re-watch, so an AFI synopsis is no longer available.  I have to say I'm not a fan since I liked how their synopses often gave some insight into why the film is on their list.  Oh well, here's IMDB:

A cowboy toy is profoundly threatened and jealous when a fancy spaceman toy supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

AFI, bring back your synopses!!

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This is my favorite Pixar movie, so I was excited to watch it again after 10+ years, countless new Pixar films, and two sequels.  Conclusion?  This movie is still awesome, and one of the funniest Pixars ever (for the record, I didn't think Toy Story 3 was all that funny, though it did offer more dramatic action and high quality animation).

What else is there to say?  The premise of our toys coming to life when we're not around is original and takes us back to our childhood, which is a nice escape from the responsibilities of adulthood.  I don't think they could have casted the voices any better, either.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Finally, an easy film to answer this question about!  Quite simply, it was the first full-length computer-animated movie ever.  The fact that the story and humor is terrific is just the cherry on top.

Complaints?
None.  I love this movie.

LET ME SUM UP...
Inventive premise, engaging story, great humor, and the very first computer-animated movie make this an easy pick for the Top 100.

MY RATING: 10/10 (1.0 higher from my previous rating)