Having completed watching all of AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies and blogged about each one, I figured it would be an appropriate ending to post my personal favourite 25 films on the list, and the few I didn’t enjoy too much :P  Obviously my list doesn’t correlate directly with AFI’s list, because this list is my personal taste (and I’m not really considering historical significance or production values, but purely my enjoyment and respect for each of these great films!)  Every film listed is highly recommended, especially if you find that you have similar taste.

Top 25:

1 north by northwest - The film that single-handedly sparked my interested in classics, and more specifically, Alfred Hitchcock.  When a winding narrative and top notch suspense is paired with iconic acting and filmography, the result is one of the most intriguing films I have ever seen.  I’ll never look at Mount Rushmore without thinking of Hitchcock again.

2 pulp fiction - My absolute favorite non-linear film.  Nothing compares to the first time you see this movie, and the pieces of each story begin to come together like a puzzle.  Oh yeah, and John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson’s interactions throughout are beyond hilarious.

3 godfather - Simply one of the greatest films of all time, as agreed by those at AFI.  This is truly a work of art, and a great pleasure to watch every time I see it.

4 psycho - The Master of Suspense does it again, and this one is only one year later than North by Northwest.  Though not as ‘scary’ as some other horror films, Psycho combines the Horror and Mystery genres to include one of the most perfectly executed twists of Hollywood history.

5 fargo - The Coen Brothers’ finest, this crime thriller (can you tell I like thrillers?) is an outstanding black comedy of errors.  Wood chipper.

6 singin’ in the rain - Such a delightful musical defines the Hollywood movie musical genre.  

7 casablanca - Casablanca doesn’t require my praise.  If you’ve seen it, you know how great it is, and if you haven’t… just go do it.  Legendary.

8 clockwork orange - Kubrick’s futuristic oddball work about violence, sex, and brainwashing is an entity on it’s own.  

9 rear window - Three Hitchcock films in my top 10 says something about both my movie taste and his directing.  This one, unlike the other two, holds great interest and suspense while being constricted to a single room setting.  

10 manchurian candidate - More brainwashing, this time for militaristic purpose.  I didn’t know anything about this film going into it other than it starred Frank Sinatra, and ended up completely loving it.

11 the graduate - Dustin Hoffman defines his ability as an actor in this weird tale of romantic affair.

12 city lights - All of the Chaplin films on AFI 100 Years… are fantastic, but this one stands out as the most touching and fulfilling story, along with, in my opinion, one of the funniest scenes in all 100.

13 one flew over the cuckoo’s nest - When executed well, psychological films (both of the normal mind and the mentally unstable) have great potential, and this is definitely one of the best.  

14 sound of music - Another great musical, the Sound of Music has a much more involved plot than Singin’, and some of the best musical tunes ever written.

15 bridge on the river kwai - Bridge is much more than a war film, but a unique and engrossing story that holds your attention for the entire 2.5 hours.

16 silence of the lambs - One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve seen, and also one of the creepiest.

17 2001: a space odyssey - Kubrick’s futuristic art film, though long, leaves you deep in thought long after the conclusion of the final scene.  One of the best films to think about and contemplate interpretations.

18 apocalypse now - One of the best movies that combines the war genre with suspense, as we follow one group of soldiers on the mission of their lives.

19 giant - Giant is nearly 3.5 hours, and feels like it is under 2.  For it’s length, this was one of the most easily enjoyable films I’ve seen, especially with it’s exceptional performances by Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Rock Hudson.

20 to kill a mockingbird - This film stays so very true to the book’s greatness.  Classic.

21 annie hall - A comedy like no other, Woody Allen’s humor style will have you lolling the whole time.

22 high noon - Probably one of my favourite westerns, it unfolds a thrilling plot and many characters’ personalities in almost real-time.

23 amadeus - Mozart’s life, though not entirely factual, provides one hell of a good story.

24 butch cassidy and the sundance kid - The only other western to make my top 25, this one holds up the test of time.  Exciting and deep.

25 guess who’s coming to dinner - To be honest, I wasn’t entirely expecting to like this one.  To my surprise, it turned out to be one of the most delightful and naturally likable films on AFI’s list.

Honorable Mentions:  bringing up baby, wizard of oz, modern times

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Bottom 8:

8 grapes of wrath - Slow and depressing.

7 easy rider - No story, just a bunch of weird hippie antics.  Guess you had to live through the 60’s to understand or connect to this one.

6 yankee doodle dandy - Patriotic music doesn’t hold up in a musical.  90% of it doesn’t even really hold up as patriotic music.  Especially ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.’

5 all quiet on the western front - Parts of this movie were either hilariously overacted, or dull snoozers.

4 platoon - My idea of what a war movie shouldn’t be, though intense and action packed, that’s all this film really had to offer.  No story that pulls you in to the experience.

3 ben hur - I might get slammed for this one, but I just couldn’t get into it at all.  Unfortunately, it’s 212 minutes long.

2 birth of a nation - Outdated, dull, and just all-around not good.  Though it historically addresses America’s past, I’m really not sure why it made the list.  Fortunately, it was removed in the 2007 updated list.  

1 mash - Just… ugh!  If this was supposed to be funny, I really don’t get it.  This was odd and uncomfortable to watch.