AFI Top 100

Two stories from Hollywood lore:

First, years ago a screenwriter got aggravated about the whole damn process, so he took a script and sent it to 100 movie producers. I don't recall the exact numbers, but something like 94 of them hated it, 3 thought it had potential and the other three recognized it as Arthur Miller's classic "Death of a Salesman."

Years later, a screenplay called "The Madness of King George III" was making the rounds and it was universally (and correctly) hailed as a fine piece of writing. One producers was so impressed that he asked for a copy of the original and the sequel. I stop here so you can read that again. Of course, since society is happy to dumb everything down to the lowest common denominator (movie producers), the title was changed to "The Madness of King George."

Yes, folks, these are the voters for the American Film Institute list of the Top 100 Movies of All Time. With that in perspective, my expectations ended at the hope that "Billy Jack" was not included.

In all, the list is not the total horror show I was expecting. "Citizen Kane's" at one, which is where it has to be. I don't have a vast passion for the film, but there is no question that between the camera work, the screenplay, the acting and the editing, that it was revolutionary. Every movie that's worth a damn out there today and stolen from Orson Welles's classic. The two and three spots are taken by the Godfather and Casablanca respectively. I prefer Casablanca, but I can at least see the point of view of the hound here.

After that the moron contingent raises their voice. Raging Bull at Number 4? Raging Bull is a fine movie, but to put it ahead of at least 30 others on that list is laughable. Vertigo at Number 9? Hitchcock himself has made seven better movies. "Oh, honey, what was that movie where Jimmy Stewart played the necrophiliac? Come on, it's right on the tip of my tongue." The template for every feature-length movie ever made is "Birth of a Nation." I don't care what you think of the despicable content matter, this is a top ten film without question.

Overall, there was nothing completely offensive aside of the ubiquitous presence of Titanic (I keep having the dream about DiCaprio falling over and getting hit by the boat during the stupid "King of the World" scene). Some films are way too low (Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity) and some are way to high (if you trimmed about three hours off of Gone with the Wind then maybe) and at least one is a little strange (Toy Story?), but nothing is worth wishing locusts on anyone's houses or anything like that.

But even if there was something offensive about this list, I still would still cede it merit if just one teen who just watched Scary Movie Part 42 looked at the list then asked about Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Maybe because of this list someone will go out and rent City Lights or Chinatown or something that doesn't look like a chimp just threw someone of his own excrement against celluloid. Maybe someone young writer will be inspired by Doctor Strangelove instead of something by Ernest Going somewhere.

Do I really think this can help stem the tide of crap one person at a time?

Absolutely not. It's hopeless, but I'm completely loaded and I tend to get sentimental when I get loaded. Martguerita's anyone.